Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/02/05

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: M 50mm f/2.0 50 Year Summicron
From: John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 10:21:58 -0700

I do not think that Leica had several hundred bits and bobs hanging 
around from left over original "O" series camera production.  :-) It 
was a couple of apprentices that were given the job of making as many 
new "O" series as there were orders (source: Leica press release).

The Millennium camera's top plate is a result of the ready availablity 
of CNC machines. If you look here:

http://www.cameraquest.com/m62000.htm

You can easily see that the top plate is not NOS M3 but a new design 
based on the TTL top plate.

With today's CNC machines, small production runs are now vaguely 
economical so Leica can do them and not have to charge too much more 
(not including the obligatory extra collector sized profit). I doubt 
that a run of lenses that are destined to remain forever encased in 
their boxes will increase in value like the truly rare production 
lenses do. Low production numbers combined with people actually buying 
them to use, means that collector grade examples of the rare lenses are 
hard to find and that is what drives up their value.

John Collier

On Wednesday, February 5, 2003, at 08:12 AM, Patrick Jelliffe wrote:

> There's a rumor that Leica gets rid of their surplus
> NOS castings and stampings from yesteryear by offering
> these special editions.  Look at the "Millenium" M6
> with M3 rewind, the "O" series, now the new/old
> Summicron.

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