Leica has quietly announced that it will be raising the prices across its entire product line by varying degrees, averaging around 2-5% on most items but getting as high as nearly 10% in the case of some of its cameras.
According to a report, while most products are seeing a small bump in prices, some items are seeing markedly higher jumps. For example, while the majority of M, SL, and TL lenses are only seeing a modest change of about $100 or $200 (and some aren’t changing at all like the newly-announced Summicron-M 35mm f/2, the Q2 Daniel Craig x Greg Williams edition, or the Summicron-SL 28mm f/2 ASPH as pricing was adjusted prior to market release), some items are seeing significant jumps — notably Leica cameras.
Starting on April 1, the SL2 will retail for $6,595, up $600 from its current $5,995 price. That leap is just a little more than a 9% increase, but the dollar translation is enough to buy a pretty decent standalone camera from other manufacturers. The Leica M-10R and M10 Monochrom are both seeing a $700 jump and the Leica Q2 a $500 increase.
Leica apparently has a history of incremental prices changes to keep pace with inflation, currency fluctuations, and increasing production costs. Leica is relatively unique as just about every one of its products undergoes some kind of hand assembly or finishing in Wetzlar, Germany which is, as you would expect, expensive.
The press release, which is currently only published on Red Dot Forum, claims that another reason for the increase is the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the Euro, which has suffered and to this point, Leica has “absorbed these costs.”
“At Leica Camera, we are dedicated to preserving our unparalleled tradition of optical excellence, craftsmanship and the integrity of our product portfolio. We hold ourselves accountable to high standards with our products and to being transparent with our loyal customers as well,” Leica writes. “We need to adjust our pricing in order to ensure pricing integrity across all Leica subsidiaries and to continue delivering the highest quality of products.”
All price increases will be effective on April 1, 2021 with the exception of the Leica M-Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 Black 11686, which will increase effective immediately on March 15, 2021 (a $200 increase).
Red Dot Forum is likely a trustworthy source here, as the website is affiliated directly with the Leica Store in Miami. Leica Store Miami will continue to honor the pre-increase pricing on any in-stock item up until March 31.
For a full list of all products and their new prices, Red Dot Forum has listed them by category here.
Author: Jaron Schneider
Source: Petapixel
