Leica M lens prices going up
Leica USA is raising prices 5-13% on Leica M lenses (M9, M8 and other M cameras), starting Jan 1st. This is already reflected in the “temporarily unavailable” status of several popular focal lengths, namely 50mm models and the 35/1.4 Summilux-M.
Zeiss recently (Dec 14) raised prices on its ZM line (for Leica M8/M9/M), but you can still find some ZM lenses at the old prices. If you have a Leica M8/M9, one lens I really liked with the M9 was the distortion-free and superbly sharp 35/2 Biogon. I also really liked the ultra low distortion 21/4.5 Biogon, but consider it for black-and-white work only, due to color shifts at the edges of the frame. See my review of the M9 in DAP.
For your convenience, here is a B&H wish list with all the Leica M and Zeiss ZM lenses listed by focal length; you can quickly see what’s still available and what’s not. You might also find things at Amazon.
Remember that for lenses wider than 28mm, you’ll also need the viewfinder. For Zeiss ZM, all but the 18mm require buying the lens shade separately.
The Zeiss ZE (Canon) and ZF.2 (Nikon) lines are already fully priced, no change there.
