Why is there such a big price difference between the Leica M6 and M7?
Asked 1/13/2011
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I’m comparing the Leica M6 and M7 and wondering what explains the price gap. Is it mainly because one is semi-automatic and the other offers more automatic exposure, or are there other factors such as age, production status, or market availability?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
5
The M6 isn't manufactured anymore, so any M6 you would be buying will be used. That might be a large part of the price difference. The M6 successor, the MP, costs exactly as much ($4995) at B&H as the M7.
There's a decent article of the M7 (with comparisons to the M6) over at Luminous Landscape.
Please do remember that with Leicas, just like all other cameras, the camera is 20% of the tool, the lens in the other 80%.
Originally by user3050. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3050
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
It’s not just about the exposure automation. A big factor is market status: the Leica M6 is no longer manufactured, so any M6 you find will be used, and used-camera pricing can vary a lot based on condition and demand. The M7 was sold new alongside Leica’s other current models, so its price reflected new retail pricing.
A useful comparison is that the M6’s successor, the Leica MP, was priced about the same as the M7, which suggests the gap is not purely caused by the M7’s semi/automatic features. In other words, the difference is largely explained by whether you’re comparing a discontinued used body to a newer or then-current model, rather than automation alone.
Also, with Leica systems, buyers often place a lot of value on lenses, so body price differences don’t tell the whole story of system cost.
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