Official USA Pricing for Leica S2

[dfarkas]

Hi everyone. Well, it is now past midnight here on the East Coast which means I am no longer bound by the July 30th embargo (although I've only had this info for about six hours).

So, here's the official USA info:

Bodies: (Oct 09)
S2 Camera Body - $22,995
S2-P Body with Sapphire LCD Cover Glass and Platinum Service Package - $27,995

Accessories:
Multi Function Handgrip S - $1,295 (Jan 10)
Battery Charger (spare/extra) - $399

Service Packages for Bodies:
S-Body Premium Service - $1,495
S-Body Platinum Service - $3,795

Lenses:
Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH - $4,495 (Oct 09)
Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH CS - $5,995 (Nov 09)
APO-Tele-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5 - $6,495 (Oct 09)
APO-Tele-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5 CS - $7,495 (Nov 09)
APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 - $6,495 (Nov 09)
APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 - $7,495 (Nov 09)
Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 ASPH - $5,295 (Dec 09)
Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 ASPH CS - $5,995 (Dec 09)

Service Packages for Lenses:
S-Lens Premium Service - $495
S-Lens Platium Service - $995

Bodies and lenses come with a transferable (first for Leica) warranty, whcih can be extended through purchase of one of the service packages. We are still waiting on some more details to come.

David

 

[Christopher]

What a freaking Joke.

400 for a charger ....

probably over 50k for a real complet system....

A Phase P40 or P45 H3DII 31 or 39 is cheaper...

Well for the same money you can even get a H3DII-50 ....


Sad but true.

And I just saw it NO Wideangle lens till December, or probably more beginning of 2010....

 

[bensonga]

$23k for the body......I guess they didn't think much of my marketing strategy. LOL!

Gary

 

[JimCollum]

I was sooo hoping that this would be a successful system. Love the M series... and had the fantasy of someday having one of these. You're right... it could be something as simple as a $400 battery charger that convinces people that Leica isn't a real contender.

 

[Graham Mitchell]

The lenses are around what I expected, but I think they are making a big mistake with that body price. A new platform has to offer *more value* to encourage early adopters and switching from competitor's products. Sell those bodies for $10K and you'll actually build a customer base who will spend more money on lenses etc.

I think Sony made same mistake with the A900. Sure, a few people bought them but it's still a marginal platform. If they had sold the A900 for $1500, the growth of the platform could have been huge. Why do all these companies think so short term?

What a freaking Joke. 400 for a charger ....

Agreed, but I doubt they are using a bespoke battery, which means the charger will be an off-the-shelf item available on Ebay for $10.

Leica isn't the only one doing this. Try asking a MFDB dealer for a price on a Firewire cable, or a standard battery. Profoto charges $35 for a $2.50 modelling light, etc

 

[Mike M]

Dave, Thanks very much for posting the prices

It's an expensive camera, but about what I was expecting. Leica should be commended for their attempt to bring a camera to market that is promised to be built with very high standards... very refreshing

I hope it does well

 

[jonoslack]

I'm with Mike
Thank you Dave
Good Luck Leica

 

[Lars]

At those prices, what kind of annual volume do you think Leica will get? And what volume will Leica need to keep the system in production long-term?

 

[carstenw]

Leica stated that they plan for about 1000 a year.

 

[Lars]

Leica stated that they plan for about 1000 a year.

I know. Do you think the market is there?

 

[carstenw]

Good question. It is a tough time to enter. I think that if the spot they are aiming for (successful high-end DSLR users who want more quality, and can live with 1 AF point, 1.5 fps) is well chosen, they shouldn't really have trouble getting there. My personal opinion is that it is achievable, but I really don't know enough to be sure.

Btw, the converted Euro price is *very* close to the price of a Hasselblad H3DII-39 without lens in Germany, so I guess they delivered what they promised (they never mentioned Dollar or Pound prices, just Euro prices). Whether that is too high remains to be seen.

 

[edwardkaraa]

Having shot 6x7 MF for many years but no experience whatsoever in Digital MF, could anyone explain what are the advantages of this system over 35mm knowing that it's only 1.25x factor over 24x36mm.

 

[Rolo]

I know. Do you think the market is there?

Putting aside the 'short term' impact on sales of the current economic situation, which Leica could never have anticipated and taking into account the x% that are destined for Brunei etc, I'd not question their numbers.

Presuming that there is a real advantage in using an S2, highest quality with handleability, or such, the volumes might be easily achieved.

Reminder to self - call dealer and remove name from waiting list. :ROTFL:

 

[Lars]

Having shot 6x7 MF for many years but no experience whatsoever in Digital MF, could anyone explain what are the advantages of this system over 35mm knowing that it's only 1.25x factor over 24x36mm.

That is a good question - 56% larger sensor area isn't that much of a step up. Everything else being equal, image quality would not take a giant step up.

Of course everything else isn't equal. But still, it would be a mistake to not compare to 24x36 DSLRs, as they will be in 2010 or 2011. How do you compare a price point of $3K to $25K for body only?

 

[jonoslack]

That is a good question - 56% larger sensor area isn't that much of a step up. Everything else being equal, image quality would not take a giant step up.

Of course everything else isn't equal. But still, it would be a mistake to not compare to 24x36 DSLRs, as they will be in 2010 or 2011. How do you compare a price point of $3K to $25K for body only?

I think it's interesting - but if the quality step up is equivalent to the IQ boost of the M8 over 10mp APS dSLR cameras (which is a reasonable comparison) then I guess they don't have too much to worry about there.

As for dSLR cameras on 2010 or 2011, I don't see any evidence than any of the manufacturers are trying for better IQ, they're all trying for higher speed, more MP and higher ISO, none of which seems to have a very positive effect on the 'feel' of the images.

I'm sure that the bottom line with the S2 is that if it really is good, then they really shouldn't have a problem with 1000 cameras a year. But it must be as good as it's promised to be.

 

[edwardkaraa]

That is a good question - 56% larger sensor area isn't that much of a step up. Everything else being equal, image quality would not take a giant step up.

Of course everything else isn't equal. But still, it would be a mistake to not compare to 24x36 DSLRs, as they will be in 2010 or 2011. How do you compare a price point of $3K to $25K for body only?

I was also meaning the lens behaviour on the S2 which will not be significantly different than on 35mm. I'm not sure to which extent the S2 will produce shallower DOF and higher diffraction threshold that are typical for larger formats.

So basically I'm contesting the S2 being a MF camera at all

 

[robmac]

The official UK price (see bottom of 'Leica S2 Pricing' thread or the DPR release last night) for the S2 is 16K Pounds, w/15% VAT.

The current price for a new H3DII-50 (like the S2, body only) from Robert White is 16K pounds ex VAT (15%).

The price of an H3DII-31 KIT (with lens) from RW? just under 10K pounds, ex VAT.

Btw, the converted Euro price is *very* close to the price of a Hasselblad H3DII-39 without lens in Germany, so I guess they delivered what they promised (they never mentioned Dollar or Pound prices, just Euro prices). Whether that is too high remains to be seen.

 

[Lars]

So basically I'm contesting the S2 being a MF camera at all

You could see it that way. Or you could view the S2 as a system with (presumably) a very high image quality, no matter how you classify sensor size.

 

[Lars]

I think it's interesting - but if the quality step up is equivalent to the IQ boost of the M8 over 10mp APS dSLR cameras (which is a reasonable comparison) then I guess they don't have too much to worry about there.

As for dSLR cameras on 2010 or 2011, I don't see any evidence than any of the manufacturers are trying for better IQ, they're all trying for higher speed, more MP and higher ISO, none of which seems to have a very positive effect on the 'feel' of the images.

I'm sure that the bottom line with the S2 is that if it really is good, then they really shouldn't have a problem with 1000 cameras a year. But it must be as good as it's promised to be.

Yeah M8 IQ was great when it arrived. :ROTFL:

I'd say there are plenty of indications that the (higher end) DSLR market is going for higher image quality and not just megapixels or bells&whistles. A900, 5DII, D3x, D3, D700, to name a few. Olympus' statement that nobody needs more than 10 megapixels is also an indication of that the awareness is changing even in marketing departments.

Or you could say that with S2 Leica is fully participating in the megapixel race.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

The official UK price (see bottom of 'Leica S2 Pricing' thread or the DPR release last night) for the S2 is 16K Pounds, w/15% VAT.

The current price for a new H3DII-50 (like the S2, body only) from Robert White is 16K pounds ex VAT (15%).

The price of an H3DII-31 KIT (with lens) from RW? just under 10K pounds, ex VAT.

Robert White ain't cheap though. You can get much better. Leica, foot, pull trigger.