View Full Version : What are MP bodies selling for now?
I simply have too many 35mm RF bodies. Last year I sold two and still have 3 MP's and my trusty old M2 plus a ZM and R2. I'm about to put my a la carte red leather MP .85x in chrome with a chrome Leicavit and possibly my R2 green with 35 PII, 50 Nokton 1.5 and 75 CV lenses up for sale. All items are M- and I think I have the boxes and papers for all. I've searched the auction site and see a number of bodies up and looked at completed auctions but don't find any that have sold. Same is true on the RFF site. What is the real world selling price of this gear?
It might be that the market is so soft that no one is buying items of this value and in that case I will just set on them for a couple of years.
Thanks!
My guess for a nice MP somewhere between $2,300-$2,500.
RITskellar
08-20-2009, 10:14
I simply have too many 35mm RF bodies. Last year I sold two and still have 3 MP's and my trusty old M2 plus a ZM and R2. I'm about to put my a la carte red leather MP .85x in chrome with a chrome Leicavit and possibly my R2 green with 35 PII, 50 Nokton 1.5 and 75 CV lenses up for sale. All items are M- and I think I have the boxes and papers for all. I've searched the auction site and see a number of bodies up and looked at completed auctions but don't find any that have sold. Same is true on the RFF site. What is the real world selling price of this gear?
It might be that the market is so soft that no one is buying items of this value and in that case I will just set on them for a couple of years.
Thanks!
Not sure why you say that there are no completed MP sales on eBay. There's a bunch, ranging from $1600 up to $3300 (an MP .85) that I can see in just a minute of searching. Looking forward to seeing your classified ad and pictures.
wjlapier
08-20-2009, 10:27
My BP MP cost $2275. BP Leicavit $660. Both used but looked new. I'm happy with the prices.
$1600 MP--I gotta go see that one :)
Al Kaplan
08-20-2009, 10:28
You might find that red and green cameras are worth a lot less on the used market than plain black ones. Not everybody wears a diamond studded gold bracelet either.
You might find that red and green cameras are worth a lot less on the used market than plain black ones. Not everybody wears a diamond studded gold bracelet either.
I was thinking of replacing the leather with a new covering if it doesn't sell.
I was searching ebay for "Leica MP bodies" and didn't find any sales but when I put Leica MP in I found them.
Ken Tanaka
08-20-2009, 11:27
I simply have too many 35mm RF bodies. Last year I sold two and still have 3 MP's and my trusty old M2 plus a ZM and R2. I'm about to put my a la carte red leather MP .85x in chrome with a chrome Leicavit and possibly my R2 green with 35 PII, 50 Nokton 1.5 and 75 CV lenses up for sale. All items are M- and I think I have the boxes and papers for all. I've searched the auction site and see a number of bodies up and looked at completed auctions but don't find any that have sold. Same is true on the RFF site. What is the real world selling price of this gear?
It might be that the market is so soft that no one is buying items of this value and in that case I will just set on them for a couple of years.
Thanks!
Just this week I purchased a demo-condition chrome MP for about $2,650 from a dealer. That was a very good, fair price for this like-new camera. I saw that PopFlash is offering one in the same condition for $2,877.
Your sale might be a bit handicapped by the 0.85 finder and the red leather. It might be attractive to a collector if it's in mint condition but I wonder how many guys will want to use a red leather Leica in public.
Good luck.
Word searches can be tricky. You probably would have gotten more results by just using the phrase "Leica MP" & dropping the term "bodies" or "body." In my experience, most Leica M bodies are sold as bodies, not as part of kits, so the term is redundant @ best & may unnecessarily exclude relevant results (e.g., the seller writes "camera" instead of "body").
I was searching ebay for "Leica MP bodies" and didn't find any sales but when I put Leica MP in I found them.
nikonhswebmaster
08-20-2009, 11:47
I'm about to put my a la carte red leather MP .85x in chrome with a chrome Leicavit
Probably best to quietly replace that covering, it is easy to do. You are handicapped enough with the .85x finder, to add red.
I found people didn't notice the red any more than they do chrome or black. The red actually looks great with a black or yellow shirt. Personally I love the red but really don't need 3 MP's.
As to the .85x it's the charm with fast glass. I have another MP a la carte in black chrome and black ostrich with the .85x and love them with my 75 summilux. It's the most accurate and best solution for precise focus with the 75 1.4, 50 1 and 1.4 when shooting wide open. My other MP is a ,72x as is the M2. I like the .72x with wider lenses where super accurate focusing isn't as important but with the 75 1.4 and the 50 f1 at max aperture DOF is razor thin.
nikonhswebmaster
08-20-2009, 11:56
As to the .85x it's the charm with fast glass. I have another MP a la carte in black chrome and black ostrich with the .85x and love them with my 75 summilux.
No question it works great with tele lenses!
The red, not so much... that is very personal, you asked what they are worth.:D
No question it works great with tele lenses!
The red, not so much... that is very personal, you asked what they are worth.:D
The value is what someone will pay.
I don't have to sell it and have no time frame if I do. It might be best to give it a try and then if it doesn't sell have a traditional skin put on it and try again.
It is a personal thing but I'm not afraid to be seen with a bright red camera. I'm not trying to be HCB or stealth. I guess in a way it reflects my personality.
nikonhswebmaster
08-20-2009, 13:50
It is a personal thing but I'm not afraid to be seen with a bright red camera. I'm not trying to be HCB or stealth. I guess in a way it reflects my personality.
I am from NYC, 80's lower Manhattan artist/photographer, I don't even own any t-shirts which are not black.
The thought of a colored camera is frightening. :D
mabelsound
08-20-2009, 13:53
Just out of curiosity, why is the MP more expensive used than the M7? Is it built to a higher standard? I've never used one...
MCTuomey
08-20-2009, 14:07
The red actually looks great with a black or yellow shirt. Personally I love the red but really don't need 3 MP's.
With all due respect, you are not only a fortunate fellow, but a sartorially resplendent photog as well. My hat is off to you. :D
now i'm curious. why not post a photo of the red MP?
greetings from hamburg
rick
MCTuomey
08-20-2009, 14:14
Just out of curiosity, why is the MP more expensive used than the M7?
According to an french economics professor I had years ago, who had the most wonderfully elegant way of explaining difficult ideas, differences in prices between goods have but one causal explanation:
... because people decide to pay more.
aperture64
08-20-2009, 14:15
$1600 MP--I gotta go see that one :)
It was severely worn and the owner had to list it twice. He was in Australia.
thomasw_
08-20-2009, 14:30
Far from being "handicapped" by selling a ,85x MP, it will bring more uniqueness to your sale, Don. Very few .85x or ,58x MPs are available compared to the standard .72x MPs; so don't sell low. I'd suggest 2,500USD for a MP .85x would be a fair price if it is in excellent shape. If you decide to put another covering on, I will recommend the manliest manly man covering that I have seen or used: Black Griptac. I have switched both of my MPs to it and they tell me its the bees-knees.
Ken Tanaka
08-20-2009, 15:59
Just out of curiosity, why is the MP more expensive used than the M7? Is it built to a higher standard? I've never used one...
In my extensive shopping for an MP during the past few weeks I actually did not observe MP prices higher than M7s. They seemed nearly equal for a particular condition level.
But that in itself provokes a good question; why would an all-mechanical MP have the same market value as an M7? After all, you could use the M7 just as you would an MP but you always have the option of activating the AE shutter control (which offers finer speed gradations).
In my case, as a long-time M7 owner too, I wanted just one all mechanical M body but not an antique. I offer no practical justification for this desire, nor for getting another film camera body. I just like to use them.
sepiareverb
08-20-2009, 16:12
I use both M7's & MP's daily and find no difference in build quality. Each M camera is an individual, so they are different, just not built differently. My M5 seems the tinniest of all my M's, and I have an M3 coming back from a rebuild so I'll finally get to know what all the hullaballoo is about.
With all due respect, you are not only a fortunate fellow, but a sartorially resplendent photog as well. My hat is off to you. :D
Thanks very much.
Well here are three pix. I never wanted to be like every other photographer in either the way I look or what and how I shoot. It takes a real man (photographer) to carry a red camera.:D
The other camera I might sell is the Olive Green R2. I wear a lot of olive shirts and it looks great with them too. Both the red and the olive go well with a purple shirt too but olive and khaki shirts are the best with the olive camera. My wife says it's a fashion statement and she should know since she was creative director for a department store chain.
35mmdelux
08-20-2009, 16:55
Not everybody wears a diamond studded gold bracelet either.
Upper cut, delivered. AL, you're in true form today. OUCH, bang, %!#@!!
That red MP looks quite nice ! :cool: Also, as Thomas already mentioned, a 0.85x VF MP is sought after by many for usage with fast lenses. Here in Japan, especially in Tokyo, many wealthy photographer (... and collector) would pay a premium for such a MP. ;)
I think ~ $2.600 or even higher is a good starting point.
Cheers,
Gabor
PS: I had bought a red camera-leather for my former M3. I have sold the M3 since then but still have the unused cover somewhere. Some day ... :D
Im not sure why the .85 isnt more popular since theme M3 with its .95 Rf is so popular. I know some people have problems seeing the 35 frame in the .85 but it atleast has one where the M3 doesn't. I use my 75 1.4 a great deal and the higher magnification is a big plus. I have no problems with the 35 frame but I don't wear glasses.
thomasw_
08-20-2009, 18:16
.....I use my 75 1.4 a great deal and the higher magnification is a big plus. I have no problems with the 35 frame but I don't wear glasses.
I'm not sure either, but I think it has to do with the mistaken idea that the 35 frame lines are really hard to see. I agree with you, they are not a problem if you don't wear glasses. I like the way you can keep both eyes open to compose and with the left eye 'see' what is going to come into frame. For a guy that shoots primarily the 35 50 75 and 90 focal lengths, the .85x VF is a great way to roll. Hehe, I guess that's why I use a couple of them :P
MCTuomey
08-20-2009, 18:31
now THAT is a stylin' MP
I'm one that believes in being your own man/photographer and being yourself. It is a work of beauty IMO. The red has never prevented me from getting my shot and has on occasion been a point of conversation that has given something for my subject to talk about and relax. I remember in the early 70's being at a major photo equipment show in Chicago and seeing a variety of coverings on Alpa cameras. I think at that moment I fell in love with that custom look. Why BLACK? In the 60's and 70's black was the lower price finish vs chrome. Why did my Master Technika need to be black. At one time Linhof made light gray and burgundy leather coverings. One of the most beautiful cameras I ever owned was my 5x7 Deardorff with a red leather bellows. Hasselblad has used yellow, red and green covering in the past. Black absorbs heat in the sun and raises the temperature of the camera which makes film hotter and can cause problems. Put your black camera in the sun for a while and then touch it. Now imagine what the temperature of the film inside is. MY other a la carte MP is black chrome with black ostrich and the lettering in red including my signature on the back. Stunning camera for a black on and my third one is a hammertone set (got that one in a raffle with $40 in tickets). I personally like the hammertone finish the best.
Ken Tanaka
08-21-2009, 07:49
You'll get no criticism from me. I like Leica's willingness to customize cameras...nobody else does this!
But in order to sell the camera you'll have to find a prospective buyer who also thinks a red Leica MP is his/her style. That greatly narrows your audience.
sepiareverb
08-21-2009, 09:17
But in order to sell the camera you'll have to find a prospective buyer who also thinks a red Leica MP is his/her style. That greatly narrows your audience.
And that buyer will be very happy to get such a deal. I know, I have two 2nd hand a la carte cameras- they are among my most used bodies.
nikonhswebmaster
08-21-2009, 09:32
And that buyer will be very happy to get such a deal. I know, I have two 2nd hand a la carte cameras- they are among my most used bodies.
Colored ones, or ones with odd skins?
X-ray,
Do you have some pictures to show us of your MP's?
thomasw_
08-21-2009, 10:32
X-ray,
Do you have some pictures to show us of your MP's?
Yea, Don, I second that request. I'd like to see your hammertone and the black chrome with red lettering. You must have a horse shoe stuck somewhere or you must hang with a crowd that's considerably above my tax bracket in order to have been at a social function where the 50-50 draw was a hammertone MP; I usually get the draws where I can win a few floating flies :) Best, Thomas
sepiareverb
08-21-2009, 12:31
Colored ones, or ones with odd skins?
An all black chrome .58 M7 with regular leather, and MP style fittings at half the cost of my ordering it, and a full engraving black chrome .72 MP with vulcanite, also at a generous savings. I was actually nearly financially ready to order the MP when this one came along, and ended up with a Contax G 16/8 with the savings.
I think the customized bodies have plenty of draw.
I won the hammertone set from a LHSA drawing. $40 of tickets and won 2nd prize. 1st was a MP-3 set but I would rather have won the hammertone set as I did. It came with the asph classic 35 and the hammertone Leicavit too.
I'll make a few pix this weekend and post them.
Yes, and if you look at the 'a la carte' page on the Leica website it could make for 'interesting...ahem...conversation.....
http://uk.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/leica_a_la_carte/idea/
Steve.
Yes, and if you look at the 'a la carte' page on the Leica website it could make for 'interesting...ahem...conversation.....
http://uk.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/leica_a_la_carte/idea/
Steve.
I think the colors are cool. If I could spec my own custom color I would get an egg plant purple leather.
I had a early M3 that I considered getting a leather shop to do a custom camo leather skin and have the metal done in a custom camo ceramic finish. The RF was faint so I abandon putting that much in it.
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