Reputable Leica "gray market" dealers?

Josef Isayo · 01-31-2006

I used to buy all my Leica M gear from Jim Khuel back in the late 90's. I just found out he no longer sells any gray market gear, just the expensive Leica certified Passport equiptment. Any reputable Leica dealers out there that do sell more affordable Leica gray market gear?

Thanks,
Josef

Ken F. · 01-31-2006

Hi Josef,

Look no further than Tony Rose, owner of PopFlash Photo. He also happens to be one of the RFF's sponsor's.

Regards,
kf

Josef Isayo · 01-31-2006

Thanks for the info. Glad to see Tony is a local Southern California resident too.

Josef

vizioneer · 01-31-2006

popflash.com. Great service and the "used like new" are new gray. I bought a silver 35 lux asph and love it. I'll be looking to buy from him again soon.

Steve Hoffman · 01-31-2006

Tony is the best. I ordered two Leica ala carte MP's through him plus a bunch of other Leica stuff. Always a pleasure to deal with!

Graybeard · 02-01-2006

Another recommendation for Tony Rose.

dont45 · 02-01-2006

...and the "used like new" are new gray...

I've been trying to decide to pull the plug on one of their 'used like new'. Never realized they were new gray. Is this always the case with them?

vizioneer · 02-01-2006

Best to email or call him and ask about the description.

dll927 · 02-01-2006

Given the 805 area code, I had to go on the site to see where they were, since there was a comment about Southern CA. I didn't realize the 805 code went clear down to Thousand Oaks. Thousand Oaks is about as close to L A city limits as you can get without crossing, so I'll let it pass. (I live in Santa Maria, and MY area code is 805, and Santa Maria isn't considered SOUTHERN CA. ) Happy landing - I lived in LA County for 39 years.

BTW -- watch that gray market stuff.

vizioneer · 02-01-2006

Watch that gray market stuff huh. I guess if you like paying a thou more for the passport warranty in the US as opposed to getting a Leica HK item with an intl. warranty, go for it. Otherwise, I've read from another Leica US dealer that there is no difference between a genuine gray market and a US item.

DerekF · 02-01-2006

Another vote for Tony Rose at PopFlash. Outstanding service and he seems like an all-around nice guy.

re: grey market stuff. My impression of grey market has always been that the only difference between grey market and "official" gear is that the non-grey market stuff has been simply marked up by local distributors to factor in their take of the overall selling price, with the benefit that Leica (or Nikon or Canon, etc.) will only honour warranties on this official, non-grey market gear. Otherwise, the gear itself is the exact same.

So if the warranty is worth the extra few hundred dollars to you, then get official gear. Otherwise, I don't see a problem with getting grey market gear from a reputable dealer, especially since there is usually at least a one-year seller's warranty on it anyway.

Incidentally, I wonder if there's ever been a case of "counterfeit" Leica gear being sold as new, genuine equipment through grey market channels?

With the amount that new Leica gear goes for (even in the grey market), I figure it might be worthwhile for some counterfeiter to either repurpose existing lenses or even build their own low-cost "reproductions" of Leica lenses and sell it to unsuspecting buyers...

35mmdelux · 02-01-2006

Tony Rose isn't grey market but does have good prices and he is reliable. Ships FAST too.

vizioneer · 02-01-2006

popflash is a Leica USA dealer, but seems to have some gray (Leica HK?) availabilities as well.

Andrew Touchon · 02-01-2006

I strongly recommend Tony Rose.

ERV · 02-01-2006

ah, Santa Maria, home of the sidewalk BBQ...

dll927 · 02-01-2006

Not quite sidewalk, but they claim that Tri-tip was invented around here. I do belong to the Elks lodge, and BBQ is almost their middle name. But there are several good eating places around town and in the area.

LA has its share, too. Go out to San Dimas sometime and try Pinnacle Peak. (But don't wear a tie!!) Sycamore Inn out in Rancho Cucamonga is good, and has been there forever. Down a notch or two, if the little "Taco-Cita" place is still on San Gabriel Blvd. ( just below the railroad tracks south of Las Tunas), they used to make a hell of a good 'jumbo burrito' that was just about a meal. And I never went hungry at the West Covina Elks lodge - where I belonged for 18 years.

I taught school in LA district for 34 years, but wasn't born and raised in that congested locale. So after I retired I decided it was time to try something a little smaller.

Oh yes, there is ONE camera store in Santa Maria. Not good price-wise. I've done a lot of my recent purchasing via email from B&H back in the Big Apple.

SolaresLarrave · 02-01-2006

Isn't there a "doctor" something who also sells Leica gear in HK? I think I read/heard about him in Photo.net...

Can't remember well... Must be an age thing!

Ken F. · 02-01-2006

Hi There,

You are probably thinking of Dr. Joseph Yau.

Cheers,
KF

Ken F. · 02-01-2006

A typo there, his surname is actually spelled Yao.

kf

dll927 · 02-01-2006

My God, you went to Barcelona and didn't take any pictures of the famous church with its twisted spires????

Graybeard · 02-01-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by dll927

My God, you went to Barcelona and didn't take any pictures of the famous church with its twisted spires????

There is a similar church in Copenhagen if my memory is correct.

02-01-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graybeard

There is a similar church in Copenhagen if my memory is correct.

Was it also designed by Gaudi?

dll927 · 02-02-2006

There may well be another one, and who knows, it may be the same architect. But he died in something like 1926.

I wonder if they will EVER finish that one in Barcelona?? I t would hardly be the first cathedral to take a long while, but it's about time to put a move on!!