Author. Waiting on pins and needles for the big, post-Christmas, used camera sales.
Past time to upgrade from that Olympus EP-2 (but keeping the finder....).
It's a feeding frenzy out in the wilds of the internet. And it even spills over to the bricks-n-mortar retailers. Whatever sales were planned by the big camera companies I think they happened in late November. Now it's impossible to get the cool stuff anywhere and the prices are back up in the no discount range if you can source what you want. The really "cool" stuff is going for a 50% surcharge on EBay. No guarantee it will ever arrive....
What I have noticed in just about every previous year is that February is the best time to buy gear. Inventories have largely caught up to demand, most people have come to grips with the fact that holiday spending of all kinds has ravaged their budgets and traffic for commerce plummets. The people who plan ahead are, by February, already looking into the future with dread about paying taxes in April.
The silver lining exists a couple of months down the road in February. And it's all about lightly used "pre-owned" gear. Everyone lucky enough to be wealthy snapped up whatever new gear they wanted and traded in or sold their "old" stuff during the holidays. Those with enough credit left on their various cards did pretty much the same thing in the weeks leading up to the year's end, rewarding themselves for who knows what.
February is when the "New Arrivals" flow into the used categories of my favorite stores. All those folks who really, really wanted a new Leica SL3 or Q3 dumped perfectly good, low mileage SLs, SL2-S, SL2 and Q2 cameras with reckless abandon. You can pick up a good condition SL2 right now for around $2500-$3000 (last new retail price? Around $6k) but I'm betting you'll not only have a better selection but will also save about $500 more by waiting a couple months. Same with Q2s. And remember, two years ago those Q2s were the holy grail of compact cameras and waiting lists were the norm. That camera is still great but in Feb. 2025 you might see a 30-40% reduction from their last list price....and a smile-inspiring drop in used Q2 prices as well.
I'm pretty sure it's the same for Nikon, Canon and Sony users.
Yesterday I got a notice from B&H that Leica D-Lux8 compact cameras were now back in stock. I went back to check this morning and whatever they got in yesterday is gone today. As is nearly every Canon compact camera currently being made. As are the little Ricoh's and the TikTok-powered Fuji X100V1s. But when supply catches up with demand I'm pretty sure all of the "older" cameras (last year's precious commodities?) will be available used but in almost un-used condition in time for you to get something really nice for yourself by Valentine's Day. Skip the box of chocolates and the lingerie and pick up a heart-throbbing camera or lens (or both) instead. But keep your powder dry coming into the end of the year. Can't wait to pick up a Leica 75mm APO SL lens for half price. "Desperately needed...."
Obsolete Mannequin Technology.
Praying for that perfect, used APO something!
Yesterday I got a notice from B&H that Leica D-Lux8 compact cameras were now back in stock. I went back to check this morning and whatever they got in yesterday is gone today. As is nearly every Canon compact camera currently being made.
ReplyDeleteI managed to order one of those Elusive Little Leicas last weekend as a Christmas present to myself from a retailer which, for the moment (until I actually get my hands on the product), must remain unnamed. Todos los viejos seem to be snapping up any camera that won’t weigh us down. Managed to nab a Canon G5x-ii about this time a year ago: the image quality is decent but the ergonomics leave a lot to be desired, hence the D-Lux 8. (Same user agent as my Q3, which is a joy to use.)
Kirk my wallet blames you for suddenly "needing" an SL-2. It can wait 'till February, though.
ReplyDeleteAnd you won't have to pay tariffs on used gear, either.
ReplyDeleteMan, I forgot about that whole tariff thing. My Fujis say right on the back panel, "Made in China." Better tell the wife that if I move on lenses now, I can save a bundle!
ReplyDeleteI've got way to much gear, time to thin the herd. I will be charging a 25% tariff however. What's good for the goose is good for the gander ;)
ReplyDeleteI too have to much gear at the moment, but I've had the hankering to try a Olympus OM-D-E M1 mkll just to see how bad a M4/3 sensor is compared to a FF sensor. I have to say the lenses are smaller and cost less than their FF counterparts. Yes, a OM M1 and a 12-40 f2.8 or a 12-100 f2.8 may work nicely. Time to sell until I get down to 1 digital and 1 film camera. I have the Olympus OM1n with 3 lenses from 1976 and they still work fine. Although my FP with the EVF and 45mm will stay.
ReplyDeleteOh well, what old is new. I wished that applied to me. LOL
Glad to see your back, Enjoy
Roger
It's worth considering that tariffs will affect a lot more than cameras and lenses. Try paper, ink, printers... All imported. Is anyone else thinking about stocking up?
ReplyDeleteYes. knowing that cars will be more expensive I thought I'd rush out and buy another one like the one I got earlier this year. Just in case. Oh....and Leicas. More Leicas.
Delete
ReplyDeleteKirk, first off, I'm happy to find VSL online and that you still have valuable insights to share.
I have a topic for your consideration: I'd be very interested in any opinions or thoughts you'd be willing to share on Electronic Viewfinders (EVFs). Two of your recent posts inspired this request:
On December 7, 2024, you mentioned the Sigma fp: "It's kludgy but it works and the image in the finder is really good."
On December 10, 2024, you wrote about the Olympus EP-2: "Past time to upgrade from that Olympus EP-2 (but keeping the finder....)"
This sparked a few questions that I'd love to get your perspective on:
Was the EP-2 the first digital camera you used with an EVF; and why do you want to keep it?
How does the fp's EVF compare to those built into the Leica cameras you've used?
Are there one or two camera EVFs you consider to be the "gold standard"?
Is there an EVF with a large rubber cup to block out stray light that you've used?
After experiencing my first digital camera with an EVF, I've never wanted to go back. I find dealing with glare on a camera's back LCD screen extremely frustrating. Personally, I'd prefer if LCD screens were omitted from cameras altogether in favor of built-in EVFs (with a dipoter control).
Thank you for considering my questions.
jp41, I think I'll answer your questions here instead of writing a new blog about EVFs. As far as the Sigma fp goes... it takes an EVF you attach to the side of the camera. It's a very nice 3.8 million dot EVF finder which tilts. The critical thing about EVFs is that the optics for the finder must also be good. The ones on the Sigma finder are. I say it's kludgy for two reasons. First, you have to manually switch between EVF and the camera's rear screen. Not so on other cameras. Second, it makes the camera much bigger and less ergonomic. For someone dedicated to the marvelous fp sensor and using the fp as one's main camera I can see biting the bullet and acquiring one.
DeleteNow, about the EP-2... I wrote that caption as a joke. I owned a couple of EP-2s and an EP-3 and used the VF-2 finder on all of them. That finder would be about 14 years old now and is much lower resolution than just about any other EVF made today. I no longer own the Olympus cameras but weirdly I have bought Leica badged VF-2 finders recently for my Leica M240 cameras which allow for the use of EVFs as a plug-in add on. I now find them primitive and only use the if I'm trying to calibrate the rangefinder apparatus or when trying to use a lens that's longer than the 90mm frame lines in the camera allow.
The EVFs in the Leica SL2 and SL2S represent the "gold standard" to me and are the best I have ever used. Additionally, the easy to use and large diopter on those cameras make setting up the finders easy and very charming.
I think Zacuto made an EVF about ten years ago for use when doing video on various cameras. It came with an enormous rubber cup. The finder has aged out and I can't think of another that comes with a big eye cup. That said, I now wear eyeglasses and have not had issues using the EVFs on the Leicas in full sun. The EVFs in the Leica are far superior to the one for the fp. Thanks! KT
One more addition. My first EVF enabled camera was the Sony R1. It was slow to refresh and too low a resolution but I used it happily because it was the only camera of its type available at the time and it made killer images on its 10 megapixel APS-C sensor. Which was considered huge at the time.... That camera also had an LCD which twisted around and could be used as a waist level finder. Way ahead of its time!!!!!
DeleteThe specific camera and lens I am interested in are not on sale at the moment, and are unlikely to be for some time. I won’t be on the market for any Leica cameras, so won’t be reducing their availability. For those who do get one - enjoy.
ReplyDelete