Why are "Leica" camera so expensive?

Are they better than the other DSLR's in any way?.. or do customers pay just for the brand name and they are just for people who want to brag about having a Leica? lol

Is a Mercedes 300SL any different than a Ford Focus?

Jethro790 wrote in post #14533677
Is a Mercedes 300SL any different than a Ford Focus?

They both take people from A to B... but one does it in a more luxurious way than the other.. but this doesn't answer my question lol

Oh and merc is probably faster (dont know too much about cars)... so are you suggesting Leica is faster?

Smaller & lighter for sure!

Plus, no shutter lag and no mirror to replace.

http://leicarumors.com …explained-by-j-shin.aspx/

Because they're worth it?

It's marketed as a luxury item. The price is not a reflection of it's ability to take a quality picture unlike say a medium format camera.

Back in the day, the performance was superior and worth the higher price. Today it's just brand name and marketing.

Probably a little of everything...are Leicas technologically advanced? Yes. Are they worth thousands? To some. They are luxury items and marketed as such...just like Rolexes.

^ technologically advanced?.. in what way?.. from what I know their technology is actually outdated compared to some of the newer Canon / Nikon cameras?

URLphotographer wrote in post #14533717
..are Leicas technologically advanced? Yes.

Mmm, not really. They use fairly old sensor technology and pretty noisy at high ISO, and the M bodies are essentially the same as what they have been like for decades (which is by design and what people like so much about them).

Superior craftsmanship.

Canon and Nikon are Japanese... like a Honda or Nissan.
Leica is Germany... like a Mercedes or BMW.

At the end of the day, they do pretty much the same thing, but anybody who tells you a Honda is made better than a Mercedes has never taken much of a look at a Mercedes.

Worth it? I guess. If it's what you're looking for that. I consider my Canons good enough, and better suited for what I do than a Leica. My Canons are also more disposable than a Leica. I'd care a lot less about where I parked a Nissan than a BMW.

Because of the high paid German workers that basically make the cameras by hand. Plus the fact the Leica has ZERO competition for full-frame digital rangefinders.

Some men put a Rolex on their list of things to buy once they have more than enough money. I have Leica on mine.

I have a good friend that has a M9P and four lenses...has to be 20k in. I personally don't understand the fascination. However, isn't it the case that Leicas have no AA filter, which is why they're sharper SOOC?

i dont think the cars anology works that well, lol

clothing might be better
Leica = Burberry
Canon/Nikon = Gap

lol

Though I want one, I don't think the M9 and it's variants is worth it. The rear LCD is weak at 230k dots and it's plastic. I expect scratch proof LCD with 930k+ dots.

Plus it seems to have severe issues with SD cards. I expect all Sandisk and Lexar cards to work without firmware updates. Period.

I think the Kodak sensor they use is weak. Hopefully they'll switch to a Sony sensor for the M10.