Leica UK has today announced a new part-exchange programme for M owners. For the first time owners of previous M cameras will be able to get an instant quotation to swap for the latest M, type 240. The offer applies to both digital and film Ms. Announcing the move, the new General Manager Jason Heward says:
We are really excited to be able to offer this M part-exchange to our Leica M owners. Our owners have been requesting this service for some time and it’s great that we are finally able to meet this need. This year marks 60 years of Leica M photography, so whether it’s inspiring M analogue users to go digital, or simply upgrading to the latest digital M, we hope that it provides a good opportunity for photographers considering the M (Typ 240)
In another welcome move, Leica now offers on-site repair of the entire compact range with a remarkable one-week turnaround.
For more information on the M part-exchange or in-house compact camera repairs, owners should contact Customer Care on 020-7629 1351. Alternatively, email owner@leica-camera.co.uk or visit 27 Bruton Place Mayfair London W1J 6NQ.
I hope to be able to bring you news on the sort of deals owners can expect, in particular whether this offers a better option than doing a similar part-exchange through approved dealers. A private sale or, even, a commission sale through a dealer, is another option for those wishing to update.
I don’t think these partex prices will be very attractive. It’s far better to sell one camera on commission with a good dealer and then haggle the price for a new camera. Leica will take the most pessimistic view of valuations, I am sure, and there will be no discounts on the new camera. In a fair world they would give a better deal because they have no dealer commission to pay on the new camera. But we don’t live in a fair world.