This comes as a surprise: Leica has started a campaign to stimulate sales of the new/old M6 analogue rangefinder camera. Up to 31 December 2023, German Leica stores will trade in any old analogue camera for €500 at least. The Leica M6 price thus effectively drops to under €5,000.
Just a few weeks ago, attendees at the Leica Society International (LSI) meeting reported a huge waiting list for a brand-new film loading camera. According to them, Leica executives were talking about a thousand M6 cameras on back order. That would be a significant number, especially given the limited production capacity for this largely handmade camera. On that basis, too, a new M6 would also be difficult to find. And certainly the Leica M6 price would not be a single euro or whatever currency under the current recommended retail price (€5,450, £4,850, $5,695).

A surprising email offers a Leica M6 price drop by €500
All the more unexpected was an email I received a few days ago: Leica is announcing a trade-in campaign. If you sell any analogue camera to a Leica store, you will receive a credit of at least €500. There are no conditions regarding the condition or functionality of the old camera, so you could just pick one off the scrap heap or ask your dealer for the cheapest camera he has to offer. In fact, the M6 is simply €500 off until 31 December 2023 when the offer ends.
Basically, the camera is 10 per cent off right now
If you have an old film camera, your Leica M6 price is currently €4,950 in Germany. This is remarkable because it is below the RRP at the initial launch of the much-loved re-issue of this camera classic. In October 2022, the M6 was launched with a price tag of €5,050. Meanwhile, Leica has even increased the price to €5,450 (as of November 2023).
Here comes the translation of the promotional email: “ANALOGUE SWAP – OLD FOR NEW // Secure a discount on a new Leica M6 // Trade in your old analogue camera, regardless of manufacturer, at a Leica Store until 31 December 2023 and receive a discount on the purchase of a new analogue Leica M6. Our specialists will determine the product-specific value of your used analogue camera and offset this, or at least 500 euros, against the purchase price of the Leica M6.”
A discount and a long waiting list – how can that match?
I wonder if Leica would have started a discount campaign now if the stock of new M6 cameras had really been so scarce. In fact, several dealers seem to have no problem getting a new M6 into the hands of their customers. Which is, to be perfectly clear, excellent news. Long waiting lists may have a short-term PR benefit, and they create a sense of exclusivity. But in reality, they are a source of frustration for customers and dealers alike.
So maybe now is the best time to buy a new M6. It’s an investment for decades, as we all know. Read here Claus Sassenberg’s long-term review of the camera. And it’s an extraordinary experience to buy a brand-new film camera, isn’t it? In the case of the new M6, the encounter is also super retro, thanks to the packaging, which is very close to the original M6 packaging, with a beautiful moulded plastic box.
Has the film hype passed its zenith?
In any case, the film hype seems to be slowing down a bit, which is not necessarily bad news. Perhaps the market has reached a certain level of saturation, or perhaps some newcomers have lost interest in their exotic pastime. In fact, the availability of film has improved considerably and the rally in second-hand Leica M6 price ranges seems to have come to a halt. All this should encourage the true film photographer.
Beyond Leica M6 price: Not only Leica believes in an analogue future
Whatever the current Leica M6 price, #filmisnotdead. And apart from Leica, a second manufacturer is about to launch an analogue camera. Ricoh recently confirmed to German website fotografix-magazin that a new film camera will be coming in 2024. Fans had hoped for 2023, but it seems no easy task to re-enter the world of film-loading camera manufacturing. The optical and mechanical complexity of such a camera is one of the arguments for the considerable Leica M6 price where, unlike with an M11 or a Q3, certainly no massive R&D costs have to be earned.
In the statement, Pentax/Ricoh also dismissed rumours (or hopes) of a second new analogue model in the near future. There is, however, the option of extending the analogue range at a later date. But the start will be a Pentax-branded point-and-shoot (so no Ricoh GR analogue in the short term). This is certainly going to be a very different kettle of fish from the iconic Leica M6.
What do you think? Is the M6 sales campaign surprising to you? Is the Leica M6 price justified, with or without discount? Do you already have one, or is a new film camera just not your cup of tea? Or are you well-equipped with vintage Leicas from the 1950s onwards? Or… have you left the olden days behind with no intention of coming back to film? Let’s discuss in the comments section!
Read here what Jono Slack has to say about the new M6
Get an insight how expert hands build an M6 from more than 1,100 parts
Bill Royce shows us what a talented photographer can create with an M6
John Shingleton sets another fine example of expert M6 handling
… and we have much to offer on the Leica M6 here on Macfilos. Just type “M6” into the search line and browse through the results!
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Interestingly enough Leica just raised the price of the M6 in the US. The introductory price was $5,295 and now it is $5,695 (same as the MP). As far as I know there was no official communication from Leica, and unless I missed it also RedDotForum did not mention the price increase.
Exciting stuff this. Do you think the offer will be extended to the UK, I’ve got a few film cameras.
Hi Geoff, thanks for your feedback. I have no idea if this offer will also be available in the UK. After all, Leica forces its dealers to buy any old analogue camera for the considerable sum of. €500. In Germany, where Leica is running most Leica Stores itself, such an initiative might be easier to carry out than in other countries with a more diverse dealership. But this is just a speculation. But you could still ask your dealer… JP
I have use b&w film for years from 70es to about 2009, that is developing film and wet printing photos. Then digital arrive and got better and better (horror days with Leica M9). Now SL2-S with AF and M lenses is great. At times for some nostalgic reasons, I thought of getting film camera and setting up darkroom again. That desire fizzles out again. That brings me to a point, how many of this new film adoptees go all the way, developing film and wet printing photos? To shoot film send it to have it developed and scanned by lab is only fraction of ‘film’ experience.
Hi Vladimir, an important thought. Developing the film on your own and then going to the darkroom is the real thing. And it is the technique that teaches you the essence of photography. You are lucky to have the possibility to continue to work in a darkroom. The experience is second to nothing. JP
Apparently Leica made 500 film cameras in 2015 and now in 2023 (thanks to the M6) 5,000. I suppose Leica wants to keep that number going also next year and the years after that. Besides Ricoh also MiNT is working on a new 35mm film camera, according to their marketing emails it would cost $650-$800 and hopefully be in production in 2024. I wish all 3 of them a lot of success!
My new M6 only took two weeks to get to me. it is a delight for sure..slightly disappointed to hear of the discounting even if not here in the UK and I have a drawer full of old film cameras, of course… 😉
Hi Des McSweeny, I’m sorry to read this. To be honest, I was even a bit reluctant to publish this article here because I was afraid that some readers might be disappointed. But then again, it is relevant news because it casts an interesting light on the market. I do hope you can enjoy your new M6 wholeheartedly. JP
I am and I will! Of course your piece was of interest and a valuable contribution to the debate, as always. des