Does it have a good variety on used Leica M cameras and lenses, maybe even LTM based ones? I have visited about 6 Leica stores worldwide now on my travels, but only two of them had a decent amount of used M gear available. The newer ones had barely anything used to offer for sale and focused on brand new camera gear.
retrofocus wrote:
Does it have a good variety on used Leica M cameras and lenses, maybe even LTM based ones? I have visited about 6 Leica stores worldwide now on my travels, but only two of them had a decent amount of used M gear available. The newer ones had barely anything used to offer for sale and focused on brand new camera gear.
I have visited a few of these as well, and I don't think they really prioritize the world of used gear. While they will often have bodies and lenses taken in on trade, it seems like their mission is to move people into the latest and "greatest." I can't fault the Leica Stores for doing this, as their role is to be ambassadors for all things Leica and sell product. With that said, the Leica stores are definitely a boutique-like experience, as they welcome you in, encourage you to touch and try, and often have interesting gallery displays.
Leica flagship stores are one of the best benefits of being a Leica shooter. Dr Kaufmann recently told me that the stores now account for almost 50% of Leica sales. They plan on expanding this channel a lot over the coming years.
However when it comes to vintage Leica there are some boutique stores in the World that are much better. There is one in Milan that is amazing. Want a pristine LTM body or lens? They have hundreds in almost any year or finish ever made. Same for analog and digital M. The funny thing is that they don't advertise it, or even list the inventory on their website. You must be invited into their back room to see it. But then it is like a trip to the Willy Wonka of Leica.
retrofocus wrote:
Does it have a good variety on used Leica M cameras and lenses, maybe even LTM based ones? I have visited about 6 Leica stores worldwide now on my travels, but only two of them had a decent amount of used M gear available. The newer ones had barely anything used to offer for sale and focused on brand new camera gear.
If visiting Leica Chicago for used gear, you might as well walk 4 blocks west and hit Tamarkin.
OwlsEyes wrote:
I have visited a few of these as well, and I don't think they really prioritize the world of used gear. While they will often have bodies and lenses taken in on trade, it seems like their mission is to move people into the latest and "greatest." I can't fault the Leica Stores for doing this, as their role is to be ambassadors for all things Leica and sell product. With that said, the Leica stores are definitely a boutique-like experience, as they welcome you in, encourage you to touch and try, and often have interesting gallery displays.
bruce
I second this from my own experience in more recent years. When I first ventured into Leica stores about 15 years ago, this was different at the time: lots of used Leica camera gear available. Also possible that less customers sell their old gear these days at a Leica store and use other online tools instead. But I also observed more recently a push towards Leica SL and Q camera systems on shelves in Leica stores with more of these camera and lens options present.
Good luck carrying your Leica camera around Chicago. I hope that city figures itself out, because I wouldn’t be caught carrying my expensive camera gear around that town. An amazing city ruined by violence.
lol Chicago has sucked since prohibition from a crime perspective, they've simply swapped mob rule to uh..well, you can't talk about it in public. It is a shame, though, the decent parts of Chicago can be fun.
SlowDriver wrote:
It sounds like Leica eventually might go the Phase One route and no longer sell its equipment at all through retailers like B&H and Adorama.
I would be surprised. I think Leica will still be sold online by such dealers. The whole point of Leica Stores though is to provide a 'proper' hands-on, in-person Leica shopping experience that 99% of brick and mortar stores would never match because they're too busy selling mainstream Canikony+ gear to a generally different type of clientele. Plus, most B&M stores won't want to tie up the cash needed to carry a halfway decent line of Leica inventory.
When I got interested in Leica in 2010, I happened to be in Germany a bunch of times. It was painful to find any place that actually had the gear in stock, even in Germany, let alone staff that could talk intelligently about it without various biases that affected their perceptions about Leica. Granted, back in 2010 the M9 was red-hot and it was nearly impossible to find it and any lenses anywhere as it was. But within a couple years Leica opened a store in Munich and compared to typical German B&M stores, it was a refreshingly good retail experience where I could touch and try whatever I wanted without the usual sales pressure or mental 'pre-qualification' by staff of my 'worthiness' to use their time.
rscheffler wrote:
I would be surprised. I think Leica will still be sold online by such dealers. The whole point of Leica Stores though is to provide a 'proper' hands-on, in-person Leica shopping experience that 99% of brick and mortar stores would never match because they're too busy selling mainstream Canikony+ gear to a generally different type of clientele. Plus, most B&M stores won't want to tie up the cash needed to carry a halfway decent line of Leica inventory.
When I got interested in Leica in 2010, I happened to be in Germany a bunch of times. It was painful to find any place that actually had the gear in stock, even in Germany, let alone staff that could talk intelligently about it without various biases that affected their perceptions about Leica. Granted, back in 2010 the M9 was red-hot and it was nearly impossible to find it and any lenses anywhere as it was. But within a couple years Leica opened a store in Munich and compared to typical German B&M stores, it was a refreshingly good retail experience where I could touch and try whatever I wanted without the usual sales pressure or mental 'pre-qualification' by staff of my 'worthiness' to use their time....Show more →
Perhaps, but Leica is more and more positioning itself as a luxury goods provider outside of the regular camera market, so I honestly would not be surprised either.
RoamingScott wrote:
lol Chicago has sucked since prohibition from a crime perspective, they've simply swapped mob rule to uh..well, you can't talk about it in public. It is a shame, though, the decent parts of Chicago can be fun.
Chicago right now is not in the top 10 in the US concerning violent crime. And it's not even #1 in Illinois That goes to Rockford. And the areas were crime is high most wouldn't go into those neighborhoods.
rscheffler wrote:
I would be surprised. I think Leica will still be sold online by such dealers. The whole point of Leica Stores though is to provide a 'proper' hands-on, in-person Leica shopping experience that 99% of brick and mortar stores would never match because they're too busy selling mainstream Canikony+ gear to a generally different type of clientele. Plus, most B&M stores won't want to tie up the cash needed to carry a halfway decent line of Leica inventory.
When I got interested in Leica in 2010, I happened to be in Germany a bunch of times. It was painful to find any place that actually had the gear in stock, even in Germany, let alone staff that could talk intelligently about it without various biases that affected their perceptions about Leica. Granted, back in 2010 the M9 was red-hot and it was nearly impossible to find it and any lenses anywhere as it was. But within a couple years Leica opened a store in Munich and compared to typical German B&M stores, it was a refreshingly good retail experience where I could touch and try whatever I wanted without the usual sales pressure or mental 'pre-qualification' by staff of my 'worthiness' to use their time....Show more →
SlowDriver wrote:
Perhaps, but Leica is more and more positioning itself as a luxury goods provider outside of the regular camera market, so I honestly would not be surprised either.
Agreed 100% with rscheffler. The B&M stores are about selling/buying gear. I don't see Leica neglecting that channel as it represents 50% of revenue. The Leica stores are about much much more. They are about providing customer engagement, and a Leica experience. Leica designs its stores around this, and hires its staff with a strong bias toward a background in customer engagement. It is much easier to train someone on a single line of products than it is to find customer experience competent people.
The Leica stores more and more are not just about cameras and photography (although this remains a strong core and is not diminished in any way), it is about brand expansion, and lifestyle esthetics.
Then there is the financial flexibility that have a large network of company owned flagship stores around the World. Leica now has three primarily customer interface models. There are the B&M independent retail dealers. These provide wide distribution for Leica especially in communities that could never support a dedicated Leica store. Then there are the elevated B&M Leica Boutique stores that have the store within a store retail model often found in the luxury space. Finally there are the dedicated flagship stores. These are located in places where the customer profiles and traffic that can support such an operation. They provide the opportunity to expand the brand in ways that independant B&M stores never could. This initiative was actually started back when Hermes owned Leica and is very much in line with classic luxury marketing methods. They have been very successful for Leica in many ways. But within this sector there are actually two ownership models. Company owned, and and privately owned (think Leica Store Miami). The privately owned store can be seen as a sort of keep your foot in the door of franchising kind of thing. I leaves open the possibility to sell the existing company owned stores off as franchises should that ever offer an advantage for Leica.
This diversity is a carefully though out and constructed distribution model for leica. So no, I don't think that Leica will be abandoning its other distribution channels in favor of only having Leica Company owned stores in the near future.
Surfnsun wrote:
Good luck carrying your Leica camera around Chicago. I hope that city figures itself out, because I wouldn’t be caught carrying my expensive camera gear around that town. An amazing city ruined by violence.
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RoamingScott wrote:
lol Chicago has sucked since prohibition from a crime perspective, they've simply swapped mob rule to uh..well, you can't talk about it in public. It is a shame, though, the decent parts of Chicago can be fun.
I have walked around Chicago with expensive gear and felt no less safe than I did in parts of Texas or California. Just about every big city has a areas that are not the best, but it doesn't mean the entire metropolis is unsafe.
I have walked around Chicago with expensive gear and felt no less safe than I did in parts of Texas or California. Just about every big city has a areas that are not the best, but it doesn't mean the entire metropolis is unsafe.
Typical internet-
Someone has to come in and make sure the negativity comes out. I love visiting Chicago and will happily use any gear that makes sense.
Apr 21, 2026 at 10:44 AM
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RoamingScott wrote:
lol Chicago has sucked since prohibition from a crime perspective, they've simply swapped mob rule to uh..well, you can't talk about it in public. It is a shame, though, the decent parts of Chicago can be fun.
Chicago does have areas in which crime is high, but having just been there last weekend I have to say I felt very safe. In my view it depends on where you are at in the city. The city has a lot of challenges and rather obvious major income inequality--some super wealthy very posh areas and some very large very poor areas in which it is really hard for any business to survive. With poverty and little opportunity crime often follows. Someday the US may try to address such issues. Chicago has had fleeting success at times trying to change this dynamic, but it is a difficult nut to crack. In the meantime, the area near the Leica store, which is only blocks away from where I stayed last weekend, is safe, clean, and beautiful. Grant Park, Millenium Park, the Waterfront are designed well and fantastic places to visit. Many wonderful things to do there. Full of great restaurants. Lots of theatre, music, and museums. I highly recommend visiting.
