Leica cameras are considered premium and only serious photographers and filmmakers tend to spend thousands of dollars on this camera.
But why are Leica cameras so expensive?
It turns out that the reason isn’t because of the quantity but rather the quality of the final image. Leica cameras aren’t mass-produced in the thousands. Instead, they’re only manufactured in small numbers each year. And as a result, they’re highly desirable. The price tag is justified and worth it.
We’ll explore some of the reasons why Leica cameras are premium, and also highlight some cheaper but reliable camera alternatives.
Here are some of the underlying reasons why Leica cameras are expensive:
1. Leica cameras are handcrafted in Germany
Despite being incredibly expensive, Leica cameras are among the most high-quality cameras available.
Each Leica camera is handcrafted in Germany using the best materials and most of its parts are hand assembled by highly skilled technicians.
The ‘high’ cost of this labor is added to the overall cost of the camera. Also, unlike the cameras you can attach to your cell phone, there is no need for lenses with Leica cameras. Because of this, the Leica lenses are also extremely expensive.
2. Intensive and accurate production process
A second reason for the high price of Leica cameras is the amount of time and care that went into making them.
The camera is only made in a few hundred pieces each year, a process that may take up to two months.
However, this allows for the production process to be much more accurate. Even though these cameras are made in limited quantities, they are highly durable and aesthetically appealing. The results are unmatched.
A Leica camera can take a photo as detailed as you desire, without worrying about it being a poor quality shot.
3. Leica cameras are built like a tank
When you buy a Leica camera, you are buying a product that has been tested and built like a tank.
In fact, Leica has been around for over ninety years, so you know it’s built to last. If you don’t believe it, check out this video, which will prove why Leica cameras are built like a tank.
It also shows you the craftsmanship that goes into each camera.
Even though Leica cameras are built like tanks, they are still extremely lightweight.
The SL2 weighs around 928 grams (about 2 pounds) without a battery.
Its lenses are incredibly expensive, but they can stabilize at 5.5 stops, so even if you don’t get a perfect shot, you can rest assured that Leica’s cameras are made to last. And they can’t be beaten by the competition!
4. Leica M9: Compact but powerful camera
People who want a high-end camera that is both compact and stylish may be tempted by the small-sized Leica M9, but these models are not for them.
Leica cameras cost around 27,000 Pounds for a full-featured camera, while the cheaper models are less than half that price.
If you want to own one of these beautiful, compact cameras, be prepared to spend a bit more for its accessories. These include lenses, viewfinders, motors, and even cases.
However, if you are looking for a camera that will last you for years, there are several options for you. If you are on a budget, a digital Ricoh GR camera is a great alternative. Leica cameras are known for their outstanding quality, which makes them great for landscape, street, and portrait photography.
You can also purchase used Leica cameras that are in perfect condition. Unlike new ones, used Leica cameras are fully tested and are thus a good option.
5. Leica M-Series Cameras are Fast
You can pick up a Leica camera in many varieties. The M-series is a popular choice for its fast speed, and the MP is understated with its all-black body and minimal branding.
You’ll also save money because the camera doesn’t need a battery, although a small cell is required for its built-in meter. But if you want to take pictures in total privacy, you’ll want to look into a Leica M-series camera.
Leica M-series cameras are ideal for photographers, and the M11 is no exception. It doesn’t feature video recording or autofocus.
The 60-megapixel sensor allows users to choose from three resolution settings. The maximum resolution setting is 60 megapixels, while lower resolution settings enable users to reduce the number of pixels for improved dynamic range and low-light performance.
There are also a range of manual settings for shooting, including a low-light setting.
Leica Camera Alternative: Hasselblad Cameras
The Hasselblad brand is synonymous with high-quality photography.
The company has made cameras that have become iconic, including the first moon landing, The Beatles crossing Abbey Road, Marilyn Monroe, and other iconic scenes.
Hasselblads are expensive (although much cheaper than Leica cameras), with the H6D-100c camera costing more than $48,000 without lenses. The price tag has increased as Hasselblad has made a move from film to digital.
The cost is directly related to their iconic status. They are manufactured in Sweden and produce less than ten thousand units annually.
This is much lower than the production volumes of Nikon, Canon, and Sony, which each produce more than a million units. Hasselblad’s unique design and high-quality output make them a desirable purchase.
The average Hasselblad camera takes up to 6 or 8 hours to assemble.
Hasselblad lenses
Many people wonder if Hasselblads and Leicas are worth the high price. Both Hasselblad and Leica cameras are famous for their ruggedness and durability.
The former is often used for space missions and is capable of functioning in hostile environments. In fact, all images from the first moon landing were taken with Hasselblad cameras. The latter has been used on expeditions to Antarctica and Siberia.
Hasselblad lenses cost more than Leica cameras. A camera made with Hasselblad lenses costs nearly $26,000.
The Hasselblad’s sensor is large (60MP), which means that the camera’s lens is also large. Hasselblad lenses have a reputation for being extremely sharp and offering a high dynamic range.
The cameras are expensive because all of the parts are handcrafted.
Leica Camera Quality Checks
The Leica cameras are known for their exceptional quality and high price. But did you know that Leica also makes wristwatches? These watches come in two styles and cost up to $14,000.
Designed with precision and elegance, these wristwatches are extremely sophisticated and beautiful.
The problem is that they’re also incredibly expensive. Read on to discover more about why they’re worth the money. But is Leica quality really worth the price tag?
The price of Leica cameras is primarily due to their quality. Hasselblad and Leica cameras have better dynamic range than the average consumer camera.
They also don’t use pixel binning, a practice that combines average values of 8-16 pixels to create one photo.
While this method allows smartphones to advertise high resolution, it often produces images close to 12MP. Despite the higher price tag, the quality of a Leica camera can’t be matched.
Leica Camera Price: How Much Does Leica Cameras Cost?
Leica cameras are not cheap, but they are unique and incredibly well engineered.
The cameras themselves are worth several thousand dollars, and some lenses are more expensive than the cameras themselves.
You could spend years shooting with a Leica film camera, but the lens itself might cost thousands of dollars.
The camera itself would last for decades, and the pictures it produces would be superb. If you can afford the price, you might as well invest in one of these cameras.
Prices of Leica cameras vary widely, but these models are more expensive than many competitors.
However, the cameras are made to last and retain their value over time. You can use them for years to come, so it is worth the extra money.
For example, a Leica M9 with a lens is nearly four times the cost of a comparable camera without a lens. Although the camera is expensive, it is worth it to spend the extra money for a camera that will last for many years.
Leica Cameras: Summary
If you’re wondering whether you should buy a Leica camera, you may be surprised to learn that there are several reasons why you should.
This can be due to your own personal preferences or to a camera’s AF mode.
Regardless of the reason, you’ll need to decide if you’d like to purchase autofocus for your Leica camera.
There are several ways you can get automatic focusing on your Leica camera, including a built-in flash, but the autofocus is a vital part of the photography process.
Autofocus is a common feature on modern cameras, including smartphones. However, it doesn’t seem to be necessary for regular consumers.
Regular consumers don’t need autofocus for their photos, and they don’t want to spend the money.
Most Leica buyers are serious photographers and can handle a camera without autofocus.
Similarly, modern cars come with automatic and manual transmissions, but serious drivers often prefer manual stick shifts.
Every photography nerd worth their salt, has imagined what it must be like to shoot with a Hasselblad or a Leica. Even seasoned professionals can’t help but lust after the engineering marvels that the boffins at Hasselblad and Leica make.
The legacy that these camera brands have is simply unmatched. No matter how great a camera brands like Sony, Canon, or Nikon make, they will never come close to the stature that Hasselblad and Leica have. In fact, this is exactly what the situation is right now.
Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm make some of the most technologically advanced cameras that are great to shoot photos as well as videos. So good is the picture quality of some of the cameras made by these brands that they have been used in feature films and documentaries. Sure, they do not compare to the Arri or Red cameras, but they are pretty close.
Hasselblad and Leica on the other hand, don’t have cameras that can shoot videos nearly as well as your latest Sony A7s, Nikon Z9 or Canon R3. And yet, people are more than willing to shell out up to 10 times more money to get a Leica or a Hasselblad.
The cheapest Hasselblad that money can buy is the X1D II 50C mirrorless medium format, which goes for about $5,750 or just over Rs 4.5 Lakhs, for the body only. That means you will need to shell out another $2,000 Rs 2-4 Lakhs for a compatible lens. At a minimum, you’re looking to spend at least Rs 6-8 Lakhs. And that’s not even their current best selling camera. That will have to be the H6D-100c, which starts at $32,000, or roughly Rs 28 Lakhs, again, just for the body. Add in a couple of lenses, and you’re looking to spend about Rs 35-40 Lakhs easily.
Leica has a similar story. So why do people spend so much on these cameras and lenses, when clearly there are many cameras that offer “better value for money?”
Resolution and Detail
Although the resolution of a sensor is not the absolute parametre to judge a camera, it does matter especially when you’re working professionally. A Hasselblad like the H6D-100C comes with a 100MP medium format sensor medium, which is bigger than that of a full frame sensor that is normally found on high-end Sony, Canon and Nikon Cameras. Hasselblad even has a camera with a 400MP sensor. Similarly, Leica’s current most popular selling camera, the M11, has a resolution of 60MPs.
And mind you, these are bigger pixels, than what is used in most consumer cameras, so the quality of each pixel is anyway much better. Furthermore, unlike most consumer grade entry level cameras and smartphone cameras, Hasselblad and Leica don’t use pixel binning. Pixel binning is a practice where smartphones take the average value of 8-16 pixels, and count it as one. What this allows them to do, is to come up with resolutions like 100MP or 200MP which looks great for the marketing team, but actually, outputs an image that is close to a more manageable 12MP. Simply put, Hasselblad and Leica don’t need to bin pixels. In fact, because Hasselblads use 120MM sensors, they are better than Leica in that sense.
The lenses
Hasselblad, Leica and Zeiss make some of the best lenses in the world. These legacy brands make some of the sharpest and most colour accurate lenses. No matter how great a sensor you put inside a camera, if it is not being used with a good lens, the resolution, the dynamic range, everything falls flat. Scientists often use lenses from these manufacturers for astrophotography, as well as to shoot images of flora and fauna to catalogue them.
In fact, a number of space research organisations, develop camera modules and sensors to be sent into space after spending millions of dollars and use standard, commercially available lenses from Zeiss, Leica and Hasselblad.
Dynamic range
One of the biggest criteria that either makes or breaks a camera is the dynamic range. Hasselblads and Leicas have some of the best dynamic range among all brands of cameras. What this allows them to do to is accurately capture the tiniest of details in the brightest as well as darkest portions in a single photograph, without having to expose the same frame, twice, or composite two different frames. This, combined with the unbelievably high resolution of its sensors, means that anyone who shoots on these cameras can get a hoarding printed straight from the camera, without the need to process it.
Colour science
Every camera brand develops its own colour science. To put it in very rudimentary terms, colour science is basically the process and the calculations used to record what a sensor sees. No camera sensor is actually able to replicate the exact colours of an object. Basically, no camera is ever able to capture the true, real life colours of an object. Even in humans, every pair of eyes has its own colour science. No two pairs of human eyes see the same shade of blue when they look at the sky. Hasselblad and Leica are no different. However, of all the camera makers in the world, they come the closest.
Durability
Hasselblads and Leicas are bult like a tank. Hasselblads have often been taken on space missions simply because of the wide range of hostile environments they can work in. In fact, all the images that we see from the first moon landing were taken using a Hasselblad. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin used a silver coloured HDC camera along with a Zeiss 60mm f5.6 lens.
Similarly, the Leica has been to the summit of mountains like K2 and has been taken on expeditions to Antarctica and Siberia, some of the coldest places on Earth. These cameras work perfectly well without a hiccup in situations where most electronic and mechanical items simply give up.
Quality control
Now, this may not seem like a very important aspect, but each Leica and Hasselblad camera is assembled by hand. Following that, each and every camera that is built is thoroughly tested for colour accuracy, sharpness and robustness. In a given year, both of these manufacturers can produce at the most 10,000 units. In comparison, Nikon produces 10,000 units of their best selling cameras every couple of days.
Leicas and Hasselblads may not be the most rounded cameras that are available on the market. There are far cheaper cameras that work wonders for most people, professionals included, that can also shoot great videos. But if you’re looking for a pure photography camera, if you want to understand what photography was always meant to be, you can’t choose anything other than a Leica or a Hasselblad.