anyone know a good place to buy a Leica M-6 in Shanghai...What are the prices like there..

-- tom hipple (elizabethmmg@msn.com), November 07, 2001

Answers

You might want to call some place in Beijing, their price is much lower than Shanghai, I bought a Hassy 203FE brand new body for $2700.

-- Mitchell Li (mitchli@pacbell.net), November 07, 2001.

I am not sure if there is a "good" place to buy a Leica in China. I was in Beijing a 3 weeks ago and Leica prices were inline with Leica US prices before the rebate though I don't think there is a rebate program there. In Shanghai you can try GuanLong on Nanjing Dong Lu about two blocks west of the Peace Hotel.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), November 07, 2001.

Hop down to Hong Kong if you can. You can pick up a brand new official M6TTL for around HK$12,200 or US$1,560. That's pretty good. Grey market is even cheaper.

-- Bill Lee (Bill_Lee@telus.net), November 07, 2001.

Tom:

I lived in Shanghai for a year and still visit there often.

Beware Beware Beware of buying any new Leica product where you do not have an ironclad Passport World Wide Warrantee from an internationally reputable dealer. Leicas are great but not perfect and DO need servicing, often within the warrantee period.

I made the mistake of buying an M6 outfit for almost 10 000 $Cdn from an authorized dealer in Hong Kong. I live in Singapore and when a lens clouded up I called Schmidt, the distributor for BOTH Hong Kong and Singapore, I was told I would have to pay 385 $ Sing,- about 250 US to have the lens shipped to Germany to determine if it was in fact covered by warrantee.

If not, I would have to swallow the shipping costs AND the cleaning costs. If it was, then they would reimburse me all the costs. This would take between 3 and 6 months. They said the reason was I had bought it in Hong Kong and not Singapore!!!! Go figure!!!

I took the lens back to Kindermann, then the Leica distributor in Toronto and they cleaned the lens for me in 5 minutes: No Charge and a smile.

Schmidt is also the distributor for China so I would never touch anything there again which was contaminated by Schmidt.

Leicas are available in Shanghai from Guan Long on Nanjing Road, as well as NR Camera on Wai Hai Zhong Road, North side, next to Lawson's 2 blocks west of the American consulate near Urumuqi road. (A ten minute and 2 dollar taxi ride away)

There is also another place on Nanjing middle(Zhong)Road about 2 blocks west of the Ritz Carlton Portman Hotel/Hardrock Cafe/American Centre, on the SW corner who handle Leica. I got some great used stuff there.

There is also another store on Nanjing Lu (Road) in the ara of the pedestrain mall.(An amazing place for night shots, specially in the rain)

The selection of things other than bodies and standard lenses in China is very spotty and knowledge about teh products is virtually ZIP.

If I had to do it over again, I would but new Leica stuff ONLY from autorized dealer who specialize in Leica: Chatterton, Tamarkin, B&H etc. Even the dealers at home in Toronto do not stock the full line and have very spotty service.

I recently bought a new old stock M6 in a box from a non-authorized dealer in Seoul Korea, but I knew the warrantee was worth less than the paper it was printed on. I made sure the camera worked before I bought it. I got a lens 2nd hand from a non-authorized dealer in Canada whom I trust and who gave me a 100% return warrantee on a handshake.

There are no price bargains there. If you DO want a great deal in Shanghai, get a Seagull TLR, the model with the shutter release lock and the simply stunning 4e-3g (4 element, 3 group lens, model 107 I think) for about 140 US, including a real leather case. It may be a bit difficult to find, but it is really worth it. Mine had a small light leak on one of the thin sheet metal feet one the bottom which I easily fixed with epoxy glue.

Seagull has a website with their address on it and if you can get a local friend to call them, they may tell you where to get one. (I have had no luck with responses to my E Mails)

The best deal at Long Guan camera is the chemicals: D76 in 500 ml dry packets for about 20-30 cents US. Just right for one shot 1:1 dilution. They also sell single use size packets of fixer for the same price. Thermometers for 1 Buck and Excellent calligraphy /spotting brushes for about 50 cents from stores anywhere.

The film prices at NR Camera are good. Beware 1 hour labs, though, as they have no respect for negs: scratches and fingerprints.

Have fun in China. The food is great and it is better for taking pictures than buying camera equipment.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), November 07, 2001.