Leica UK has exhausted supplies of its M9 digital rangefinder camera but insists it is doing all it can to meet photographers’ orders as soon as possible.
A spokeswoman for Leica Camera told Amateur Photographer (AP): ‘We are currently out of stock? We had an initial delivery at launch, and then we’ve been receiving deliveries at regular intervals each month to fulfil as many customer orders as possible.’
She added: ‘Most dealers have a waiting list for the M9 – worldwide as well as in the UK – and the waiting lists can vary in length.’
The spokeswoman said she was not able to tell us how many cameras were part of the initial batch, but added: ‘We’re doing all we can to fulfil orders as quickly as we can. And our dealers and end customers are aware of the situation.’
The news came after Leica announced a 6% hike in prices on all products – apart from the M9 – from 1 January 2010, blaming adverse exchange rates and the upcoming VAT rise.
Shortly after it went on sale AP reported how demand for the M9 camera outstripped supply as customers – including professionals trading in their DSLRs – snapped up the full-frame camera within minutes of its unveiling on 9 September.
One Leica store told us that customers, including newspaper photographers, were switching from their bulky, more pricey, top-end DSLR kit to the more compact M9 rangefinder costing £4,850.
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