Leica Hikes Prices as Much as 90%

As PetaPixel reported last week, Leica’s prices are increasing in the United States thanks to tariffs. The scale of the price increase is, in some cases, extreme. Certain Leica products are nearly twice as expensive now.

One such example is the Leica D-Lux 8 compact camera that Leica announced nearly a year ago. The D-Lux 8 launched last summer for $1,595, which was already $400 more expensive than its familiar 2018 predecessor, the D-Lux 7. Now the D-Lux 8 sets American photographers back an eye-watering $2,790. This new price is $1,195 higher — the launch price for the D-Lux 7.

A similarly large price jump has hit the Leica Lux Grip for iPhone. Released earlier this year, the MagSafe camera grip was originally $329, admittedly already a steep price for an iPhone accessory grip. With the impact of new American tariffs, the Leica Lux Grip is now $625 — a 90% price hike.

This is not to say that even at their new higher prices, some U.S.-based customers won’t still find Leica’s D-Lux 8 or Lux Grip worth buying. They very well could. But there is no question that these products, already relatively expensive in the marketplace, are now extremely pricey. Leica was routinely criticized for its high prices before new tariffs took effect, so the situation will only get worse. And unfortunately, it will impact customers north of the border, too.

Given the much higher new prices for the D-Lux 8 and Lux Grip, it’s a safe bet they are primarily manufactured in China. That’s not true for all of Leica’s products, some of which are still handmade in Germany, like the M11 series.

While Germany, like many other countries, is not subject to triple-digit tariffs like China is, German-made products are not immune to price increases either. For example, the Leica M11-P announced in 2023 for $9,195 now costs $9,839, a 7% increase that almost captures the current 10% tariff on German imports in the U.S. Of course, a potential bump to 20% is possible once President Trump’s 90-day reprieve ends in July.

Interestingly, the Leica M11 Monochrom, which also arrived in stores in 2023 for $9,195, is now $10,160, a 10% increase.

The Leica M11 Glossy Black and M11-D rangefinders are also more expensive in the United States now, each costing 7% more than they did at launch last year.

Image credits: Leica