Leica Store Washington DC

I very much approximate the knowledgeable and friendly service I just received from Andy. I would recommend this business.

My partner and I went to the Lecia DC store mid April. You have to be «buzzed» to get in and I thought… uh oh, going to be snobby! Much to my surprise that was certainly not the case. There were 2 young men in there that could not have been nicer. The one man, Aziz Yazdani (I still have his card) took me for a full tour, showing me equipment I have only read and dreamed about. He gave me all sorts of literature and welcomed me back anytime. The store was gorgeous and polished to a «t».
I ended up purchasing a beautiful Artisan & Artist red woven silk camera strap for my M9.
Honestly, it was a highlight of my DC trip and I will definitely go back to the Leica DC Store next time in town.
Claudia Robinson

Once I was a Canon and Nikon DSLR user, and then I saw the light.. . through a Leica, and now I’m hooked. My Leica has not only transformed the way I photograph my surroundings but also how I process my surroundings.
Rangefinders aren’t a common tool, and I’m grateful for the Leica Store in Washington DC and it’s staff for patiently, meticulously, and warmly introducing me to this tool. Even if I don’t have anything to purchase, I often wander into the store if I’m in the neighborhood. My sixty-​pound, four-​legged best friend has accompanied me to this store, and the staff was just as warm and welcoming to him as well.
I love this place!

My friend who collects Leica M’s and recently purchased a Leica S2 encouraged me to visit this store. I am not a fan of rangefinders but looked forward to see what the store had to offer.
At first, once you enter, you will immediately notice a line of Leica products on your left side, and binoculars on your right. The staff was kind enough to provide me a boring lecture on the Leica MP and a few lenses. I wasn’t impressed as I previously rented a Leica M9 with a noctilux 50 f/.95 lens a year ago.
Leica is built on a reputation of great optics and craftsmanship but I’m just not impressed with the ergonomics of a Leica rangefinder or their S type DSLR. I can’t justify paying $ 11,000 for a 50 mm lens. I’m a Hasselblad user.
What disappointed me the most was the current gallery; how pathetic. Image quality was poor and it certainly did not inspire, what a joke.

It’s intimidating to walk into this store — the store that featured an Hermes designed Leica camera of $ 22,000. I loved my Leica lens so I had been a fan of their products. Also our friend’s photography exhibit was showing it gave us a great reason to walk in as we were strolling by. I decided to ask the lady for an explanation of the products they carry to get a better understanding of what would suit me. I was definitely drawn to the customizable $ 2000 camera came in various colors! This was the second awesome German product we came across this weekend the other was a wedding band designer. What a great store!

It’s a very cool store that It kinda feels like a museum. Each camera is featured in its own box. The staff is super friendly and is more than happy to show you any camera and let you play around with it. If you’re not familiar with the brand you will be blown away at the cost. These are like the Ferrari’s of cameras & the image quality is second to none.

Even if you’re not planning to buy a $ 5000 camera and are happy to snap away with an iPhone like so many co-​called photographers claim to be these days, the Leica store offers both a rare opportunity to see the Bentley of cameras, but also a chance to see great works of art created with these cameras.
The staff expects most visitors are not there to buy, but rather look at the gallery, so don’t expect a hard sale, or any attempt to sale at all. 99% of those who walk in the shop already know if they’re buying a Leica or not. (Not like handbag shopping at Macy’s or going in for a pair of Wranglers at the Wallyworld)
Maybe some day, I put down my Fuji X-​series for an M9 Monochrom. When that day comes, I’m likely to drop back in to grab one. In the meantime, they’ll just have to get use to seeing me once every few months to check out the gallery.

Getting off the Metro in DC and figuring out what the first thing you should see is a tough endeavor. It soon became apparent where that first place would be once we saw a little red dot far off in the distance.
At first we were not quite sure if it was truly what we thought it was. We had never seen nor knew of any Leica stores anywhere in the U.S. As we neared closer it was indeed the Leica logo and just so happens to be the only one you will ever see, as of this writing, in North America.
Being that we are both photographers so it was a must stop. Right when we walked in we were immediately greeted. I did however make it clear that we in no way were there to purchase anything. Not that we didn’t want to but as many know it’s just not feasible for everyone to purchase a Leica product. That did not however keep us from being shown around.
They were getting ready for a gallery showing of photos taken with the soon to be released Monochrom so it was a treat to be able to preview those photos since we wouldn’t have been around for the showing.
If we are ever able to purchase a Leica in the future flying to DC and purchasing in store will be top priority not only because it’s the only store in North America but also because of how we were treated.

Leica store and Gallery is the first Leica store in North America. Leica is the company known for its precision optics and excellent quality lenses. This particular store is unique because it has something that is nowhere else to be found in entire USA.
Leica invented the 35 mm photography in early 20^th century. Since then Leica has been the leading name among professional photographers for its quality lenses and consistent and reliable performance. If you look at a remarkable photograph that leaves a lasting impression (and not the one that looks more like a photoshop artwork) with its content, the one that makes you feel like you are there with the subject. Most likely it has been taken by a Leica! (like the one with a Sailer kissing the nurse on time square). It has been the most preferred camera by almost all street photographers, documentary photographers, war photographers and collectors. Most of the prime lenses made in todays world are inspired (some are very bad copies) by original Leica lenses. I can go on and on about how wonderful Leica products are but I think most Unilocalers are interested in knowing what is this store all about!
This store is unique because it is one of its kind in the entire north america. It is the flagship store so you are most likely to find all of the Leica products in this store compared to any other stores, which usually has very limited Leica inventory due to its high prices and limited consumer base. So if you are itching to try out a Leica product, they have it. Leica cameras, lenses, binoculars, monoculars, accessories and bags. The store has a feeling of a very luxury store!
Staff here is very knowledgable and welcoming to any customer. They are very helpful with explaining about their brand and all the unique features of each products without expecting you to buy, which is very important because these are very expensive products. I was able to try M9 with a 35 mm 1.4 lens ($ 10,000) kit.
Half of the store is occupied by a gallery where they have on display work of some of the best photographers in the world, mostly done by Leica. It is very inspiring to see these images.
This is a place like a Rolls Royce showroom with a very welcoming staff and free test rides for everyone! I will be visiting this place every time I am in Washington, DC.

Beautiful space — Leica prices