what are the biggest bargains you have found?

barryreid · Expire: 2015-11-04

Also picked up a Minox 35ML for a mere tenner from a local charity shop. Seems to be fully working but yet to put any film thru it.

sceptic · Joined: 01 Jun 2013 Posts: 255

Vivitar 20/3.8 (Kiron) for 14 USD. Dented filter ring and small scratches/marks on the front glass, but still. Also a Paragon 55/2.8 1:1 macro for 28 USD. That one needs relubing, which will probably be somewhat of a challenge.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

I've been waiting for the longest to get a digital camera I can use my Canon FD lenses with and when the Sony A7/A7r came out, I thought that that would be the one. Well, I finally raised the funds for an A7r and went down to my local camera shop to see if they had one that I could try out. They didn't have the r version but they did have the A7, and I reasoned that was close enough, so I tried it out in the shop. I was taken aback by the viewfinder image, first of all. It may be high rez, but it's no substitute for a good FF viewfinder. I kept focusing on subjects and wondering why they weren't sharper, then I realized finally that they were in focus, but that the viewfinder wasn't delivering that crisp edge you see when something is sharply in focus. That gave me pause. Then the sales guy pointed out what he thought was a significant drawback, and that was its frame rate when shooting a moving target. It was abysmally slow, maybe 1.5 fps, tops. And if I recall the spec info correctly, the A7r is even slower (because of all those extra megapixels I'm figuring). So that made me take a step back. In the past I did a lot of motorsports photography and this is something I would like to do again once I've got a good digital rig to do it with. And a frame rate that slow, with a totally blacked out viewfinder/LCD screen in between shots was just not acceptable. So dang! There went my hopes of a FF mirrorless out the window.

So I fell back to the next best thing, the Sony NEX 7, and started keeping my eyes on eBay auctions. I found one, for $550 with free shipping that had received no bids. Came with the box, the 18-55 lens and an extra battery. Since his opening price was hundreds less than what most others were asking (and getting), I expected the bid amount to go higher. But nobody placed another bid. I waited until the last few seconds, still with no bids, and placed mine at a price that I'd be willing to pay. Heh. I was the only bidder. So I got a nice, clean NEX 7 kit for what to me at least was a very good price. I haven't taken any pics of it yet, but you can see it here:

Click here to see on Ebay

Still getting the hang of it. Wish Sony would have supplied a printed handbook with the camera, instead of putting it on CD-ROM. I find having to load it up in my computer, instead of having a hard copy handy, much less than convenient. So maybe to get to FF I'll buy a Metabones or such for it. I dunno yet.

doomed-forever · Joined: 09 Aug 2014 Posts: 239

I snapped a Tokina AT-X 28-85mm/3.5-4.5 Lens for 13.50 EUR

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

doomed-forever · Joined: 09 Aug 2014 Posts: 239

AF Speed is not everything, for instance, the A6000 Body is entirely made of plastic, whereas the NEX-6 before was mostly inside a Alu-Magnesium Body Shell Alloy...i prefer that, and rumors say next feb will be the A7000 released, the "true" NEX-7 successor, with A6000 AF and again Alu-Mag Body, 3 Dial Operation just like the NEX-7.

malaclypse · Expire: 2015-11-04

Michael: Is it possible that the diopter-correction on that a7 was set totally wrong for your eyes? I had that same issue when testing mine and after setting it up correctly I am very satisfied with the viewfinder - as I am with the camera itself. It's just like having my old Pentax ME again...

Jvg · Joined: 07 Nov 2012 Posts: 205 Location: New York City

Would fully working Nikomat (japanese version Nikkormat) FTN with Nikkor H 85/1.8 for $75 be considered as a bargain? Very Happy

Gamera · Joined: 16 Feb 2014 Posts: 86 Location: Scandinavia

b0ddo · Joined: 26 Aug 2014 Posts: 2 Location: Romania

My only real bargain until now is the Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8. I bought it for 2.5 euros, mainly to use the caps for the 105 f/2.5 AI (which cost me 125$, so not really a bargain that one).

This little micro-nikkor was damadged: the focus ring would not move at all.

I thaught of having a go at fixing it. Atfer a week and 4 attempts, I unscrewd almost everything, even the helicoids, degreased them, lubed them and put them back together. After a few tries, I managed to put the helicoids in the right position to have infinite focus and 0.25m focus distance as well. The only drawback is that i left marks on the mount ring while creating new groves for those 3 screws... and it focuses a little bit past infinity... but i'm not dissasembling it again... despite being a quick simple fix... i hope.

I think this qualifies as a bargain. 2.5 euros and the opportunity of dissasembling a very complicated lens (being a macro) without being nervous of damaging it even further. I rarely uset it, though. I preffer my 50mm 1.4 G Very Happy

and i'm not much into macro.

malaclypse · Expire: 2015-11-04

I'm not really shure if this is a real bargain, but it's a rare lens for not too much money: 22,50� incl. delivery. It was announced as M42 but it is a M39 with a quite long register-distance, not Leica Mount. It was announced to have major scratches on both lens and tubus - which it hadn't, at least in my book. Will have to check for an adapter to make it fit, seems to belong to a Braun Paxette. If it isn't a bargain its at least a not too expensive rare lens.

For the bargains: a Yashica 1.9/50 for 5� at the flew-market. And, if I haven't mentioned it here, a Praktica FX with Primoplan 1.9/58 for 62� and a Panagor 2.8/80 1:1 macro for (if I remember right) under 60�.

Got me an adapter for the roeschlein which will ship from the US. Now it's not such a bargain anymore (costs as much as the lens), will have to find some other Paxette lenses Wink

Basilisk · Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 356 Location: UK

hemeterfilms · Joined: 04 Jul 2012 Posts: 80 Location: Mexico City

I was negotiating with a dealer herein Mexico City for a very nice Mamiya C330f (nice example and got it for a good price) when he decided to sweeten the deal by throwing in a Minolta X 370s. That was a clincher and when I got home I realised that not only was it in perfect working condition but had an MD Rokkor 50mm f1.4 attached !

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4748 Location: Cheshire, England

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Whatever the A6000 is made of, it's strong enough.

Roger Hesketh · Joined: 23 Oct 2014 Posts: 6 Location: UK

Are large format bargains allowed? If so.

8 x 10 Linhof Color Karden with recessed and flat front lens panels. Compendium lens hood. 8x10 and 5x7 backs, 5x7 reducing back, 4 8x10 Fidelity holders, 8 Eastman Kodak 5x7 holders and a dark cloth. �40

Fatif Studio stand also �40

Both the above lots were on Ebay UK. I was the only bidder.

Oldhand · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 12:19 am Post subject:

Roger Hesketh · Joined: 23 Oct 2014 Posts: 6 Location: UK

No lens with the camera but I have a 12" Gundlach Turner Reich Convertible mounted in a Wollensak Betax 4 shutter I can use with it. Which come to think of it I bought that rather well too, for $125, about �60 it was then. That was about 10 years ago though when film photography equipment was much cheaper.

Thanks for the info about the Compur shutter. The camera saw service in your part of the world at the University of Adelaide. The chap I bought it off bought it from them. I would not have liked to have paid to ship it to the UK that is for sure. The camera on it's own weighs I think about 10kg.

I also have a 5x7 version of the same camera I bought minus the front panels and back for �32. I use the front panels and 5x7 back that came with the 8x10 camera on that. Not used the 8x10 yet. Just too heavy.

Oldhand · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:24 am Post subject:

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Got an Olympus 4cm f/2.8 LTM for a decent price! Very Happy

Boris_Akunin · Joined: 22 Aug 2013 Posts: 393 Location: Bremen, Germany

Just bought a Soligor-branded Kiron 105/2.8 macro and a Minolta MC 28/2.5 (supposed to be sharper than my 28/2.0, I'm gonna have to test that...) for 40� each incl. shipping.

Layer-cake · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 560 Location: Cape Town

I'm quite proud of this one, in perfect condition novoflex noflexar 35mm 3.5 factory Nikon conversion lens for �5.

araucaria · Joined: 16 Jan 2014 Posts: 63

Nikkor DC 40/4 and Nikkor HC 75/2.8 for bronica each for 70�. Still looking for a bronica but they are beautiful.

Boris_Akunin · Joined: 22 Aug 2013 Posts: 393 Location: Bremen, Germany

Maybe we should rename this thread to "My lastest acquisition (at a fairly good price)"...

There's nothing wrong with that but maybe everyone could share their one biggest-ever bargain (and maybe a runner-up)...

My biggest bargain ever is this, all bought from the same seller within two days:
- Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye (Pentax K)
- Tokina SL 17mm f/3.5 (Pentax K)
- Soligor 17mm f/4 (Minolta MC)
- Kiron 24mm f/2.0 (Pentax K)
- Vivitar Series 1 28mm f/1.9 (M42)
- Revuenon/Tomoika 55mm f/1.2 (M42)
- Helios 40-2 85mm f/1.5 (M42)
- Vivitar Series 1 135mm f/2.3 (M42)
- Soligor C/D 135mm f/2.0 (M42)
- Revueflex 3000 SL (= Chinon CX, M42)

All in mint condition (very rarely - possibly never - used) with complete original packaging and all accessories, I paid 310� altogether.
(and here's how that happened: http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/227786-i-cant-believe-my-luck.html)

My runner-up (and winner by cost/resale-value ratio) is a Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 (the late version with rubberized focus ring) in near-mint condition that I got for 39�.

Marek · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:53 pm Post subject:

I got nearly all of my MFL for relatively cheap prices but never on a "steal" level.

My biggest bargain might have been Telemegor 180 M42 for �29 that already paid off. I also won Trioplan 100 EXA for �201 that are very nice money for such a lens nowadays. Also, I bought Tair 133 for �70 app. but I was partly cheated.

Anyway, Boris, do you need that Helios 40? Very Happy