what are the biggest bargains you have found?

LifesShort · Joined: 01 Feb 2016 Posts: 71 Location: Forsyth, GA, USA

Nikon F2 with DP-1 Finder, Nikkormat FT, and GE model 8DW58Y4 exposure meter (not shown). I got all 3 for $36. The F2 has fairly heavy brassing, but it doesn't bother me at all. The meters on both cameras work.

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Great bargain Lifeshort.
I got a F2 with DP-1 but not at this price and DP-1 don't work.
It's a great camera.

LifesShort · Joined: 01 Feb 2016 Posts: 71 Location: Forsyth, GA, USA

Billou · Expire: 2015-05-19

Bargain of the year for me !! Happy Dog

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

I just remembered that this belongs here.

Some months ago I bought a Pentax ILX -camera(!). At least it was advertised like that in a local online ad. Shocked

Got some riffraff like a f:4/100mm macro in the lot. The leatherette was partially loose and misplaced, but overall the camera was in good condition. I've tried to forget how little the seller asked for his inherited gear. But I was the first one to notice the misreading and I paid and walked away. It is still waiting for a real life test drive.

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

Good find! Yeah, I guess some people might be fooled if they don't know what an LX is. I paid about $250 for mine, but it came with a lens, Pentax extension tubes and a Pentax 480 flash. And I just got it back today from getting a CLA, so that was another $86 to the total. Still, $336 for an LX only with a fresh CLA is considered a really good deal, so I guess I can't complain.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

The biggest bargain is free!

My friend is a modern Nikon shooter. His buddy was cleaning out his house, and had a camera bag full of Canon FD lenses and a few Nikon lenses. Asked if he would want them or he would toss them out. He kept the Nikons and the bag, and asked if I had use for the Canons. Smile

1. Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C.
2. Canon FD 135mm f/3.5 S.C.
3. Canon nFD 28mm f/2.8

And a Sigma MC APO 300mm f/4.5. But there is haze between two cemented front elements, so this one isn't 100% usable, and can't be fixed.

Can't complain!

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

Yeah, but all three of those are outstanding optics. The 50/1.4 SSC especially -- it's worth the most. And while the other two might not be worth all that much, they still take great pictures. Especially that 135, which probably has the least value of them all. But hey, free is hard to beat, isn't it.

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

Yes, all 3 are very good. And I'm very happy one is a SSC. I tried to get one on ebay, but was sent a defective one. That was a let down, and had to return it.

Unfortunately, the Sigma is unusable. Test shots showed the haze obscures the image badly. It looks like the balsam turned milky. Complete loss.
Too bad, since it uses an apochromatic element. It should've been a very good lens.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

I bought a near mint 1970 Nikon Nikkor Q Auto 200mm f4 with original caps for $10. Really happy to get one this nice.☺

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3754 Location: Switzerland

A Leica R Elmarit 2.8/35mm for free, at the local photo store ... they said they couldn't sell it any more ... "too slow" and "too boring angle of view" i guess ...

Stephan

WNG555 · Joined: 18 Dec 2014 Posts: 784 Location: Arrid-Zone-A, USA

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3754 Location: Switzerland

yeah ... that's Switzerland ... cosmetically not in the best shape, but the lenses & the aperture are OK Wink

It's my first Leica R lens - i always avoided them since starting to cellect that stuff may become expensive Wink

Stephan

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

I've been wanting to add a Minolta X-570 to my small Minolta collection for quite a while now. I've known for years that the X-570 is a more practical camera than its "big brother," the more upscale X-700, for the photographer who prefers a manual camera over an automated one. I finally found an interesting X-570 kit over at the Goodwill auction site and I decided it was gonna be mine.

So, the outfit consists of a very clean X-570 (even still has the protective plastic strip on the bottom) with an even cleaner late Minolta MD 50/1.4 lens, a very nice neverready case that I'll never use, and an equally clean Sunpak 422D flash. I remember the 422D from back in the 80s. It was a very popular flash, quite powerful with a G/N (in feet) of about 140, plus with the right module for the right camera, it also provided TTL automation. It was a fairly pricey flash back in the day, but these days you can find them on eBay for dirt cheap.

The X-570 even came with batteries and works perfectly. The Sunpak also works properly. So, altogether, this auction worked out well. Now, I didn't get the outfit for a steal -- I paid $54 for it. But when you look at what X-570s and MD 50/1.4s sell for, I think I did very well. Paid about a third or less for all the items than if I would have bought them separately on eBay.

The camera was a little dusty. Haven't gotten it all out of the crevices yet, as the second photo shows.

konicamera · Expire: 2014-06-14

Billou · Expire: 2015-05-19

Yeah, really happy about this one, but the lens wasn't really in pristine condition, it had a bit of fungus inside. The buyer just uploaded this picture, I didn't really care about the inside of the lens when I saw the "buy it now" price at 50 euros !
The lens is being serviced right now, can't wait to try this beast. I have seen very impressive pictures taken with it.

konicamera · Expire: 2014-06-14

tb_a · Expire: 2019-08-28

konicamera · Expire: 2014-06-14

tb_a · Expire: 2019-08-28

konicamera · Expire: 2014-06-14

tb_a · Expire: 2019-08-28

konicamera · Expire: 2014-06-14

Jiaming · Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 106

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

I have an XD-11, which is the same as the XD-7. And I agree, it's a brilliant camera. IMO, in terms of quality and craftsmanship, it's the best camera Minolta ever made. But there's one specific feature the XD cameras lack, and that's having the meter coupled to both shutter speeds and aperture settings in manual mode. The way the meter is with the old SRTs. Even though the X-570 is one step below the X-700, it has the fully coupled meter, something even the X-700 doesn't have. The reason for this has to do with timing and technological advancements. The X-570 was released after the X-700 and by the time it was released, this feature was available at no additional costs. I've often wondered why later editions of the X-700 didn't include this feature. It had a very long product run, after all.

Here's a little tidbit about the XD-7/XD-11 that most folks aren't aware of. If the camera detects an out of exposure condition when set to shutter priority mode, it will adjust the shutter speed to insure correct exposure. Now what this means is that, since it is controlling both aperture and shutter speed, it is working in sort of a stealth program mode. So it can be argued that the XD-series was the first camera with a program mode. Minolta called this feature their Automatic Shutter-speed Compensation system (ASC).