Nikon EL2... What is it worth?

SoCal_Novice · Joined: 18 Jun 2013 Posts: 2 Location: Temecula, Ca

I was going through my garage and came across this camera and three lenses. I know it was a quality set up when it was new and I am curious what I could sell it for? All the Lenses are Nikkor there is a 28mm, 105mm and 200mm. I have attached some photos. I would appreciate any information and thank you for taking the time.

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

If you were seriously considering selling this item as-is you will get very little looking at the grubby condition. I suggest some cotton buds, an 00 paintbrush, a lint-free cloth and alcohol to clean what looks like nicotine off. I use vodka, a cap full is plenty. Use a slightly damp cloth soaked in sugar soap solution to clean the lens barrels. Honestly you will get MUCH more.

Clich on this and use this tool to check how much these have gone for on ebay http://www.mflenses.com/es.php tha twill give you some idea.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I doubt if anyone here carries the information you seek around in his (or her) head. I wrote a book on cameras and their prices, yet the first thing I would do to answer this question is to visit eBay and use its price data. So that's what you should do. Do a search on "Nikon EL2" (without the quotes), then click on "Sold Listings." This will return back all completed auctions in which an EL2 was sold. If you do that, what you will quickly notice is that prices are all over the place. This can be due to a number of factors, but it usually boils down to the camera's condition and anything that might be included with it.

My advice, for what it's worth, is that you list the EL2 and each lens separate. This will give you the best price. If bundling everything together into a "kit," buyers typically expect the price to be discounted. So list everything separately. Provide good photos showing condition and features and be honest in your descriptions. If the camera isn't working because the batteries are dead, then invest in a new set of batteries to make sure everything works before you place your auction. Vouching for a camera's operating condition takes a lot of the worry off the mind of the prospective buyer. The EL2 will be somewhat more valuable than its predecessor, the EL because it uses the AI meter coupling style, making the lenses easier to mount and dismount, and also providing for a coupling for lenses that don't have the old-style prong. The EL2 also has the ability to use the old style lenses, however, but the lens coupling tab must be pushed up out of the way (by pressing a small button next to it) before mounting a Pre-AI lens.

As to the lenses, they all appear to be either AI or AIs -- make sure you note which they are. If you don't know how to tell the difference, look for a rounded notch cut into the mounting flange of the lens. If its there, it is AIs. If it isn't, it's AI. Also be sure to specify the condition of the glass, especially including info on scratches, dust, and/or fungus, if any.

A word about eBay and recent trends there. I've been buying and selling on eBay for over 15 years. Back in the "good old days" of the late 1990s, just about anything you'd put on eBay would sell, and would receive multiple bids. Because there was so much interest in the items I routinely sold, I would often start the auction off at a very low price. As an example, say I was selling an item that I felt was worth about $100. I would place my opening bid amount at $10, and let bidding activity take care of the rest. The last time I was able to use this strategy with any positive results, however was in 2004. Nowadays, bidding activity is very light on most items I put up for auction. I seldom get more than a single bid. I learned my lesson a few years ago, when I listed an almost unused Canon EOS ELan IIe with a starting price of $10. The camera received one bid, and sold for $10. OUCH! So now what I do is list my opening price at the amount I would like to get for that item. I might have to relist the item a few times, but at least when it sells, I'm getting about what I wanted for it.

I completely agree with philslizzy's comments. The only thing I would add to them is the paint I would use to fill back in the "Nikon" would be Testors model airplane enamel, gloss black, which can be bought at any hobby shop. Use the skinniest paint brush you can find. You might have to go to an art supply to buy one. And while you're there, look and see if they have that paint. They probably will. I don't use vodka. I use either denatured alcohol, which is actually about twice as strong as vodka, or isopropyl alcohol, which has about the same strength as vodka. I've found that the handiest tool to use to get into the really tight nooks and crannies, and which is also good for removing light surface corrosion is a toothpick. I usually blunt the tip of the toothpick, which turns it into a very small, stiff brush. After you've done all the detailing on the camera and lenses, the difference just might surprise you.