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what are the biggest bargains you have found?
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Zeiss Planar 50/1.4 for 150€ in mint condition?? I'll see that on monday Wink


PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess a pristine looking Voigtländer Prominent I with near-flawless Nokton 50mm f1.5 with leather case for $100 was a pretty good deal Smile


PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Michael, that Spiratone bellows is in $300-$400 range.
Great haul.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Himself wrote:
Michael, that Spiratone bellows is in $300-$400 range.
Great haul.


I know! I could scarcely believe my fortune. As I mentioned, I've wanted one for many years. Back in the 80s, I always put off buying a new one from Spiratone because it was fairly expensive, and I always seemed to have more pressing photographic needs when I had the funds. And more recently, I've watched them as they popped up on eBay and then got bid up out of sight.

So anyway, I tried to look as disinterested as possible when I was checking it out. Cool Tried to keep the trembling out of my fingers and the quaver out of my voice.

Also, that 35-70mm f/2.8-3.5 was like Canon's second zoom ever (the 2-ring 80-200 f/4 SSC was the first), and was built in an extremely robust fashion. Prices for that zoom when new, in 1970s dollars, was up around $400 or so. It was a very expensive piece of kit for what it was. Canon was pretty proud of that lens. From their museum website:

"The world first short zoom lens starting from wide angle of 35mm at the time. A newly developed two-lens-group zoom system achieves the picture quality as high as that of a single-focal-length lens. This lens is a pioneer of Canon's many short zoom lenses coming after this lens. This lens is equipped with many features, such as a large aperture of f/2.8-3.5, 2x zoom ratio appropriate for general use, macro mechanism for close-up photography at 0.3m focusing distance. The name of this lens will remain in the history of modern optics."

I sold it on eBay to a guy from Oz for a relatively paltry sum, but I really had to put a sales pitch on it to get it to sell, explaining its history and all. The sale was enough to get my costs for everything else down to negligible numbers. Like five bucks. Shocked I'll sell that 100-200/5.6 eventually and when I do, I'll have made a profit off this haul, and have gotten the Spiratone bellows for free.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I recently both a Carl Zeiss Jena 80mm f/2.8 MC Biometar for 25€, a Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.8 Zebra M42 for 15€, and a mint Jupiter-37A 135mm f3.5 for 25€ also. Here in Bulgaria, lenses are much more cheaper then ebay offers.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
recently bought a rare CZJ Sonnar MC electric 200mm f2.8 for 60$ Wink


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I envy you guys. I have yet to land a great deal. Sad


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
frenched wrote:
I envy you guys. I have yet to land a great deal. Sad

All of my lenses are bought in ebay or this forum as there is no much flea market nor thrift store selling camera stuff here. I don't get any bargain when I start to collect lenses. You should able to find some good deal if you learn from the others. The more you know the easier you can get bargains.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Another good source for bargain photo gear that most of the regulars here at this forum know about is shopgoodwill.com -- Goodwill's Internet Auction site. My experience with that place is the really popular stuff usually gets bid up out of sight, while the gear that is still very good but just not as popular can often go for a very good price. I've bought a few cameras and some other items from SGW, got great deals on all of them.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yesterday I got the biggest deal ever:
Pentax A* 300mm f4
Minolta Rokkor Fish-eye 16mm f2.8
Minolta Rokkor 24mm f2.8
Tamron 90mm f2.5

Around 10$ each.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh man, that Fish Eye is super. Shocked


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Too bad it cannot be used on DSLRs. I am more eager to try the 300mm Smile


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
sammo wrote:
Yesterday I got the biggest deal ever:
Pentax A* 300mm f4
Minolta Rokkor Fish-eye 16mm f2.8
Minolta Rokkor 24mm f2.8
Tamron 90mm f2.5

Around 10$ each.


Geez, sammo, what a haul! Every one of those lenses is something special. Of them all, you might be surprised at how fine a lens that 16mm f/2.8 Rokkor is. It's actually a full-frame fisheye. I owned one, an "MC," for a while, and was really impressed with the photos it rendered.

Well, the Rokkors might not easily mount to DSLRs -- without conversion hassles, that is -- but they can be used with NEX and NX, the EOS M, and some of the 4/3 cameras. Shoot, if I were gonna keep that lens, I'd just buy a cheap Minolta body, like an X570, and shoot fine-grained film with it, like Portra or Ektar. Or Elite Chrome and/or Provia/Velvia if you're into slides.

I'm sure that Pentax A* will be a winner. Show us some pics once you've had a chance to try it out.

Last edited by cooltouch on Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:45 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
You can use with mirrorless.
And if that Rokkor 24mm is 55mm MD or MC, you got two of the most increadible lenses from Minolta. Shocked


PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is this the one, Michael?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230931273794&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:CA:1123


PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yep, that's it. Even the same lens. See how everything dovetails together? It's a very sturdy bellows, considering all the movements it supports.

The only drawback I've found to the bellows so far is the lens mounts using a T-mount thread. So if I want to mount another lens to the bellows, say Canon FD or Nikon F, then I will have to find a T-mount flange adapter. And it's been my experience that the T-mount camera flange adapters are fairly uncommon. Vivitar made some for its bellows, which were T-mount thread on both ends. They referred to theirs as "Lens mount adapter rings." But to be fair, I haven't really looked that hard since I bought the bellows. I see them pop up on eBay every once in a while. I've just been so busy with non-photo related things for the past several months that I haven't even had the chance to use my bellows yet. Shame on me.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Recently bought a Topcon Super D camera with a black RE AUTO TOPCOR 1.8/58 on it...
All in magnificent shape, for 99.99USD + 19USD shipping...

I've just sold the camera a minute ago, for 100.99USD ....

So i'm left with a beautiful lens for 18USD/shipping !

Very Happy


PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Marco cavina wrote:
Several bargains in a lifetime, this in one of them: in November 2006 I had what can be seen in this picture (including the Leitz Fokos rangefinder) for a mere 150 Euros (with lenses freshly serviced).


That is fantastic!
Score!


PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Got a stellar FT QL lot. Included was the FL 55mm 1.2, Vivitar FD 35mm 2.8, Vivitar FD 90mm 2.8, and the mysterious Canomatic 55-135mm R series zoom (the first zoom ever produced by Canon). All of it plus some extras for $135.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Last night, I was the successful bidder on this:

Click here to see on Ebay

The Booster T Finder is probably one of the more useful accessories that Canon made for the old F-1. It allows one to meter scenes down to -3.5EV. That's equivalent to about 20 seconds at f/1.4! !!! This becomes really useful for high magnification work where lots of extension is used, for example.

I've wanted a Booster T Finder for years and years, but never bothered to pick one up. They've never been very common, and more often then not the eBay BINs are just silly they're so high -- like over $400! As you can see, apparently the demand price is just a bit less. Cool Still I consider $41 and change to be an exceptionally good deal for a BT Finder in this condition. I don't need the accessory cord and battery pack, so I'm not concerned that this BT Finder does not have it.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 4:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
About as cool as it gets. I don't know how these work, but your description of what it does shows that it has to
be of high value for any photographer. NICE one.

cooltouch wrote:
Last night, I was the successful bidder on this:

Click here to see on Ebay

The Booster T Finder is probably one of the more useful accessories that Canon made for the old F-1. It allows one to meter scenes down to -3.5EV. That's equivalent to about 20 seconds at f/1.4! !!! This becomes really useful for high magnification work where lots of extension is used, for example.

I've wanted a Booster T Finder for years and years, but never bothered to pick one up. They've never been very common, and more often then not the eBay BINs are just silly they're so high -- like over $400! As you can see, apparently the demand price is just a bit less. Cool Still I consider $41 and change to be an exceptionally good deal for a BT Finder in this condition. I don't need the accessory cord and battery pack, so I'm not concerned that this BT Finder does not have it.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hey Laurence,

I'm not exactly sure how it works either. Obviously it has a super sensitive photo cell of some sort. The trade-off is it won't work with more brightly lit scenes. It's pretty much intended for use in dimly lit situations only. It takes a little 6-volt battery, same as the Canon A-series and Bronica ETR series use. Unlike the huge and bulky -- and pretty much useless, IMO -- Servo EE finder, I think the Booster T finder actually doesn't look half bad sitting atop the camera.

Here's a pic I snagged off the 'net showing it mounted:


PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Okay, now this one really does qualify as a good deal. On eBay, I put a low bid in on a Canon FL 35mm f/2.5, just for the helluvit, figuring I'd get outbid. But I didn't, and so now I'm the proud owner of this lens for the huge price of $10.50.

Click here to see on Ebay

I used to own one of these lenses back when I was a hardcore Canon user. In 1989, I sold off my Canon FD gear and bought into Nikon, but it wasn't too much longer after that that I began accumulating Canon gear again. Hey, I like Nikon -- a lot -- but there's just something about Canon that makes me keep coming back to it. So anyway, I've been planning on picking up another 35/2.5 for a few years now, and just haven't done it. Mostly I guess because I also own a Vivitar 35/1.9, which if the eBay auctions are to be believed, is worth quite a bit more than the Canon. But I have serious doubts that it will outperform it. I mean, the FL 35/2.5 is really an outstanding lens. Here are a couple of Kodachromes I shot with an FTb and my original 35/2.5 back in 1984:





So if you're looking for a reasonably priced 35mm for your NEX or Samsung or Panasonic or whatever, you might want to watch out for one of these old FLs on auction -- forget about the BINs -- and snag it if the price is right.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Okay folks, well as luck would have it, both of last week's good deals arrived in today's post. Felt like Christmas. The FL 35mm f/2.5 is in decent shape. A few marks on the barrel, but the glass is mint. Came with a front cap but no back cap, but I have spares. I'm looking forward to shooting with it cuz I have a lot of pleasant memories associated with the FL 35mm I used to own. And the Booster T Finder, wow. Except for a very slight mark on the front of the finder, it's in mint condition. It looks like it has almost never been used. It came in a leather case that's in perfect condition. So I installed the battery (takes a 544, same as Canon's A-series and the Bronica ETR-series), and began to follow the steps in the manual. Good thing I have access to a manual because setting it up for use is a bit of a Rube Goldberg affair.

This Booster T Finder is way too cool. It's 1970s high-tech, built like a tank, and accurate as hell. The way it works is quite ingenious. It couples to the camera's shutter speed dial using a protruding pin on the camera's dial, a lot like the way the old Nikon F and F2 finders couple with those cameras' shutter speed dials. The shutter release sits atop the finder and, when pressed, it presses on the camera's shutter release. But for the really long shutter speeds, the finder's shutter speed dial is rotated such that the camera's shutter speed dial becomes set to "B". The finder has a slow-speed mechanical escapement that will time itself from three seconds all the way down to 60 seconds. So if it is set to one of these slow speeds, when the finder's shutter release is depressed, the slow-speed escapement activates and times out the exposure, then releases the camera's shutter release to close the shutter. Another cool thing about the finder is, if the situation arises where lighting conditions change such that the Booster T Finder's shutter speeds are not adequate, it is possible just to use the camera's on-board meter and continue to shoot without having to change the finder. However, one is limited to a top speed of 1/60 second if doing this.

Following are some pics of my new toys. I should mention -- because it really bothers me -- that my camera's flash exaggerates out of all proportion the amount of dust present. The tiniest invisible motes of dust suddenly become fields of boulders thanks to that flash.

The Canon FL 35mm f/2.5.


And the Booster T Finder sitting atop my F-1. I mounted my FD 85mm f/1.2 Aspherical to the camera for this series of shots because I thought such a lens was appropriate to use given its low-light capabilities.
http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/f1_booster_t_85asph_a.jpg
http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/f1_booster_t_85asph_b.jpg
http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/f1_booster_t_85asph_c.jpg
http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/f1_booster_t_c.jpg

The Booster T finder adds a fair amount of heft to an already heavy camera setup, further emphasizing the robust nature of the old F-1 system. I actually kind of like the way it looks sitting atop the F-1 body.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 6:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's awesome urgly looking F1 set Shocked
I still have 3 F1's but never had that booster.
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