what are the biggest bargains you have found?

Billou · Expire: 2015-05-19

I just found a Leitz Telyt R 560mm f/6.8 for 350 euros, with the shoulder stock... And a free 400mm f/6.8 lens head because a little bit of fungus inside. Not bad considering the crazy prices they go sometimes, especially the 560...

Oldhand · Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:11 am Post subject:

Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 eight element with bonus Spotmatic.
Very happy camper!
OH

significantimagery · Joined: 20 Apr 2013 Posts: 75 Location: Kansas City

A few months back, I won an Ebay auction for a Noctilux 0.95 for the outrageous record low price of $4,420. It would've been the bargain of the century since people pay $10,000 for that lens. Of course... the seller turned out to be a scammer so that deal never happened and Ebay shut down their account.

One that did work out- I paid $170 for a lot of 14 vintage lenses. One of them was a f0.85 25mm Fujinon TV lens so that was a pretty good deal.

GlassBreaker · Joined: 05 Sep 2013 Posts: 6 Location: Ukraine

Just bought Pentax-m 50 1.7 and Vivitar 28-200 (kobori) in pentax k mount for $30 including shipping. Ebay.
Great deal!

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

This thread should be closed - how can't it never happen to me? Very Happy

alm001 · Joined: 13 Sep 2013 Posts: 67 Location: New England

Haven't been here long enough to read this whole thread, but my bargains;

Bought my Takumar 55 1.8 for $15 on local craigslist
Bought my Sears 28 2.8 for $10 on local CL
I paid decent money for my Rikenon 55 1.4 at $60

Recently I bought a Canon Rebel G film camera for $125 - but it came with a Canon EF 50 1.4. (AF, I know, but a bargain)

Rick1779 · Expire: 2014-06-06

Finger crossing and waiting for my Meyer Görlitz Primagon 35/4,5 red V to arrive, 45€

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

Ema90 · Joined: 13 Oct 2012 Posts: 28 Location: Italy

Just bought a Jupiter 37A MC 135mm f3.5 (made by KOMZ in 1986) with T->Nikon Ai mount for 11€

Billou · Expire: 2015-05-19

I received my Telyt 560mm... This thing is a beast ! I paid 350 euros, and the 400mm lens head was also included for free, with shoulder stock, because it had a little bit of fungus inside.
After opening the lens, I realized that it was just dust. Nice. Very Happy

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

I bought and sold a lot of M42 gear when I was a camera dealer, but I've never put any of it into my private collection until recently. That is, I now own a small assortment of M42 lenses. But until recently I had no M42 cameras. Well, now I do.

There's a "thrift store" that sells used stuff -- mostly clothes -- for cheap, and it's about a half-block from my house. My wife loves to go there and pick through the clothes, frequently finding nice pieces that fit her which still have the sales tags on them, IOW, they were never used. I will usually drop in there maybe once a week or so because they have a shelf where they keep photo gear and cell phones and the like. I've found some good deals there in the past. And this last time was no exception: a very clean Asahi Pentax Spotmatic with Neverready case and a 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak lens. Plus it has an accessory cold shoe mounted, so a flash can be used without having to resort to a flash handle. I paid $12 for it. I figure the case is worth more than that. So is that flash adapter accessory.

This camera has the good case made from leather with a plush interior. Not any of that pressed paper shit that starts to fall apart after 10 or 15 years. I never use neverready cases, but I love buying cameras that have spent their lives in one because usually they are close to mint. So yeah, cases really do protect a camera from abuse. That was the case with this Spotmatic. Super clean. The lens is too, although I spotted a small nick on the edge of the filter ring (visible in the photo), otherwise it would be spotless too.

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

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

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Minolta 35, first rangefinder model (1947) with Super Rokkor 45mm with m39 mount for 45 quid Wink

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

A handmade genuine leather half-case for my Fuji X-E1 for €1,50 (plus €1,90 shipping)!

Yeah! Very Happy

RnR · Expire: 2019-08-29

A Contax Zeiss 85mm f2.8 arrived at the door today, and I remembered I had a c/y adapter stuck to an old lens that I had filed away in the dry box and kinda forgotten about a few years ago. At the time, my father had found his old Yashica camera with a few soligors and others when I had expressed an interest in photography. It was my first experience with manual focus lenses and I quickly got bitten, and equally quickly moved to Konica's.

So, my bargain of the year, a Yashica 35mm f2.8 ML for free. I've deleted my Zeiss 35mm f2.8 ebay search for now Very Happy

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

The four people that bought the six charity shop cameras I put on ebay Friday. I put 6 on at low BIN prices and sold the lot within 2 hours. I made £75 clear profit.

GeorgeSalt · Joined: 09 Feb 2013 Posts: 336 Location: Norfolk, UK

Running some errands in town I did my usual scan through all the charity shops I pass.

Bit of a result today, CZJ MC Flektogon 35mm f/2.4 for £5.

Aftermarket lens cap, skylight filter fitted (good sign), missing rear cap (bad sign).

Front and rear elements are pristine (phew.. .. the missing rear cap had me worried), a couple of bits of dust inside but no fungus.

atiratha · Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:15 pm Post subject:

On the local fleamarket, I just picked up a Jupiter 37A MC and Industar 61 L/Z MC for 55 USD total, very happy, lenses invery good condition

Aanything · Expire: 2014-05-30

I should wait until i receive it, but I can't resist:
Friday I found, on a local ad site, a contax 139 Quartz with three lenses.
The lenses were all in contax soft pouches, with original caps and all with a tamron uv filter fitted.
Price was €70 + €20 shipping.
I mailed the seller to ask what lenses were included, but he didn't answer. So I pulled the trigger on it anyway.
I got an answer this morning: the package was shipped yesterday and it contains:
Distagon 28/2.8
Sonnar 135/2.8
And...
Planar 85/1.4
All in pristine condition, according to the seller, who, however is "not an expert" (his own words).
I should receive it on Tuesday, I hope they won't be a total mess, but even if they were far from perfect it may be worth have them serviced.
Fingers crossed.

fermy · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 1974

Congrats, that's a fantastic score. Probably in the worst case scenario you'll have some fungus to deal with, which is really nothing given the price you've paid and the stuff you've got.

SonicScot · Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 2:08 pm Post subject:

Aanything · Expire: 2014-05-30

shapencolour · Joined: 03 Oct 2013 Posts: 270

A couple of bargains from last 12 months that I remember:

MC W.Rokkor SI 28/2.5 for 31 Euro
MC Rokkor 50/2 for 5 Euro
Canon FD SSC 400/4.5 mint,cased for 150 Euro
Mint Hexanon AR 28/3.5 and 50/1.7 AE for 25 Euro each
Tamron SP 300/5.6 Macro for 23 Euro
Minolta MD Rokkor 50/1.4 55mm mint for 45 Euro
Hexanon AR Macro 55/3.5 - mint,cased wit 1:1 adapter - 85 Euro
m42 EBC Fujinon 55/1.8 - 13 GBP
m42 Fujinon 55/1.8 with Fujica body+m42 EBC Fujinons 135/3.5 and 28/3.5+Philips flash and bag - 62 Euro

!Karen · Joined: 20 Jul 2013 Posts: 836 Location: Belgium Baby

Angénieux 3x70 (70-210mm) f3,5. Original caps, pouch and lenshood. Even certificates of origin/authenticity. OM mount.

10€ Very Happy