what are the biggest bargains you have found?

Belcanto · Joined: 17 Oct 2013 Posts: 72 Location: Karlstad, Sweden

No Swedish. It's actually the same name as the norwegians Ketil.

Kjell

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

Was this a bargain?
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&orig_cvip=true&item=261318117099
Minolta M-Rokkor 28/2.8 for Leica M
Looks like very good condition.
172€
I hope there's no fungus inside etc.

I think I will try it and resell it for higher price, like all the high priced lenses I had before Twisted Evil

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

A few weeks back I won a Zuiko 28mm 3.5 for $30, which is a fair price. When it arrived, and I had to go back to the auction and check this, the seller must have picked the wrong item description because it's a 28mm 2.8 -- a lens that typically sells for between $85 and $170. The photos showed it's a 2.8 and the SNs matched. Shame on my for not looking at the photos more carefully. And it looked almost if not entirely unused based on the mount and paint condition -- not even bag wear.

The 2.8 is was the one I wanted anyway; I just couldn't justify the added expense for a kit I won't use as often as my Pentax and Canon FD gear. So I'm super thrilled about that. My best bargain? No, that remains my Canon F-1 with Sportfinder prism for $28 or the FD 24mm 2.8 for $28, or the 100mm f4 Macro for $28 (I bought a whole kit for $81). But this one certainly made me happy because it was a huge surprise.

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

Just picked up this 110 zoom I think is a quite good deal. The ad presentation is very poor, which I believe helped me.

What do you think?

Click here to see on Ebay

Do you see a problem I might have overlooked?

[As always, this is a completed auction so you have to click on "See Original Listing" to see the item properly, with all the photos.]

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

It looks good, my only thought is what is the green line on the front of the lens...just a reflection? he does say "no scuffs or scratches on the outter" Laughing

It's a great price I assume the postage cost is low.

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

For the total price you paid I think it's a good buy regardless of the mysterious "green line".perhaps someone else can speculate as to what it is....I am hoping for its just a reflection.

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

Let's hope this "pollyanna" turns out to be a solid deal. Laughing

I have been waiting over a week for a recent purchase, not a bargain lens, but something I wanted and paid more than the going price for. The seller is only new so I completely understand biting the nails while waiting Laughing

Oldhand · Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 4:44 am Post subject:

@ guardian

It is likely a reflection on that lens, but even if it is a scratch, apart from the disappointment you will feel, it will have virtually no impact on your images unless pointed straight at a light source.

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

-A Praktica body
-M42 CZ Jena MC Sonnar 135 f3.5
-M42 CZ Jena MC Pancolar 50 1.8
-M42 CZ Jena MC Flektogon 20 2.8

170€

Not the biggest bargain I found, but I think it still qualifies as a bargain considering that I could easily sell the first two for the whole price and keep the 20mm for free.

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

@ OH
It's actually a lens that I already have a few copies of...I have decided I want to collect them,I am trying to get one in each serial range.Am I crazy Laughing

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

Oldhand · Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:58 pm Post subject:

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

Had a good trip while visiting my sister and went around to a couple antique shops.

Canon fl 85mm 1.8 $60
Proskar anamorphic 16C lens $5
Pentax spot with super tak 50mm 1.4 $35
Voightlander Vitesse L $25
Kodak retina 111c $20
Bolex 8mm camera $10

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

Oh and a leitz 1C enlarger with a fotocor lens for $35, gonna convert the lens for my camera and I have turned the enlarger into a floor standing lamp which looks pretty cool, didnt have to adapt anything in the process just removed some parts so I can put it back together again to be used as an enlarger!

was rather please to finally have a leica lens and it seems I will be able to create an adapter that will reach infinity without too much hassle

Räbenfluch · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 112

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

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

Nice Haul!

Great deal on the Retina IIIc -- even if it is a "small c", clean examples are bringing close to $100 here in the States. That Bolex 8mm -- I used to love getting a hold of those things back in my camera dealer days. I used to pick them up for cheap and usually sold them for cheap because there really wasn't much of a market. But they were so well made, I couldn't resist. Nowadays people are finally beginning to appreciate them for their build quality and their value is climbing. So, that was a good deal on the Bolex also, especially if it came with a desirable lens or lenses. And that Canon FL 85mm 1.8 -- you know, I'm a Canonophile from wayback and I've never seen an FL 85/1.8. I just checked US eBay and there are none listed. Googled it and found a guy who had one who mentioned he liked to use it wide open and that its value was between 100 and 200 euros. Closer to 200 euros I'm figuring because of its apparent rarity.

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

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

FD and FL lenses can often be found for quite cheap. I've found that it depends on the seller's awareness of current market trends. For example, I have bought several excellent quality FD and FL optics for very little money from a local camera store who saw them as having very little value, and from individuals who also saw them in the same light.

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

OK, here is my superfantastic bargain of all time:

We all want to "buy low". And boy, did I ever:

Click here to see on Ebay

And that lens; yeah, I really wanted that lens.

So I won the auction. There was only just one small problem:

The seller never shipped my lens. Sad

I didn't lose money, unless you place significant monetary value on my time. But not having my lens, fairly won, is a tough penalty.

I guess the lesson is that, while it's most often good to "buy low", it's sometimes not good to buy too low! Wink

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