what are the biggest bargains you have found?

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

There are alternatives for the 1.35V batteries. I own both an om1 and an om1n. I can't check right now what exactly I am using instead but works perfectly.

edit! 1.5V alkaline. Not quite the same voltage but not had any exposure issues as of yet.

Räbenfluch · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 112

Ah, I will check those out, thanks Karen Smile

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

If your meter's circuit has a "bridge" as part of the circuit, this will allow it to use a higher voltage battery, such as the ubiquitous 1.5 volt button cells. I know Pentax cameras have the bridge circuit, but I don't know about Oly. But since Karen says she's getting good exposures, then maybe the Oly does have a bridge or another voltage correction method. The silver 1.5v button cells are the best. The alkalines have an undesirable discharge profile. They're ok to use if they're brand new, but after a few uses, I would toss the alkalines. The old mercury batteries had an almost flat discharge profile, whereas the alkaline's discharge profile is a peak that turns into a rapid drop in voltage. Think ski slope or something. Below I mention the zinc-air batteries. One of the nice things about the zinc-air battery is it has an almost identical discharge profile to that of the mercury batteries -- a flat line until exhaustion at which point the voltage suddenly drops.

If your Oly takes the larger PX625 mercury cells, then you're going to have some room in the battery compartment that you might have to deal with. If there is a contact at the bottom of the battery compartment and the cover acts as the other contact, then all you will need to take up the slack is about 1" of -- oh, say, 16 gauge wire, like automotive wire. Curl it into a circle and tuck it down into the compartment so that it lines the perimeter. Then drop in the button cell and it should fit snugly without wobbling about.

I use old Canons that require the PX625, but unfortunately they don't have a bridge circuit, so they need that 1.35 volts, or close to it. You can buy the expensive Wein zinc-air batteries for about $6 each -- and they'll last only about a maximum of 10 months or so -- or you can do like I do and buy the 675 hearing aid batteries. They're about the same size as the 1.5v button cells, but the zinc-air batteries put out 1.4 volts, which is close enough for my Canons' meters to read accurately. I do as I recommended you do, namely cut about a 1" piece of 16 ga. wire to line the battery compartment with, and the 675 sits snugly in there. The 675, being a zinc-air battery lasts about the same length of time as the Wein, but it is MUCH cheaper. I buy a 30-battery card at Costco for less than $10. So, typically, if it's been a few months since I've taken one of my old Canons out on a photo shoot, I just discard the 675 in there and put in a new one. Just cuz they're so cheap. The only real drawback I've found to using a 675 battery, and this will be true of the Wein as well, is the voltage plummets if the camera gets cold. So if you're using a camera that has a zinc-air battery in it during the frosty winter months, it's best to keep it inside your coat or jacket until you're ready to shoot.

elliott · Joined: 16 May 2011 Posts: 170

I don't know how much room is in the body, but you could put a diode in there to drop the voltage from 1.5V cells. I added a diode to my Gossen meter and it works great with SR44s.

Räbenfluch · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 112

Thanks for all the answers and hell Smile

I tried the lr44, they are 1,5v alkaline batteries. They fit quite well, don't rattle around. Also, I compared the times of the oly with my canon, both with the zuiko 50. The differences seem negligable.

For my yashica Electro g I fitted a new battery, with Aluminiumfoil and a screw for contactconnection Wink

It works :p

Cheers,
Timo

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

Räbenfluch · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 112

My Yashica battery setup:

The name of the battery (an alkaline :S ) is 4LR44, and it worked like a breeze for me Smile

I don´t use the screw anymore, just painters tape to thicken the battery, and then I fill up the rest of the batterychamber with very tightly foldet aluminumfoil, don´t jugde me.
At least it works Wink

Cheers Timo

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

Hey, whatever works.

It's been a long time since I've had my Electro 35 down off the shelf. I opened up its battery compartment and was surprised to find batteries in there. I'd forgotten completely. I used a CR123 (3 volt) and two 357s taped together (1.5v x2) to arrive at 6v. There is enough springiness in the battery compartment spring such that I didn't need any additional spacers. I checked the voltage of the batteries and they're both still good. But the camera isn't working. It fires at whatever the default shutter speed is, but none of the LEDs will light up, including the battery check one.

I did some checking as best I could without tearing into it, and couldn't get any results. For example, using my multimeter set to voltage, I inserted the batteries, pushed down on them with one of the meter's probes to insure it was getting good contact with the spring. The cover transfers its contact/conductance to a shallow ring just below the threads. I pushed on that shallow ring with the other probe. No voltage reading showed. It seems to me that I should be getting something when I complete the circuit, even if the voltage isn't of the correct amount. And yes, near as I can figure, the Electro is "on" when the switch coaxial to the shutter button is rotated away from "L" (for lock). So I guess something in the camera's circuitry is "open" somewhere. I don't have the patience to find it right now.

Sam Steely · Joined: 09 Dec 2013 Posts: 44 Location: Berlin, Germany

I´ve won an Vivitar Series 1 28mm f1.9 probably in PK Mount for just 32€ (44$).
Now I am waiting for it to arrive! Very Happy

skruft · Joined: 09 Sep 2013 Posts: 3

Goodness, I don't know. Probably the all time best was a Leica M2 with Summicron 35mm f:2 for $15, and at lower levels, a Yashica 124 for $5 ("It's too old to use but would make a good decoration") or a Pentax Spotmeter V for $2.

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

Sam Steely · Joined: 09 Dec 2013 Posts: 44 Location: Berlin, Germany

My Vivitar 28/1.9 arrived yesterday and it is in really good condition.
Only minor Durst inside an the Paint on the Aperture Ring is a little of.
Now I have to wait until my Adapter arrives.

Basilisk · Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 356 Location: UK

Tedat · Joined: 08 Nov 2011 Posts: 800 Location: Berlin/Germany

Sam Steely · Joined: 09 Dec 2013 Posts: 44 Location: Berlin, Germany

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4745 Location: Cheshire, England

A fruitful day at the pawn shop. A minolta Dynax 3000i for £2.49 and a Canon FD 28mm f2.8 lens in mint condition with filter, cap and EOS adapter for £15

Nikonshooter · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:23 am Post subject:

A SMC TAK 24mm 3.5 for $66

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

Just for the amusement of those interested.

Few months ago I was attending a hammer-auction. Estate lots and various stuff. In a lot of 80's camera junk with a simple super-8 camera and a wrecked VHS-camera was also some SLR related things. Consumer grade Minolta and a Pentax program-A. No big deal, but in the bottom of the tiny Minolta-bag was something interesting. No one else neither found it nor understood enough. So, I got the lot dirt cheap. Someone may have guessed it already. A RF Rokkor 250mm, complete set in fine condition, lens cap missing only.
Still need to get rid of the 10 kilograms of junk I had to haul with it...

zelda_n64 · Joined: 26 Aug 2011 Posts: 163 Location: UK

A couple of Sunday's ago, I went to my local car boot (as I usually do) and purchased a Yashica 8 cine camera that came in the original Yashica camera bag. It had a couple of accessories and 3 Yashica Yasinon D mount lenses. The chap offered it to me for £10 ($16.64, 11.98 Euro). As I rarely turn down a bargain I purchased it.

Lenses:

6.5mm F1.4 (shows a little vignetting on Pentax Q)
13mm F1.4 - (no vignetting on Pentax Q)
38mm F1.4 - (no vignetting on Pentax Q)

Ordered a D mount to Pentax adapter, which arrived last week. I have taken a few photos as a test, the 13mm & 38mm are sharp, the 6.5mm is sharp but it does show a minute amount of vignetting on the Q.

When I went to the same place yesterday, the seller was there and the first thing he said to me was - 'I sold that Yashica far too cheap, so now you have paid your deposit it is just the balance to clear'. I smiled at him and replied, 'you did sell it too cheap, but my Q loves the lenses and is extremely grateful'.

revox · Joined: 22 Mar 2014 Posts: 5 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Been lurking around here for a while and have liked this thread. I have got myself some bargains:

Below there is:

2 x Nikon FE2's
1 x Nikon FG-20
1 x Nkon EL2
1 x 50mm F1.8 Series E
1 x 135mm F2.8 Series E
1 x 28mm F2.8
1 x 35mm F2.8
1 x Tokina 135mm F2.8
1 x 180mm F2.8

And I got all this for free! The EL2 and 28mm are pretty gubbed with mould. The rest is pretty much pristine! Very happy Smile

Have some more Nikon kit coming soon so I will upload a pic when that arrives!

Cheers

revox · Joined: 22 Mar 2014 Posts: 5 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Here's a pic of the above

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

I think the best bargain I've had might just turn out to be one of the most expensive lenses I've bought so far - the 100mm f2 Canon rangefinder lens. but then, my vision of 'expensive' might not be the same that other folk have Very Happy

revox · Joined: 22 Mar 2014 Posts: 5 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Took delivery of a load of Nikon kit today from a friend. Included is:

2 x Nikon FEs
1 x F301
Nikon MD-12 motor drive
Nikon AI 24mm f2.8
Tamron 500mm f8 Mirror (BB version, inc carry case and tripod foot)
Tamron 35-80mm
Vivitar Series 1 24-70mm f3.8-4.8 (inc pristine case and box)
Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f3.5 (Kiron)
Tokina 28-200mm f3.5-5.6
Velbon Mini Tripod
Goodman Slick Tripod (with box!)
Unknown brand folding tripod which doesnt have a name on it but it's really cool!

and not pictureed are a bunch of filters, 2 bags and 3 enlarger lenses flash.

Mostly all of the kit is working perfectly and pretty much excellent condition. The 2 Vivitars and a bit stiff and the Tokina could do with a service. The owner really looked after it and my friend wanted it to go to a good home.

And I got it all for £70

Happy Smile