what are the biggest bargains you have found?

tkbslc · Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 194 Location: Utah, USA

I scored a Yashica ML 50mm f1.4 last week for $49 + shipping, but it still hasn't come yet. I can't say if it was a great deal until I have it in hand!

Seems like deals are few and far between lately.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

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

Hrm . . . reckon his Lucas electrics were giving him a bit of a fit? Nice sharp pic, though.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Oh he's had a lot of electrical isues to iron out, the electrical system is nothing like a modern car.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

I just had the winning bid on a Wigar 135 f4.5 lens. Pretty excited about this one because of the star type appeture.It's a Fujita built lens, the serial number starts with FT. Winning bid $2.26.
Here are a couple pics from the auction.

OM · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 166 Location: Southern England

I've just got hold of a Fujinon EBC 135mm F3.5 in M42 mount for £8 including the original hood and case...happy days Very Happy

nemesis101 · Expire: 2015-01-22

There were two documented cases one during a China / India stand-off where a bullet ricocheted off the Nikon's pentaprism, and another during the Viet-Nam war where Nikon made great publicity when this happened...

http://www.weareoca.com/photography/a-man-shaped-by-war/

Doug

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Fascinating Nemesis, cheers.

I just picked up a mint Rodenstock Rogonar-S 4.5/90 in M39 mount for the grand total of 3ukp!

So I'll stick it on my bellows and try some macro shots tomorrow.

WolverineX · Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 11:48 pm Post subject:

today i got Kiev-4a rangefinder with Jupiter-12 35mm/2.8, Jupiter-8M 50mm/2 , Jupiter-11 135mm/4 and revolver style viewfinder...for free Wink

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I decided it's been too long since I shot some film.

I still have excellent condition Pentax MG SUper and Olympus OM10 bodies sat in a drawer, have a couple of lenses to fit each as well, but I fancied an M42 mount SLR as well, didn't want another Praktica or Zenit, had loads, they always break, thought about a Fujica or Mamiya then saw this Carena (rebadged Petri FT500) and bought it for 2ukp, untested. It arrived today and it's in mint condition, looks as if it's almost never been used, put a new G13 battery in it and the meter needles moves, seems a bit sluggish but seems to work, shutter speeds seem fine.

Best of all, the lens on it is a mint Pentacon 1.8/50, the earlier all-metal version that is basically identical to the Meyer Oreston 1.8/50 I also have in M42. I'm collecting Meyer/Pentacon lenses so I;m delighted with this acquisition.

I've stuck a Kodak Colorplus 200 film in the camera and shot a load of test pics with the Pentacon, must be 15 years since I last shot any film and I really enjoyed using an all manual SLR again, the feel of this thing reminds me a lot of a Praktica MTL but better quality. Nowhere near as nice to hold as either my Pentax of Oly as it's much larger and not so nicely shaped...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220782546628&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

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

Welp, about a week or so ago, I was the successful bidder on this item:

Click here to see on Ebay

Yep, an F2 DP-1 finder for $22. And the meter even works. So, what was the catch? Check out the shipping amount. He wanted $40 to ship the item, and I think that put almost everybody off from bidding. I even sent him a note because he lists his location as "default, HK, United States", and I was pretty sure the HK stood for Hong Kong. So I asked him about it, and if it really cost $40 to ship the finder to a US address. His answer was interesting. He replied, "If the selling price of goods less than $ 50.
Will charge $ 40 shipping. If more than, and only pay $ 15." So, I figured that he was from HK (his English pretty much confirmed it), and I went ahead and bid on it.

Anyway, the DP-1 arrived today. From Hong Kong. It's in average condition. I'd give it a KEH BGN rating -- a few small dents on one side of the finder, minimal metal wear elsewhere, but most importantly the meter works, and the needle tracks smoothly with no jumps.

So I'm a bit stoked. I've had my F2 with DE-1 finder for over 20 years and finally, I'll get to use a TTL meter with that camera.

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

I can't help it, really. When I see a Canon FTb priced dirt cheap -- especially a black one -- especially a black "N" version -- I have trouble not buying it. Now, after this most recent auction win, I have four.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?itemID=7930447

One chrome FTbn, one of each black FTb and FTbn, and now another black FTbn. Probably the only reason why I really bid on this one is because the other black FTbn one I own was obviously dunked in water, although not salt water, and it shows. Although everything seems to work, I'd rather use it as a parts camera, mostly because the film guide rails are corroded in a couple of spots. Doesn't hurt the film's travel, just looks ugly.

Dang. Just noticed this goodwill camera's film wind lever and its cap are chrome. Supposed to be black. Urk. Hope I didn't just buy another parts camera. Embarassed

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hiya Mike

Hope that camera turns out to be a decent one for ya!

I got lucky and paid less than 4ukp for a mint Carena SRH760 (Petri FT500 rebadged) with a mint Pentacon Electric 1.8/50 and a mint Ensinor 2.8/28.

Running a colour film through the camera right now, exposure meter seems to be very sluggish and the 1/30 sec shutter speed seems to be more like 2 secs, but 1/60, 1/25, 1/250 all seem to be fine.

Even if the camera turns out to need work, I am very happy with the lenses, the Ensinor is very surprising:

martyn_bannister · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 1151

I bought this lot in an aluminium case with a CHINON CX body, purely for the MOG Orestor 100/2.8, which I reckon is easily worth the total cost !!!!

top:
Pentacon 50/1.8 auto multicoated
middle:
Pentor 35/2.8
Helios 135/2.8
bottom:
Komuranon 75-150/4.5 Zoom
Photax-Paragon 200/3.5
Eyemik 200/3.5 auto multicoated
Meyer-Optik Goerlitz Orestor 100/2.8
Chinon Auto 55/1.7

I am thinking that the CHINON auto 55/1.7 is going to be the second best of the bunch Smile

The PENTOR isn't one I've come across before. I'll have to give it a shot and see how it performs Smile

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Nice haul! The Helios 135/2.8 made in Japan lens is a known performer too.

martyn_bannister · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 1151

anhtuannd · Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 3

Last month, I won a Konica 135mm f3.5 in MINT condition for 16.5$. It was more than happiness Very Happy

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=220746143306&si=e9FR3sj0aTzVROSF%252FjPyDPIWcEY%253D&viewitem=

Tervueren · Expire: 2014-11-08

Snagged what I hope to be a bargain,,,,,,,

1 x Cosina CSM slr camera with pentacon mc 50/1.8 + skylight filter and rubber hood
1 x leather case for above camera
1 x AEC adaptor with case
1 x Cosinon 50mm f=1.7 lens
1 x 3x converter with case
1x Prakticar f=80 - 200mm zoom lens with cap, rubber hood and skylight filter
1 x Fujica f=3.8 39mm lens with rubber hood and cpl

£38 for everything
Smile

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

About a week and a half ago I won an auction for a Canon FTbn at shopgoodwill.com -- a black one. I already had one just like it, but that one had been dunked in water by a previous owner, so it had a few spots of corrosion and the slow shutter speeds are gummy. So I figured I'd try again with another auction for a cheap but black FTb. Welp, this time I got lucky. The camera shows a modest amount of brassing on the corners, no dents, and only a few light scratches. I loaded it up with a fresh battery and the meter works. Woot! The slow speeds are very close to being on the money -- can't comment about the fast ones.

Only two real drawbacks I've found so far: the camera is gonna need new light seals and mirror bumper, and the film wind lever and its cap are chrome. Both pieces should be black. Fortunately these pieces on the camera that got dunked are in good shape, so I'll just swap them out.

I'd like to say that puts an end to any further quests for an FTb, but I can't. Because if I run across a mint one, I'm liable to cave in and go for it, especially if it's priced right. Same with a minty black Nikon FE or Pentax KX, if I saw one of those going for a good price. I probably wouldn't be able to resist springing for one of those either.

Yebisu · Joined: 13 Feb 2011 Posts: 1299

Well done Michael.

I've been checking out the recycle shops in my area (well those that are within a 20 min cycle ride). I found a canon FT with FL 50/1.8 and a Nikon FE with a 50/1.4. 3000 yen (30 USD) for the pair. The FT seems OK but I haven't checked the meter. The FE's film advance lever was jammed but I unjammed it by lightly hitting the bottom plate. The meter in the FE works fine and the shutter speeds seem accurate. Obviously the seals need to be changed.

The lenses are in pretty good condition too.

Oh and they both came with cases!

Pics

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Incredible bargains! That Nikon setup looks especially nice Wink

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

Dang, Yebisu -- I'm getting the impression that Japan has gone completely digital and there is essentially no market anymore for film. How else can such ridiculously low prices be explained?

Yebisu · Joined: 13 Feb 2011 Posts: 1299

@Michael
Those prices were so low because they were bought in a recycle shop not a used camera shop. The staff aren't experts and probably think that no-one shoots film anymore so sell it on cheaply. Also recycle shops often get their stock for free when they help people move house or when they do a house clearance so there is less incentive to set the prices high.

I go the recycle shops about once every two weeks. The staff in most of them know me now. The owner of one shop even has my number and calls me when he gets some new gear in. He recently got a Tokina atx 150-500/5.6 and a atx 90/2.5 macro in Pentax mount from a house clearance. Unfortunately they were full of fungus (and in the wrong mount for me)

Looking forward to trying out the Canon FT. I just have to get the seals done.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yeah, film bodies are very cheap now, the lenses not so though.

Great find on that Nikon 1.4, I am still searching for a 1.4/50 at a good price.

I did find this very nice Ross Xpress f4.5 8.5inch for 99p + 5.40 shipping with a set of Russian bellows. Both the lens and the bellows are like new so I got a hell of a bargain.

Tricky to focus but has very smooth boken and lovely colours, will take me a while to get the best out of it but so far I'm enjoying playing with it.