what are the biggest bargains you have found?

Andrew G. · Joined: 18 Jul 2010 Posts: 159 Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Nikon Process-Nikkor 260mm f/10 (large format) for $7.50...

NozPhoto · Joined: 24 Dec 2011 Posts: 16 Location: Florida

Good Deals I've gotten (mostly several years ago, and local) include:

60mm F2.8 Micro-Nikkor AF-D, $3 AF works 90% of the time.. Wink

Micro-Nikkor 55 F3.5 AIS, $5 bent filter ring, but who cares?

Nikkor 50 mm F1.4 AIS, $5 (bought another early AI converted auto SC same length and speed recently for $25)

Nikkor 50mm F1.8 AF-D, $10

There are a bunch of others, all MF lenses I couldn't walk away from, all purchased for $10 or less, but I'll have to sort through the boxes and boxes I have of lenses to even remember what they are. Maybe I'll do that in the next few weeks.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

NewStuff · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 847 Location: Wales, UK

Just scored a Pentacon 200/4 for £20. No real details on the auction, so it may turn out to be a duffer, but I'm hopeful.

I was after the little brother to my 300/4. And given how much I love that, and the 30/3.5, I suspect this will be a keeper.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

The Pentacon 4/200 is a great lens, hard to find a better 200 without spending a fair wad of cash imho.

Keep your eyes peeled for a cheap 2.8/135 Pentacon/Meyer Oreston, that's a cracker too.

NewStuff · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 847 Location: Wales, UK

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I have the 15 blade preset version and the 6 blade PB version, not a lot of difference, to be honest.

The 28 is a lovely lens, I have two copies.

I have the 29mm too, a good lens but as you say, some copies are rough.

Don't ignore the 1.8/50, that's a cracker too, I have it in Meyer Oreston, Pentacon Auto M42 and Pentacon PB versions.

There's also the older Meyer Primagon 4.5/35, that's a really good lens, one of the best 35mms around, very sharp even wide open so while it appears slow, this is no disadvantage.

NewStuff · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 847 Location: Wales, UK

The list of my "Must haves" just gets longer and longer!

Noted about the 50mm, have bid on a few, but they command high prices compared what I'm willing to pay (I can't see me using it much). I will have to wait for a badly described one to show up.

So, 28mm, 50mm, 135mm, 500mm. Am I missing any other good Pentacon's?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

The 3.5/135 Primotar is a good lens, not as sharp or contrasty as the 2.8/135 but has wonderful bokeh, I love mine for artsy shots at large apertures.

The 2.8/100 Trioplan is great too, with similar bokeh, but commands higher prices.

You should be able to find a 1.8/50 on a Praktica body for peanuts.

NewStuff · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 847 Location: Wales, UK

I'm trying to resist anything other than M42, purely because of the adaptors. I have an AF Confirm that works nicely on my EOS camera's. Although I'm still interested in those Zuiko's you mentioned.

GregL65 · Joined: 29 Dec 2011 Posts: 3

Polaris 135mm f/1.8, US$35. Excellent condition, except that the diaphram is stuck wide open (but if wanted to use it stopped down, I'd just use my much smaller Pentax M 135mm f/3.5).

It has a "YS" mount, which is compatible with T-mount. I discarded the YS Canon FD adapter it came with, and put on a T2 K-mount adapter.

Greg

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

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

Yesterday, the Agfa Isolette III that I won at auction at shopgoodwill.com arrived. I was stunned at this camera's condition. Except for a tiny fleck of paint missing on the back's hinge, this camera is mint. Well, it is afflcited by the dreaded Agfa Disease, namely that the lube for the focusing helical and rangefinder wheel has solidified, thus they won't turn, but this can be corrected with some diligent attention.

So I paid $90 for this camera, which isn't really a steal by any stretch, but clean examples go for quite a bit more. This camera is very similar to the Ansco Speedex Special R (made by Agfa), but a bit different also. Regardless, clean examples of these folders tend to go for Zeiss Super Ikonta prices nowadays. However most of the Super Ikontas I see don't have a Synchro Compur shutter, which mine has.

I'm gonna show photos of the camera in a different thread.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

NewStuff · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 847 Location: Wales, UK

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

cheekygeek · Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 183

Purchased a couple of lenses together for $49 shipped:
135mm f3.5 Takumar with hood and case
and
Vivitar 300mm f5.5 (Tokina made) TX/T4

I already have the S-M-C version 2 of the 135mm f2.5 Takumar, which is a doozy of a lens. So I plan to sell the Takumar for $50 or so and get the 300mm effectively for free.

Some of the images that are made with this lens are stunning, so I hope my copy is as good!

See: http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=214157 and http://www.flickr.com/photos/10126769@N05/sets/72157624928060425/

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

tond · Joined: 12 Jul 2011 Posts: 63 Location: Dublin, Ireland

I pretty much disliked this topic from the beginning. I mean, I thought, what was so cool about earning on sellers' ignorance, moreover, braging about how lucky we were. I don't want being hypocritical; such an attitude may have certain correlation to envy (you others lucky bargain-finder-bastards!))) As with any forbidden fruit, this topic pulls.

Couple of times I happened to find underpriced stuff, and with excited impatient tremor I pushed "Buy it now" simultaneously feeling shame for stealing from the seller.
I thought, If not me, it would have been somebody else who would have pushed the same button, eventually, for the seller it would have been the same, isn't it? There is always a justification for our deeds.
Once I grabbed a Biotar 75/1.5 + Asahi Pentax original + Takumar 58/2 for $300 Smile

Recently I hit on a reeeal gem - Biotar 70/1.4 for $200

Please don't get me wrong with my vast and vague reasoning, the last thing I want is to differentiate myself from our respectable and honest society. I'm just thinking aloud about emotional experiences what happen with every of us.

jun · Joined: 25 Jan 2011 Posts: 54 Location: Philippines

i do not have that "guilt" felling when i buy something cheap.

usually these so called bargains are due mainly to the following reasons:

1. the seller really has no interest in photography stuff and he just want to get rid of them ASAP - estate sales, inheritance, etc.
2. the seller needs the money badly and is selling it as a deep discount to get the money fast. maybe he knows that anything zeiss would have a minimum selling price of several $xxx but if he sells it at regular price then he might have to wait for several weeks or months.
3. the seller is into photography and he wants to upgrade his equipments. the best way to fund this is to sell equipment that would not be compatible with his new gear.

basic law of economy - sell low sell fast, sell high stocks will last

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Tond, I know your feel very well. 5 yrs before manual focus lenses wasn't so popular when I went to local shop I saw many valuable lens on shelf Trioplan 100, Biotar 75, Sonnar 200 etc I could buy many lens for peanuts ... I saw an old man who brought his gear to sell it. Due lack of money and no good eyes anymore. He did care these items for a life, he did save perhaps every month to buy those cameras and lenses and ? they sold for peanuts ... It was heart breaking scene I decide it, I should do something to inform people this is just not right ... and MF Lenses was born... Now case is hundred percent different hard to find any good piece which is stay on shelf more than one day. Everybody must be happy old people who have to sell their gear, shop owner and many , many photographer who can still buy them on affordable price and enjoy them. So never mind with active participant and shared knowledge you can pay back something as well.

NewStuff · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 847 Location: Wales, UK

I have no guilt at all. I simply can't afford "list" prices on nice gear. If I see a bargain, I hit buy it now.

MF Lenses becoming popular worked out well for me with all taken into account, I had several Zeiss lenses I bought for £5 or so when no-one wanted MF lenses, and recently sold them on ebay for far more than I paid. I've also sold some when they were worth peanuts. Zeiss 180mm (Sonnar I think) £20. I didn't like it all that much though, no great loss, the new owner uses it far more than I did. I also recently sold a nice Flektogon 35/2.4 for £135, and I paid a fiver for it.

It's swings and roundabouts, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

***I also recently sold a nice Flektogon 35/2.4 for £135, and I paid a fiver for it.***

HUH! £135!...I'll have to start putting mine in a lens case when in my back pack with other gear.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18