trittium
Well-known
Who doesn't love a bargin, and now the time to brag about your best purchases or trades for rf equipment.
If you don't feel comfortable posting a price, post two items, one you payed less, and one you payed more for. A story would be interesting too.
ie
35 Cron
c-elmar < v1 35mm summicon < tele elmarit
ar-bay auction, 3 lens lot, only description was that it was a leitz lens and the one photo was blurry. I recognized the blurred shape as either a 35/2.8 summaron or 35/2 cron. Either way it was a steal so I bid and lucked out it was the cron.
IIIF RDST + COLL CRON
summar < IIIF RDST + COLL CRON < c-elmar
craigslist posting, saw the post within 2 hours of it being posted, picked it up the next day. The IIIf does need a CLA, but there isn't a scratch on it.
If you don't feel comfortable posting a price, post two items, one you payed less, and one you payed more for. A story would be interesting too.
ie
35 Cron
c-elmar < v1 35mm summicon < tele elmarit
ar-bay auction, 3 lens lot, only description was that it was a leitz lens and the one photo was blurry. I recognized the blurred shape as either a 35/2.8 summaron or 35/2 cron. Either way it was a steal so I bid and lucked out it was the cron.
IIIF RDST + COLL CRON
summar < IIIF RDST + COLL CRON < c-elmar
craigslist posting, saw the post within 2 hours of it being posted, picked it up the next day. The IIIf does need a CLA, but there isn't a scratch on it.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
my bargain
my bargain
This isn't a rangefinder thing, but my last photo bargain was an 85mm f2 Zuiko lens for the OM SLR system. I got it from someone on Craigslist here in Santa Fe for $50 and its in gorgeous condition.
my bargain
This isn't a rangefinder thing, but my last photo bargain was an 85mm f2 Zuiko lens for the OM SLR system. I got it from someone on Craigslist here in Santa Fe for $50 and its in gorgeous condition.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Thanks to 'Heads Up Roland' I picked up an M2 with a 50mm f2.8 Elmar for $650.00 BIN. I sold the lens to Frank before the camera left the states, so that went straight to Canada, and the Camera, which now owed me $450.00, went to Youxin for a CLA before it came to me. Youxin mentioned to me that he thought the camera was pretty immaculate when he received it ... he described it as 'beautiful.'
When it arrived here I unpacked it and was stunned. Not a mark on it and it felt and looked like new! I had seen a similar one with the same lens go for $1300.00 on eBay a week previously also BIN! I feel very fortunate to have got this beautiful M2 for the price I did ... it's by far my most loved camera and I could never sell it!
When it arrived here I unpacked it and was stunned. Not a mark on it and it felt and looked like new! I had seen a similar one with the same lens go for $1300.00 on eBay a week previously also BIN! I feel very fortunate to have got this beautiful M2 for the price I did ... it's by far my most loved camera and I could never sell it!
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trittium
Well-known
Keith said:it's by far my most loved camera and I could never sell it!
Great deal. I purchased my M2 as a "for parts" camera. Everything worked except for the vf, which had completely separated. Luckly it was fixable. It is my favorite camera as well. I will never part with it. It's funny how most people who get there hand on an M2 never want to let it go.
oscroft
Veteran
My best bargains are items that I've actually got for less than nothing...
1) Zuiko 21/3.5 - I bought a whole kit of OM stuff on eBay just to get this lens, and sold all the other items for more in total than I paid for the kit. And some time later, after I'd decided RF was the way to go for wideangle, I sold the 21 for more than £200 ($400) to help pay for my Bessa-R4A.
2) An excellent example of a Jupiter J-9 85/2. Again, I bought a whole kit, this time a FED-3, turret viewfinder and several lenses, and again I sold all the rest of the items for more than the original cost of the kit.
1) Zuiko 21/3.5 - I bought a whole kit of OM stuff on eBay just to get this lens, and sold all the other items for more in total than I paid for the kit. And some time later, after I'd decided RF was the way to go for wideangle, I sold the 21 for more than £200 ($400) to help pay for my Bessa-R4A.
2) An excellent example of a Jupiter J-9 85/2. Again, I bought a whole kit, this time a FED-3, turret viewfinder and several lenses, and again I sold all the rest of the items for more than the original cost of the kit.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Got an M6 TTL with type 3 35/2 cron for a price so low I am afraid to mention it
Bingley
Veteran
This is not exceptional, as rf bargains go, but I got a beautiful S2 w/ a working meter and a case for under $30.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Another one that I just remembered is a black Rollei 35 I bought off ebay with a supposed shutter problem. The camera was immaculate when it arrived and of course the problem was non existant ... the seller didn't realise the sequence of extending the lens and locking it etc before anything else will work! It was $40.00 ... and the black ones sure are pretty!
leighmarrin
Established
About 3 or 4 years ago at a local thrift shop I found a Kodak Ektar 47mm/f2 in LTM, evidently from a scarce Kardan. It was in a Leitz screw-mount plastic case and was priced at $9.99. No lenscap, but the glass was in good shape and it mounted fine on my Leica IIIf. But I never used it; it had a stoopid klugey Argus-type focus wheel. I went back to the same thrift store numerous times hoping to find the Kardan body it was probably mated with, but no luck. After owning it for a couple of years I decided to trade it to dealer/collector Kevin Li, and he traded it for a really nice late Carl Zeiss 5cm/f3.5 rigid Tessar in Contax mount, and it really is a sharp compact little lens. A few weeks later I checked Kevin's www.kevincameras.com website and saw my $9.99 thrift store lens marked up to about $1500... still, I love the little sharp Tessar on my Kiev and recently acquired Contax.
HuubL
hunter-gatherer
Who betters this?
Who betters this?
My bargains: my two M4's, one MDa, immaculate 90 Elmarit, 135 Elamarit, Viso III, three LF lenses, a number of Hassy filters and close-up lenses. And they cost me NOTHING! They had to go when the photo department at my work was closed. There were a few more colleages interested, but they chose the R3s! I ebayed the LF stuff and got a nice IIIf RDST + 50 elmar and 35 summaron in return.
Who betters this?
My bargains: my two M4's, one MDa, immaculate 90 Elmarit, 135 Elamarit, Viso III, three LF lenses, a number of Hassy filters and close-up lenses. And they cost me NOTHING! They had to go when the photo department at my work was closed. There were a few more colleages interested, but they chose the R3s! I ebayed the LF stuff and got a nice IIIf RDST + 50 elmar and 35 summaron in return.
oscroft
Veteran
Oh yes, I also once got a Ricoh 500G in perfect working order and nice cosmetic condition for £1.26 ($2.50) on eBay (though the postage added £5)
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
i got a fully working super ikonta III w/ novar anastigmat lens ... for 20 euro...
i also luckied out and catched the moment when a member here "going digital" put his leftover film stock up here to grab for free...
i also luckied out and catched the moment when a member here "going digital" put his leftover film stock up here to grab for free...
dexdog
Veteran
Nothing too recent, but about 8 months ago I bought a Nikkor 35/1.8 in Nikon RF mount, with original lens hood and lens caps for a BIN of $175 on eBay. I can only imagine the seller did not have any idea of what this stuff would normally sell for.
Michael I.
Well-known
2 leica m3's with jammed shutters and perfect finders with 35/2.8 googled summaron for 200$. I traded one body for the CLA of the other by Youxin Ye. The lens CLA (Sherry) I paid myself(around 160$+shipping).
mikeC
Newbie
i got a good one ...
i got a good one ...
put an ad in a local want advertiser that read something like "looking for decent rangefinder. nikon, canon, leica (???). looking to use not put on a shelf". more than a week went by without a single reply when one evening i came home and there was a note inside my inbox that read something like "i'm offering an m4 w/ 35 summicron 50 summitar, leica hood, and light meter and i'd like (insert ridiculously low price here) for kit" of course i thought it was a scam but when i replied that i wanted to come check kit out i got an immediate response. turns out the gentleman used to shoot for time magazine and an assortment of others ... he knew exactly what gear was worth but wanted it to go to someone who would use camera as in his words "this leica has been a dear friend for many years". turns out camera was made in 69', V1 summicron in 66', and the summitar i can't remember ... everything's in glorious user condition tho' glass is immaculate. sherry did a complete cla on body and summicron. i've owned the camera for ... six months? it goes w/ me everywhere and has been on four or five tours including on seven-weeker that took me across the country and back. along the way i also got a killer deal on a canon serenar 100 3.5. my photographs? still basically suck but am working hard at it tho' i do take enough photos i dig to keep me encouraged. i keep meaning to include some pictures in "show us your leica" thread but i haven't yet ... i guess part II of my good-fortune-story involves local pro who gave me his entire darkroom! have no choice but to learn to develope and print as i cannot afford to use chain stores (afford as in money) thanks for the opportunity to tell a cool story and for the wealth of knowledgeable photographers and their contributions contained on this site.
i got a good one ...
put an ad in a local want advertiser that read something like "looking for decent rangefinder. nikon, canon, leica (???). looking to use not put on a shelf". more than a week went by without a single reply when one evening i came home and there was a note inside my inbox that read something like "i'm offering an m4 w/ 35 summicron 50 summitar, leica hood, and light meter and i'd like (insert ridiculously low price here) for kit" of course i thought it was a scam but when i replied that i wanted to come check kit out i got an immediate response. turns out the gentleman used to shoot for time magazine and an assortment of others ... he knew exactly what gear was worth but wanted it to go to someone who would use camera as in his words "this leica has been a dear friend for many years". turns out camera was made in 69', V1 summicron in 66', and the summitar i can't remember ... everything's in glorious user condition tho' glass is immaculate. sherry did a complete cla on body and summicron. i've owned the camera for ... six months? it goes w/ me everywhere and has been on four or five tours including on seven-weeker that took me across the country and back. along the way i also got a killer deal on a canon serenar 100 3.5. my photographs? still basically suck but am working hard at it tho' i do take enough photos i dig to keep me encouraged. i keep meaning to include some pictures in "show us your leica" thread but i haven't yet ... i guess part II of my good-fortune-story involves local pro who gave me his entire darkroom! have no choice but to learn to develope and print as i cannot afford to use chain stores (afford as in money) thanks for the opportunity to tell a cool story and for the wealth of knowledgeable photographers and their contributions contained on this site.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
Don't, or I'll have to find a bar with a morning time happy hour.akptc said:Got an M6 TTL with type 3 35/2 cron for a price so low I am afraid to mention it
The best bargain I had? A 35mm Summicron for $450; unfortunately, it had a little issue (which was very very minor, but I have an OCD with gear-mind melds) which I could not get fixed at the time, not even for the $90 it would cost to fix it, so I sadly returned it.
The next best bargain was my Summar, for $75.
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
OK, I'll brag, and post prices too.
I felt sorry for an eBay seller who had an Elmarit 135/f2.8 for sale and no bids. The only problem with the lens was that it had a name crudely etched in the barrel, on the lower area. I bid and won for $158.
A Summicron 90/f2, 1960-vintage, was posted in Photo.net in October of 2004. The asking price was $350. I inquired about it but later forgot about the lens. Later, in January 2005, I sent another message to the seller... and he replied, lowering the price to $350. I later sold it for $300 plus shipping to Brett and got a 3rd version 'cron for $678.
Igor's camera listed an Elmarit 28/f2.8 for $635 in fairly good shape, with a slight separation in the rear element. I bought it and sent it to John Van Stelten. $250 later, I had a perfectly normal version of a lens that usually sells for a bit more (granted, that wasn't much of a bargain).
My M3 came from National Camera and Video in Minneapolis for $495. Shipping was free.
Less than a week ago, a sympathetic bid of mine also brought results: a Nikon F5 in good to user condition came to me in exchange of $337; it included the Photographers Institute Publication book on the F5 and the strap.
I think those are bargains... or at least they were by the time I purchased them. I'm sure some of those can be found for less, but back then, those were my lucky days.
I felt sorry for an eBay seller who had an Elmarit 135/f2.8 for sale and no bids. The only problem with the lens was that it had a name crudely etched in the barrel, on the lower area. I bid and won for $158.
A Summicron 90/f2, 1960-vintage, was posted in Photo.net in October of 2004. The asking price was $350. I inquired about it but later forgot about the lens. Later, in January 2005, I sent another message to the seller... and he replied, lowering the price to $350. I later sold it for $300 plus shipping to Brett and got a 3rd version 'cron for $678.
Igor's camera listed an Elmarit 28/f2.8 for $635 in fairly good shape, with a slight separation in the rear element. I bought it and sent it to John Van Stelten. $250 later, I had a perfectly normal version of a lens that usually sells for a bit more (granted, that wasn't much of a bargain).
My M3 came from National Camera and Video in Minneapolis for $495. Shipping was free.
Less than a week ago, a sympathetic bid of mine also brought results: a Nikon F5 in good to user condition came to me in exchange of $337; it included the Photographers Institute Publication book on the F5 and the strap.
I think those are bargains... or at least they were by the time I purchased them. I'm sure some of those can be found for less, but back then, those were my lucky days.
gb hill
Veteran
As stated in another thread, my latest bargain was my Yashica GSN. I got it for $9.99 + 6.5%sales tax because the camera was located in N.C. about 40 minutes from my house. The seller sent an email stating he was comming to Lexington and would meet us and waive the $10.00 shipping. He brought a extra GSN for me to keep as a parts camera. Now thats a real bargan.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
Yikes. That means I gotta start looking at these quicker. It's been a few months, but I used to be there every week. Some people go to the bar, I go to the photocandy store and fondle Hasselblads, Leicas, Mamiyas...and for a while a very nice black Nikon FM2SolaresLarrave said:
oscroft
Veteran
Another camera I got for less than nothing was a Vivitar rangefinder (35SE? I don't have it with me at the moment) that works well, only the meter is about a stop off (but it's consistent, so that's fine). It was another example of buying a whole kit - this time it consisted of three cameras, the Vivitar, a Pen-F and a Spotmatic, and I sold on the Pen-F and the Spotmatic for more than I paid for the whole lot.