What's Your Best Bargain Find?

Bought a Nikon S3, f1.4 50mm lens, case and 135mm Tanaka lens for $100 eight years ago. At the time I knew it was a good deal but didn't appreciate just how good. I declined the Argus C3 and Kodak disk camera that the seller offered to throw in.
 
What you are describing is bang-for-the-buck, no? That is also an important metric for some people. Now, if you found that Fujica Compact Deluxe for $5 in a thrift store, then it would be a bargain ;)

NickTrop said:
While most are posting great deals on relatively expensive gear there are other ways to interpret "best bargain find". I'd say, for me, this is the Fujica Compact Deluxe rangefinder. Shutter priority, full manual control, and an independent meter on the top plate - a red dot appears when the meter deems things are underexposed (doesn't block you like a lot of the other fixed lens RFs of the day...) Focus distance scale on the top plate, and thumb wheel focus on the rear of the camera. Focus not on the lens. Love the 45mm f 1.8 - just something special about it, it's one of the more 3D-y lenses next to the Leica Summar I once owned, and is razor sharp by F4... Stops up to F22. Fuji boasted in their ads that for the camera "It's the best lens we ever made...". It's also ergonomically perfect. Nice size and weight - not too big or too small, and well balanced (not front heavy due to lens...). It qualifies as a "bargain find" to me because I think this is camera is right-up-there-with/similarly spec'd to the Oly SP or RD, only nobody ever heard of it and it doesn't attract many - if any, bidders when it does show up on the big auction site. Surprisingly little on the 'net about them, even on the Grand Master's rangefinder site. Downside is they don't come up often, and two I'd purchased died on me, so you may have to go on the hunt and get a few before you strike gold. Might take you a year of hunting - but it's worth it, imo. The one I have now is a fully functional beauty. I been through a lot of fixed lens rangefinders. Sold all of them (or gave them away...) except this and an Oly XA. Love'em both.
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Harry Caul said:
What you are describing is bang-for-the-buck, no? That is also an important metric for some people. Now, if you found that Fujica Compact Deluxe for $5 in a thrift store, then it would be a bargain ;)
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Actually, the two I purchased were less that $20 shipped on the big auction site - no one else bid. The one I use now was gifted. However, a bargain find can be construed as something of value nobody else knows about... Like that great inexpensive restaurant that's "your little secret". That's how I view this Fujica rangefinder.
 
How you're doing this guys?

My best bargain is my newly obtained DR Summicron for 520 euros in great condition! - I was lucky I find one at all just as I had some money in the pocket :D Bargain, no... But my dream came true so I am considering it as a bargain!
Usually I see the bargains pass me by...
 
Nothing spectacular, but I felt extremely lucky to pick up a Voigtländer metal lens shade 310/37 in very nice shape for 3 Euros on a local camera fair here on Sunday. These 310/37 shades are quite rare items and I had been looking for one for a couple of months now to complete my Bessa I kit. The last time I saw one pop up on Ebay it went for 60 Euros something...
 
Last fall I was search B&H's used department when I came across a Polaroid/NPC 195 for $580. I immediately bought it, photographed it when I received it, and sold it on eBay a few days later for $2000.
 
This summer I was hanging out with my friend at his place and spotted a crummy leather camera bag on a shelf (the kind that are sure to contain treasure). He had no idea what it was and when he opened it we found a Canon QL 17 GIII inside. He asked his dad about it who later gave it to me with some filters and a flash for free since the shutter was stuck and there was battery acid in the flash. I took it all home and cleaned the shutter, put some new seals in and cleaned out the flash. Everything works great now!
 
Yesterday I picked up this -

A Leitz Valoy II, Durst Colour 305, timers, lenses, masks, filters, transformer, b&w chemicals, colour chemicals, squeegees, contact sheet printers, safety lamps, spare bulbs, heaps of containers for chemicals, 15 trays in different sizes, thermometers, colour print drums, auto rotators, easels, various film developing drums and reels, focus checkers, developing tray hose, full bleed print holder, a huge lightbox, hundreds of sheets of unused paper in all sizes including a roll of 30" by 10 meters and a single roll of Agfapan 100.

All for $51nzd.
 
Leica M2 with Leicavit MP from Adorama....

Leica M2 with Leicavit MP from Adorama....

Early last week I was awaiting the bus and looking at Adorama's used M cameras on my phone. They had an ad (with no photo) for a "user" chrome M2 with Leicavit MP - the ad only said that the vulcanite was falling off. Price - $1449. I immediatly bought it. The camera came yesterday and it looks like a new camera, save for the cracking vulcanite and a little dent on the rewind side of the body. The Vit is gorgeous too and works as smooth as my new one (an LHSA MP version in black). The body turned out to be a push button rewind, the kind I really like. I'll post a photo after I put on the new skin.
 
Last weekend i visited a brocante ( like a garage sale ) and bought a Minolta MC 85mm F1.7 for 10 euros. It is in excellent condition but i didn't have a Minolta body to use it on.
So i went searching the next day at another brocante and found a Minolta XD7 ( Xd11 in the USA) with a 50mm F1.4 for 50 euros. So i found a nice set up for 60 euros total.

I took this photo today with it

6191557873_e54be7fb2c_z.jpg
 
Woo Hoo! Luck be a Lady!

Woo Hoo! Luck be a Lady!

Spousal Unit out of town, check.
Credit cards (mostly) paid down, check.
Pawn shop listing on local Craigs List, oh oh!

PROFESSIONAL GRADE MODEL M9 LEICA DIGITAL CAMERA

This item shows very little ware and is in fine condition.
This low price includes 2 additional lenses, memory card, and power adapter
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At $5,800 I better check it out. It doesn't even matter which two lenses, right? Did the ad say two? Nothing about accessories? Ummm...:

24mm Elmarit-M ASPH
35mm Summicron-M ASPH
50mm Summilux-M
21-24-28mm Viewfinder

Now, I've been pretty happy with my M-6 and 35/50mm summicrons, which has kept my summilux temptation under control, and I haven't even considered dropping $6,000 on an M-9.

If I sell the summicron, I end up with an M9 and two, somewhat useful lenses for around $3,000.

I can't decide if I should sell the M9 or enjoy it for a while.

I lucked out because I just happened to check craig's list within a half hour of the posting, and I was a 10 minute drive to the pawn shop. The guys at the pawn shop were kind of excited, asking me why would a camera be worth that much. They were getting numerous calls on the camera, but I was first through the door.
 
I have had a good run recently. I found the minty M4 a couple of months ago for $200, and I wanted to find a good lens for it. I went shopping for a user Summicron, but ended up with a Canon 50/1.2 which cost me another $200. Then, last week I came across a beautiful 1953 Summicron with the gold-colored lanthanum glass. This also cost $200, plus another $120 for a CLA. Today I got a very clean Konica Hexar AF for $100. I have fallen in love, it is great fun to shoot, and in silent mode it is so quiet that I have to check the frame counter to verify that the camera actually took the shot. Oh, and the other day I got a nice Contax II for $50. I boxed up and sent it out for a CLA.
 
Nikon F with 50mm f/1.4- Boxed with correct numbers - Mint
Nikon F-36- Boxed with correct numbers - Mint
Nikon shoulder bag containing a mint 35mm, 85mm, and 135mm

Craigslist- $200

I sold all except the Nikon F body, 50mm, and F-36 motor for $200.
 
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