ddimaria
Well-known
I haven't been using rangefinders for that long. I was just wondering if the prices of older Leica lenses and Canon screw mount lenses have been going up, down, or remaining steady throughout the years. Is there any hope that prices may drop?
Also, I've been thinking alot lately about how the internet has completely destroyed the used camera stores (at least in my area) I remember that about 10 years ago you could walk into a good photo store and browse shelves full of used stuff. Now everytime I go in and ask for something old they tell me they send it straight to Ebay. Don't get me wrong, I think the internet has it's advantages for the consumer (RF junkies unite) but I guess I miss actually seeing and handling used equipment before buying it.
Is this happening to people in other places as well.
Also, I've been thinking alot lately about how the internet has completely destroyed the used camera stores (at least in my area) I remember that about 10 years ago you could walk into a good photo store and browse shelves full of used stuff. Now everytime I go in and ask for something old they tell me they send it straight to Ebay. Don't get me wrong, I think the internet has it's advantages for the consumer (RF junkies unite) but I guess I miss actually seeing and handling used equipment before buying it.
Is this happening to people in other places as well.
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wierdcollector
Guest
Old Timer???? Who you calling old timer???? I prefer youth challenged old fart myself, LOL. I've been collecting and using cameras for over 34 years now, so guess I can comment reasonably safely. Prices have jumped immensely on most Japanese and German old cameras, stayed the same on most Kodak, Ansco, Argus and more common cameras. In my city at least, our only repair shop closed over ten years ago, and camera stores have discontinued their efforts at selling used camera equipment at least a year ago. Even the second hand stores and thrift shops have almost dried up on camera equipment. Recently when I was in Las Vegas, I tried a few pawn shops there with the same luck. they all said we only sell used cameras on Ebay. I still find a few at yard sales/estates/auctions but the only place I regularly find one or two used cameras of any worth is at a local pawn store and even then prices are way out of line for a cheap old fart like me. In the three or so years I've been on Ebay (I use "ramblerfixer" as a moniker) I've paid far less than half what most cameras are going for now. Almost makes me debate selling off at least half of my horde. (Bill, I stopped counting a while back , so you're still our top collector/user in my book). Now if only I could win that darn lottery so I'd have the time and cash to use them all...
VictorM.
Well-known
Leica lenses seem to be holding steady and Canon lenses are going up quite fast lately. Canon lenses are junk; not much more than heavy, expensive body caps. 
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wierdcollector
Guest
Now Now Victor, you're going to get Canon-slapped if you make blanket statements like that, lol. Joe's going to be one unhappy camper...
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sorry, i just picked myself up off the floor.
that's a might powerful statement victor, considering i owe you money...
yes folks, i just bought a leica (lens hood) from victor.
it fits my canon junk lens 35/2.8 and damn but it looks so pretty.
i don't even care if it works or not (vignetting) it looks sooooo good!!!
as to the question, i notice that canon prices started going up the day after i started buying canon. some of these prices are plain rediculous. the start prices are what i might have paid on some of them.
and if i see 'rare' one more time!
and the 'sharp' 50/2.8, plaeeeze...
joe
that's a might powerful statement victor, considering i owe you money...
yes folks, i just bought a leica (lens hood) from victor.
it fits my canon junk lens 35/2.8 and damn but it looks so pretty.
i don't even care if it works or not (vignetting) it looks sooooo good!!!
as to the question, i notice that canon prices started going up the day after i started buying canon. some of these prices are plain rediculous. the start prices are what i might have paid on some of them.
and if i see 'rare' one more time!
and the 'sharp' 50/2.8, plaeeeze...
joe
Graham Line
Well-known
It takes a while for the Northwest to catch up, I guess. There are two or three shops in the area with good stocks of decent used photo gear, but some of the pricing is optimistic. B&H and KEH seem to set the markets. Used Nikon manual focus gear is pretty affordable around here, but any kind of professional rangefiner is pretty scarce.
I got into photography about the time the rangefinder/SLR debate was ripping along like the film/digital debate goes now, and there was a lot of Nikon, Canon and Leica rangefinder gear available for about 20 cents on the dollar. Sherman, set the Way-Back Machine for 1962!
I got into photography about the time the rangefinder/SLR debate was ripping along like the film/digital debate goes now, and there was a lot of Nikon, Canon and Leica rangefinder gear available for about 20 cents on the dollar. Sherman, set the Way-Back Machine for 1962!
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wierdcollector
Guest
I'd have to agree, Ebay prices don't necessarily reflect real world value. All it seems to take is one decent review or picture on any of the popular camera forums and people will line up to outbid each other on a Lugelfarb 400 SX whether they've ever seen or used one or not. Human nature to follow the pack I guess, but it's refreshing to those of us who haunt the fine print and out of focus pictures when we do find that one overlooked gem.
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ok, from now on canon rf sucks!
say it with me folks...
say it with me folks...
VictorM.
Well-known
This is what I get for trying to keep Canon prices down?!!!
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wierdcollector
Guest
You are all getting sleepy.....very sleepy. You will now go directly to Ebay and bid on every autofocus or digital camera you come across. APS is your friend, rangefinder cameras are evil and will make your friends laugh at you... Hey, it's worth a try.
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wierdcollector
Guest
No harm done GHM, I'm sure we're all in agreement with you, hate to see newbies start off badly. I like to think that for every less than honest seller out there, there are at least three or four good decent sellers. Then again, I'm still hoping hot pants make a comeback. Woo hoo Daisy Duke.
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Hardly an old timer in life but a bit of an old-timer in the RF front...
To me, most of the stuff said above here is pretty true (including the Canon-related statement --let's hope this assestions help lower those prices!!). Only I beg to differ on one thing: eBay is a universe onto itself, so saying that eBay prices are equivalent to market prices gives the auction site a bit too much power.
Oddly enough, when I had a kit lens to unload, ebay was full of them. It was the much maligned (unfairly to me; it's not a great lens, but not as crappy as the world said) 28-80D Nikon AF lens. Lots of them for sale/auction, and some flying off the shelves too! Well... nobody bought mine, even though it was competitively priced and even offered free shipping with BIN.
I ended up selling it to B&H for a few bucks below my price... and later, when I had already sealed the deal and was waiting for my check, I listened to a voice mail message from a store in IN, offering me $10 more (almost my eBay price).
To those who come up with the line about "the eBay price" I'd say "well, go sell it on eBay or sell it to me."
Sorry, semi-rant over...
To me, most of the stuff said above here is pretty true (including the Canon-related statement --let's hope this assestions help lower those prices!!). Only I beg to differ on one thing: eBay is a universe onto itself, so saying that eBay prices are equivalent to market prices gives the auction site a bit too much power.
Oddly enough, when I had a kit lens to unload, ebay was full of them. It was the much maligned (unfairly to me; it's not a great lens, but not as crappy as the world said) 28-80D Nikon AF lens. Lots of them for sale/auction, and some flying off the shelves too! Well... nobody bought mine, even though it was competitively priced and even offered free shipping with BIN.
I ended up selling it to B&H for a few bucks below my price... and later, when I had already sealed the deal and was waiting for my check, I listened to a voice mail message from a store in IN, offering me $10 more (almost my eBay price).
To those who come up with the line about "the eBay price" I'd say "well, go sell it on eBay or sell it to me."
Sorry, semi-rant over...
ddimaria
Well-known
I've given' up on Ebay, Between them and Paypal I've had enough. I will admit though, I am constantly watching the site and never bidding.
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Natalia
Guest
oops, wrong door
taffer
void
I feel myself odd these days, I sometimes go green with friendly envy when I see a nice camera posted here, but I go seriously greener with friendly envy when I see some of the photos posted in the gallery.
What's happening
That said, the canon 35's are all completely overrated, if you happen to have a 35/1.8, 2 or 1.5, just PM me and I will relieve you of the pain of owning one by swapping it for the outstanding Jupiter-12, I will even pay your shipping if that makes you feel better...
Hey, one has to try
What's happening
That said, the canon 35's are all completely overrated, if you happen to have a 35/1.8, 2 or 1.5, just PM me and I will relieve you of the pain of owning one by swapping it for the outstanding Jupiter-12, I will even pay your shipping if that makes you feel better...
Hey, one has to try
Canon lenses are going up in price, Leica lenses are going up in price, Nikon lenses are falling in price, Retina lenses are falling in price. It is all my fault, I quit buying Nikon And Retina and switched to buying Leica and Canon.
On EBay: I am not sure, but I think this last price hike on EBay and Paypal, increasing number of scams, lack of buyer/seller protection, and buyer-beware merchandise is taking its toll. Right Natalie? Pradeep? It is putting a number of sellers off, and the last camera show that I went to was the best in years. I also walked into an Antique Mall this week to a Nikon M unsync (that is RARE) and 25cm F4 lens (MORE RARE). The seller had obviously given up on EBay.
On EBay: I am not sure, but I think this last price hike on EBay and Paypal, increasing number of scams, lack of buyer/seller protection, and buyer-beware merchandise is taking its toll. Right Natalie? Pradeep? It is putting a number of sellers off, and the last camera show that I went to was the best in years. I also walked into an Antique Mall this week to a Nikon M unsync (that is RARE) and 25cm F4 lens (MORE RARE). The seller had obviously given up on EBay.
S
Stu :)
Guest
Major rant here...
Here in sunny New Zealand we have something called TradeMe, which is our local version of eBay. What really makes my blood curdle is the so-called "vultures". Now we all know what vultures do right? Well this lot do the same, they circle some poor victim until they give up.
My first TradeMe ID got canned because I kept telling the sellers that if they didn't sell their uber RF gear to try here or photo.net and not to get bullied into selling at bargain discount prices. A nice looking Nikon S3 with lens got beaten down for something like $250NZ! The same group tried to get me to part with my 50mm/2 LTM Nikkor for $180NZ. I got $180US for it, HA! Eat my shorts.
Also when bargains do pop up, the same IDs are seen over and over again as the buyers, then 1-3 months later the same item appears in their sell lists for anything from 50% to 200% more. Thank gwad the Second Hand Dealers act comes in effect soon.
What makes TradeMe even more annoying is that bid increments are not done on a percentage and there is an Auto-Extend option that adds another five minutes to auction time if a bid is placed in the final five minutes and keeps on cycling. Anyone see what happens yet??? No?...
For an example I bought myself a brand new 80mm Nikkor for my enlarger on TradeMe last year. Now I used the golden rule and my first bid was my highest bid ($100NZ). So for four days I was the top bidder and the price was holding steady at $20NZ. On the morning the auction was going to finish I was still the top bidder at $20NZ. "Yahoo cheap lens" I thought... Due to a power problem at uni I came home early at 4pm, the auction was going to finish at roughly 3:30pm, so I checked my email for payment options. Nothing, no out bid notices, no notices of canceled auctions. So I went and checked auction on TradeMe. It was still running. Some moron was systematically bidding 50 cents every 4 minutes. I was still top bidder, but I was now $32NZ. The auction didn't end until roughly 5:30pm and the total cost was $48NZ. Either a). The other bidder gave up or b). The seller was trying to pump up the final price. I did request a IP log from TradeMe's net-admin staff, but they never got back to me. Highly dubious and darn right annoying.
Then again I did pick up a AS-IS Canonet QL17 on TradeMe for $15NZ and the only repairs needed where new light seals, blowing out the dust and cleaning the internal glass on the viewfinder/rangefinder. Life isn't too bad.
Stu
Here in sunny New Zealand we have something called TradeMe, which is our local version of eBay. What really makes my blood curdle is the so-called "vultures". Now we all know what vultures do right? Well this lot do the same, they circle some poor victim until they give up.
My first TradeMe ID got canned because I kept telling the sellers that if they didn't sell their uber RF gear to try here or photo.net and not to get bullied into selling at bargain discount prices. A nice looking Nikon S3 with lens got beaten down for something like $250NZ! The same group tried to get me to part with my 50mm/2 LTM Nikkor for $180NZ. I got $180US for it, HA! Eat my shorts.
Also when bargains do pop up, the same IDs are seen over and over again as the buyers, then 1-3 months later the same item appears in their sell lists for anything from 50% to 200% more. Thank gwad the Second Hand Dealers act comes in effect soon.
What makes TradeMe even more annoying is that bid increments are not done on a percentage and there is an Auto-Extend option that adds another five minutes to auction time if a bid is placed in the final five minutes and keeps on cycling. Anyone see what happens yet??? No?...
For an example I bought myself a brand new 80mm Nikkor for my enlarger on TradeMe last year. Now I used the golden rule and my first bid was my highest bid ($100NZ). So for four days I was the top bidder and the price was holding steady at $20NZ. On the morning the auction was going to finish I was still the top bidder at $20NZ. "Yahoo cheap lens" I thought... Due to a power problem at uni I came home early at 4pm, the auction was going to finish at roughly 3:30pm, so I checked my email for payment options. Nothing, no out bid notices, no notices of canceled auctions. So I went and checked auction on TradeMe. It was still running. Some moron was systematically bidding 50 cents every 4 minutes. I was still top bidder, but I was now $32NZ. The auction didn't end until roughly 5:30pm and the total cost was $48NZ. Either a). The other bidder gave up or b). The seller was trying to pump up the final price. I did request a IP log from TradeMe's net-admin staff, but they never got back to me. Highly dubious and darn right annoying.
Then again I did pick up a AS-IS Canonet QL17 on TradeMe for $15NZ and the only repairs needed where new light seals, blowing out the dust and cleaning the internal glass on the viewfinder/rangefinder. Life isn't too bad.
Stu
T
Tim
Guest
In Sydney at least there's a few camera shops that still have a fairly wide range of 2nd hand gear, at reasonable prices. By reasonable, I mean reasonable for a shop that has to cover it's costs and provide a warranty. So few bargains, but at least the stuff is there, and not overpriced. And you can still go to flea markets and antique stores and expect to always find something.
There are potential bargains on Aus eBay, but as has been commented - you never know. At least we still have options......sounds like in a lot of NA they have vanished - it's eBay or nothing. That'd be a very sad state of affairs.
tim
There are potential bargains on Aus eBay, but as has been commented - you never know. At least we still have options......sounds like in a lot of NA they have vanished - it's eBay or nothing. That'd be a very sad state of affairs.
tim
Let's see if I got this right, Stu... As a seller you're annoyed because the buyers want a bargain... and as a buyer you're annoyed because the sellers resist your getting a bargain?
But $48NZ seems quite an excellent deal for a very excellent 80mm EL-Nikkor! However, if the seller or a buddy of his deliberately extended the bidding by bidding small amounts to try to keep it open for additional bidders, well, that's unethical shill bidding and should be investigated. The way that's set up, with the bidding getting extended by a last-minute bid seems intended to get a better price for the seller. But anything is subject to abuse!
What will be the effect of the Second Hand Dealers act?
But $48NZ seems quite an excellent deal for a very excellent 80mm EL-Nikkor! However, if the seller or a buddy of his deliberately extended the bidding by bidding small amounts to try to keep it open for additional bidders, well, that's unethical shill bidding and should be investigated. The way that's set up, with the bidding getting extended by a last-minute bid seems intended to get a better price for the seller. But anything is subject to abuse!
What will be the effect of the Second Hand Dealers act?