ebay find-IS THIS FOR REAL?

Those are mostly obscure, highly collectible cameras and lenses that were very early models made in very limited numbers mainly of historic value. Real-world user cameras have costs comparable to Leicas, with lenses costing a bit less than Leica equivalents (however, of course, many Nikkor lenses had no Leica equivalents at the time they were introduced in the early 1950s).
 
The price for the Nikon I seems a bit high to me, but as it's very collectable everything is possible. The black SP seems quite correctly priced, as it's a complete kit including the very sought after lens hood. All other items are rather at the upper limit, but it's the seller's own pricing politics. Arsenall/shphoto (Germany) and KevinCameras (L.A.) have similar price politics.

Didier
 
Concur with what other posters have said- some items are in the extremely rare stratospheric-price "collector only" group, and as Didier said, anything is possible. On the other hand, some of the lenses and bodies are at the high end of what one sees on eBay- not outrageous, perhaps 120% of eBay prices. Examples include the nice and clean $1500 SP body, and the $900 35/1.8 with both lens caps and the rare matching hood.
 
Hi people,
I have been tracking this seller's stuff since he started selling this huge collection of Nikon Stuff late in 2004. I have bought a couple of items all at premium prices.
Granted that most resellers are asking more than average prices but some of this sellers prices are out of this world ie a regular chrome finder for $600:rolleyes:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-Rangefind...3906051QQihZ014QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem
I have bought the same item for $50!!! and I think I paid up;)
but hey its a free country and one gets to sell his stuff for any price they want.
Examples include the nice and clean $1500 SP body,
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Are you referring to this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Classic-Nikon-SP-Body_W0QQitemZ7600394778QQihZ017QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem
Its funny that he is listing this one;http://cgi.ebay.com/Classic-Nikon-SP_W0QQitemZ330013909299QQihZ014QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem
Cracked viewfinder/missing lens release lock for the same price!

On a different note, IMHO asking stange prices makes buyers wonder/scared/turn away and affect the seller's other stuff....

Kiu
 
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The fact that he's been trying to sell off the collection for two years is pretty strong evidence that most of it is over-priced. Outrageous asking prices from a few would-be sellers have the effect of scaring people away from a camera system that is actually quite affordable (albeit idiosyncratic).
 
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Well the Nikon rangefinder system is lovely, but hardly affordable. My impression is that one has to pay at least $700 to get one decent body with one normal lens -- and that's for a 50 year old camera with only 50mm framelines. I guess that might me affordable to some (wish I was one of them!).
 
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Affordability is relative. Prices are affordable compared to another professional RF system like Leica (new or vintage) or Zeiss. Doesn't a vintage Leica M3 or M2 cost at least $700 with a lens? A Zeiss Ikon or Leica M6 will cost around $2,000 with body and lens. For that money, you can get an S3 or SP and lens. Additional used Nikkor lenses then typically cost less than a new CV lens.
 
David Murphy said:
Well the Nikon rangefinder system is lovely, but hardly affordable. My impression is that one has to pay at least $700 to get one decent body with one normal lens -- and that's for a 50 year old camera with only 50mm framelines. I guess that might me affordable to some (wish I was one of them!).
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But affordability is not the issue when buying something like a Nikon RF. You can certainly find very fine cameras at far lower prices - these days for $700 you can easily find a F100 with a good fast AF zoom for that price.

The same could be said for buying a classic 1950's car versus a new car today.

Buying a Nikon RF is an indulgence - that's true. And there's a place in life for indulgences if one can, indeed, afford them. Some of us can afford them and enjoy the fact that a 50+ year old camera is still a great shooter and that we own a piece of camera history too!
 
David Murphy said:
Well the Nikon rangefinder system is lovely, but hardly affordable. My impression is that one has to pay at least $700 to get one decent body with one normal lens -- and that's for a 50 year old camera with only 50mm framelines. I guess that might me affordable to some (wish I was one of them!).
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Not true!!
True that if you want to buy an S2 without shopping around, one can pay $700 but I see them all the time selling around $400

Do you want me to list some examples?

Kiu
 
 
Good info, Kiu!

It's also worth mentioning that these were expensive cameras and lenses when new ... cheaper than Leica or Contax but still priced so that the majority of buyers were professionals and advanced amateurs. In 1954, you could get a much more affordable camera ... that's why the majority of Americans bought Argus cameras. And American service members stationed overseas bought many more Canon outfits than Nikons.
 
Hey Kiu, I was pulling for you to get it!

I noticed the winner had just sold a black paint SP. I wonder why he would sell that one, and then get this one for more money. I'm guessing it is a collectors thing? The one he sold looked in better shape, but maybe painted again?
Cheers,
Mike
 
MikeL said:
Hey Kiu, I was pulling for you to get it!

I noticed the winner had just sold a black paint SP. I wonder why he would sell that one, and then get this one for more money. I'm guessing it is a collectors thing? The one he sold looked in better shape, but maybe painted again?
Cheers,
Mike
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Hi Mike, the one he sold was a NEW limited edition series, he has sold a few of those during the last one and a half year.
The one you mentioned here is a Vintage black SP, kinda harder to come by than the new ones.
A lotta hard-core collectors seem to have the position that the new camera does NOT have much collectors value, at least not yet.

Regards,
Kiu
 
Thanks for the info Kiu. I noticed the one that he bought mentioned it had been verified black paint by Robert Rotoloni. It's amazing what black paint can do! I think I'll stick to chrome.:)
 
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