Favorite Underappreciated Under Priced Cameras?

[defconfunk]

Canon AT-1: Same body as the AE-1, just without the auto-aperture mode, and a cheaper light meter. Still an excellent camera. Nobody seems to know they exist (and are priced accordingly).

Nikon F90x: I'm enjoying mine. I paid $60Cnd. I've since seen a couple go for under $100Cnd with lens. The F80 seems to be worth twice as much around here. Even the F55/60/65 seems to sell for more. For the life of me, I can't imagine any reason I'd rather have a F65 over an F90x.

Olympus OM-40: Again, I love mine. The most comfortable SLR I've ever held. I think I paid $40Cnd for mine. People are selling OM-10s for two to three times that around here. I've owned two OM-10s and they aren't half as nice.

The most underappreciated and cheap camera right now? Any APS-C DSLR for the mid 2000s. Locally I've seen D100, D70s, D60, 30D, 40D, E-500, K110D, all going sub $200Cnd with lens (the K110D was $50Cnd with two lenses in perfect condition). All of those cameras can produce nice prints up to the sizes most people print at (lets say 8x10) so long as you keep the ISOs to what most people shoot film at.
I keep being tempted to do a "Top Gear" challenge with a buddy and see just what we can do with $150 on kijiji. I keep hoping to see a D300 or S5Pro show up in "my weekly throw away money" prices, but we might be a few more years away from that.

 

[MIkhail]

Hi,

Dozens on ebay in GB but you have to search hard for one with a lens on it... (I blame digital.)

Regards, David

Why not get a cosmetically good copy of just camera, do the CLA for about $50 (I do it here http://www.garryscamera.com) and then you pick the lenses you like separately, rather than having somebody else selling you the camera paired with lowest lens (not that 50/1.8 is a bad lens, actually)...

I was selling here once a whole set (fully CLA'd camera, set of like 4 lenses, and not some Vivitar zoom but real good Monolta primes) for $200... nobody was interested so I kept them. I am glad I did.

 

[David Hughes]

Why not get a cosmetically good copy of just camera, do the CLA for about $50 (I do it here http://www.garryscamera.com) and then you pick the lenses you like separately, rather than having somebody else selling you the camera paired with lowest lens (not that 50/1.8 is a bad lens, actually)...

I was selling here once a whole set (fully CLA'd camera, set of like 4 lenses, and not some Vivitar zoom but real good Monolta primes) for $200... nobody was interested so I kept them. I am glad I did.

I don't need one, it was just a rant about all those sellers who only wanted the lens. They are very obvious at the moment, it seems.

Regards, David

 

[aizan]

all russian cameras except the exakta 66 (1939 and modern versions).

 

[johnf04]

The 1939 Exakta 66 was German.

 

[ForestCap]

Olympus OM-2000 (vs. other non-battery dependent Olympus OMs)

Yashica Electro 35 MC (vs. other compact zone focus such as Olympus XA2 and on.)

Zorki-1 (vs. other Barnack type RFs)

 

[Archlich]

I just learnt last week that the Kowa Six system has a 19/4.5 Fisheye and a 35/4.5 lens...and that's on 6x6.

Definitely ambitious, and what I already know is Kowa Six kits are excellently built and very reasonably priced.

 

[Schlapp]

But kowa six's are a tad fragile. Mine was anyway

 

[Scapevision]

Bronica SQ series, japanese hasslebald.

 

[KoNickon]

There are a number of rather expensive, big name cameras on this list! But I don't think anyone has mentioned my suggestions:

Konica T3 -- this is the last of the "heavy metal" Konica SLRs. Copal shutter, solid shutter-preferred metering; nice ergonomics. Pop in a couple of 675 hearing aid batteries and you're all set. I prefer the T3 over the T3N, which has a slightly different prism shape to accommodate a permanently mounted hotshoe and thus isn't as pretty. The Hexanon lenses are first-rate. I find the 40/1.8 a real sleeper, though from a slightly later vintage (it was made at the time of the smaller, and more plasticky, T4 and TC.)

Zeiss Ikon cameras with Novar lenses -- the Novar was ZI's cut-rate 3-element lens; not sure who made them but I've seen Rodenstock credited for their manufacture. I've gotten some really fine pictures with Novars, whether on Ikoflex TLRs (the Ia is a sleeper itself) and on their folding cameras, like the Ikontas and Nettars, which are superbly made, sturdy folding cameras.

 

[FrankS]

Nikon FG and 801s/8008s, but shhh!

 

[CliveC]

Nikon FG and 801s/8008s, but shhh!

Love the FG. It deserves more love than the Canon AE-1.

My pick would be the Ricoh GXR. Yes it's digital, but where else are you getting APS-C sensors, Leica M-mount compatibility for under $500? Quirky design to be sure, but the GXR sensors render B&W quite well and its focus peaking was ahead of the game (still better than my X-Pro1).

For film, the Canon T60 is a sleeper. Last of the FDs, simple, no fuss, and light as a feather. Great camera from Cosina. Downside is potential balance issues when using heavier lenses. The T90 is also cheaper than what it deserves for being such a tank.

 

[asiafish]

Leica M5

Leica M5

There remains a stigma attached to what I believe is the best rangefinder camera ever made by anyone.

 

[aizan]

The 1939 Exakta 66 was German.

i am forgetting things left and right. you're right, the old exakta 66 was german, as was the later one with rubber cladding. it was the pentacons and kievs in between that were russian. :bang:

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

i am forgetting things left and right. you're right, the old exakta 66 was german, as was the later one with rubber cladding. it was the pentacons and kievs in between that were russian. :bang:

Ahem, no, none of them is «Russian»; Kiev is an USSR product, named after the metropol city of the Ukrainian part of the USSR (but not Russia), and — Pentacon is (East) German.

 

[Tijmendal]

I'd add a Olympus XA. I had that camera four times, bought, sold, bought, sold.... I never paid more that about 30€, which is a steal for such a great camera.

That reminds me to buy a new one. I have bought a ton of them, but only because I break them like it's going out of style. Never paid more than 20€, but they seem to be going for 40-50€.

Same for the Mju-II, the prices have skyrocketed. They're going for around 100€ now, whereas two years ago they were maybe 30€? I've only had two, but the electronics were messed up within a month of using it on one (and the other my friend knocked over into the water).

 

[Dralowid]

I don't need one, it was just a rant about all those sellers who only wanted the lens. They are very obvious at the moment, it seems.

Regards, David

If you collected cine cameras (as I do) the rant would be very loud and blue. Every time I see something rare stripped of its lenses, or vice versa, I groan.

Excellent underpriced camera? Konica Pop and you can choose your colour!

 

[Skiff]

There are currently lots of outstanding, sophisticated cameras on the used market, which are totally under priced and real bargains (excellent price-performance ratio):

1. Nikon:
F801s
F90X
F80
F100
F5

2. Canon:
EOS 1N
EOS 50e
EOS 30V
EOS 33V
EOS 3
EOS 1V

Minolta:
Dynax 600
Dynax 700
Dynax 800
Dynax 7
Dynax 9

Leica:
R3
R4
R5
R7

Rollei:
6002
6003
6006

It is currently still a market for buyers. Now is the time to make a decision for a brand / system, and then build up a complete set of the chosen equipment. These extremely low prices will not last forever.
The film revival will get stronger in the future, and demand and prices for the above cameras will rise (we have already seen that with lots of Hasselblad, Contax, Mamiya, Linhof, Rolleiflex and Fuji models).

 

[dotur]

Voigtländer Vito B

The best analogue compact camera ever.

 

[MIkhail]

Voigtländer Vito B

The best analogue compact camera ever.

Why?
Just curious-what is special about this one?