Is it worth $350+?

[kurotama]

Hello guys,

I have been drooling over this set placed on sale in a Japanese auction site. Its starting at ¥35,000 (approx. $350). The seller don't identify the camera body specifically, but the lens is 50/1.5 with a Minolta hood. Both are said to be in a good "user" condition.

What do you think? Worth the price?

 

[kermaier]

If that 50/1.5 has clean glass and smooth focus/aperture, then the lens alone is worth more than $350.
::Ari

 

[bennyng]

The body looks like a IVSB...

The 50mm f/1.5 looks like one of the earlier types. The aperture ring is mirror chrome. The later version seems to have satin chrome aperture rings.

Cheers,

 

[LeicaTom]

If the lens is clean and oil free, it`s worth $350 all by itself.......

Tom

 

[januaryman]

Unless the lens is badly scratched or mechanically un-fixable, it's worth the price even with a CLA. You could sell the camera for the price of a good CLA for the lens. If both are good to go, you have a great bargain. IMHO.

BTW, when I bought a Canon P with a 50/1.8 lens and sent the entire kit off to Mark Hama for a CLA (mainly for the camera), he cleaned the lens at the same time! Just over a hundred bucks. Not sure if he usually does this, but it made me very happy.

 

[kermaier]

As a point of reference, Adorama in NYC has a IV-SB2 <EP> with 50/1.5 listed for $649 in E- condition.

::Ari

 

[kurotama]

Everyone, thanks for advise. I placed a bid and waiting for it to close on Monday evening.
Hope nobody will challenge.

 

[raid]

Good luck;I have a similar set here.
The lens by itself is worth $350-$450 if in EX condition.

 

[kurotama]

Got it with no challenger. Waiting for it in the mail. Hope the kit will turn out in a good condition... The seller have a very short description of the product including others he sells but don't have bad reputation. Make me anxious.

 

[wlewisiii]

Good luck! The IVSB is a really nice user body and with that 50/1.5 should be a very pleasing combination to use. Hope you enjoy it!

William

 

[bennyng]

Got it with no challenger. Waiting for it in the mail. Hope the kit will turn out in a good condition... The seller have a very short description of the product including others he sells but don't have bad reputation. Make me anxious.

Congrats!! I've seen this listing for months and am surprised that there's no takers till now.

Do keep us updated on the condition of the lens and camera.

Cheers,

 

[kurotama]

So it came today!

It came as it was presented, with a nice addition of Canon lens cap to fit on Minolta hood.

Camera body is in a very nice condition, no scratch. The aperture blade has slight oil mark all the way closed.

The 50/1.5 glass has a very slight haze at the inside of the rear lens block and some scratches both at front and rear elements though these can only visible under the LED flashlight. Focus is smooth but aperture ring a bit tough.

Distant brothers. J-3 is taller and lighter while 50/1.5 is shorter and much heavier.

I will take them out over the weekend for test shooting but I must learn from the beginning how to load the film into this camera... barnack style?
Please someone tell me if the finder magnification lever should be set to "F" for 50mm?

 

[kurotama]

Run a film in it. It turned out the shutter has pinholes all over. End up in quite dreamy photos like these. I am having it repaired add to my collection. The lens works fine though.

 

[Mablo]

Seems to me that those pesky pinholes are quite usual for the IV-SB shutter. I've heard of several cases and I can tell you that mine was full of pinholes too 😡 The repair did cost me as much as the camera.

 

[ethics_gradient]

That's an interesting effect from the pinholes... I'm guessing the smaller dots come from one you shot relatively quickly, and the bigger ones from ones where the film sat behind the closed curtain for a while.

 

[George S.]

Are you sure those "things" visible in the lens isn't fungus? I'd send the lens to somewhere like Essex and have it CLA'd, which would also address the stiff aperture ring. You wouldn't want to force it one day and end up with a bent or broken off aperture blade.

 

[kurotama]

Hello ethics,
The size of the white pinhole dots I noticed varies by the aperture settings. The first and second samples are shot at F1.5 and I shot at F16 for the last one with motion blur. I just went to a park and quickly shot through a roll in a dim cloudy day so I wonder if I left the film in the camera for long the size of pinhole gets bigger.

Hello George,
The lens appears to be clean except for the cleaning marks at the front element and some dusts inside. Thanks for a worry, I will show it to someone at used camera shop who does repair of the shutter curtain.

The Canon RF model turned out to be "Canon IIIA" after a lengthy inspection by this person.

 

[stesm]

The Canon RF model turned out to be "Canon IIIA" after a lengthy inspection by this person.

That IIIA sure looks like a IVSb to me. Flash rail, "x" on the slow speed dial, locking tab on slow speed dial, etc. At least according to Peter Dechert's book.