PCStudio
Established
guys cryin' 
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Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
evanbaines
Drunk the RF Kool Aid
Increased used prices reduces the incentive to buy used, which increases the incentive to buy new, which results in more new film camera sales, which increases the likelihood that film cameras, equipment, and service will remain available.
Further, how exactly is the right to expensive niche camera equipment a social justice issue again?
Further, how exactly is the right to expensive niche camera equipment a social justice issue again?
I hear ya EB... the new prices of the Leica M3 are insane, so I'll just go buy a brand new.
hipsterdufus
Photographer?
Man, people need to take a deep breath and calm down a bit. They're just cameras. You'll live if you can't buy one TODAY.
illuminati_02
Established
It appears OM prices have just started rising rapidly. I was fortunate enough to buy some Zuikos from KEH a couple weeks ago and they have doubled in price since then, atleast the lenses. I just bought a beautiful OM-4T body from them for $339 and it looks mint.
Some of their prices on used gear haven't moved and they have nearly doubled others. Obviously due to the market and demand. Leica and OM must be near the top..
N.delaRua
Well-known
I guess we can analyze this from an economic standpoint, the relationship of supply and demand. However, I was always astonished at how film camera prices tanked once the digital revolution occurred. Its not like an Nikon F5 became a sub-par camera when the D1X was released or D2X or any other journalism camera.
An FM2 is still a perfect SLR, and OM-2 is still a perfect SLR, a M6 is still a perfect rangefinder. That never changed. i guess demand changed. i just could not believe how cheap "professional" film SLRs became. Maybe they deserve the price increase as they are still capable pieces of equipment and not paperweights.
An FM2 is still a perfect SLR, and OM-2 is still a perfect SLR, a M6 is still a perfect rangefinder. That never changed. i guess demand changed. i just could not believe how cheap "professional" film SLRs became. Maybe they deserve the price increase as they are still capable pieces of equipment and not paperweights.
adamjohari
Established
Just don't buy till they drop the prices. They will eventually. Cameras aren't gas
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The reality is that I have all the cameras I need (and I'm sure most others do also) ... so it's not really a huge issue for me.
Are we photographers or commodity dealers?
Are we photographers or commodity dealers?
hipsterdufus
Photographer?
Are we photographers or commodity dealers?
Makes me think of the old Devo album "Are we not men? NO, we are Devo!"
"Are we not photographers? NO, we are camera traders!"
Not that I'm guilty of that at all... :angel:
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
If you want prices to drop just keep criticizing what your heart desires on this forum.
We are the price trend setters.
We are the price trend setters.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The reality is that I have all the cameras I need (and I'm sure most others do also) ... so it's not really a huge issue for me.
Are we photographers or commodity dealers?
I'm glad I kinda loaded up the truck with everything I need.
BTW I kinda started buying Leica at the height of the credit crunch when prices were very low, and then I followed through loading up on MF gear. Meanwhile government policy has been "cash is trash" all over the world, and at the same time the "smart money" has been buying hard assets that have enduring value.
Also I have seen the supply dry up. Check out B&H and Adorama, even Nikon F3's are gone, and all that remain at Adorama are basically the dregs that are only good for parts. Currently I'm seeing huge premiums on clean gear as quality standards seems to have dropped. Clearly there is a demand supply imbalance.
BTW cameras, unless you're a working pro are luxury items, especially Leica, Rollei...
Cal
illuminati_02
Established
Quite true, more so with the lesser known "hidden gems", but I think I can proclaim that Leica is junk all I want and it wil not help much.
By the way, Leica M6 TTL is awful.... and your nokton 35/1.2 and 50/1.5 are shoddy quality and will break soon. You should dump them now for whatever you can get for them... to me.
dogbunny
Registered Boozer
It was more about my right to be facetious, and enjoy leisure time.
But debating the logic of a joke is another way to enjoy leisure time.
kevin m
Veteran
I wonder what the Classifieds to Gallery visit ratio is?
Luddite Frank
Well-known
Perhaps KEH felt that they were "giving stuff away" ?
I have noticed the inventories of LTM stuff at three places I regularly shop (KEH, Ritz Collectibles, PacificRim) all seem to have shrunk since I got into LTM about 5 years back.
The market does seem kind of high right now (oddly), too bad I don't want to sell anything....
I have noticed the inventories of LTM stuff at three places I regularly shop (KEH, Ritz Collectibles, PacificRim) all seem to have shrunk since I got into LTM about 5 years back.
The market does seem kind of high right now (oddly), too bad I don't want to sell anything....
Vilk
Established
not a collector--i clicked the thread because my recent attempts to get a couple of tiny accessories from KEH came to nothing due to prohibitive shipping costs, $60 to canada for a focusing screen. so perhaps not only gear, just new management eager to finish that villa in the bahamas...
as to leica being snapped up by the chinese, it does hold water (i sold my M a couple of weeks back to a chinese gentleman) but also, i saw more leicas on toronto streets last winter than in the entire preceding decade, none of them in asian hands. at the local arab demonstrations in march low to mid film cameras were very visible. finally, i hear more annoying comments about my cameras than ever before from hipster-type individuals, perhaps indicating a fad
anyway, whatever keeps film manufacturers happy...
as to leica being snapped up by the chinese, it does hold water (i sold my M a couple of weeks back to a chinese gentleman) but also, i saw more leicas on toronto streets last winter than in the entire preceding decade, none of them in asian hands. at the local arab demonstrations in march low to mid film cameras were very visible. finally, i hear more annoying comments about my cameras than ever before from hipster-type individuals, perhaps indicating a fad
anyway, whatever keeps film manufacturers happy...
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xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
Quite true, more so with the lesser known "hidden gems", but I think I can proclaim that Leica is junk all I want and it wil not help much.
By the way, Leica M6 TTL is awful.... and your nokton 35/1.2 and 50/1.5 are shoddy quality and will break soon. You should dump them now for whatever you can get for them... to me.
This technique worked wonders on the Leica M5 after its inception but some forum members here thought it was the cat's meow and prices went up.
dtcls100
Well-known
Yeah, KEH prices for OM gear have gone up, although KEH keeps cutting the prices for a couple of OM-3Ti bodies (showing there is a limit to what people will pay for a manual everything body -- even if it is an outstanding manual everything body!).
But the Mamiya 6 bodies and lenses really have shot up. BGN Mamiya 6 bodies are now selling for about $1,000 (I paid about $1100 for a really nice EXC+ one about a year ago) and EX for $1369, which is more than Mamiya 7 bodies and in the range of a comparable or better Mamiya 7 II body. I was in B&H Photo in NYC a little while ago with a well used Mamiya 6 body with a 50mm lens and a salesman in the used department approached me and asked me if I would be interested in selling it to them and offered me $1400 for the combo (which is less than it is worth now, but pretty high given B&H's obvious desire to make a decent profit). The B&H salesman said that lots of folks are asking for them, but they have pretty much none to sell. KEH only has at most 4 to sell right now. The supply of them for sale on Ebay also has dried up quite a bit.
But the Mamiya 6 bodies and lenses really have shot up. BGN Mamiya 6 bodies are now selling for about $1,000 (I paid about $1100 for a really nice EXC+ one about a year ago) and EX for $1369, which is more than Mamiya 7 bodies and in the range of a comparable or better Mamiya 7 II body. I was in B&H Photo in NYC a little while ago with a well used Mamiya 6 body with a 50mm lens and a salesman in the used department approached me and asked me if I would be interested in selling it to them and offered me $1400 for the combo (which is less than it is worth now, but pretty high given B&H's obvious desire to make a decent profit). The B&H salesman said that lots of folks are asking for them, but they have pretty much none to sell. KEH only has at most 4 to sell right now. The supply of them for sale on Ebay also has dried up quite a bit.