Newbie to folders...

Congrats on winning the camera. I was going to bid, but then I saw your post. Guess I'll wait for the next Weltax. Cupog is a good seller to deal with--just wish his shipping fees didn't have to be so expensive. Let us know how you enjoy the camera.

Joe

Oh, I'm sorry! My post wasn't meant to "forbid" anyone else to bid... I apologize if you lost a chance to get a Weltax... if I find another, I'll let you know. Sorry!

@Krosya: Yes! When it arrives, i'll be sure to post pictures OF it and photos WITH it! :) I already purchased a light meter and am bidding on a rangefinder as well...
 
Oh, I'm sorry! My post wasn't meant to "forbid" anyone else to bid... I apologize if you lost a chance to get a Weltax... if I find another, I'll let you know. Sorry!

@Krosya: Yes! When it arrives, i'll be sure to post pictures OF it and photos WITH it! :) I already purchased a light meter and am bidding on a rangefinder as well...

Your post didn't forbid anything. It is sort of a matter of courtesy here that normally people won't try to outbid someone on an item they mention. At least not openly, and at least most members. But there is no law or rule on that.

Hope the camera is all you want it to be. The Weltas can be very nice cameras.
 
Oh, I'm sorry! My post wasn't meant to "forbid" anyone else to bid... I apologize if you lost a chance to get a Weltax... if I find another, I'll let you know. Sorry!

I wouldn't worry about it. They are not very rare. Another Weltax turns up just about every day, somewhere, and we know most of the places to look. Be sure to post a few photos of the camera, taken from different angles, when you get it.
 
Oh ok... for a minute there, I thought I breached some forum "code"... you guys are great!

I'm sure I will enjoy it immensely! Am starting to plan where I'll be shooting first! Lightmeter on it's way (a cheap sverdlovsk-4) and a cheap rangefinder as well...

@Fallisphoto: I'll document it from the unpacking to the first loading of film! :)
 
Congrats on winning the camera. I was going to bid, but then I saw your post. Guess I'll wait for the next Weltax. Cupog is a good seller to deal with--just wish his shipping fees didn't have to be so expensive. Let us know how you enjoy the camera.

Joe

Joe, that is a stand-up thing you've done. Kudos!

thinkfloyd, have fun with the new folder, you'll be an expert in no time, just use them and post here :)

About the ND filter, I literally held it in front of the camera because it's too big for the lens anyways, it's just ordinary no brand 49mm ND (1-stop) filter.
 
It's no problem at all, thinkfloyd. I already have a Balda Baldix folder, so I thought you should enjoy the thrills of medium format in your pocket as well. I actually had e-mailed cupog about those "fine scratches" on the front element he mentions in the listing, and he said they're nothing to worry about at all. I'm sure it'll be a fine shooter for you.

Joe
 
I hate to say this, but if you are bidding in an open auction it is open for everyone... that's the way it is supposed to work.
In essence mh, i dont think anyone here disagrees with this, but that doesnt mean if someone is bidding on a camera (particularly someone that admits to being new to folding cameras and their relative vaule and indeed a novice on ebay, as well as this forum) we shouldnt advise him not mention it on an open forum, or provide a direct link to a camera. let others find it on their own, no need to provide extra free advertising for the seller or the ebay company.


If you are the seller you don't want to hear that the main bidders are forbidding their friends from bidding for the item to sell artificially low (I don't even think that is ethical)...
i didnt hear anyone say they forbade their friends from bidding, simply that friends with a common interest easily come to an understanding not to undermine the other. whilst i can imagine that initialy a seller may feel disconcerted to hear this, there is no reason for the seller to be concerned, quite the opposite. particularly in this case, some mention of the camera is better than no mention at all, i am sure the seller would of been more than happy in this instance!

I dont believe it makes the item sell 'artifically' low in any way, as you said yourself the more a camera model gets talked about (even among friends), the demand and price increase, nothing remarable there...i cant imagine any sensible person wanting to get in a bidding war on any one camera (item), when another will be along shortly. i.e if you and one of your family members both wanted the same model clock for instance (or replace with any other item) that regularly appears on ebay, would it not be common sence to agree, not to bid against each other on the same item # ! even if an item is not that common, it is simply a kind gesture to abstain from bidding.

obviously auctions and by association the sellers, hope that frenzy and emotion are involved when selling at auction, thats their buisness. but if buyers wish to colaborate and 'try' to take the emotion and frenzy out of it, and use some common sence i dont think that is 'unethical'. if a seller is concerned about this then the seller can use Buy It Now or place a reserve ect ect

and I hate to say it as well, but when someone snipes you, they pay more than you were willing to pay so they deserve the win... obviously, when it is me I'm annoyed that I didn't get the sure deal... but it's an open market and I could have bid higher.
couldnt agree more...

So haven't any of the complainers ever sold items on ebay????
i am not sure anyone was complaining per-say, no more than you were when you said "I'm annoyed that i didn't get the sure deal..." at least thats not the way i read it. rather, the comments were simply phrased with examples, to qualify their advice to thinkfloyd

still, it was interesting to hear another point of view

cheers
 
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I had a similar one as my first Welta. And after using it for a while I upgraded to a Weltur ones. But even simple ones like the one you are bidding on are great. Mine had a Xenar lens and here is a photo I still have from it:


2248774629_faa8ef0fef_o.jpg


So, Good luck!

its a lovely picture Krosya, the xenar produces nice results eh! no doubt this is the pre-war Weltax with the uncoated lens, a much rarer and harder to get camera in good condition (and with xenar or tessar) than the post-war models with east german shutter. thats one of the pro's to the pre-war model i feel is that they have the compur or compur rapid shutters, and the slightly faster (2.8 instead of 3.5) tessar and xenar lenses
 
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Just won the bid! The camera went for less than $100! Cool... now the agonizing wait for it to arrive!


congrats from me as well! you will soon be another one of us folder nuts lol.

after using hasselblad for years i am still amzed at how good these things are compared and of course just how compact they are, yet still that 6x6 neg...

not having the ability to change lens is an obvious hurdle to adjust to, but they are enjoyable to use and chalanging to get the best out of them. you have a light meter on the way you say, so thats ok, otherwise i was going to suggest in the meantime you download one of those exposure meter print out cards that are on the net somewhere...

i would encourge you, with using the Weltax to practice your distance guestimations as often as you can...after a while you can get quite acurate, and the tessar 3.5 even wide open and focused close (about 5ft), still has a depth of field near 600mm (2ft) .

one of the cons to the weltax is it doesnt have an accessory shoe fitted (they opted to place the veiwfinder closer to the center over the lens for more acurate paralax, which takes up space on the top), so you need to hand hold the rangefinder or atatch somehow to the camera
 
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Thanks to Joe again! :)

@Chippy: Yes, the rangefinder may be a tad difficult to handle since I notice there's no cold shoe on the camera, it's ok. I'm actually practicing guesstimating distances now using my DSLR with a manual lens on it... i'm slowly getting the hang of it with about 4 out of 10 shots in focus! Lol... by the time the Weltax arrives, I'm hoping to improve to at least 8 out of 10! :)
 
Sounds like the beginnings of GAS to me. You may already be on that slippery slope. :D :D :D

Less than 10 mins, the price was still less than $50... I said to myself "what the heck" and bid... got it for less than $50! So now I've got two folders on the way, a lightmeter and a rangefinder accessory for less than the price of one Franka Solida folder from JK... GAS has hit me bad! :D
 
I'm good for about a day's worth when I get the cameras... I was given 6 rolls of Fuji Neopan 400 (5 rolls left since the first was used to test drive the Mamiya I mentioned earlier...). After that, have to start meeting clients again to be able to get more!
 
Less than 10 mins, the price was still less than $50... I said to myself "what the heck" and bid... got it for less than $50! So now I've got two folders on the way, a lightmeter and a rangefinder accessory for less than the price of one Franka Solida folder from JK... GAS has hit me bad! :D

Looks like you have two very fine cameras there. Hope they arrive in working condition. Welta and Zeiss quite often do. Looking forward to seeing photos not only of the cameras, but what you do with them.
 
Hope they arrive in working condition. Welta and Zeiss quite often do.

Well, it depends on what you call working condition. Even Zeiss and Welta cameras need CLAs. Most older cameras have sticky shutters. Fortunately, it's not that difficult a job to clean them out and very lightly relube them.
 
I'm good for about a day's worth when I get the cameras... I was given 6 rolls of Fuji Neopan 400 (5 rolls left since the first was used to test drive the Mamiya I mentioned earlier...). After that, have to start meeting clients again to be able to get more!


When they arrive, let me know and I'll guide you step by step through one of two types of CLA -- or you can just send them to me.
 
@FallisPhoto: Thanks! I hope they're both in good working condition... if not, hope all they'll need are light CLA-ing! Will report back here as soon as I get the cameras!
 
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