photo fleamarket finds

FrankS

FrankS

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I went to a local photo fleamarket this morning and I came across 2 interesting cameras. They were each priced at $450 Cdn which was more money than I went with, (and I had spent my $120 Cdn on a mint Minox 35GT earlier that morning.)

One was a Canon rangefinder camera with no model designation that I could see. It only said Canon Camera Comp. on the top plate. It had a lever wind, and the slow shutter speeds were incorporated into the top shutter speed dial. It came with an f1.5 50mm Serenar lens (I believe). I took the seller's name and number, and if you guys think it's a good deal, I'll contact him because I've got some cash from a wedding coming up this month.

The other camera was a Minolta 35S rangefinder. It was a Leica copy according to the seller and it came with 2 or 3 lenses.

I feel like I've died and gone to heaven whenever I go to these photo fleamarkets because there are literally thousands of vintage and classic cameras there for sale!
 
Did it have a meter or was in unmetered? If it only said "Canon Camera Company"... it makes me think of those Leica copies, like the Canon II and III. Now, the Serenar is probably worth it. Can you just get the lens alone?

If the guy was asking for $450 for both... seems like a good deal to me. I'd ask him if he'd want to let it go for $400 though...

Good luck!
 
I think they were $450 cdn each, no ?

If it had a lever wind then it's maybe a L, 7 or P model ? And if the Minolta came with 2-3 lenses each one was a nice deal, asuming both were in nice condition, that is.

I intentionally passed on a couple Serenar lenses yesterday on eB@y (a 100 and a 85) which went for $110 (the whole set). I don't stop repeating myself I did the correct thing, I don't need more gear, I don't use long lenses, I can't spend more money, my photography wouldn't improve with them...

But then why do I feel so bad ? :(
 
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Ooops! You're right, Oscar.

If that's the case... I wouldn't pursue it.

But then, that's my own coping mechanism to avoid any further GAS attacks! :)

GAS=gear acquisition syndrome...
 
i think 450 each for canon or minolta, not body & lens. that would be a very bad deal.
450 cdn is a pretty good deal though.
frank, check out the canon museum site, they may have a pic that you can recognize the camera from.
that lens has a good rep, i think. though the lenses marked with only the canon name are usually better.
on that site they also have info on the lenses.

oscar, you probably don't need both a 85 & a 100 but one would nice. a bit longer can be good to get a change of perspective.

between my canon & bessa i now have a 35/50/75/100 set up.

and now i'm wondering about a 28 again...

joe
 
it's a fair price in cdn dollars.
it's not a great deal but more like a good ebay deal.

of course it depends on condition also. i think those older canon models were good, smaller then say the p or 7, heavy and well made.
the slow shutter speeds might be off by now.
ideally if you could take a few shots on xp2 and then get it processed right away that would be the best test.

joe
 
Thanks for the camera museum site, Joe! I've determined the camera to be a VI L. It has a thumb lever film advance, a single shutter speed dial, and a 3 mode magnified viewfinder. The Canon P is similar, but with a simplified single magnification viewfinder. How much is a Canon P with normal lens in excellent condition worth?
 
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that's a nice camera frank, i missed the lever wind in your first post. i have read about them and thought it would be good to have one.
i paid 275 u.s. for my p in good shape and everything working.
the lens can be anywhere from 125 to 250 u.s. depending on condition.

if it's a vi L then the deal just got better.

i say buy it and if you hate it, then you can sell it to me at a great discount!;)

joe
 
backalley photo said:
oscar, you probably don't need both a 85 & a 100 but one would nice. a bit longer can be good to get a change of perspective
Click to expand...

Oh well, I know someone would say that :p

If I had to consider something, the framelines on my Canon are mandatory for the 85. However, just now I think I should try to extract all the possible juice from my 35/50 combo.

Anyway, I never close doors to new opportunities :)
 
Well, no idea about prices on that side of the pond, but a camera shop here in Sydney has a VI-T (same deal but with a trigger wind) with a Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens, both in excellent condition, for the princely sum of AUD $900.
It's a really nice thing, but the missus would kill me if I came home with yet _another_ camera.....

tim
 
the faster lens helps up the price - which is too bad cause it's a lesser lens optically than the canon 1.4.or 1.8
(from what i've read)

joe
 
FrankS said:
I wonder, do I really need another camera?
Click to expand...

Need? NEED????

Of course not!

But want? ahh, now _THAT_ is an entirely different question....

;)

tim
 
Okay, so I contacted the seller today. He did not sell the Canon rangefinder (vi L) at yesterday's photofleamarket, so it's still available. I offered $400, he counted: "I'll meet you half way at $425." I accepted. The camera and lens, as I remember it, is near mint. I asked about the shutter curtains and he did say they had a wrinkle, but he said that they all do, and it does not cause any problem. I did read somewhere that an unwrinkled curtain is rare with these cameras. Can anyone comment on this shutter curtain wrinkle? Joe? Does anyone else have a Canon rangefinder? I'd like to hear about it.
 
everything i have read confirms the famous canon wrinkle. the curtains are metal, stainless steel, and they wrinkle easily. it is not supposed to affect how it works.
frank, i'm more than a bit envious but i wish you well and expect to see some pics soon.

joe
 
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