Question Canon P price?

[kiev4a]

Ran across a canon P with a bright finder and clean body (some bright marks on the top. Curtain has some wrinkles but appears to be sound. Has a nice F1.8 lens. Asking price is $350 but I suspect I could get them down around $300. Is that a decent price for a P? My only concern is if the metal shutter goes, it might be difficult to get it repaired.

Need the advice of you P experts.

 

[back alley]

350 with the 50/1.8?

grab it now and don't look back.
300 and you could get charged with theft!!

the curtain can be replaced, many p's have wrinkled curtains and there is no affect on pics at all. the curtain will likely last unless there is a pre exisiting condition.

grab it or buy it for me, i'll send a money order next week!!

joe

 

[ChrisN]

Grab it. That's a good price for a camera with lens.

If the curtain has only a few wrinkles, that should not be a problem. I have a P with Mark Hama at the moment for CLA, with a badly wrinkled shutter curtain. Mark tells me that he can replace the curtain with a fabric curtain, if he can't locate a suitable replacement for the original curtain. So, long term, maintenance should not be a problem.

Have you handled a known-good P before? Check that all shutter speeds sound reasonable, and run a roll of film through it to check that the film transport and re-wind is ok. Assuming these check out ok, and the viewfinder and rangefinder are good, this could be a bargain! Check the lens carefully for any signs of haze, scratches (especially the rear element), and oil on the aperture iris blades.

Even if you don't decide to keep it, there will be people lining up here to offer to take it off your hands!

 

[cp_ste.croix]

how come i never see deals like that? darn it!

 

[kiev4a]

I had a P years ago. When I got out of photography back in the "80s I stuck it in a box. Probably about 1985 I sold it at a graage sale for $10. :bang:

 

[George S.]

I don't want to sound like i'm trying to advertise mine on ebay, but since the topic came up.... I had no idea what to ask for it, so I didn't offer it here first. I had checked ebay histories, photo net histories, and the archives right here, and still was looking at a huge range of prices.... $300 to $700. So I decided to let the ebay marketplace tell me my price. It's at $250 with 1 day to go.
My ebay seller ID is ClassicVW.

 

[back alley]

george!

i'm speechless...


wayne, 10 bucks...i just wanna cry.

joe

 

[djon]

Somebody on the Bay is offering $575 BIN for an average P...wrinkles a little worse than usual
maybe, cosmetics beautiful. The seller says it's a half stop slow...for some reason my pair aren't.

$575 seems too much, especially considering shutter, but I don't think there's anything comparable until you're into $700 M3 Leicaland, if then.

 

[back alley]

john, we need to stop talking about how great the p is and start to drive the damn prices DOWN!

i'm starting to feel personally responsible...

joe

 

[jlw]

john, we need to stop talking about how great the p is and start to drive the damn prices DOWN!

Okay, how about this: The 7 has a much better frameline system, covers more lenses, has a longer and hence more accurate rangefinder base, includes the outer bayonet flange so you can use the 50/0.95 lens if you want, is just as rugged and beautifully made inside, and isn't significantly larger.

If you don't like the selenium meter cell, you can always have an "accident" with a mini-grinder.

Most people who want a vintage Canon and shop for a P would be much better off with a 7 instead.

How does that sound? And I don't even own a 7... (7s, yes; 7, no.)

 

[dexdog]

As much as I agree with JLW about the 7, I can't make backalley happy by talking-down the P. I too have a 7s, but end up using the P more often. The simple elegance and functionality of the P can't be beat.

dexdog

 

[back alley]

that's it for you dex!
one more time and we ban you for a month!! 😉

yes, the canon 7 is the camera of choice, dirt cheap built like a tank and has viewfinder that handles more lenses without needing those nasty external finders. and did i mention built like a tank.

who cares if it lacks the simple elegance of the p...doh!

joe

 

[jlw]

The simple elegance and functionality of the P can't be beat.

I don't want to talk down the P too much, since I'm currently the "absentee landlord" of one.

But if you want to be the beat-er rather than the beat-ee, the 7 is definitely the way to go. Bop 'em with a 7, and they stay bopped 'til nightfall.

 

[dreilly]

What about the VI-L...that one seems even better than the P, and it lets you compose using he whole vf and not just framelines. Does anyone actually have one, however?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have the VI-T. I went looking for a P the last time Joe talked it up and found the VI-T for $140. Sent it to Essex for a CLA for $130. It is very nice, and I like the variable finder. The 35mm frame is easy to see with glasses. The 50mm/100mm frame is parallax corrected with a brightline, and "RF" setting is perfect for the 135. The Trigger wind means advancing the film without taking your eye from the finder. Rugged? You could use the chain on the trigger winder to cut down trees.

Offer him the $300. I doubt he will slap you. If they don't take, it, $350 is fair. The lens alone goes for ~$150.

Essex charges $160 to replace the shutter on a Canon 7. I suspect this includes a general CLA. Wrinkles are normal. It will work fine and last forever. If they bother you, it can be repaired.

http://essexcamera.com/camera_list.php?brand=CANON

 

[mjm6]

Just when I think I may have acquired all of the RF gear I need (and some that I definately do not), you guys start talking up more Canon bodies (VI-L and 7) that I had not considered before...

I wish there were a place to try some of these other than the Ebay way, although I am pretty good at flipping gear and actually making some money, so it is simply a hassle issue more than anything.

As a glasses wearer, using a wide angle lens with the P is a concern (I have one on the way, so I don't know just yet). I am also left eye dominant, and have used my left eye for all of my 35mm years, so I am looking forward to working with the P with my right eye.

Are there any Canon bodies that get down to a 28 in the viewfinder?


---Michael

 

[jlw]

Are there any Canon bodies that get down to a 28 in the viewfinder?

The 7 and 7s have projected frames for a 35mm lens -- and if you look beyond these, the unframed view is kindasortaprettyclose to showing a 28mm angle of coverage.

The edges are 'way out there, though -- probably about as bad as the 35mm framelines on a P -- and of course there's no parallax compensation.