Sub $25 cameras.

[ibcrewin]

Okay, I admit I am cheap. I really like a good bargain. I've been looking around and realized there are some decent cameras to be had under $25 Dollars.

I bought my canonet 28 for $15 bucks. Although the meter doesn't work, I put new seals on it and it shoots just fine at 1/30.

I bought a polaroid big shot for $2 at a garage sale. It's a fun to tool around with that. I might hack it to take 120 film.

I also bought my lubitel 2 for a whopping $17 shipped (ebay).

What have you found/bought for really cheap in an acceptably usable condition?

 

[FrankS]

$20 or $25 garage sale finds:

Nikon N65 with 35-105 AF Nikkor lens
Nikon FG with 50f1.8E Nikkor lens
Konica FS-1 with Konica 40mm and off-brand 28mm

 

[doitashimash1te]

The Agfa Optima rangefinder (1535) deserves more attention than it usually gets. An overlooked camera. It can be found cheap (<$25 if you're lucky).

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/optima1535/

 

[Michiel]

Got the Yashica Electro 35 GSN for €15, so around $20.

I always add the cost of a CLA though.

 

[Kin Lau]

Kiev 4 ... free due to a messed up advance mechanism... 5 min's to fix.
Konica S2... less than $20- from Ebay. I think my Minolta 7S was the same.

I'm still looking for a $25- Leica M

 

[Stephanie Brim]

My Agfa Billy was $15 including shipping and takes decent photos for being ~65-70 years old. I got two bulk loaders for less than $10. I got two rolls of horribly expired film (Plus-X and Tri-X) for $2 each.

 

[clarence]

The Agfa Optima rangefinder (1535) deserves more attention than it usually gets. An overlooked camera. It can be found cheap (<$25 if you're lucky).

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/optima1535/

That Agfa Optima is incredibly adorable.

Clarence

 

[Borghesia]

At a market I got a perfectly working Olympus XA plus A11 flash in a very nice leather pouch for 10 euro's. On another market I found an also perfect Olympus 35 RC for 25 euro´s. No CLA´s, with batteries and ready to shoot.

 

[mtbbrian]

You can get a Holga for that!
If you buy it from www.holgamods.com it will cost you about 35 with shipping though.
Brian

 

[ferider]

I bought my XA (in great shape) at a yard sale for US 25 exactly

Roland.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Off the top of my head...but I'm pretty sure I've had others.

Sears 35|rf (Ricoh 500G), $17
Olympus Stylus Epic, $20
Balda Baldina B, $22
Balda Super-Baldina, $20

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Rolleicord Art Deco special edition for £4 at a garage sale.

 

[dazedgonebye]

The Agfa Optima rangefinder (1535) deserves more attention than it usually gets. An overlooked camera. It can be found cheap (<$25 if you're lucky).

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/optima1535/

Thanks tons! Now I'm looking for an Optima! :bang:

 

[pvdhaar]

Couple of months ago I bought a 'travel cam'. Brand new. It's a 35mm fixed focus reloadable camera with flash, included a 24 exposure 400ISO film, an AA battery, a manual, and a two year garantee. All that for the staggering price of.. 2 euro. It's cheaper than a roll of film alone.

Bought it just for the film, but when I unpacked it, it wasn't even as bad as I expected. Shame I didn't buy the whole shelf..

 

[DannL]

. . . .

I bought a polaroid big shot for $2 at a garage sale. It's a fun to tool around with that. I might hack it to take 120 film.

Interesting. I had just picked up (Saturday) two polaroid folders similar to the 210 Automatic ($3 each), for exactly for the same purpose. To convert them to 120 roll film. I had all the plans drawn up for a DIY 120 roll film adapter and then yesterday I found a Adapt-a-roll 620 (a 4x5 to 6x6/6x9 adapter) for $4. Well, there goes my plans and all that hard work. I should be able to strap this puppy onto the back of the 210 . . . and turn it into a new breed of 6x9 with electronic shutter, rangefinder, lightweight and truely disposable (save the adapter).

http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/adapt-a-roll.html

You're getting a lot of camera when you buy a Polaroid folder. It's too bad they take Polaroid film.

 

[rbiemer]

One good deal I got was a Polaroid SX-70(2nd gen? had a tripod socket) in its well worn box for $5 at a flea market. Worked well and at the time I got it the SX-70 was going for about $99 or 150 used from KEH/Adorama/etc.
I've been given two different Canon SLR kits. One I passed on to the kid of one of my co workers(the kid is taking photos for the year book and school newspaper.) at the same cost I paid($0) with the stipulation that I get a print.
Got a "Porst" SLR for $25 shipped off of ebay--it's a re-branded Praktica. Works pretty well and I may need to get another M-42 lens(or two) to accompany it.
Looked at but didn't buy a Polaroid 110a Land Camera for $15--nice shape but I knew it would just sit on the shelf--one more thing to dust.
Rob

 

[kellymjones]

2 Yashica T4 Supers -- $4.99 each -- Thrift Store
1 Pentax K1000 -- $1.99 -- Thrift Store
1 Yashica Electro 35 GSN -- $20 -- Craigslist
1 Nikon F with 50mm f1.4 -- $40 -- Craigslist
1 Olympus RC -- $7.99 -- Thrift Store
1 Konica Auto S2 -- $13.99 -- Thrift Store

 

[oscroft]

My cheapest RF camera was a Ricoh 500G for £1.25 (approx $2.50)

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Argus C-44, Canon AE-1 with 2 lenses, Minolta SRT 101 with 500mm lens, Spotmatic II with 50mm lens (free), Takumar 28mm f3.5, Yahica MG-1. Some need repairs, one hasn't been tested yet, and one is on the way. Olympus om-2 which died immediately but it had two lenses. And, a Canonet 28 which I could not get to work.

 

[shadowfox]

2 Yashica T4 Supers -- $4.99 each -- Thrift Store
1 Pentax K1000 -- $1.99 -- Thrift Store
1 Yashica Electro 35 GSN -- $20 -- Craigslist
1 Nikon F with 50mm f1.4 -- $40 -- Craigslist
1 Olympus RC -- $7.99 -- Thrift Store
1 Konica Auto S2 -- $13.99 -- Thrift Store

You are the king of thrift store bargains
I enjoy reading your blog and we swap story about that Fuji D200 (which turns to be crappy)