What's Your Best Bargain Find?

On Sunday, I bought a Pentax M 17mm f4 fisheye for 45$ at a flea market. Not bad. The dealer said it was a macro lens. Who was I to argue with him? He knew better than me. I am happy.
 
$700 for an M6 on Ebay - it was a holiday and the seller had bad ratings. The camera was pristine though. Not a steal like $105 though - that's a crazy story.
 
DNG said:
I had to really think on this one. It was my 1st camera...a Voigtlander Prominent with a Nokton 50mm f/1.5, not sure what model (Ver I, II), But in 1968 my Dad & I went to downtown Miami, Fl to a used camera store...it was $50.00 and I was 14. That started me in the long winded hobby of photography.
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I remember those stores. I used to gander in the window of them as a penniless 12 y/o!
 
My findings are pretty weak, but thrill me.

Excellent condition Electro GSN for $5, and a beat up but working QL17 GIII for $2. Also a minolta sr series extension bellows with box for $5.
 
Last year, from Craigslist, I bought a Summicron 35/2.0 version 1, in factory-mint condition, still in the box, for $200. The lens must be worth at least $1500. The seller was a grad student in photography. I actually felt guilty, and asked if he was sure about the price; he said he'd checked the internet and the price was correct.
 
Still haven't found many once-in-a-lifetime type of deals. Bought a LNIB Diana for $5. A LNIB Kodak Anniversary Camera for $25. Bought a complete Bolex H16 kit for $50. I can't complain too much... I've sold all of these for a substantial profit.
 
my best find last week at evilbay: 1 Kodak Disk 4000, 1 Kodak Instamatic with 3 flash cubes and a Kodak Retina IIIC. All announced as Kodak retro cameras and enriched with a very unsharp picture. I paid 56,50 € incl. postage. The retina has the fine xenon-lens. light-meter works and shutter as well.
 
Thirteen years ago I got a perfect 35RC for £2.

Last summer I was fortunate to hand over £10 for an immaculate & fully functional Pen FT kit including the 40mm f1.4 & 150mm f4 with erc & lens caps/cases. Combined value based on recent eBay activity is up to around £550 but appears to be much higher in Germany & USA.

A week later via FreeCycle a boxed, unused Nikon F75 with Nikkor G 28-100 came from one donor (worth up to £125) & on the same day a used but serviced Nikon N8008s with Nikkor 35mm f2, Nikkor 300mm f4.5 & Sigma AF 24mm f2.8, in all worth around £260. As FreeCycle suggests, all for nowt!

In the last week on eBay I've bought a Zuiko 50-90mm zoom for the Pen FT for £22. It's certainly worth more than that.
 
I just snagged a baby Rollei in seemingly awesome condition (recovered by new leather, too, for what it's worth) plus some accessories for $150. Not a ridiculously cheap find, but I'm happy to try it out for that price...
 
Just picked up a Canon VT Deluxe (looks almost unused) with case, 35/2.8 in case with finder and caps (looks unused), 50/1.2 (perfect except for a bit of oil on an interior element I gotta clean off) with front cap and OEM Canon UV made for the lens, and 135/3.5 (looks unused) with caps and case for $600! Not super cheap but hard to find stuff in this condition!

Taking the VT Deluxe and 35/2.8 for a walkabout in downtown Anchorage in a bit with some Fuji Acros 100 onboard...
 
There's actually been three. I've conveniently forgotten the scores of krappy kameras.

A Knoica C-35 that I bought in a thrift store for $5 and it took some outstanding photos. Best travel camera we ever had, and I have a couple of 12x18 prints on the wall w/ Tri-X that are just great. The lens on these is very sharp.

My first real camera, a Canon AE-1 w/ a 50 1.8 lens. Bought it in a Savannah thrift store for $13.50, complete w/ battery and hippie strap. They even took an out of town check for it. It taught me about exposure, and I have a nice big print on the wall from it also.

My newest and probably best bargain. A Bessa II w/ Color Heliar lens. Bought it from KEH (couldn't find one in a thrift store) in Bgn condition for $395. The speeds were supposed to be off but it exposes perfectly and looks very presentable. Amazing lens on the thing and 6x9 is nearly LF. I just love this camera and will never, ever sell it.
 
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Hello, my first posting in rangefinderforum
My best bargain find was this week. I found an AGFA compact in a warehouse for used stuff.
This camera was the last made in Germany by AGFA. I has winder and an attachable flash. Made 1981 with an very sharp Solinar 2.8/39. Could not find a manual and infos about the program-automatic. I shoot with slrs form the seventies and an Retina IIIc.
Harald - emails with infos where to read and post welcome
 
I picked up a "like new" Olympus XA-4 for $25.00 at a camera store. The clerk apologized because it didn't have a rangefinder.
 
I think all my buys have been pretty good, but nothing compared to what I've read so far. 35mm skopar, mint, for something like $140 with m adapter, a nikkor 135/3.5 and canon 100/3.5 for $180, 1958 M2 for $400. My summarit was $225 with filters and a hood which despite the bad rep of the lens, I find to be a great deal.


Wouter said:
I found quite a few here in Brazil:
mint canon 7sz with 50/0.95 and erc for 250$
mint rolleiflex T for 100$
leica 1c with elmar 50, 50 finder and rangefinder, plus erc for 100$
leica m4 with summilux 50 and summaron 35 for 1100$
fujica g690 and g670 + 150, 100 and 55mm lenses for 750$. sold the 55 alone for over 1200 euros (this is one of the rarest of lenses)
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você é nordestino?
 
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