What's Your Best Bargain Find?

Hi, New to the forum. Lurking for a time. Time to say hello.

Lots of great finds on the thread, especially the Canon LTM. My best was a couple months ago: a Retina Ia in near mint, perfectly functioning condition for $7 at a flea market. It was left open, and the advance lever was in the extended position. I think the owner just thought it was jammed. Immediately, I gently pressed the advance lever that last final click and it returned to its resting place without problem. I fired the shutter off a couple times. Then, I reset the distance to infinity and confirmed that the thing would close properly. Been using it since. Oh, $7 minus the 10% discount meant that even with tax it didn't really break $7.

The only problem is that I've gotten away from 35mm, moving more into 120. This meant that the bargain on the Retina only made me spend more money because now I just had to have an equivalent small 120 folder. $51 later I ended up with a near mint Zenobia 645. Oh well, even this was still a pretty good deal and it really is the next thing up from the Retina.

Randy
 
Found a minty Olympus 35 SP yesterday for $15USD (or 100 SEK). Will have to get the shutter release fixed though, it's loose and rattling around, but works..
 
Last week I got an Olympus XA for £5.00 (he wanted £6 but i bargained him down) Nice fully functioning one.
Also an SMC Takumar 28 2.8 for £2.50. On Ebay at the moment!

A Mamiya press + Lens + 2 Backs for £25.00. (Ebay, listed as "Old camera, possibly Pentax")

Elmar 90 3.5 (prewar) £5.00
Leitz Binux Binoculars £3.50 (In box with Original receipt from Panama City 1950`s)

Picked up several Praktica MTL`s over the years with Flektogons, 135 Sonnars, Tessars etc. Dont think I ever paid more than a Tenner.

Probably the best acquisition was from a house clearance I was paid to do. Amongst the rubbish a very nice Ensign Autorange 16-20 Ross Xpress etc.

On my wish list for next week is..............
 
- Rolleicord III for $9.95 on Ebay (that thing works like a charm after a CLA)
- Nikkormat and Nikon 50mm 1.4 Ais for $15 at a fleamarket
- Zeiss Ikonta with Novar lens - $3.50 on Ebay (was listed as "accordion cammera" under category "Weird stuff - totally bizarre")
- Lot of 2 Welta Weltinis, a Welta Weltur and a Weltax for $45 also on Ebay
 
-mint Olympus XA for $20.00 from a pawn shop.
-Metz 32CT3 flash unit and wide angle diffuser, fully functional, for one penny on ebay, I was absolutely amazed.
 
A new sealed-in-box Canon AE-1, (I kid you not!) along with new Canon 50mm f/1.8, 28mm f/2.8 and 70-150mm tele, (all still sealed) for $50 Canadian. (included a Canon 199A Speedlite flash, set of Hoya filters, and lowepro case) I can't get over just how weird it is to have a brand new 36 year old camera!

For another $50, (different seller) a truly mint Minolta Maxxum 7000 with three immaculate lenses; the 50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/2.8, and lovely 135mm f/2.8 prime, along with a flash, filters, case and some other goodies. I would have paid 6 times this price just for the 135mm prime.

Glen

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2 Pen-F bodies, 38mm, 100mm, zoom lens, Jupiter-8, Jupiter-9, Black Trip35, and 2 Fed-1s for $150 from a local individual.
 
Recently, I found out that IXMOO cassettes, which I pay dearly for, are not 100% light tight, and better be stored in their original black canisters.

So about half a year ago, I put a bid on an auction for a lot of leica stuff, mostly 18 canisters, one IXMOO, and one FILCA. I won, and payed 50$ incl. shipping.
That was the description: Leica film containers LOT of 18, B film cassette, N cassette spool, camera strap

Lately, I have received a whole bunch of things I have accumulated from the US, but when I got to the canisters, I knew something was wrong: too heavy!
Each one of the canisters had an ixmoo in it. :)

Now I need to find new canisters for these IXMOOs I had before that :D
 
Best yard sale finds

Best yard sale finds

A Bell and Howell Foton with Flash attachment and original papers saying that it was purchased in 1949 for $700 (!!!!)*
A black Nikon F with Photomic Tn and 28/2 35/2 50/1.4 55/3.5 105/2.5 (Sonnar type) all glass perfect for $200
A Kodak Ektra for $75 ( crappy condition but it's an Ektra)
M3 near mint $450

*I didn't pay $700 for the Foton... Someday someone will buy it and I will profit
 
About 2 years ago, I found a copy of Gunter Osterloh's Leica M: Advanced Photo School on the scratch and dent shelf at a Barnes and Noble for $15.00. It was still wrapped in plastic, but looked like it had been dropped--some of the corners were dented.

I grabbed it quickly, and immediately looked around--like I'd found a bag of money.
This was before the updated edition had come out, and there was really no indication that there would be another printing.

I'd seen them go for like $300.00, and that was with pages falling out (weak binding).

Should have sold it.
 
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