Would you buy this for $3500?

[Jan Van Laethem]

What worries me more than the state this particular camera is in, is the possibility that this might be a fake black SP. Far fectched maybe, but unless we can make sure that the serial number belongs to an actual batch of factory built black SP's, I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Take a regular badly abused SP, spray paint it black, apply a hair dryer before the paint is completely dry to give it that authentic look, then leave it for six weeks in the car in full sunshine to get the leather peel off, apply some sand paper to the top and bottom plate and you've made yourself a couple of bucks. 😀

 

[Al Kaplan]

I suppose I could make up some fantastic story about a camera like that and display it next to my 1940's Speed Graphic and big ol' Graflex SLR (both in MUCH better shape). Or sell it! Maybe make up a name of the famed eastern European war photographer, Jibae Skamma, and how he swiped it from a UPI photographer in a house of ill repute in Latvia after his Zorki died? Lots of possibilities here ;-) Hell, some idiot might go for a buy-it-now of ten grand!

 

[NIKON KIU]

I checked the number and it's OK.

Still wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

Kiu

 

[LeicaTom]

That bottom plate looks like there`s traces of chrome on it? (did Nikon paint over chrome? - or is that grey primer? YUCK!)

I don`t know anything about Nikon Black paint cameras, but I can honestly say after seeing quite a few real black paint M2`s a few M3`s and even a real MP all in original Leitz black paint and really used with nice patina, they seemed to wear a whole lot better than Nikon`s did, while this camera looks horrible!

I`d give um $50 for it, it`s worth that much, would cost a fortune to get it fixed if there`s something wrong with it......

Tom

 

[xayraa33]

Ophra's talking minge????????

Does that mean the same in the US as it does in the UK?

well, ... no and yes, you better see for your self.
take a gander at this.....

http://www.southparkzone.com/episodes/1005/A-Million-Little-Fibers.html

 

[Niall Bell]

Thanks. Never seen that. I seem to have missed a lot around the US contribution to global culture 😉.

At least I now know it means the same across the water.

 

[tvagi]

i am not an expert,but i think this camera is NOT a bargain!

 

[nikon_sam]

You do realize you will pay a bit more for the black body...???
I am still swearing off buying another body this year so I have to let this one go to another Nikon Lover...

 

[BillBingham2]

Omg!!

Omg!!

What worries me more than the state this particular camera is in, is the possibility that this might be a fake black SP. Far fectched maybe, but unless we can make sure that the serial number belongs to an actual batch of factory built black SP's, I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Take a regular badly abused SP, spray paint it black, apply a hair dryer before the paint is completely dry to give it that authentic look, then leave it for six weeks in the car in full sunshine to get the leather peel off, apply some sand paper to the top and bottom plate and you've made yourself a couple of bucks. 😀

What a potential waste of a great camera! Not they way any camera should be treated.

B2 (;->

 

[John Robertson]

Landfill or paperweight.😱

 

[Jan Van Laethem]

What a potential waste of a great camera! Not they way any camera should be treated.

B2 (;->

I was just kidding of course! It would be a shame to mess up an SP or any Nikon RF.

Now that KIU checked the serial number, maybe there is some history involved with this camera. Did anyone care to contact the seller to find out a bit more about this particular camera?

Jan

 

[rbsinto]

After reading threads like this one, I think Nikon could probably make a small pile of money selling black rangefinder body shells. I heard they lost money on every new S3 and SP they produced, and they could recoup at least some of that money by doing so. If they cared about the collectors, they could be stamped with "replacement" or somesuch instead of a serial number so no one would be fooled. I'd love to have black bodies as I've never liked chrome cameras, and would be willing to pay a reasonable price to convert mine.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Robert, Robert @ Rangefinder Restorations can paint your chrome bodies black for you. No doubt cheaper than buying black parts from Nikon 😉

 

[rbsinto]

Nah.
It's just a silly affectation that's likely too expensive and time-consuming to bother with. Besides who knows how long it would stand up to use. Remember, my cameras are shooters, so I wouldn't want to pay a whack of money only to discover that the paint chips off easily.
But thanks for the link anyway.

 

[sp9107sp]

now on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Nikon-SP-Rangefinder-Black-Camera-w-1-1-4-Lens_W0QQitemZ320313941265QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item320313941265&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1318

 

[Cunha]

Went through a tumbler a few times.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I saw a MUCH NICER original black SP than this one in Tokyo the other day. It was priced at 262,500 yen (approx. $2,700). But someone had already beaten me to it :bang:

 

[Jan Van Laethem]

I checked this one on Ebay this morning and it has already gone over the $ 1,000 mark. $ 1,025 with 18 bids if I remember right, with still another 4 days to go. I wonder how much it will go for. It will only take two serious bidders who desperately want it to get it near the original asking price.

 

[Jan Van Laethem]

The seller has a 96% rating, seems kind of low to buy from him/her. Also, if you look at the other items they have for sale, there's loads of digital point and shoots plus other vintage equipment. This isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't give me much confidence either.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Here's the Black SP I saw in a shop in Tokyo the other day. Even despite the crappy quality of my cell phone camera photo, its obvious this is a much nicer camera.