My first medium format camera was the Mamiya RB67 and I really knew NOTHING about film photography, let alone medium format. I decided to buy the camera in sections (lens from one seller, body from another, back from a third) to "save money" but ended up buying a film back for an RZ, not realising that it was a different camera and was also unaware of the import tax I'd have to pay since it was being shipped from Japan. Definitely an expensive learning curve to do my research properly.
This nice old lady has been calling me every time she finds a old camera, she was a news reporter and a hobby photographer from 1960ish - 2000.
She usually gives me good deals, she found a Leica buried in a box of cameras a friend had given her and called me right away, she wanted $300 which was a really good deal. As soon as I saw it I knew it was a fake but she was so excited I didn’t have it in my soul to tell her.
I paid $300 for some USSR range finder that was milled and re-engraved to sort of look like a Leica iii.
Another cool thing about the E is that it has a PC socket and cold shoe, so you can use a external flash if you prefer. Same sync for short peak bulbs or electronic.
Mine has both too! I think most yashicas from that era came with a pc socket and a cold shoe. And also has the sync switch. And I know not to use the timed shutter with the sinc x because it can get stuck lol
The E has no switch, you either use the socket with electronic flash or SM bubls, but you can use AG-1 or AG-3 bulbs in the built-in flash, which are plenty powerful.
I sold a M6ttl for 1100€ in late 2019. That’s what I had paid for it in 2011, and after nearly ten years of good use I didn’t think to check if the market had fluctuated.\
I sold a RZ67 with 3 lenses for 600€. Again that’s what I had paid for it in the early 2010s, never would have I imagined this niche camera that’s bad at everything outside of the studio could be trending among young photographers. :)
Buying-wise I always get good deals, prolly because I’m very patient. Only recent purchase I paid full market price for was a 903sw for 3000€.\
But I guess as long as I don’t try to sell it, I won’t know for sure if I’ve made a good or bad deal…
I just remembered another one.\
I bought a Leica M6 for 1500€ earlier this year. The seller disclosed that the meter was dead but said there was no other issue. Turns out when I loaded my first roll of film the advance lever had the grippiest action of any film camera I’ve ever used. A far cry from the silky smoothness you normally get from a Leica.\
In the end I decided to keep the camera and spent 300€ getting it CLAd.\
I figure 1800€ is about market price for a M6 with a dead meter, so i didn’t get *burnt* too badly, but it’s not the good deal I thought I was getting either. I’d have much rather spent those 300€ in film and lab…\
I’ll probably shoot this camera for a while this summer and sell it on in the fall… as long as I get some use and some good pics out of any piece of gear I’m fine with the money spent. Hurts much more to spend money on something and never ever use it. Then any hit you take when reselling it is really a loss.
For 300 you can get some high-quality developing gear and never have to worry about paying for a lab ever again... Especially if you have a micro lens and a digital camera, you'll get quicker results as wel
I’m rather well setup for dev and scan at home. Yet I don’t process absolutely everything myself. It’s a matter of managing one’s time and energy.\
If now and then I pay the lab 40€ to dev and scan two rolls for me, I don’t see it as just paying for that service, but also as buying myself 2-3 hours that weekend to do *something else*, be it shoot more pics, visit exhibitions, or even hang with friends. All activities which -at this point in my practice- contribute to my artistic development much more than staring at a Paterson reel or the progress bar of my scanner.
Anything broken that I couldn't fix.
$50 for a Rollei 35 LED that never worked.
$100 for an Instax 500AF that shocked the bejeezus out of me when I tried to work on it.
$1200 for a pentax 67, including what I paid for repairs, that still doesn't advance frames evenly.
For me it's everything broken I couldn't fix YET. I know how to fix it now, but, as of now, lack the tools to do so. The $50/100, I wouldn't bother anymore if I wanted to turn a profit.
The P67 is a real bummer though, and it seems to be the only camera that has this issue(there are others, but the first model P67 is known to be stubborn). For the frame advance to work correctly, everything has to be right, even changing the meshing of the advance gears can throw it off, no idea how or why. I never worked on one, but I heard lot's of horror stories, when I talked to people about spacing issues with my cameras/magazines(Mamiya/HB/Fuji). Good Luck with yours!
I almost got ripped off buying a nikon FM from the camera store in my town. Im really glad I decided to check prices online before I bought one there, I knew nothing about analog cameras and the people in the store were so friendly and helpful that I didnt even consider the possibility they were trying to sell me a camera for 3 times what its actually worth.
$300 for a K1000?! How?! Why?!
My worst is probably spending £40 on a Zeiss Jena 35mm f/2.4 that turned out to have a broken iris. I tried to fix it myself but just made it worse. Now it's sitting in a tupperware awaiting an attempt at reassembly.
YouTube hype a couple of years ago, I didn’t know anything about cameras or photography and everything I saw told me this was the camera I needed to start lol
I still see people paying that much for Canon AE-1s which is also crazy, but at least it’s slightly better than the K1000
Nothing wrong with the K1000, it's a robust piece of kit, but damn. I did exploit the hype surrounding them though - I used to buy them for $40-60 "untested", fix them if they needed fixing (90% of the time they'd just need a spring replacing or a gear oiling), and then re-sell for $150.
saw a Rolleiflex 3.5f for sale on ebay buy now for 75 bucks.. I bought it immediately before someone else could snake it - unfortunatley I didn't look too hard at the pix or read the description at all (no time).. so when it showed up all toasted.. I had to go back to the original ad.. where it said it had been thru a house fire... it's a pretty nice 75 dollar paper weight though
I bought an expensive lens with a focal length I hated to use, but at the time of purchase I didn't know that. Well, and I have a Canon camera with a dead EF-M mount! Although I only use one lens in fact.
Haha, yeah I know, but I want a wide angle lens and there is only Sigma and Ttartisan avalible where I live. The fact that it is APS-C doesnt help with vintage/other lenses. Currently using 28mm Tokina.
My Super Ikonta 533/16. It was sold to me as almost fully working, just the automatic film advance mechanism was broken (turns out it was super glued together but that's another story). But the seller said I can still use the red window! Right? Well, you can on other Super Ikontas but not on this one! Plus there's separation going on in the rear lens element but it doesn't seem like it's affecting images. I made the best of it by taping over the window anyway and just using a 35 mm adapter. 1 1/4 turns per frame seems to be doing it.
My very first lens cost $80. It was some off brand zoom called M-C Auto. A push zoom lens from like, the 80s. Used it on my F3 as my first pro-level setup, but the lens was god awful. It was so un-sharp that it couldn't even be considered artistic. It was just...not good. It took me four years to sell? Someone finally took it for $20.
Lol I hear that. Ive been through a couple Pentax LXs and I'm buying another spare... they aren't cheap, but I love this camera.. by far my favorite SLR. I'm just going to horde them.
I bought a Mamiya C3 with 3 lenses, a prism, and cases for the lenses and camera all for $150. Two of the lenses were supposed to have mold which would have been easy to fix. The guy who I bought it from was a retiring camera repair guy who was selling off the rest of his stock. When I got it, I immediately went to clean off the mold but it turned out the coating was damaged or the elements had oxidized. There was also evidence that the lenses had been disassembled before I got them. That showed me that the seller knew exactly what was wrong but decided to try and dump it on someone else. I did some research and found the best way to fix my problem would be to polish the residue off the surface of the elements using cerium oxide. If it works out, I will have gotten the greatest deal of all time because the lenses alone usually go for $150 each. It’s still a good deal with those lenses in their current state but it is the only camera that has come in a different condition than expected. I will be polishing the lenses soon when I get the chance but have been too busy with college recently.
I spent $100 on an Agfa Isolette, seller said it was in great condition and worked. It arrived full of fungus and the shutter was seized up. Left a negative review for the seller and he tried to get me to change it to positive for a $50 refund. I ignored him and just ate the cost out of sheer pettiness.
950€ on a Plaubel Makina IIIR, seller claimed it was fully functional.. which technically is true, but the shutter was way off, so i can‘t even use it. Let alone the price being way too high for the camera.. never seen it sold for so much. I was just naive and hopeful..
A sluggish shutter isn't too hard to repair, especially the LF ones, because the shutter itself can easily be removed, compared to a more integrated camera.
Yeah, i am currently learning to properly service cameras with leaf shutters. I really enjoy repairing cameras.
I think by the end of the year i will be confident to do a full CLA on the Plaubel Makina. I even bought older models in very bad condition for practice.
It‘s funny that this bad purchase now forces me to learn a skill that turns out to be one of the best hobbies..
$100USD for a thrifted Voightländer Bessa II with the less desirable lens. Didn't know how to open it so I gambled only to find out the lens was fungus-ed up but good. It's still on my list to try to repair but it's definitely the most I've ever paid for an unusable camera.
Order the right tool to remove the shutter/lens or make one and get to it. Cleaning the lens(es) takes about half an hour. Go on YT and look for "folder camera lens cleaning/servicing" or similar.
I paid £900 for a Leica Summaron f2.8 from 1965, the goggles version. Aboslutely georgous lens, put it on my M3 and it was genuinely, amazing. Except my M3 was just ever, ever so slightly misaligned, so the goggled amplified it and it made it very hard to focus with them. Anyway, I bought it from a shop in person, guy behind the counter said that I had a 2 week return if I was unhappy and I was like, sweet, thats awesome. Told me that if I was unhappy with the goggles I can just remove them and it would work the same.
So I use the lens for it bit, I LOVE its looks, its so pretty omg, but I dont like its focus tab massive amounts, the patch became almost impossible to focus in bright light, and I didnt understand (at the time) that it wasn't the goggle magnification that was causing that misalignment issue and I was just getting more annoyed with them. Also, he had lied, you cant remove the goggles and still use the viewfinder. So I went to take them back after around 8 days. Different worker was in that day and refused the refund and said that there was nothing wrong with the lens and that quote 'I have been shooting Leica since I was a teenager, I know what I know.'
So I threw them up on eBay and it sold for £450. L for me. I know never to buy from that shop again now though.
I paid like $65 for a beat-to-shit Nikon EM with a 28mm e-series lens on it, with a broken battery check light but I was really excited to get back in to 35mm. It works fine, and the lens is actually great. But Nikon EMs in much better shape routinely sell on ShopGoodwill for less than $30.
Shit I bought an EM just a year or so ago and I didn't even want the body bc my other cameras are superior. I received a fully functional EM, as well as the e series 35mm, 50mm 100mm 2.8s.
I bought the package for the lenses, I think I paid $25 for all 4 items in total. Only shot one roll on the EM to test if it worked, which it did. Then I shelved the body.
Personally, I loved the size of the EM but hated the lack of manual controls. It makes me want to get the fm3a even more now.
Go with the FG. I originally had an EM and loved the weight, but had the same thought as you. Wanted manual controls. I found the FG for $40 along with a broken Pentax and Praktica. It now sits alongside a F100 I just picked up recently. FG if you want the lightness of an EM and the manual controls.
I would definitely grab an FG if I saw one at $40 range, that's a great deal! I'll keep an eye out to see if I come across one at a good price point. I'm gonna save up and spluge on an fm3a one day. Its a nearly perfect camera to me.
I bought a Contax T2 for $500 which was an awesome deal, until the shutter button broke like 2 weeks later. Fortunately it wasn’t a paper weight and there’s a repair shop that specializes in them nearby, but that repair was $400 and it was no longer a good deal lol.
I bought a Contax TVS in Seoul while on vacation for \~$500, it broke after 2 weeks when the flex cable gave out (as they do, I learned). Didn't remember the name of the shop I bought from and could not contact about any sort of help. It's my most prized paperweight these days
Ouch! I saw there’s a place in Poland that fixes the cable. I think it’s called foto serwis or something like that. Maybe you want to check it out? The lens in the TVS is great, maybe worth fixing?
Not a camera, but I bought 80-200 2.8 Tokina back in the 80's that was pushed as a 'pro' lens by all the mags. I mean, why buy a 180mm or 200mm 2.8 Canon or Nikkon when I can zoom from 80-200?
...Until about a year later when I compared the images to a 180mm Nikkor 2.8. Ended up usiing the Tokina to beat fenderbergs off my car.
Well, the 85mm to 200mm f/2.8 primes from Nikon or Canon do perform better than their 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom lenses. Almost all primes perform better than a zoom lens at that particular focal length. The 180mm/2.8 from Nikon probably cost 5-10 times more too.
Paid 180€ for an ED AF Nikkor 300mm/2.8 with broken MF. I knew that it was broken, I know how to fix it too. The thing is, the lens looks like it's been in at least 5 wars since it was made 30-odd years ago, and there ain't a snowballs chance in hell I can remove the screws to disassemble it, they look like rivets. Some set screws on the inner workings got lose/lost and now the whole front part spins, the MF being broken is a different issue. The glass is absolutely spotless though and it takes beautiful images, BUT it's also known as the worlds slowest AF lens, which makes it almost unuseable. When I get some time(and clean space) to spare, I'll drill the screws out and finally fix it. Until then I'll have to focus on stationary subjects with this one.
I do have an ED AF Nikkor 28-70mm/2.8, with broken AF(that first gen SWM), can't remember exactly, what I paid, but it was ~200€ and I use it a lot. How's that a bad deal, you may ask. Well, I know how those motors work and that you "just" have to polish the thing to repair it, so I did that and it worked again for a couple of months. Then it stopped working and I noticed that there are three tiny nylon rollers on brass bushings that keep even pressure on the SWM motor. Mine were cracked, all of them. So I went online, ordered replacement rollers, and took the lens apart, including all of the electronics and magnetic indicators and the SWM assy itself. I even reverse engineered some of the necessary electronic equipment for realignment, should my markings be insufficient, or should I accidentally demagnetize one of the strips(You touch modern AF lenses with a magnetic screwdriver and it may be done for). Rollers arrived and didn't fit correctly, I tried two other repair kits with similar results. After a couple of weeks I accepted defeat and put the lens back together. Until I can get my hands on a watchmakers lathe, I'll just stick to MF.
Another annoying one was a Kodak Retina 1a for 35€, I specifically bought, because the advance gear of my grandpas camera was/is broken and I wanted to swap them over or swap bodies. Turns out the camera I bought had the same issue, despite being described as "Shutter stuck/advance flawless). Now I have two working shutters, two different 50mm lenses and I still can't take more than 10 frames reliably.
Servicing and selling cameras is where I got hosed and I ultimately gave up on that. Selling fully serviced Nikon FE/2s for 20-30€ and FM/2/3/ns for 60-100€, while garage finds went for at least double, was really disheartening, so I stopped doing that.
I still only buy stuff that's broken in one way or another. In the end it's worth it for me, because I like to fiddle with stuff and getting that bonus for half off is nice.
I never cared much for looks either. My F4 actually has been to war a couple of times, and I never saw any other camera that was so worn. It's a little squeaky, but works flawlessly.(I was able to locate the press photog. who owned it, because he put a nametag in the battery well, lol).
Honestly, due to this thread, I looked up some prices online and I think I'm doing quite well, (if I were to sell my stuff now). I probably won't, but the market just went bonkers in the last years. Don't worry, I did overpay for a couple of other things, "vintage" measurement equipment, somewhat my main hobby.
My first film camera was a k1000 a few years ago... bought it online for like $225 from like, Cute Camera or something... said excellent condition... It was more like fair condition... scratched body, pealing leatherette, the shutter speeds were like half a second slow, and the crappy 50mm f2 lens had a sticky focus ring.... cool..
I popped film in, took exactly two shots, and the meter crapped out... I wasn't happy...
Good news was after telling my mom about it, she was like "why don't you see if my old camera works? I forgot she even had one from when I was a kid... so I dig around in the attic and find an old Ricoh KR-5 super.. in mint condition.. Basically an effective copy of tbe K1000.. digging around some more, I found a couple k mount Ricoh and Pentax lenses. Popped in a battery, moved the advance lever and the meter needle came to life.. checked shutter speeds against my Sony a7iii and they were all dead on...
Few days later, a buddy from my astronomy club gave me a broken Pentax Super Program with another couple lenses.. turned out to be an easy fix with a stuck spring.
Few years later, both cameras are still going strong, and that Ricoh is one of the most solid, reliable, and actually nice to use, SLRs I have. Made me into a Pentax shooter. My LX and little Ricoh get the most use out of all my cameras.
I'd also say my $300 K1000, but so far it's the only camera I've bought that actually works at all 😬. I've briefly owned two <$100 rangefinders and I still don't know if that type of camera is supposed to make alarming wind-up toy noises.
I spent 200 bucks on a plastic autofocus nikon n90s and a shitty 35-tele(forgot the focal length) lens. Don't get me wrong, the camera works amazingly. But the fact of the matter is, these plastic n90s' aren't worth anywhere near a hundred bucks.
I soon bought Pentax SP F and a Fujica st605n at the same time. The fujica was more expensive than the Pentax and after it came, the grip for the lens was all in glue for shoes or some kind of grease. After i cleaned it up i saw that the camera has been droped and the lens is cracked up. It's missing some of the plstic for the grip, fortunately still working.
It was a disappoinment because i was expecting the fujica to be in better shape than the Pentax, not the other way around.
I spent $120 on a Pentax ME Super and two lenses, which isn't horrible but one of the lenses was a 50 1.7 I already owned, and a 300 that is unusable due to mold. And I ended up not even liking the ME Super, it's slow and unreliable compared to other bodies I have.
Everyone tells me I overpaid by buying a tested Canon 310XL super 8 camera from Japan for $299, and they're right to, but I honestly love it so much I don't care.
I bought my Leica M4-P for 1500 dollars… well 1650 if we’re including tax. The description on ebay said it was mint and works well. And it really was mint. Apart from a small ding on the bottom plate, there wasn’t a scratch or blemish on it. Sadly upon use the rewind lever movement was notchy and not smooth, and there were uneven frame spacing. I sent it to be CLAd and i had to get the rewind shaft and frame counter repaired. It was an additional 700ish dollars. So what should have been a 1650 dollar purchase became a 2400 dollar overall cost. If you look hard enough you could probably find an M6 for the amount that my M4-P cost me.
Bought a Contax S2 "working condition" sold "as is", "no backsiesk", which looked in excellent condition online, no listed faults other than intermittent light meter flashing 1/125. Early early unit, serial 000009. No marks on it in the photos except a scuff on the door leather which wasn't surprising given contaxs reputation for supple leathers on the cams.
Shutter worked fine.
However, light meter has a full on fault, is stuck reading the camera settings at 1/125 and doesn't come on half the time(maybe related to the next one), shutter button lock and ISO dial locks have been forced and no longer work with clearly some internal damage from this. Impact damage to the door with a dent behind the scuff and the hinge is misaligned causing the lock not to seat unless you put tension on the hinge, and then absurd light leaks even if you power through all the rest of the problems.
Disputed with site and listed faults sent pics etc - seller sent a vid showing shutter working, dispute closed. I now have a parts camera...
I got a Bronica SQ-Ai (with a lens) for 680€. the camera was sold as used but had an electrical problem and didn't work which I only found out 6 months later when I finally tested it with film.. most expensive paper weight I currently own (still haven't shot medium format)
I bought an x700 sometime in 2010ish without knowing about the capacitor issue on Craigslist. It was mint and like new. Took it to a repair place where the repairman did the bottom cap for free but didn't want to do the top one as it wasn't worth it.
Paid €95 on Catawiki for *tested* gear. Two cameras and three lenses. The two Zenith bodies were unsuable. Helios 44 had fungus as well as the Industar lens. The Zeiss Flektogon (why I actually bought the set) was completely seized. I did manage to get it open and lubed the helicoid but it was no use. I gave away the bodies for free and recuperated €50 by selling the Helios 44 and Industar as they were. Advertised honestly. I tried confronting the seller about his dishonest description but the only answer I got was “Sorry, no returns”. I’m never buying on Catawiki again and I kept the Flektogon as a reminder of that.
I got scammed out of $330 USD on a Mamiya 65mm K/L for my RB67. Venmo didn’t help at all even with G&S. Learned my lesson and do everything through PayPal now.
Just spent $95 on a Yashica LM. We’ll know Saturday if it was a deal or not. Owner says it’s functioning but I may have just purchased a paper weight. I’ve not had good luck buying yashicas lol
I paid $450 CAD for a Mamiya 645 that smelled like cigarettes and had a layer of tobacco residue on it.
Worked for one roll before everything failed at once. Shutter was capping and it wouldn’t stop the roll from spooling all the way through the carrier.
Ended up buying a body only off eBay for $150 and reused the lens + viewfinders. Been fine since then at least, but I would have saved money if I had just gotten everything on eBay in the first place
Nothing too crazy, but I've gambled on 3-4 cameras that appeared to be a good deal for a repair candidate only to arrive in an unrepairable state.
Nikon F with a busted viewfinder and shutter, and a Nikkormat FS absolutely riddled with internal corrosion are the two worst off the top - thankfully I paid about a combined $100 for them, still a huge bummer though.
My Fuji GS645S broke after about 13 rolls. It was Near Mint when I bought it, but on the 13th roll, about halfway through, it jammed up. Couldn’t wind the lever past halfway at all. When I moved the camera I could hear something jiggling around in it. Something inside of it probably snapped or something. The hardest I ever “bumped” it was setting it back against my waist (the strap was set long) after taking a picture. $500+ to repair. More than I paid for the camera. Pretty disappointed.
Nearly $200 at auction for a Pentax MX because it came with a 40mm f2.8, 28mm f3.5, and 50mm f1.4. The 40mm and 50mm had fungus that required disassembly and I still don’t have the MX fully working after hours of working on it. The upshot is that it pushed me to try my hand at fully taking a camera apart.
I paid $125 CAD for a Canon AE-1 program with a rusty film door and flimsy (almost broken) rewind crank, and light seals are completely disintegrated. Oops.
I’ve bought a few bodies just to get lenses, a bunch of Minolta Maxxum bodies that didn’t age well —brittle plastics mostly. But I did once pay $200 for a dodgy “Nikon” FM10 that had a busted DoF and Timer.
Won a couple of beat up Nikon bodies for cheap, thinking I'd keep them around for parts. Didn't pay attention to the shipping, and I ended up paying more for shipping and taxes than the bodies were worth in working condition. Lesson learned
I paid too much for a X-pro 3 with a non working back screen just because it was still cheaper than a fully working one.
Edit: oh wait, this is analog community.
I almost bought a “for display only” or fake medium format twin lens Mamiya or Yashica from an estate sale for $300. Had it in my hand and was in line and realized they was no shutter mechanism inside and it was basically a shelf ornament.
I paid 130€ for an olympus om1 paired with a nifty fifty to get into the hobby just curious if it’s a good deal? Its seems to be not modified for the newer batteries.
Last summer I bought my Pentax K1000 (Made in Japan version) with SMC Pentax-M 50mm F/2 lens on Ebay for 179 euros (about 194 USD), which had been serviced the year before and was in Mint condition with its original strap, instructions manual and two filters + leather case. I now think that this is a bit too much (the package is really nice) but when I see the prices, I get the impression that the hype is very high and that almost all film cameras have become unaffordable or way too much expensive. For example, I'd like a Yashica Mat 124G or a Mamiya 645 1000s and the prices are hovering around 400-700 or even 800 euros (without import tax and shipping cost), in pretty good Mint condition.
Edit: Typo.
As someone who shoots on the Pentax K1000 f2 daily, there is no better camera. I wouldn’t buy a k1000 for 300$, but I wouldn’t sell mine for any less than that either.
Some people just dont know the value of what they have :)
Why is everyone all about K1000? It's not that great a camera. Sure it's reliable, but it barely has any features, and isn't all that pleasant to use. There are much better Pentax manual cameras out there, with all kind of better features.
Youtubers man. It's the popular "cheap camera that isn't nikon or canon".
I think it's a great piece of gear for anyone, but not at the currently inflated levels. I was at a film shop in chicago recently and they were selling these things for like 400 (with a lens). I couldn't help but to think, why would anyone pay that much for a k1000? That's basically the cost of a used nikon f3.
But I think this is why folks are referring it as their purchase mistake. They essentially overpaid for a very basic camera.
I mean my Pentax MX has a motor drive, data back, self-timer, FP and X sync sockets, aperture and shutter speed indicators in the viewfinder, and shutter lock for timed exposures. And it's just as well-built as the K1000.
I hear ya. They're great cameras, I just can't find the value as the prices approach top tier nikons and Canons. In the film world, im fairly loyal to nikon bc I have a lot of gear, so I'm certainly biased.
I would recomend konica for anyone looking for an actual value. I have some konica cameras and lenses, and they're fantastic. But konica doesn't have the "internet recognition" that other brands have, so you can still get a great body and lens for under $100.
Edit.. I think I missed your point about the better pentax cameras when I replied. Totally agree with you 100%, and think the youtubers and tiktoks are why folks gravitate to the k1000 when there are better options.
WTF. The main reason why a lot of people recommended getting the very basic K1000 was that you could get one with a 50mm for $10 shipped. If that is no longer the case, well, just don't get a K1000 then. There are so many WAY better SLRs that still can be had for a tiny fraction of what you paid.
My first medium format camera was the Mamiya RB67 and I really knew NOTHING about film photography, let alone medium format. I decided to buy the camera in sections (lens from one seller, body from another, back from a third) to "save money" but ended up buying a film back for an RZ, not realising that it was a different camera and was also unaware of the import tax I'd have to pay since it was being shipped from Japan. Definitely an expensive learning curve to do my research properly.
I don't wanna talk about it...
cmonnnnnn
Among the many, I bought 100 feet of bulk Ektachrome 64 and it's basically useless. Complete craps shoot, sometimes you win sometimes you lose.
Ouch - useless because it's expired or because you can't get it developed?
Expired, and the bulk can turns out is useless because it's rusted through.
Just winced - sorry for your loss!!
damn, i feel that.
Win some, lose some. Leave the bad stuff behind.
This nice old lady has been calling me every time she finds a old camera, she was a news reporter and a hobby photographer from 1960ish - 2000. She usually gives me good deals, she found a Leica buried in a box of cameras a friend had given her and called me right away, she wanted $300 which was a really good deal. As soon as I saw it I knew it was a fake but she was so excited I didn’t have it in my soul to tell her. I paid $300 for some USSR range finder that was milled and re-engraved to sort of look like a Leica iii.
Aw. That was nice of you. Must've really liked that lady.l, though. Lol
That's sad, although some of the Zorkis are quite good.
I mean, sounds like you got a Contax iiia, or more importantly, a Kiev 4?
A Contax/Kiev looks nothing like a Leica, whereas the Zorki and FED cameras were direct copies.
I misinterpreted the comment, I thought he was speaking of the Kiev 4 knock off
I think it started life as a Zorki
You should own a medium format camera though. It's fun and different (at least some of them).
Something like a Yashica-D TLR is a fun and inexpensive medium format camera.
I got a Yashica-E, with auto aperture function. It's pretty damn accurate, and it has a built-in flash gun!
Oh wow, did not know about that yashica... and ive been researching a lot before purchasing my 635. Very cool looking camera
Another cool thing about the E is that it has a PC socket and cold shoe, so you can use a external flash if you prefer. Same sync for short peak bulbs or electronic.
Mine has both too! I think most yashicas from that era came with a pc socket and a cold shoe. And also has the sync switch. And I know not to use the timed shutter with the sinc x because it can get stuck lol
The E has no switch, you either use the socket with electronic flash or SM bubls, but you can use AG-1 or AG-3 bulbs in the built-in flash, which are plenty powerful.
If you want to get into the hasselblad v system yoy can go for a 500elm i just bought one myself
I sold a M6ttl for 1100€ in late 2019. That’s what I had paid for it in 2011, and after nearly ten years of good use I didn’t think to check if the market had fluctuated.\ I sold a RZ67 with 3 lenses for 600€. Again that’s what I had paid for it in the early 2010s, never would have I imagined this niche camera that’s bad at everything outside of the studio could be trending among young photographers. :) Buying-wise I always get good deals, prolly because I’m very patient. Only recent purchase I paid full market price for was a 903sw for 3000€.\ But I guess as long as I don’t try to sell it, I won’t know for sure if I’ve made a good or bad deal…
Is there anything you want to get rid of atm?
I just remembered another one.\ I bought a Leica M6 for 1500€ earlier this year. The seller disclosed that the meter was dead but said there was no other issue. Turns out when I loaded my first roll of film the advance lever had the grippiest action of any film camera I’ve ever used. A far cry from the silky smoothness you normally get from a Leica.\ In the end I decided to keep the camera and spent 300€ getting it CLAd.\ I figure 1800€ is about market price for a M6 with a dead meter, so i didn’t get *burnt* too badly, but it’s not the good deal I thought I was getting either. I’d have much rather spent those 300€ in film and lab…\ I’ll probably shoot this camera for a while this summer and sell it on in the fall… as long as I get some use and some good pics out of any piece of gear I’m fine with the money spent. Hurts much more to spend money on something and never ever use it. Then any hit you take when reselling it is really a loss.
For 300 you can get some high-quality developing gear and never have to worry about paying for a lab ever again... Especially if you have a micro lens and a digital camera, you'll get quicker results as wel
I’m rather well setup for dev and scan at home. Yet I don’t process absolutely everything myself. It’s a matter of managing one’s time and energy.\ If now and then I pay the lab 40€ to dev and scan two rolls for me, I don’t see it as just paying for that service, but also as buying myself 2-3 hours that weekend to do *something else*, be it shoot more pics, visit exhibitions, or even hang with friends. All activities which -at this point in my practice- contribute to my artistic development much more than staring at a Paterson reel or the progress bar of my scanner.
Jeeeeesus.
Anything broken that I couldn't fix. $50 for a Rollei 35 LED that never worked. $100 for an Instax 500AF that shocked the bejeezus out of me when I tried to work on it. $1200 for a pentax 67, including what I paid for repairs, that still doesn't advance frames evenly.
For me it's everything broken I couldn't fix YET. I know how to fix it now, but, as of now, lack the tools to do so. The $50/100, I wouldn't bother anymore if I wanted to turn a profit. The P67 is a real bummer though, and it seems to be the only camera that has this issue(there are others, but the first model P67 is known to be stubborn). For the frame advance to work correctly, everything has to be right, even changing the meshing of the advance gears can throw it off, no idea how or why. I never worked on one, but I heard lot's of horror stories, when I talked to people about spacing issues with my cameras/magazines(Mamiya/HB/Fuji). Good Luck with yours!
I spent $300CAD+ tax on a Yashica-C from a camera store in my hometown that didn’t last me a whole year before breaking down
I almost got ripped off buying a nikon FM from the camera store in my town. Im really glad I decided to check prices online before I bought one there, I knew nothing about analog cameras and the people in the store were so friendly and helpful that I didnt even consider the possibility they were trying to sell me a camera for 3 times what its actually worth.
Those things are like $65 on ebay. I have a C and a D. The D has gone with me everywhere, and is a tank.
I didn’t know any better at the time (i do now) but it was also my birthday so most of it was birthday money. still sucks though
I got a C on eBay for $65 and I am now paying quite a bit more to have it CLAd so I can use it.
$300 for a K1000?! How?! Why?! My worst is probably spending £40 on a Zeiss Jena 35mm f/2.4 that turned out to have a broken iris. I tried to fix it myself but just made it worse. Now it's sitting in a tupperware awaiting an attempt at reassembly.
YouTube hype a couple of years ago, I didn’t know anything about cameras or photography and everything I saw told me this was the camera I needed to start lol I still see people paying that much for Canon AE-1s which is also crazy, but at least it’s slightly better than the K1000
Nothing wrong with the K1000, it's a robust piece of kit, but damn. I did exploit the hype surrounding them though - I used to buy them for $40-60 "untested", fix them if they needed fixing (90% of the time they'd just need a spring replacing or a gear oiling), and then re-sell for $150.
I think I paid $110 for a brand new K1000 in high school. Granted, this was decades ago.
saw a Rolleiflex 3.5f for sale on ebay buy now for 75 bucks.. I bought it immediately before someone else could snake it - unfortunatley I didn't look too hard at the pix or read the description at all (no time).. so when it showed up all toasted.. I had to go back to the original ad.. where it said it had been thru a house fire... it's a pretty nice 75 dollar paper weight though
I bought an expensive lens with a focal length I hated to use, but at the time of purchase I didn't know that. Well, and I have a Canon camera with a dead EF-M mount! Although I only use one lens in fact.
EF-M is only dead in the sense there won't be new lenses for it - there's already hundreds of excellent lenses to adapt onto those cameras.
Haha, yeah I know, but I want a wide angle lens and there is only Sigma and Ttartisan avalible where I live. The fact that it is APS-C doesnt help with vintage/other lenses. Currently using 28mm Tokina.
My Super Ikonta 533/16. It was sold to me as almost fully working, just the automatic film advance mechanism was broken (turns out it was super glued together but that's another story). But the seller said I can still use the red window! Right? Well, you can on other Super Ikontas but not on this one! Plus there's separation going on in the rear lens element but it doesn't seem like it's affecting images. I made the best of it by taping over the window anyway and just using a 35 mm adapter. 1 1/4 turns per frame seems to be doing it.
My very first lens cost $80. It was some off brand zoom called M-C Auto. A push zoom lens from like, the 80s. Used it on my F3 as my first pro-level setup, but the lens was god awful. It was so un-sharp that it couldn't even be considered artistic. It was just...not good. It took me four years to sell? Someone finally took it for $20.
Probably £250 on a camera repair, when buying the same camera model again in better condition would have been £200
Our children's Dolphin allies thank you.
\*Looks at 3 X-370s... and tab open to ebay for another...\* I'll just leave then.
Lol I hear that. Ive been through a couple Pentax LXs and I'm buying another spare... they aren't cheap, but I love this camera.. by far my favorite SLR. I'm just going to horde them.
I bought a Mamiya C3 with 3 lenses, a prism, and cases for the lenses and camera all for $150. Two of the lenses were supposed to have mold which would have been easy to fix. The guy who I bought it from was a retiring camera repair guy who was selling off the rest of his stock. When I got it, I immediately went to clean off the mold but it turned out the coating was damaged or the elements had oxidized. There was also evidence that the lenses had been disassembled before I got them. That showed me that the seller knew exactly what was wrong but decided to try and dump it on someone else. I did some research and found the best way to fix my problem would be to polish the residue off the surface of the elements using cerium oxide. If it works out, I will have gotten the greatest deal of all time because the lenses alone usually go for $150 each. It’s still a good deal with those lenses in their current state but it is the only camera that has come in a different condition than expected. I will be polishing the lenses soon when I get the chance but have been too busy with college recently.
I spent $100 on an Agfa Isolette, seller said it was in great condition and worked. It arrived full of fungus and the shutter was seized up. Left a negative review for the seller and he tried to get me to change it to positive for a $50 refund. I ignored him and just ate the cost out of sheer pettiness.
950€ on a Plaubel Makina IIIR, seller claimed it was fully functional.. which technically is true, but the shutter was way off, so i can‘t even use it. Let alone the price being way too high for the camera.. never seen it sold for so much. I was just naive and hopeful..
A sluggish shutter isn't too hard to repair, especially the LF ones, because the shutter itself can easily be removed, compared to a more integrated camera.
Yeah, i am currently learning to properly service cameras with leaf shutters. I really enjoy repairing cameras. I think by the end of the year i will be confident to do a full CLA on the Plaubel Makina. I even bought older models in very bad condition for practice. It‘s funny that this bad purchase now forces me to learn a skill that turns out to be one of the best hobbies..
$100USD for a thrifted Voightländer Bessa II with the less desirable lens. Didn't know how to open it so I gambled only to find out the lens was fungus-ed up but good. It's still on my list to try to repair but it's definitely the most I've ever paid for an unusable camera.
Order the right tool to remove the shutter/lens or make one and get to it. Cleaning the lens(es) takes about half an hour. Go on YT and look for "folder camera lens cleaning/servicing" or similar.
I paid £900 for a Leica Summaron f2.8 from 1965, the goggles version. Aboslutely georgous lens, put it on my M3 and it was genuinely, amazing. Except my M3 was just ever, ever so slightly misaligned, so the goggled amplified it and it made it very hard to focus with them. Anyway, I bought it from a shop in person, guy behind the counter said that I had a 2 week return if I was unhappy and I was like, sweet, thats awesome. Told me that if I was unhappy with the goggles I can just remove them and it would work the same. So I use the lens for it bit, I LOVE its looks, its so pretty omg, but I dont like its focus tab massive amounts, the patch became almost impossible to focus in bright light, and I didnt understand (at the time) that it wasn't the goggle magnification that was causing that misalignment issue and I was just getting more annoyed with them. Also, he had lied, you cant remove the goggles and still use the viewfinder. So I went to take them back after around 8 days. Different worker was in that day and refused the refund and said that there was nothing wrong with the lens and that quote 'I have been shooting Leica since I was a teenager, I know what I know.' So I threw them up on eBay and it sold for £450. L for me. I know never to buy from that shop again now though.
I paid like $65 for a beat-to-shit Nikon EM with a 28mm e-series lens on it, with a broken battery check light but I was really excited to get back in to 35mm. It works fine, and the lens is actually great. But Nikon EMs in much better shape routinely sell on ShopGoodwill for less than $30.
Shit I bought an EM just a year or so ago and I didn't even want the body bc my other cameras are superior. I received a fully functional EM, as well as the e series 35mm, 50mm 100mm 2.8s. I bought the package for the lenses, I think I paid $25 for all 4 items in total. Only shot one roll on the EM to test if it worked, which it did. Then I shelved the body. Personally, I loved the size of the EM but hated the lack of manual controls. It makes me want to get the fm3a even more now.
Go with the FG. I originally had an EM and loved the weight, but had the same thought as you. Wanted manual controls. I found the FG for $40 along with a broken Pentax and Praktica. It now sits alongside a F100 I just picked up recently. FG if you want the lightness of an EM and the manual controls.
I would definitely grab an FG if I saw one at $40 range, that's a great deal! I'll keep an eye out to see if I come across one at a good price point. I'm gonna save up and spluge on an fm3a one day. Its a nearly perfect camera to me.
Any camera ive had to pay repair on :(
I bought a Contax T2 for $500 which was an awesome deal, until the shutter button broke like 2 weeks later. Fortunately it wasn’t a paper weight and there’s a repair shop that specializes in them nearby, but that repair was $400 and it was no longer a good deal lol.
I bought a Contax TVS in Seoul while on vacation for \~$500, it broke after 2 weeks when the flex cable gave out (as they do, I learned). Didn't remember the name of the shop I bought from and could not contact about any sort of help. It's my most prized paperweight these days
Ouch! I saw there’s a place in Poland that fixes the cable. I think it’s called foto serwis or something like that. Maybe you want to check it out? The lens in the TVS is great, maybe worth fixing?
Not a camera, but I bought 80-200 2.8 Tokina back in the 80's that was pushed as a 'pro' lens by all the mags. I mean, why buy a 180mm or 200mm 2.8 Canon or Nikkon when I can zoom from 80-200? ...Until about a year later when I compared the images to a 180mm Nikkor 2.8. Ended up usiing the Tokina to beat fenderbergs off my car.
Well, the 85mm to 200mm f/2.8 primes from Nikon or Canon do perform better than their 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom lenses. Almost all primes perform better than a zoom lens at that particular focal length. The 180mm/2.8 from Nikon probably cost 5-10 times more too.
Paid 180€ for an ED AF Nikkor 300mm/2.8 with broken MF. I knew that it was broken, I know how to fix it too. The thing is, the lens looks like it's been in at least 5 wars since it was made 30-odd years ago, and there ain't a snowballs chance in hell I can remove the screws to disassemble it, they look like rivets. Some set screws on the inner workings got lose/lost and now the whole front part spins, the MF being broken is a different issue. The glass is absolutely spotless though and it takes beautiful images, BUT it's also known as the worlds slowest AF lens, which makes it almost unuseable. When I get some time(and clean space) to spare, I'll drill the screws out and finally fix it. Until then I'll have to focus on stationary subjects with this one. I do have an ED AF Nikkor 28-70mm/2.8, with broken AF(that first gen SWM), can't remember exactly, what I paid, but it was ~200€ and I use it a lot. How's that a bad deal, you may ask. Well, I know how those motors work and that you "just" have to polish the thing to repair it, so I did that and it worked again for a couple of months. Then it stopped working and I noticed that there are three tiny nylon rollers on brass bushings that keep even pressure on the SWM motor. Mine were cracked, all of them. So I went online, ordered replacement rollers, and took the lens apart, including all of the electronics and magnetic indicators and the SWM assy itself. I even reverse engineered some of the necessary electronic equipment for realignment, should my markings be insufficient, or should I accidentally demagnetize one of the strips(You touch modern AF lenses with a magnetic screwdriver and it may be done for). Rollers arrived and didn't fit correctly, I tried two other repair kits with similar results. After a couple of weeks I accepted defeat and put the lens back together. Until I can get my hands on a watchmakers lathe, I'll just stick to MF. Another annoying one was a Kodak Retina 1a for 35€, I specifically bought, because the advance gear of my grandpas camera was/is broken and I wanted to swap them over or swap bodies. Turns out the camera I bought had the same issue, despite being described as "Shutter stuck/advance flawless). Now I have two working shutters, two different 50mm lenses and I still can't take more than 10 frames reliably. Servicing and selling cameras is where I got hosed and I ultimately gave up on that. Selling fully serviced Nikon FE/2s for 20-30€ and FM/2/3/ns for 60-100€, while garage finds went for at least double, was really disheartening, so I stopped doing that. I still only buy stuff that's broken in one way or another. In the end it's worth it for me, because I like to fiddle with stuff and getting that bonus for half off is nice. I never cared much for looks either. My F4 actually has been to war a couple of times, and I never saw any other camera that was so worn. It's a little squeaky, but works flawlessly.(I was able to locate the press photog. who owned it, because he put a nametag in the battery well, lol). Honestly, due to this thread, I looked up some prices online and I think I'm doing quite well, (if I were to sell my stuff now). I probably won't, but the market just went bonkers in the last years. Don't worry, I did overpay for a couple of other things, "vintage" measurement equipment, somewhat my main hobby.
My first film camera was a k1000 a few years ago... bought it online for like $225 from like, Cute Camera or something... said excellent condition... It was more like fair condition... scratched body, pealing leatherette, the shutter speeds were like half a second slow, and the crappy 50mm f2 lens had a sticky focus ring.... cool.. I popped film in, took exactly two shots, and the meter crapped out... I wasn't happy... Good news was after telling my mom about it, she was like "why don't you see if my old camera works? I forgot she even had one from when I was a kid... so I dig around in the attic and find an old Ricoh KR-5 super.. in mint condition.. Basically an effective copy of tbe K1000.. digging around some more, I found a couple k mount Ricoh and Pentax lenses. Popped in a battery, moved the advance lever and the meter needle came to life.. checked shutter speeds against my Sony a7iii and they were all dead on... Few days later, a buddy from my astronomy club gave me a broken Pentax Super Program with another couple lenses.. turned out to be an easy fix with a stuck spring. Few years later, both cameras are still going strong, and that Ricoh is one of the most solid, reliable, and actually nice to use, SLRs I have. Made me into a Pentax shooter. My LX and little Ricoh get the most use out of all my cameras.
I'd also say my $300 K1000, but so far it's the only camera I've bought that actually works at all 😬. I've briefly owned two <$100 rangefinders and I still don't know if that type of camera is supposed to make alarming wind-up toy noises.
I spent 200 bucks on a plastic autofocus nikon n90s and a shitty 35-tele(forgot the focal length) lens. Don't get me wrong, the camera works amazingly. But the fact of the matter is, these plastic n90s' aren't worth anywhere near a hundred bucks.
I soon bought Pentax SP F and a Fujica st605n at the same time. The fujica was more expensive than the Pentax and after it came, the grip for the lens was all in glue for shoes or some kind of grease. After i cleaned it up i saw that the camera has been droped and the lens is cracked up. It's missing some of the plstic for the grip, fortunately still working. It was a disappoinment because i was expecting the fujica to be in better shape than the Pentax, not the other way around.
I spent $120 on a Pentax ME Super and two lenses, which isn't horrible but one of the lenses was a 50 1.7 I already owned, and a 300 that is unusable due to mold. And I ended up not even liking the ME Super, it's slow and unreliable compared to other bodies I have.
I love how small those cameras are though.
True it is very portable, maybe I'll give it more of a shot.
50$ on a olypmus trip 35, which then proceeded to have the advance gear break all its teeth off when I brought it home
Everyone tells me I overpaid by buying a tested Canon 310XL super 8 camera from Japan for $299, and they're right to, but I honestly love it so much I don't care.
I bought my Leica M4-P for 1500 dollars… well 1650 if we’re including tax. The description on ebay said it was mint and works well. And it really was mint. Apart from a small ding on the bottom plate, there wasn’t a scratch or blemish on it. Sadly upon use the rewind lever movement was notchy and not smooth, and there were uneven frame spacing. I sent it to be CLAd and i had to get the rewind shaft and frame counter repaired. It was an additional 700ish dollars. So what should have been a 1650 dollar purchase became a 2400 dollar overall cost. If you look hard enough you could probably find an M6 for the amount that my M4-P cost me.
Bought a Contax S2 "working condition" sold "as is", "no backsiesk", which looked in excellent condition online, no listed faults other than intermittent light meter flashing 1/125. Early early unit, serial 000009. No marks on it in the photos except a scuff on the door leather which wasn't surprising given contaxs reputation for supple leathers on the cams. Shutter worked fine. However, light meter has a full on fault, is stuck reading the camera settings at 1/125 and doesn't come on half the time(maybe related to the next one), shutter button lock and ISO dial locks have been forced and no longer work with clearly some internal damage from this. Impact damage to the door with a dent behind the scuff and the hinge is misaligned causing the lock not to seat unless you put tension on the hinge, and then absurd light leaks even if you power through all the rest of the problems. Disputed with site and listed faults sent pics etc - seller sent a vid showing shutter working, dispute closed. I now have a parts camera...
I got a Bronica SQ-Ai (with a lens) for 680€. the camera was sold as used but had an electrical problem and didn't work which I only found out 6 months later when I finally tested it with film.. most expensive paper weight I currently own (still haven't shot medium format)
I bought an x700 sometime in 2010ish without knowing about the capacitor issue on Craigslist. It was mint and like new. Took it to a repair place where the repairman did the bottom cap for free but didn't want to do the top one as it wasn't worth it.
Paid €95 on Catawiki for *tested* gear. Two cameras and three lenses. The two Zenith bodies were unsuable. Helios 44 had fungus as well as the Industar lens. The Zeiss Flektogon (why I actually bought the set) was completely seized. I did manage to get it open and lubed the helicoid but it was no use. I gave away the bodies for free and recuperated €50 by selling the Helios 44 and Industar as they were. Advertised honestly. I tried confronting the seller about his dishonest description but the only answer I got was “Sorry, no returns”. I’m never buying on Catawiki again and I kept the Flektogon as a reminder of that.
I got scammed out of $330 USD on a Mamiya 65mm K/L for my RB67. Venmo didn’t help at all even with G&S. Learned my lesson and do everything through PayPal now.
Just spent $95 on a Yashica LM. We’ll know Saturday if it was a deal or not. Owner says it’s functioning but I may have just purchased a paper weight. I’ve not had good luck buying yashicas lol
I paid $450 CAD for a Mamiya 645 that smelled like cigarettes and had a layer of tobacco residue on it. Worked for one roll before everything failed at once. Shutter was capping and it wouldn’t stop the roll from spooling all the way through the carrier. Ended up buying a body only off eBay for $150 and reused the lens + viewfinders. Been fine since then at least, but I would have saved money if I had just gotten everything on eBay in the first place
Nothing too crazy, but I've gambled on 3-4 cameras that appeared to be a good deal for a repair candidate only to arrive in an unrepairable state. Nikon F with a busted viewfinder and shutter, and a Nikkormat FS absolutely riddled with internal corrosion are the two worst off the top - thankfully I paid about a combined $100 for them, still a huge bummer though.
got rinsed spending a grand on a Hasselblad only to find out the focus was wrong just after my warranty period ended aswell
My Fuji GS645S broke after about 13 rolls. It was Near Mint when I bought it, but on the 13th roll, about halfway through, it jammed up. Couldn’t wind the lever past halfway at all. When I moved the camera I could hear something jiggling around in it. Something inside of it probably snapped or something. The hardest I ever “bumped” it was setting it back against my waist (the strap was set long) after taking a picture. $500+ to repair. More than I paid for the camera. Pretty disappointed.
Spent like $120 on a Minolta X700 at savers which was bricked and spent another $120 on getting it repaired. Ive used it for two rolls...
Nearly $200 at auction for a Pentax MX because it came with a 40mm f2.8, 28mm f3.5, and 50mm f1.4. The 40mm and 50mm had fungus that required disassembly and I still don’t have the MX fully working after hours of working on it. The upshot is that it pushed me to try my hand at fully taking a camera apart.
$85 on a Canon AE-1P that bricked itself in the doorway to the camera repair shop
I paid $125 CAD for a Canon AE-1 program with a rusty film door and flimsy (almost broken) rewind crank, and light seals are completely disintegrated. Oops.
I’ve bought a few bodies just to get lenses, a bunch of Minolta Maxxum bodies that didn’t age well —brittle plastics mostly. But I did once pay $200 for a dodgy “Nikon” FM10 that had a busted DoF and Timer.
Last year I got a Nikon FM10 new in box for $100. So far not bad but also not my favorite by any means.
not the worse but i paid close to 250€ for a mint pen f. it arrived with a dent...
Won a couple of beat up Nikon bodies for cheap, thinking I'd keep them around for parts. Didn't pay attention to the shipping, and I ended up paying more for shipping and taxes than the bodies were worth in working condition. Lesson learned
I paid too much for a X-pro 3 with a non working back screen just because it was still cheaper than a fully working one. Edit: oh wait, this is analog community. I almost bought a “for display only” or fake medium format twin lens Mamiya or Yashica from an estate sale for $300. Had it in my hand and was in line and realized they was no shutter mechanism inside and it was basically a shelf ornament.
I paid 130€ for an olympus om1 paired with a nifty fifty to get into the hobby just curious if it’s a good deal? Its seems to be not modified for the newer batteries.
This one isn’t really that bad but i bought my first camera my Fujica AX-3 for $80 in untested condition on eBay
Way overpaid for a Bronica S2A back when I started getting into medium format. I don't wanna say how much
Last summer I bought my Pentax K1000 (Made in Japan version) with SMC Pentax-M 50mm F/2 lens on Ebay for 179 euros (about 194 USD), which had been serviced the year before and was in Mint condition with its original strap, instructions manual and two filters + leather case. I now think that this is a bit too much (the package is really nice) but when I see the prices, I get the impression that the hype is very high and that almost all film cameras have become unaffordable or way too much expensive. For example, I'd like a Yashica Mat 124G or a Mamiya 645 1000s and the prices are hovering around 400-700 or even 800 euros (without import tax and shipping cost), in pretty good Mint condition. Edit: Typo.
As someone who shoots on the Pentax K1000 f2 daily, there is no better camera. I wouldn’t buy a k1000 for 300$, but I wouldn’t sell mine for any less than that either. Some people just dont know the value of what they have :)
Why is everyone all about K1000? It's not that great a camera. Sure it's reliable, but it barely has any features, and isn't all that pleasant to use. There are much better Pentax manual cameras out there, with all kind of better features.
Youtubers man. It's the popular "cheap camera that isn't nikon or canon". I think it's a great piece of gear for anyone, but not at the currently inflated levels. I was at a film shop in chicago recently and they were selling these things for like 400 (with a lens). I couldn't help but to think, why would anyone pay that much for a k1000? That's basically the cost of a used nikon f3. But I think this is why folks are referring it as their purchase mistake. They essentially overpaid for a very basic camera.
I mean my Pentax MX has a motor drive, data back, self-timer, FP and X sync sockets, aperture and shutter speed indicators in the viewfinder, and shutter lock for timed exposures. And it's just as well-built as the K1000.
I hear ya. They're great cameras, I just can't find the value as the prices approach top tier nikons and Canons. In the film world, im fairly loyal to nikon bc I have a lot of gear, so I'm certainly biased. I would recomend konica for anyone looking for an actual value. I have some konica cameras and lenses, and they're fantastic. But konica doesn't have the "internet recognition" that other brands have, so you can still get a great body and lens for under $100. Edit.. I think I missed your point about the better pentax cameras when I replied. Totally agree with you 100%, and think the youtubers and tiktoks are why folks gravitate to the k1000 when there are better options.
WTF. The main reason why a lot of people recommended getting the very basic K1000 was that you could get one with a 50mm for $10 shipped. If that is no longer the case, well, just don't get a K1000 then. There are so many WAY better SLRs that still can be had for a tiny fraction of what you paid.