Hey I saw something on ebay that I just had to tell someone about, and before you think this is spam I don't know this dude I just love what he's selling but I have the XD11 already which I'm currently recovering and refurbishing, so here:
Now I reckon this is an absolute gem and if anyone is thinking of branching out into film this would be for me the best way to. Light meter, takes modern batteries and cheap lenses and shoot film that's still available everywhere, serviced and spotless. Wow.
Man I want that camera. Or at least I want the one I bought to look and work that good once its refurbished.
And so that tip probably isn't worthy of its own thread, so let me just add some buying tips for cameras and lenses (film but probably also applicable to digital) on ebay.
1. Ebay prices fluctuate, especially film cameras, so be patient and save your search and see if prices change.
2. Rolls of film, and lenses, and cases and flash etc...all accessories are much cheaper bought in bundles and with cameras. i.e. you can get a Olympus T20 flash for £30 on buy it now, but you might find an auction where an Olympus OM10 SLR is for sale for £25 with a 50mm lens, T20 flash, four rolls of film and a leather case.
3. Check out alternatives to ebay (but not gumtree which is rubbish) I use cash generator's website, Oxfam online, and Ffords photographic and mostly ( http://www.rockycameras.com/) Rocky at Rocky Cameras to gauge if an ebay deal is a good price. Obviously if Rocky beats ebay consistently then I buy off him, but really I want to beat his price - that makes me happy.
4. Click WORLDWIDE on ebay if you are looking for something specific, especially if you are in the UK, Germany has a great ebay market for used film cameras, and America often beats UK prices even including the postage difference.
5. There're some fools on ebay right now, I see prices which blow my mind, and I'd say at the moment if you're buying film or film cameras avoid inflated buy it now prices and stick to auctions, especially ones which finish at unsociable times and are badly described or photographed. Film is pretty cheap to get into but at the moment some bad cameras are marketed as though they are the mutts nuts.
Hope that didn't bore you, really I just wanted to post the ad for the Minolta which I really hope someone deserving gets. Anyone who wants to move into film feel free to ask, but the godfathers of film are Aaron and Peter, they the daddies. @grizzlysghost@peterdegraaff
yeah, they must check their prices on ebay, but I think they literally look on ebay, and go off the price of the first one they see, sometimes its super low, sometimes super high. check out Rocky man, he's ace, most of his rangefinders are less than £10
yeah, he's cool. £5 postage to the UK on each camera I think, but he doesn't appear to combine postage because I spent ages looking for a second camera to justify £5 on one camera body and then the postage went up to £10 when I added a Minolta himatic, so I went back to the one.
Thank you for those links! I have been looking for a vintage folding camera and the prices on the rocky site are WAY more reasonable than what I've seen on ebay. And on ebay so many ads say "I haven't tried putting film in this so I don't know if the transport works.." PUT SOME DAMN FILM IN IT THEN! Better deals all around on Rocky, it seems like.
@vase
He charges bout 17 dollars postage to the states though I think. I know some US sites I can link you to. Also the guys who don't check cans properly lose money, take a risk! If it looks like its been cared for, I presume it works.
@chewyteeth thanks so much Dave. I just need to take a klonopin and buy one. My goal is to convert a folding camera to a pinhole, so I just need a camera that is light tight and with a working film transport. The lens and bellows will be ripped out. So, I don't want to pay for one in MINT condition. Probly should then just take a chance on a cheaper one.
aww man, that sounds like fun. Well you're in the US right? the home of shitty cameras. All those bloody awful kodak creations, each one awarded a new film format on delivery to the shops (I hate kodak cameras) surely you can get one of those to rip out. The lens might even go back on ebay and fetch some money? alternatively, if you want something good, so not kodak in other words, Agfa is cheap in bellows cams. I have a Zeiss Ikon Nettar which needed a bit of a refurb, cost me $5, shutter release doesn't work but you wouldn't care. Take a leap, nothing can go wrong with the 120 wind on mechanism so even if its broken the problem will be in the shutter release generally. Will you use the folding front cover as the pinhole plane?
@jase_h Too bad I missed it -- the shipping was free! @chewyteeth I keep changing my plans. Some guy on flickr is saying you can take out the lens but keep the shutter, and to keep the bellows too (if they are light tight) since otherwise you will be rebuilding the front. Kodak is a great idea for something stress and guilt free.
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good call. Really I just waffled the other shit, I just want the minolta and I can't have it! that is a cool cam.
yeah, they must check their prices on ebay, but I think they literally look on ebay, and go off the price of the first one they see, sometimes its super low, sometimes super high. check out Rocky man, he's ace, most of his rangefinders are less than £10
yeah, he's cool. £5 postage to the UK on each camera I think, but he doesn't appear to combine postage because I spent ages looking for a second camera to justify £5 on one camera body and then the postage went up to £10 when I added a Minolta himatic, so I went back to the one.
@chewyteeth @peterdegraaff
He charges bout 17 dollars postage to the states though I think. I know some US sites I can link you to. Also the guys who don't check cans properly lose money, take a risk! If it looks like its been cared for, I presume it works.
sorry his real name is Keith
aww man, that sounds like fun. Well you're in the US right? the home of shitty cameras. All those bloody awful kodak creations, each one awarded a new film format on delivery to the shops (I hate kodak cameras) surely you can get one of those to rip out. The lens might even go back on ebay and fetch some money? alternatively, if you want something good, so not kodak in other words, Agfa is cheap in bellows cams. I have a Zeiss Ikon Nettar which needed a bit of a refurb, cost me $5, shutter release doesn't work but you wouldn't care. Take a leap, nothing can go wrong with the 120 wind on mechanism so even if its broken the problem will be in the shutter release generally. Will you use the folding front cover as the pinhole plane?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alpa-11si-Gold-18K-gold-plated-with-50mm-1-1-9-Kern-Macro-Switar-RARE-/121039061545?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item1c2e7d8229
@chewyteeth @vase @peterdegraaff
I missed it, but I was in time to see the pics and puke.
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