Author Topic: I don't know what I was thinking? (Read 1208 times)

travfar · « **on:** September 01, 2010, 12:50:44 PM »

I bought 3 things today. I got a Canon FD 50mm F1.4 lens. Absolutely pristine. Paid $10. This is good.

Then I got carried away. I bought a Zeiss Ikon camera thinking that I could adapt the lens. Turns out it's a fixed lens camera. I kind of new that when I was looking at it but I bought it anyways. It's in nice shape but turns out they sell on ebay for $6. I paid $20. This is bad.

Worse. I bought another Mamiya Sekor. I have like 5 of these already. It is in good shape. The 50mm is a bit banged up along the filter threads. What tilted me was it came with a 80-200mm Lentar lens. The lens looks so awesome. Tanklike. Turns out the camera is worth about $10 as is the lens. I paid $25. This is bad.

To the powers that be. I want my "compulsive buyer" title back.

Centauri27 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2010, 03:52:44 PM »

Still, you only paid $55 in total, which is not bad at all. Your overpaying for two of the items is more than made up by getting that Canon 50mm f/1.4 for $10 (!!

!!). OMG--that would classify as the Deal of the Century!

I daresay the seller was clueless as to the value of the 50mm.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2010, 09:06:44 PM »

yes , manage your spending a little ,.....but that canon offset your "mistakes"
this time

lisandra · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2010, 10:19:53 PM »

10$??!

adash · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2010, 10:30:49 PM »

I wish I could find one for $10 too

travfar · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2010, 11:58:54 AM »

It's actually funny how the negoitiation for the 50mm Canon went. Neither the seller or I realized that there is a trick to get the aperature to work without mounting it on a body. The original price was $20. Due to the "broken" aperature, the seller aka giver, said I could just have it. I didn't feel right about that so I insisted on giving him something. He repeated said I should just take it. I insisted on giving him $10. Finally he caved and thus the $10 price.

50/55mm F1.4 lenses are quite common. I don't know why they get bid up to such crazy prices on ebay. I find them frequently for $10. A couple of weeks ago I picked up two OM 50mm F1.4s. I overpaid for the first for $25, but it did come with a case. I picked up a second one a couple of days later for $5 bare, no caps et al.

I have a gaggle of M42 Pentax and Mamiya 50/55mm F1.4s that I got for $10. I also have a couple of Minolta Rokkor F1.4s for $10 as well. $10 is my standard price that I'm willing to pay for most lenses.

Speaking about adapter big glass. Which adapter is smallest. I think the Canon FDs are 2-3mms shorter than the rest. I'm still looking for they perfect lens for my PEN. If I could rig up a aperature control for a Pentax 110 24mm lens, my search would be over.

I would mod a M39 Industar 50, but I have yet to find one for $10.

Centauri27 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 02, 2010, 01:00:27 PM »

I've never checked the price of used f/1.4 lenses. But considering how new ones are pushing $500, I wasn't holding out much hope of anything less than $100.

All adapters must be the same size to work, if adapting the same lens. But if you're asking about adapters for different lenses? I have adapters for the Canon EF and Canon FD lenses, and the FD adapter is smaller (shorter).

falsedigital · « **Reply #7 on:** September 02, 2010, 07:44:55 PM »

Please direct me to where you're finding these pile of $10 lenses.

My best deal to date was finding a mint condition Canon GIII QL17 for $4 at a thrift store.

adash · « **Reply #8 on:** September 02, 2010, 10:40:23 PM »

Rangefinder lenses have the shortest Flange-Back distance, thus adapters for them are smaller. Do pay attention to quality, or you may have troubles with wide-angle leses:

http://e-p1.net/micro-four-thirds-general-discussion/experience-with-ltm-to-mft-adapters/msg20199/#msg20199

travfar · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2010, 12:38:33 PM »

Quote from: falsedigital on September 02, 2010, 07:44:55 PM

Please direct me to where you're finding these pile of $10 lenses.

My best deal to date was finding a mint condition Canon GIII QL17 for $4 at a thrift store.

Thrift stores. You'd be amazed what people throw away as trash. I've seen perfectly mint Voigtlander lenses with boxes for $40.

Yeah, made up for half my mistakes. Sold the Mamiya camera for a profit. So I actually got paid to take the tanklike Lentar lens.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2010, 08:22:33 PM »

if aadapter sizes are a concern try to go rangefinder if possible

travfar · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2010, 08:05:27 PM »

Found two more F1.4 lenses today. A Mamiya and a Minolta MC. I already have copies of both but the Minolta was unusual in that it wasn't all black. It had quite of few aluminum parts on it. Sadly, they wanted $27 and $25 respectively for them. Couldn't do it. So I picked up another C Mount TV lens, another S Mount Cine lens and another Russian camera for the Helios 44m off of it. I don't know why I keep buying the Kodak S Mount Cine lenses. I don't even have a way to mount them. They're just so pretty.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2010, 08:56:09 PM »

i have the same mental illness you have

voyager · « **Reply #13 on:** September 05, 2010, 12:42:52 PM »

I look at the local thrift store for good cameras or lenses every time I'm there. So far, no luck.

travfar · « **Reply #14 on:** September 06, 2010, 07:00:21 PM »

Here's the C Mount lens I got a couple of days ago. The only difference is mine came with a hood. Unfortunately, like most of my lenses, it doesn't fit into the recessed C Mount adapters for PENS. Looking at how much they go for, I'm hesitant to take the dremel to it. It's only a 2/3" lens but the coverage isn't so bad. What's killer is the focus range. "â€¢Focus Range from front of lens .13" to infinity". 13/100s of an inch?!?! That's about 3.3mm.

http://www.ccddirect.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17496

adash · « **Reply #15 on:** September 06, 2010, 10:08:08 PM »

Hm, that's odd....
BTW, I know someone here in Bulgaria, who replaces lens mounts with custom ones. Not sure if it will be possible on just every lens, however.

travfar · « **Reply #16 on:** September 07, 2010, 09:16:43 AM »

Here's my meager collection of F1.4 lenses. I thought I had more but these are all I could find digging through the pile. I couldn't be bothered looking through the camera bags.

I got all these for $10 each except for the OMs. I payed $25 for one and $5 for the other. The "ugly" one missing the front bezel was my first. It's a Super Tak and works just fine. I'm on the lookout for one with a cracked lens to salvage the bezel to pretty it up.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #17 on:** September 09, 2010, 11:28:04 PM »

this machinist\ lens crafter, in bulgaria
[the local eastern european market has french greek and delicious bulgarian
feta!]
assuming its possibe,.... how much would he charge for the avg. slr to rangefinder or slr to m4\3 conversion , any average numbers??

adash · « **Reply #18 on:** September 10, 2010, 12:20:36 AM »

No less than $25 USD, I suppose. I just extrapolated from what I pay him for adapters. That also excludes shipping.

tamoio · « **Reply #19 on:** September 10, 2010, 12:28:19 PM »

Quote from: travfar on September 02, 2010, 11:58:54 AM

50/55mm F1.4 lenses are quite common. I don't know why they get bid up to such crazy prices on ebay. I find them frequently for $10. A couple of weeks ago I picked up two OM 50mm F1.4s. I overpaid for the first for $25, but it did come with a case. I picked up a second one a couple of days later for $5 bare, no caps et al.

-total agreement. If you poke around a little you can usually find the same lenses on a body for less that what some people are trying to auction the lens for online, the only downside in this is what are you going to do with all those Canon AE1 bodies that will pile up? There are some rarish jewels (which I am reluctant to even name because I'm always on the hunt but, ok, Canon aspherics) but really, there is no legacy 50mm f1.4 out there worth more than about $35 in my estimation.

Author Topic: I don't know what I was thinking? (Read 1208 times)

tamoio

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