Film SLRs are extremely inexpensive!

[Joao]

OM-2n with Zuiko Autozoom 35-70 for 10 euros last Sunday. Hippie style neckstrap included!!!.
Dead battery, probably still the original - marked Made in Japan ! we don't find these here in years. Some cleaning marks on the frontal glass and a fungus spot in the rear glass of the lens. Some dust.
Batteries were replaced, lightmeter seemed correct and first test photos were flawless . Good exposure, no lightleaks...
I was so surprised with the price that I ignored a Sigma SLR that was also for sale, probably for the same price. Well, someone else might have had also a lucky Sunday !

[Spanik]

Nothing that cheap, but I tought a M645J with 80 Macro and plain prism in perfect condition for 175 Euro was quite a good deal. Dussted it, put battery in it and went shooting. Beautiful lens.

[GWT]

I picked up 2 minolta X-700 bodies and a minolta motor wind on the bay for £11.00.

[nparsons13]

Pentax ME Super in fine working condition with an SMC-M 50/1.7 for $9.99 + shipping. And I must mention the very good Nikon L35AF p&s for $1.00, bought locally.

[kuzano]

Bought a like new Toyo 45 Carbon Fiber, with four DDS film holders on CL for $200.

Kodak Medallist II..medium 6X9 format...$45

My best SLR -- Canon EF... the "Black Beauty"... era of the Canon F1. with 1.4 SSC lens...Goodwill for $35 Uses 2 batteries, and has circuit protection... can use any batteries and voltage reduced to 1.35 by circuitry originally built into the camera. Not a spot of brassing... shiny black everwhere. One battery powers the camera and meter. Second battery powers the high speed section of the shutter speeds. Off switch for batteries.

[mwoenv]

All from Local Craigslist:

Minolta XD11, MD Rokkor-X 50mm f1.7 lens, Vivitar 283 flash, all EX+: $30

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super BC, Ikoblitz 4 flash, assorted lens filters and lens hood, carrying case, bag, all EX+: $25

Minolta X700 body only, never used: $25

Nikon N80 body, new in shrink-wrapped box: $70

Minolta Hi-matic 7S (ebay camera shop sale), EX+: $32, including shipping

Darkroom stuff is an even better value.

[nobbylon]

Whilst they can be bought cheaply, SLR's still need looking after sometimes. I always factored in a decent service when I was buying and although most I tried didn't need it there were a few notable exeptions. Nikon F2 and F3, both having lazy mirrors and various Leica R4's with the same mirror issue and electrical demons in the finders. Contax 159, erratic shutter release. Pentax SPF sticking shutter and Nikkormats with lazy mirrors.
My retro kits are a Pentax K2 with a 50 1.4 K bought here which had been recently serviced by Eric H. $100 if I remember correctly and performs as new.
A Leicaflex SL in near new condition for £80 and my favorite, a Nikon F5 in as new condition with box and papers for £200.
At these prices I really couldn't see the point of my M6's and MP and with degraded eyesight sold all my expensive film cameras.
Although big the F5 is all i'll ever need in a film camera and considering it cost up to £2500 when new is such a bargain now.

[Argenticien]

Originally Posted by Contarama

I'm still looking for the Goodwill Leica...

LOL -- if you mean in the store, for $5, I think those days are over. I was watching this one just a couple of weeks ago:
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem...temID=11478877

It went for not a totally horrid price for what's included, actually (depending on condition, which you can't determine very well) but two orders of magnitude off from $5.

--Dave

[mynikonf2]

Originally Posted by kuzano

Bought a like new Toyo 45 Carbon Fiber, with four DDS film holders on CL for $200.

Kodak Medallist II..medium 6X9 format...$45

My best SLR -- Canon EF... the "Black Beauty"... era of the Canon F1. with 1.4 SSC lens...Goodwill for $35 Uses 2 batteries, and has circuit protection... can use any batteries and voltage reduced to 1.35 by circuitry originally built into the camera. Not a spot of brassing... shiny black everwhere. One battery powers the camera and meter. Second battery powers the high speed section of the shutter speeds. Off switch for batteries.

I have always liked & enjoyed working with a Canon EF ever since I bought my first one back in 76. The ability to meter in low light with the silicon blue photo cell & automated shutter speeds from 1/1000 to a full 30 sec made shooting using only natural light (with a tripod) possible for me. Recently I picked up a minty one for $80 & I thought that to be a good deal but the "real find" was the N.O.S. EF, yes, a brand spanking new EF. This one even has the original batteries still sealed in the factory packaging & all the warranty paper work & stuff, just like the first one I bought. Now I didn't pay $80 for it but it was still less than what I paid for the first one.
Another good point about the EF is Canon's FD lens line-up, there are some serious bargains to be found there also. These bargains are on some gems in FD mount that I can not justify, paying the price of admission for in EOS mount.
Right now I'm looking for a nice F-1n to pair with a " Booster T Finder" that I found LN in the box.
The stuff you have always wanted is out there to be found for "pennies on the dollar." You know, there is even stuff out there, that you never knew you wanted, to be found at the same low prices.

[BardParker]

Olympus OM-4T + 50mm f/3.5 macro + T32 flash for $80. I love that camera!

[kanzlr]

Originally Posted by BardParker

Olympus OM-4T + 50mm f/3.5 macro + T32 flash for $80. I love that camera!

wow...here OM-2Sp go for € 100,-- and more.

[citizen99]

Originally Posted by kuzano

... (SNIP)Kodak Medallist II..medium 6X9 format...$45 (SNIP) ...

. That's what I call a bargain .

[ColSebastianMoran]

With these prices for used bodies that probably work, I wonder about repairing these beauties. To me, it's almost an act of faith to repair and maintain fine equipment, but if another body is only $50, it's hard to justify repairing. For SLRs, I'm tempted to check the light seals, just run the camera till it dies, and then look for another one.

An additional thought: Seems like the electronics and in particular the micro switches are the most likely point of failure. nobbylon mentions "erratic shutter" on a Contax 159, and I have one on an Aria body. This is a failure point for the Hexar AF. I'll fix the Aria, but probably would not fix a lesser camera. Faulty shutter release kills the fun.

[kshapero]

FE $50. use it all the time.

[rbsinto]

SLR bodies (with the exception of the collectibles) and accessories have become so inexpensive that people often just give the equipment away.
In the last four or five years I have been given a small mountain of film gear:
Nikon F with photomic finder
Nikon PB 4 bellows
Nikkor 50 mm 1.4
Nikon FM (3)
Nikon EM
Nikon 50 1.8
Nikkor 50 mm f2
Nikon FG
off brand 80~200 .4
Chinon CE II memotron
Chinon motor drive
three off brand lenses
Minolta Maxxum 7000
Minolta 70~210 f4 (beercan)
Minolta 50mm 1.7
Minolta srt 101
Minolta 58
Minolta 28
Minolta 300 4.5
Sigma 35~80
Minolta flash
Pentax MX
Pentax K1000
Pentax 50mm (2)
Tokina 17 3.5
Pentax 50mm
Tokina 28~105
Pentax flash
Yashica body
off brand 50
off brand 28
off brand 70~200
Canon FTb
Canon 50mm
off brand 90-230(!)
Canon AE-1 Program
Canon 50 mm 1.8
Off-brand 80~200 f4.5
Yashicamat body

Nikkor 24 2.8
Nikon SB15 flash

Vivitar 17~28


35 Vivitar lenses in various film camera mounts
6 or 7 vivitar flashes

filters, cable releases and odds and ends

And the film camera bargains I've purchased lately?

Nikon MD-12 motor drive (new in box) 35.00
Nikon MD-12 motor drive (new) $35.00
Nikon MD-2 motor drive-$10.00
Tamron 35~105. 2.8- $165.00

[Nokton48]

My favorite Minolta SRT101, purchased for $30 on Ebay. Recovered with Red Ringneck Lizard from Cameraleather. Body recently overhauled by Greg Stelz, now performing like new. Shown with my 200mm F4 MD Rokkor purchased recently from KEH. Nothing like having good, reliable equipment.

[Mackinaw]

Originally Posted by rbsinto

SLR bodies (with the exception of the collectibles) and accessories have become so inexpensive that people often just give the equipment away.
In the last four or five years I have been given a small mountain of film gear:

Me too. During the past few years, I've been given two Pentax K-1000s', several Ricoh K-mount SLR bodies, a Pentax Spotmatic SP II with 50/1.4 and a 100mm Macro lens, and a Canon AE-1. I kept the Spotmatic/lenses and the AE-1. The other cameras I gave away to several 20 year olds who have an interest in film.

Jim B.

[Jamie123]

I bought an OM4Ti last year for about $65 with the intention to re-sell it for a profit. But then a friend of mine wanted it so I sold it to him for the same price.

SLRs are indeed very cheap, although not all of them are dirt-cheap. I would like an EOS 1V as a film alternative to my 5DII but they still seem to cost around $300.

[kanzlr]

the 200/4 MD is an outstanding lens, one of the best compact teles ever.
and the Hexar AF shutter button can still be repaired. Actually JPC handled the replacement of mine at Konica a few months ago. The camera is like new, they replaced most major parts, not only the wobbly shutter button

[Nokton48]

My 200 F4 MD Rokkor -is- outstanding. Focuses very close and beautiful to look through.

[Vics]

"The stuff you have always wanted is out there to be found for "pennies on the dollar." You know, there is even stuff out there, that you never knew you wanted, to be found at the same low prices."

That's exactly the route that brought me here. In '91 I inherited my brother's old Nikon F (body only) and I went to the camera store to buy a 50mm lens for it. They sold me an f1.4 for $40 and I was on the bottom step of a very long ladder. I've always just bought the cameras I had always wanted, and they were so cheap! What made them cheap in those days wasn't digital, it was AF and AE. The Minolta Maxxum sent EVERYTHING to the ash heap!

[ColSebastianMoran]

Originally Posted by Nokton48

My 200 F4 MD Rokkor -is- outstanding. Focuses very close and beautiful to look through.

The manual focus 200mm f/4 Nikkors are also superb.

[Nokton48]

Originally Posted by ColSebastianMoran

The manual focus 200mm f/4 Nikkors are also superb.

I agree. Used to own one, back in the '70s. Great lens.

[john neal]

Canon F1n + 2 zooms for free! (sorry Frank)

[goodtimes]

Olympus OM-1md + OM-2n : 5€ each