Matt Needham
06-23-2010, 08:44 AM
What are your best finds? It could be a favorite camera, a fantastic deal, or just a good story.
When I worked at a locally owned camera store & photo lab I happened to mention to a regular customer that I was trying to upgrade my darkroom to 4x5. I just needed to find an enlarger. He gave me an Omega DII that had been sitting in his closet for several decades.
At a community rummage sale I saw a beautiful, pristine Rolleiflex TLR with a load of accessories. I spotted that baby from 200' away. I knew nothing about Rolleiflex, except that it was legendary brand. He wanted $150 for everything: included case, filter set, close-up filters, and more. I picked it up, and just holding it I knew it had to be worth $150 if not more. I asked the guy if he'd looked on Ebay to see what they were selling for. He said he didn't really do the internet. I ran to the ATM, worried briefly that my wife was going to be mad, and bought it all. At home I immediately went to the internet to ID the camera, and check Ebay for value. The accessories alone were worth more than $150. The camera was (is) worth $500+.
When I was still shooting 4x5 I found a Graphmatic film holder (holds 6 sheets and allows rapid reload) for $10 at a garage sale. Ebay said it was worth $90.
Worst deal: I'd been fascinated by a Graphcheck 400 camera I saw on Ebay. It shoots 8 35mm-ish size sequential photos on a sheet of 4x5. I had to have it, but the minimum bid was really high (close to $1000). I watched it for months as no one bid and the price slowly dropped. Eventually I bought it for $200. It's a neat camera, but the image quality is really lousy. Although rare from what I've seen since the actual market value is well under $100.
Hidden gem: I bought a beat up, dirty old folder at an antique mall for $15. It looked pretty rough, but it seemed to have a nicer lens and shutter than I was used to seeing. It was an Ansco Titan 20 6x6. I cleaned it up as best I could, and shot a roll. I was so astounded at the image quality I immediately began searching for a cleaner model. I found one for $75, and it was my favorite walk around camera for years. 6x6 that fit in my back pocket. Over the years I bought several more. They seem to go for $50 to $100 in good shape. It easily matches the image quality I got from $300 Zeiss folders.
"The Morel Hunter" shot with Ansco Titan 20
http://www.henrypeach.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/mushroomhunter.jpg
When I worked at a locally owned camera store & photo lab I happened to mention to a regular customer that I was trying to upgrade my darkroom to 4x5. I just needed to find an enlarger. He gave me an Omega DII that had been sitting in his closet for several decades.
At a community rummage sale I saw a beautiful, pristine Rolleiflex TLR with a load of accessories. I spotted that baby from 200' away. I knew nothing about Rolleiflex, except that it was legendary brand. He wanted $150 for everything: included case, filter set, close-up filters, and more. I picked it up, and just holding it I knew it had to be worth $150 if not more. I asked the guy if he'd looked on Ebay to see what they were selling for. He said he didn't really do the internet. I ran to the ATM, worried briefly that my wife was going to be mad, and bought it all. At home I immediately went to the internet to ID the camera, and check Ebay for value. The accessories alone were worth more than $150. The camera was (is) worth $500+.
When I was still shooting 4x5 I found a Graphmatic film holder (holds 6 sheets and allows rapid reload) for $10 at a garage sale. Ebay said it was worth $90.
Worst deal: I'd been fascinated by a Graphcheck 400 camera I saw on Ebay. It shoots 8 35mm-ish size sequential photos on a sheet of 4x5. I had to have it, but the minimum bid was really high (close to $1000). I watched it for months as no one bid and the price slowly dropped. Eventually I bought it for $200. It's a neat camera, but the image quality is really lousy. Although rare from what I've seen since the actual market value is well under $100.
Hidden gem: I bought a beat up, dirty old folder at an antique mall for $15. It looked pretty rough, but it seemed to have a nicer lens and shutter than I was used to seeing. It was an Ansco Titan 20 6x6. I cleaned it up as best I could, and shot a roll. I was so astounded at the image quality I immediately began searching for a cleaner model. I found one for $75, and it was my favorite walk around camera for years. 6x6 that fit in my back pocket. Over the years I bought several more. They seem to go for $50 to $100 in good shape. It easily matches the image quality I got from $300 Zeiss folders.
"The Morel Hunter" shot with Ansco Titan 20
http://www.henrypeach.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/mushroomhunter.jpg