Originally posted by Lowell Goudge ...as a result, I would suggest if you found a takumar bayonet F2.5 for $50 it is still worth it.
Being in the UK, I'm not that familiar with US prices, though they often seem to be lower than in the UK, so I initially thought that $50 sounded a bit high. I was mentally comparing the Bayonet with an M 135/3.5, which is in probably as plentiful supply as the Bayonet, and could be thought of as its main competition (as it was in the early 80s!).
I think, in the UK, an M 135/3.5 could be had for about£30 (about$46), and I reckon the Bayonet is worth about 2/3 of an M - so £20, or about $31.
(Just to compare the two: the Bayonet is faster, but isn't good wide-open anyway, the M has superior optics and coatings, is compact and light, and they both have a convenient built-in lens hood.)
Anyway, I had a look on a certain Internet site, and I was amazed at some of the prices:
Cheapest M 135/3.5: over $80
Cheapest Bayonet 135/2.5: over $200
I'm sure an M could be had for a lot less than $80 if you're patient enough, but I don't think anyone's going to be prepared to let a Bayonet go for its actual value.
In other words, don't hold your breath waiting for a cheap Bayonet to come along!