[Dewman]

I've always been a bargain hunter, even when I was a kid. I guess that comes from being the offspring of dust bowl Okies. I just cannot pass up a yard sale or thrift store! Every so often, I come across a good deal. Not long ago, I stopped at a yard sale on the way to buy groceries and spied a camera bag. Inside was a Pentax PZ-1p with a Tamron 28-200mm lens attached. Also, a couple of filters and the ORIGINAL bill of sale for the lot. Price on the bag said, "$20.00." I offered $15.00 and they accepted. The Tamron lens is an absolute beauty and has become my "go to" lens for walkabouts. Oh yeah.... the bill of sale showed they paid $749.00 for the set-up when purchased new in 2002! S C O R E !

[David T]

My best deal was a gift. A fellow photographer and friend used to photograph with a Pentax film slr. He had a couple of lenses that he said I could have at no charge because he hadn't used them in years. One was the Asahi 500mm lens which had some fungus. A friend and myself took everything apart, cleaned it thoroughly, and it worked great. He also gave me a Tokina 17mm lens and and a Asahi three piece extension tube set.

[Dewman]

I did a Craig's List search for "camera," and found a yard sale ad from over a month ago that had dozens of sports articles for sale and way down the list it mentioned "Film camera w/ 2 lenses - $50.00." I thought it was probably long gone since the ad was so old, but I called anyway. I asked the guy if he still had the camera for sale. He said, "Yep I do." I asked him what kind of camera and lenses they were. He said, "It's a film camera and a Pentax 35-80mm zoom and a Sigma 28-300mm Hyper-zoom."
I said, "Where do you live?"

When I got there, he brought the items out.... all in the original boxes, with all the original paperwork and owners manuals, camera (a ZX-50) and both lenses! All three were like brand-spankin' new! The package also came with CPL & skylight filters for both lenses. I handed him a $50.00 bill and smiled all the way home!

I took some test shots with both lenses and I'm not sure what the reviewers on the forum were using, but both of MY lenses were superb! Sharpness, contrast and color saturation were great right out of the camera, especially the Sigma. I'm stoked!

Again, the camera Gods have smiled on the Dewmeister!

Dewman
SW Idaho

[Sagitta]

I took some test shots with both lenses and I'm not sure what the reviewers on the forum were using, but both of MY lenses were superb! Sharpness, contrast and color saturation were great right out of the camera, especially the Sigma. I'm stoked!

Again, the camera Gods have smiled on the Dewmeister!

Dewman
SW Idaho

Always take the Pentax forum reviews with a grain of salt. Use them for a general idea of what to expect, but largely ignore the grades, especially on old 'bargain' gear. You'll see people lowballing lenses due to 'lack of autofocus' (But its an M lens!) or 'poor multicoating' (The lens was build in 1963!) or not recommending a lens because "having a 1.7 is nice but after my 1.2 I could never go back' or any raft of other silliness.

[CertEdFriday]

My best "Find" was a mint SMC PENTAX-FA* 1:4 200mm MACRO - Rare as Hens Teeth. Only ever seen that one. Price

[kdf9511]

Well I think I've picked up my last lens for a while. I picked up a Takumar 135mm f2.5 while on vacation last week for Twenty bucks. Now the only thing I would like to have is a fast fifty, but I do have an f2 so it's not something I have to have.

[monochrome]

I dunno - this isn't really a 'deal' per se but the word has gotten out among my older friends that my front porch is a good place to leave a box of Pentax gear from the 60's or 70's when you sell your big house and move to the condo. I have bought a black CLA'ed SP for $60 and a black CLA'ed SP-F for $70 (totally weak for black paint) so these lenses are useful, but too much is too much.

Just this year, for FREE, unexpectedly:

2 ea SMC Tak 55/1.8
1 ea SMC Tak 50/1.4
3 ea Super Tak 55/1.8
1 ea Super Tak 50/1.4
1 ea Super Tak 35/3.5
1 ea Super Tak 135/3.5 [EDIT: I went to my cabinet to check. OMG. I completely forgot about that one.]

1 ea working ES
1 ea working ESII
3 broken SP's for parts.
Complete darkroom

My wife is actually starting to complain - and there's no money out!!.

---

Last edited by monochrome; 07-27-2014 at 09:37 AM.

[Dewman]

I dunno - this isn't really a 'deal' per se but the word has gotten out among my older friends that my front porch is a good place to leave a box of Pentax gear from the 60's or 70's when you sell your big house and move to the condo. I have bought a black CLA'ed SP for $60 and a black CLA'ed SP-F for $70 so these lenses are useful, but too much is too much.

Just this year, for FREE, unexpectedly:

2 ea SMC Tak 55/1.8
1 ea SMC Tak 50/11.4
3 ea Super Tak 55/1.8
1 ea Super Tak 50/1.4
1 ea Super Tak 35/3.5

1 ea working ES
1 ea working ESII
3 broken SP's for parts.
Complete darkroom

My wife is actually starting to complain - and there's no money out!!.

The best deals are always FREE! Way to go, monochrome. You might want to give your friends my address, too! Wanna' trade that 35mm Tak for some of my tomatoes?

Dewman
SW Idaho

[monochrome]

Wanna' trade that 35mm Tak for some of my tomatoes?

Idaho tomatoes - hmmmm, I'll think about it.

I seem to have quite a number of 35's, much the same as many of us have many 50's. I am confounded by this stuff. I was down to 3 manual film cameras and a lot of K lenses.

I guess I need to chaperone these kids a little better.

[Dewman]

Idaho tomatoes - hmmmm, I'll think about it.

I seem to have quite a number of 35's, much the same as many of us have many 50's. I am confounded by this stuff. I was down to 3 manual film cameras and a lot of K lenses.

I guess I need to chaperone these kids a little better.

Yep.... Idaho tomatoes! We're more than potatoes, I don't care what they tell ya'!

Dewman
SW Idaho

[c.a.m]

Time to 'fess up...

M 50/1.7 $10 (a relative got it for free with an ME; I paid shipping)

F 50/1.7 $40 (part of a lot at a local auction)

KX, K 28/3.5, K 55/1.8 all for $50. (local Kijiji ad)

S-M-C Macro Takumar 50/4 $50 (found in the used section at a dealer)

S-M-C 35/3.5 $25 (part of a basket of goodies at local thrift store)

F 1.7X AFA $60 (local Kijiji; minor fungus - cleaned up nicely)

Auto-Takumar 55/2 $20 (flea market attached to Pentax S2; not a 'steal' but a fun little lens)

Angenieux P1 90/1.8 M42 mount $30 (local auction; minor scuff on front element, but negligible affect on IQ) (to date my best deal value-wise)

I enjoy using all of these regularly.

- Craig

[pakinjapan]

a used F28 f2.8 at around 20,000 yen. Not really sure what to expect at first but, now it never leave my k-5!
sample below was taken handheld b/c i was too excited after got the lens. really want to test it, jumped out of my house without aa tripod! but still, the lens manage to delivery these!

f2.8 1/25 iso400






f4 1/20 iso400

[formercanuck]

Not sure if its considered to be a 'lens' but:

Cimko 2x-6e teleconverter for $2

Lens hmmm...
- $20 for a Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 (A)
- $30 for a Sigma 28mm f/2.8 mini-wide II (A)
- effectively 'free' (gift) Rokinon 85mm f/1.4
- effectively 'free' (gift) Rokinon 500mm f/8

[jeallen01]

IIRC 28-90 Vivitar Macro from a local CashConverters for £7 ($11) and sold on the UK forum for £25 + p&p.

About 4yrs ago - Sigma 100-300 F4 from the friend of a contact on the same forum for £585 (about $850) when they were generally around £1000 - if you find could one anywhere in Europe. Mint & complete with case & box. NOT sold that or ever likely to as it is my favourite lens and works great on the K-3 (so FAST!)

(Edit) - and even if I did sell it, I'm sure I could get more than I paid for it (an apparently virtually pristine one went for somewhere around £750-800 on the UK forum this week, and there's nothing at all on Ebay - OTOH a later Nikon HSM version is on the market for less than half that price )

John

[eddie1960]

SMC M 28 3.5 and an M200 4.0 together for $20 Canadian no tax cash deal, netted me just over $200 from insurance when they were stolen (and went towards my new kit)