[Barbecueboy]

congrats, use it, it's a camera

[felix68]

Thanks everyone for your input but I have decided that I want the FA31 more than the LX so it is now up in the marketplace.

[Eaglerapids]

I hope you don't do irreparable harm to your karma with this deal. You wanted a LX and one dropped into your lap for a couple of hundred bucks and now you're trying to turn that $200 into a 31 Ltd. Plus more money for a trade!
When you could have a new LX and a 31 LTD with more savings for the 31. If I were saving for a 31 LTD, I'd consider a $200 investment for the LX a mere bump in the road on my way to the 31 LTD. And when I had both I'd have one of the finest bodies made coupled with one of the finest lenses.
I have a mint 31 Ltd and I tell you what. I'll trade it to you for the LX, plus you pay me $400, seriously. Then you'll have your 31 for $600 and I'll have a LX plus another 31, because I'll put the $400 straight away into another 31 LTD. Hmmm, wait a minute. I'd have to come up with, at least, another $350 for a used 31 LTD, and I might be without a 31 LTD for days or weeks before I could get another one, and I couldn't live with that. Besides, I love the one I'm with.
Do you see my point? A body is a body but a 31 LTD is a very special piece of glass. We've now seen a NIB LX body sell for $189 but I've never seen a 31 LTD, in any condition, sell for less than $650-$700. I paid $770 shipped, for mine.
I'll be absolutely floored if you'll be able to trade this body for a 31 LTD plus even more money like you're asking in the marketplace and it will be very interesting to see if a collector will pay this price, good luck.

[monochrome]

Sp you're the one.

I would keep it as is, but then I have a hard time selling a lens that I don't even use. I certainly wouldn't use it.

If I had to sell it to pay for a user I would expect 5 times what you paid.

Hope I didn't support an irrational craving - I still haven't quite put down my desire to just "have" things made by Pentax.

haha buy another one and keep this one in collection box XD

Best comment yet - put this one away and start over.

$400 for a cherry used one, plus some $ to Eric for the CLA and you are good to go.

[felix68]

I hope you don't do irreparable harm to your karma with this deal. You wanted a LX and one dropped into your lap for a couple of hundred bucks and now you're trying to turn that $200 into a 31 Ltd. Plus more money for a trade!
When you could have a new LX and a 31 LTD with more savings for the 31. If I were saving for a 31 LTD, I'd consider a $200 investment for the LX a mere bump in the road on my way to the 31 LTD. And when I had both I'd have one of the finest bodies made coupled with one of the finest lenses.
I have a mint 31 Ltd and I tell you what. I'll trade it to you for the LX, plus you pay me $400, seriously. Then you'll have your 31 for $600 and I'll have a LX plus another 31, because I'll put the $400 straight away into another 31 LTD. Hmmm, wait a minute. I'd have to come up with, at least, another $350 for a used 31 LTD, and I might be without a 31 LTD for days or weeks before I could get another one, and I couldn't live with that. Besides, I love the one I'm with.
Do you see my point? A body is a body but a 31 LTD is a very special piece of glass. We've now seen a NIB LX body sell for $189 but I've never seen a 31 LTD, in any condition, sell for less than $650-$700. I paid $770 shipped, for mine.
I'll be absolutely floored if you'll be able to trade this body for a 31 LTD plus even more money like you're asking in the marketplace and it will be very interesting to see if a collector will pay this price, good luck.

Thanks for the tongue lashing and I will be happy to discuss your generous offer (albeit in the wrong forum) via PM per the forum rules.

[felix68]

Hope I didn't support an irrational craving - I still haven't quite put down my desire to just "have" things made by Pentax.



Best comment yet - put this one away and start over.

$400 for a cherry used one, plus some $ to Eric for the CLA and you are good to go.

Monochrome,

No worries. I don't know what this is worth, really. I guess that I will find out one way or another.
I would like to be in a position to keep this LX but with a 3 year old and another on the way, I will never see a 31 if I don't sell it. I spent all of my 31 fund to buy the LX.

[DAP]

felix - I don't think you are out of line expecting to get $1000 for the camera and prism. Yeah you never see 31mm limiteds selling for $189, but you usually don't see brand new LXes selling for that much either (come to think of it you usually don't see brand new LXes for sale at all). Personally I think the LX is worth more than a 31mm limited. You have to remember that when the last of the LX cameras were being sold new they went for over $1000 (these were not cheap cameras). My advice would be to shop it around here for awhile and if you don't get any reasonable offers post it over on evil-bay and take your chances. As far as everybody telling you to just use it - well that is not the advice I would give you. As of right now, your camera is basically a collectors piece - once you start using it you decrease its value substantially. As far as user cameras are concerned NOS boxed cameras have their own problems (lack of use can cause lubricant headaches along with other issues) - it would probably be better for you to buy one that has been used but well taken care of.

BTW - don't let anybody make you feel guilty for trying to make a profit off of the deal.

[felix68]

felix - I don't think you are out of line expecting to get $1000 for the camera and prism. Yeah you never see 31mm limiteds selling for $189, but you usually don't see brand new LXes selling for that much either (come to think of it you usually don't see brand new LXes for sale at all). Personally I think the LX is worth more than a 31mm limited. You have to remember that when the last of the LX cameras were being sold new they went for over $1000 (these were not cheap cameras). My advice would be to shop it around here for awhile and if you don't get any reasonable offers post it over on evil-bay and take your chances. As far as everybody telling you to just use it - well that is not the advice I would give you. As of right now, your camera is basically a collectors piece - once you start using it you decrease its value substantially. As far as user cameras are concerned NOS boxed cameras have their own problems (lack of use can cause lubricant headaches along with other issues) - it would probably be better for you to buy one that has been used but well taken care of.

BTW - don't let anybody make you feel guilty for trying to make a profit off of the deal.

Thanks DAP, I don't feel guilty for trying to sell the camera. I know that it is a great camera but I don't want to go back to manual focus. I have too many lenses that I love that are autofocus and want to add one more, the FA 31.

[Eaglerapids]

felix, check your pm's, I sent you an apology for my post.

[Cam Traviss]

You did absolutely nothing wrong. The LX is yours, and as such, you can do whatever you want with it. You got a great deal, and somebody out there will cherish a New LX.
"Karma" has nothing to do with it.
The 31mm is a great lens. Good luck.

[felix68]

felix, check your pm's, I sent you an apology for my post.

Responded via PM, no hard feelings.

[woof]

I think you are doing the responsible thing for the collecting community, and applaud that. Take your time and get the right buyer lined up. Get every bit of what the market will bear. Good choice, and best wishes for getting that lens!

woof!

[felix68]

I think you are doing the responsible thing for the collecting community, and applaud that. Take your time and get the right buyer lined up. Get every bit of what the market will bear. Good choice, and best wishes for getting that lens!

woof!

Thanks Woof. Yeah, I really think that this LX should go in someone's collection and I am not a collector of things that I don't use. That is, not intentionally. There are those things that you buy that turn out to be not as useful as you thought they would be...

[icemendicant]

I've actually just bought this LX, which is why I joined the forum and looked for LX related articles - small world!

Well, thanks Russell, for your quick and friendly emails on eBay. I've been looking for one of these in 'new old stock' condition for a long time and was very pleased to get this. I certainly don't begrudge you your windfall - I simply bid what I thought this is worth, and what it took to make sure I won the auction. It's always nice to see someone have a bit of good luck so I hope you manage to get your 31mm lens and have something left over - did you mention you have a baby on the way? Many congratulations!

As for what I'll do with the camera... well, it will certainly get some use from me. Although I am a bit of a collector - particularly 1970's and 80's manual SLRs - I couldn't let something as lovely as this go unused. So it will get a few nice lenses, and I'll probably ask Luigi to make it a black leather half-case, and then it will be out and about getting some gentle but regular use. By lucky chance there was even a new flash sync cover going on eBay at the same time as this auction.

I'm new to Pentax cameras, unless you count our family Optio WP digicam ;-) so would be grateful for any advice as to the real gems of the Pentax K lenses. I have my eye on a 24mm f/2.8, just because I really like that focal length, but any other pointers would be appreciated.

All the best,

Dan

[Lowell Goudge]

I've actually just bought this LX, which is why I joined the forum and looked for LX related articles - small world!

Well, thanks Russell, for your quick and friendly emails on eBay. I've been looking for one of these in 'new old stock' condition for a long time and was very pleased to get this. I certainly don't begrudge you your windfall - I simply bid what I thought this is worth, and what it took to make sure I won the auction. It's always nice to see someone have a bit of good luck so I hope you manage to get your 31mm lens and have something left over - did you mention you have a baby on the way? Many congratulations!

As for what I'll do with the camera... well, it will certainly get some use from me. Although I am a bit of a collector - particularly 1970's and 80's manual SLRs - I couldn't let something as lovely as this go unused. So it will get a few nice lenses, and I'll probably ask Luigi to make it a black leather half-case, and then it will be out and about getting some gentle but regular use. By lucky chance there was even a new flash sync cover going on eBay at the same time as this auction.

I'm new to Pentax cameras, unless you count our family Optio WP digicam ;-) so would be grateful for any advice as to the real gems of the Pentax K lenses. I have my eye on a 24mm f/2.8, just because I really like that focal length, but any other pointers would be appreciated.

All the best,

Dan

for K lenses, I am not familiar enough at the wide end to recommend any, but starting at 50mm, I would go for:
- the 50mm F1.2 (but you may have to settle for the F1.4)
- the 85mm F1.8
- the 135mm F2.5
- the 300mm F4

For a really good zoom, in keeping within the era of the camera, I would go for the vivitar Series 1 70-210 F3.5 macro (first version)

this si why I left everything else between 50 and 300 off the list.

for portraits, the 105mm F2.8 is good but can be a little soft.

except for the 85, and the 50mm F1.2, I can actually attest to the performance of all these lenses. I own them all and they are truely exceptional.

I find th eK lenses to "feel" better than the M lenses. Focusing rings all have a smooth and consistant rag from lens to lens, and K lenses are generally faster than the fastest M lenses. for thte M lenses pentax made great efforts to keep the filter at 49mm for all lenses, this in my opinion was a mistake, because it limited performance of some lenses. especially longer ones.