[TwoUptons]

Yes, I've only seen one other. I think someone here has one. I wasn't even really interested in the MEF, but I saw this one pop up in auction (I think it was about $80 shipped) as a 'buy it now' so I jumped at it. When I got it, it was having an issue with the mirror sticking. Turns out it was just the mirror foam. I replaced all the foam and it's working well for the most part. Sometimes the meter is a little jumpy when I first turn it on after sitting for a few weeks but that usually goes away after a few minutes fiddling with it. I may s nd it out for a CLA at some point. It's rare and should be kept alive.

Let us know if you find someone good for the CLA...
I think some of the regular suspects tend to avoid the MEF...

-Eric

[tonyzoc]

Let us know if you find someone good for the CLA...
I think some of the regular suspects tend to avoid the MEF...

-Eric

I sent an MX to

Garry Airapetov
Garry's Camera Repair
960 Thompson Blvd. Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
garryscamera@yahoo.com
www.garryscamera.com

Unfortunately it was beyond repair. It was a black body in good cosmetic condition but internally had allot of corrosion. He didn't charge me anything and just cost me $12 for return postage. I will probably try him again. Some others here have used him and report good work was done.

Btw...I took one of my chrome MX bodies and swapped the black exterior...so now I have a black MX.

[TwoUptons]

I sent an MX to

Garry Airapetov
Garry's Camera Repair
960 Thompson Blvd. Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
garryscamera@yahoo.com
Garry's Camera Repair

Unfortunately it was beyond repair. It was a black body in good cosmetic condition but internally had allot of corrosion. He didn't charge me anything and just cost me $12 for return postage. I will probably try him again. Some others here have used him and report good work was done.

Btw...I took one of my chrome MX bodies and swapped the black exterior...so now I have a black MX.

I had good luck with Eric H for my MX, but I just won a black MEF on everyone's favorite US charity site, so there's a good chance it will need some help.
And I think I heard he doesn't like those because of the impossibility of finding certain parts.

I was torn between bidding too much for one of the two Takumar 105s that sold tonight or throwing a few dollars at the MEF, winder, mystery lens, and an old Yashica compact.

I followed the latter route and will likely end up with a box of junk

-Eric

[tonyzoc]

I had good luck with Eric H for my MX, but I just won a black MEF on everyone's favorite US charity site, so there's a good chance it will need some help.
And I think I heard he doesn't like those because of the impossibility of finding certain parts.

I was torn between bidding too much for one of the two Takumar 105s that sold tonight or throwing a few dollars at the MEF, winder, mystery lens, and an old Yashica compact.

I followed the latter route and will likely end up with a box of junk

-Eric

You never know...I picked up a black Spotmatic for $30 for parts and it turned out it just needed a little clean and lube on the bottom gears...meter worked good too. I also grabbed a black Nikkormat FTN for $19 and it works fine. I've also had some that went right into the garbage... Like the 24mm sigma filtermatic I paid $49 for...or the $20 sigma 80-200/3.5-4 loaded with fungus. You win some and you lose some.

[Lhorn]

That’d be a decent idea for a thread: EBay “untested” and Shopgoodwill fails and wins.
I’m pretty risk averse. I like hearing about people “winning” auctions cheap for dodgy looking stuff and turns out to be fully functional or even valuable but I find it too disappointing when the item ends up a dud. Only truly burned once on an ME Super that was locked up. With nothing to lose I thought I’d try to fix it and discovered full camera disassembly was a bit over my head.

[Lord Lucan]

I’m pretty risk averse. I like hearing about people “winning” auctions cheap for dodgy looking stuff and turns out to be fully functional or even valuable but I find it too disappointing when the item ends up a dud.

Depends on the stake, and on reading between the lines. When you see an item "untested because I don't have a battery", even though it only takes a couple of AAs (who doesn't have those around, and why bother with it if they don't?). it means it does not work. OTOH if the seller has several camera kit things, either singly or as a small job lot, it is probably someone selling their deceased father's stuff, and you can see it has been looked after, and the seller genuinely doesn't know how to test it or what it's value is.

You often see the same item being sold on Ebay by different sellers for anything from £5 to £100. The £100 is probably a dealer who bought it for £5, and they get away with it because some people put their faith in dealers : I don't. But at £5 instead of £100 you could could afford 20 disappointments (or four at £20). It is near certain that one would be good long before you spent £100. Sometimes I have deliberately bought two items sold "for spares or repairs" when I could see from the type of fault or shortcoming that I could make a single good one from the parts, and I paid peanuts.

I have a small "untested" job lot on its way to me now. I shall put in the "Latest Acquisition" thread how it turns out. It only cost me £14 including post, so I won't take it seriously. Some people pay more than that just for the paper instructions and cases that are included.

[TwoUptons]

That’d be a decent idea for a thread: EBay “untested” and Shopgoodwill fails and wins.
I’m pretty risk averse. I like hearing about people “winning” auctions cheap for dodgy looking stuff and turns out to be fully functional or even valuable but I find it too disappointing when the item ends up a dud. Only truly burned once on an ME Super that was locked up. With nothing to lose I thought I’d try to fix it and discovered full camera disassembly was a bit over my head.

I'll post this one when it shows up.
If nothing else, I can clean it up and put it on a shelf. Black MEFs are a bit scarce...

The thing I don't get about Goodwill, the charity site, is that despite the fact that everything they sell is "as is", their prices are not much lower than regular...

-Eric

[tonyzoc]

That’d be a decent idea for a thread: EBay “untested” and Shopgoodwill fails and wins.
I’m pretty risk averse. I like hearing about people “winning” auctions cheap for dodgy looking stuff and turns out to be fully functional or even valuable but I find it too disappointing when the item ends up a dud. Only truly burned once on an ME Super that was locked up. With nothing to lose I thought I’d try to fix it and discovered full camera disassembly was a bit over my head.

There's definitely a thrill to pick up something presented as junk only to find it's a gem. I once pulled a Rollei 35 out of a junk bin...paid $25. Aside from some dings all that was wrong with it was with plastic wind gear was stripped. Got a brass replacement and it's worked great ever since. I think that was the camera that got me hooked on looking for gems in the junk pile. It's almost like an addiction...like gambling.

[TwoUptons]

There's definitely a thrill to pick up something presented as junk only to find it's a gem. I once pulled a Rollei 35 out of a junk bin...paid $25. Aside from some dings all that was wrong with it was with plastic wind gear was stripped. Got a brass replacement and it's worked great ever since. I think that was the camera that got me hooked on looking for gems in the junk pile. It's almost like an addiction...like gambling.

It is an addiction. That's why I'm glad I play with cameras and not cars or bicycles...

A few years back, it was easier to find gems on Goodwill.
To some extent that seems to have disappeared as the Goodwill shops have become better at describing things.
There are fewer "Petnax" cameras and "Takuma" lenses out there, for example.
They've also learned how to make money in shipping, which they didn't used to do, so shipping prices make some deals less attractive.

But some of it is also the film resurgence, and people going deeper into brand lineups.
It used to be you could score a nice MX or KX for less than a K1000 because nobody knew what they were. I think those days are over (though the prices for K1000s still surprise me).
Even Super Programs, which used to sell in the <$20 range regularly are now getting more expensive.

It's still not terribly hard to find good deals on screwmount cameras and common K-mount lenses (M 135mm f3.5 for example), usually as bundles.

But that 50mm f1.2 K lens on a KM you saw at $120 with two hours to go? $500+ in a blink, with no idea if it even works...

-Eric

[Sam_I_am]

Yeah, I spent too much time on shopgoodwill.com last winter and was able to get some great deals with about 95% good working cameras. This winter prices had gone up. I do look for certain things in the pictures, and that seems to help.

[Huss]

M3 DS w/ Summaron 35mm 3.5



---------- Post added 12-23-20 at 11:49 AM ----------

[Sam_I_am]

M3 DS w/ Summaron 35mm 3.5



---------- Post added 12-23-20 at 11:49 AM ----------

Not fair, I can only hit the like button one time.

[ismaelg]

Drooling! But if I scroll over the image of that M3 I hear my wife's voice saying "Don't even think about it". But if I click on the image the voice gets louder and says "Don't you dare!" I get scared and close the page...

[AgentL]

I bought this Bessa L from eBay and sold the body shortly after - my need was the lens and viewfinder, which have been going strong on my very similar Bessa T ever since.

[TwoUptons]

Drooling! But if I scroll over the image of that M3 I hear my wife's voice saying "Don't even think about it". But if I click on the image the voice gets louder and says "Don't you dare!" I get scared and close the page...

It's weird, if I do an internet search for Leica, Leitz, Rollei, or DFA*, my car starts making funny noises...

-Eric