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03-21-2013, 05:48 PM   #1
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Short timer looking for info

Hey everyone!
I have a feeling I've come to the right place to find the info I need.
In short, my father has given me all of his old Pentax SLR gear to sell off. I'm figuring eBay or here, but the problem is that I'm not entirely sure the best way to identify everything and/or discern it's true value. I don't want to get ripped off on the stuff, but I'm also fully aware that the items are only worth what someone is willing to pay given their condition. Old doesn't necessarily equal valuable.

Years ago, he had a lot of his stuff stolen, so some of what I have may be incomplete as far as I can tell. For example, I believe I have what is something like a handheld, cylindrical gun trigger assm with mount, as if you would use it to hold the camera above a crowd and snap a 'blind' picture. But I can't seem to figure out how to mount a body to it. I also have various bodies and lenses. I can't very well discern a serial number from a model number. I put some of the numbers in the S/N database here, but what came back was not what I had. So either the db is missing my piece ("possibly") or I'm inputting the wrong info ("likely").

Since I intend to sell everything, and everything sells better with pictures- saving me at least a 1000 words- I will be taking multiple pics of everything. But that will be after I gently clean everything...hopefully not getting to the point where all the longtimers around here shout "Oh no! You didn't do that did you??? "

Here's a very quick & dirty 'chopped example of some pieces. Most all of the pieces have been in their original hard case or leather jackets, which were removed for these pics. (I just took this pic for the sake of this thread...it is not meant to be indicative of my ability to take pictures and utilize Photoshop. )

SO! Where do I start?



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03-21-2013, 06:36 PM   #2
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I'd start by looking over the camera database.

My wild guess is Pentax Spotmatic Motor Drive - Pentax M42 Screwmount Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications, but I'm no expert on the film cameras. My guess is that this is a M42 camera based on the super-takumar lens
03-21-2013, 06:42 PM   #3
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The picture shows a fairly rare black Spotmatic, which is an M42 screw-mount camera. The motor winder is another rare item, and the condition of both look to be good, so if that's representative of the condition of the collection, then you are right to be careful about not under-pricing it. Good luck with it all.

Edit: BTW, please make sure that any cleaning is done with the right equipment. If you're uncertain, don't touch the glass surfaces at all - good photos will show a knowledgeable prospective buyer all they need to know about it. The same advice goes for shutters etc. Probably, if you haven't done any of this before, a camel-hair blower brush pass over the metal and leather/plastic surfaces should be enough to put them in adequate presentation condition.
03-21-2013, 07:56 PM   #4
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Drugal and RobA, thanks for the quick replies thus far.
Drugal, I went to the link you supplied. Is there a typo in the "Year Introduced" field? It says 1979, but in the single accompanying review, it says a "...1969 introduction".
RobA, I have two SP's here. One is the black body, the other is two tone black/silver.

I also found a "Voightlander Prominent" body & lens and a "Minolta Uniomat" body & lens, although I realize those are outside the scope of this site's intent. Although being completely honest, I'd love to be able to use this site as a one-stop shop and not have to register on other websites for each specific brand/model.

Where on this site do you suggest I post all my findings? (bodies, lenses, accessories)

Also, as a side note, while I'm no camera professional, I am anal about my camera's lenses and cleaning them appropriately. (I wish my wife was!) I get really irked when I see a grease smudge on a lens. "Who touched the lens?!?!? WHY???"
My father and I are both a Canon DSLR shop now with a novice cache of lenses and flash & lighting rigs. (I hope that's not being blasphemous in here! )

03-22-2013, 04:16 AM   #5
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Welcome to the forum, you've not thought about keeping it and using it yourself? old film cameras can be real fun.

The results could also really surprise you.
08-25-2013, 08:19 AM   #6
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I'm finally getting around to making a concerted effort to get everything ready for eBay...
A couple more questions...

If there's detritus inside a lens, is that a complete failure of a lens? Or is that something someone would find worth repairing? (I have no interest in in repairing or paying to get it repaired...I'm thinking of a potential buyer.)



I found some Hoya brand lens filters on some of the lenses. What do the markings represent?



And lastly for now, I found these pieces in a separate bag. Are they related or standalone items for something...


Thanks again for the replies and assistance! (Regarding the motordrive, I found the full leather case for the handle, base, and camera)
08-25-2013, 11:33 AM   #7
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I have no idea about the cable and other things, but the filters are Hoya brand, the top two that is, and they are UV filters, one is for a 49mm lens, the other a 58mm lens. Both are useless on digital cameras but good for film cameras. I can't read what's on the third filter exept for it says Pentax. Is there any other markings on that filter?

08-25-2013, 12:30 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by photolady Quote
I have no idea about the cable and other things, but the filters are Hoya brand, the top two that is, and they are UV filters, one is for a 49mm lens, the other a 58mm lens. Both are useless on digital cameras but good for film cameras. I can't read what's on the third filter exept for it says Pentax. Is there any other markings on that filter?
PhotoLady, the third one must be a 49mm also, but the additional text says L39 (UV)
08-25-2013, 01:12 PM   #9
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If it says L39, then it's probably a 39mm thread and also a UV. These filters do not work on Digital like they do on film cameras and used by people who don't know that, find their photos don't look right. That's because the UV can distort a digital photo. Plus they only fetch about/maybe $5 to $10USD, on the market. Not many people still shooting film.
08-25-2013, 02:23 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by photolady Quote
If it says L39, then it's probably a 39mm thread and also a UV. These filters do not work on Digital like they do on film cameras and used by people who don't know that, find their photos don't look right. That's because the UV can distort a digital photo. Plus they only fetch about/maybe $5 to $10USD, on the market. Not many people still shooting film.
I don't think it's double-threaded...it's likely a 49mm thread since it's interchangeable with the other one, but the L39 (UV) notation still eludes me...
08-25-2013, 02:47 PM   #11
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I don't have much to contribute for you, since I'm part of the digital generation, but I can tell you about that UV filter. It's designed to block UV light, which is invisible to the human eye but could mess up a film picture. You probably knew that already. The L39 indicates the strength of the filter: it means it will block any light with a wavelength shorter than 390nm. As another example, an L37 UV filter would block light shorter than 370nm.

As photolady said, they aren't worth much nowadays. UV light doesn't affect digital sensors, so a UV filter is just a useless piece of glass on digital. Some people use them to protect their lenses.

I'd say you should go ahead and post pictures of your Voigtländer and Minolta bodies, since there are plenty of old gear buffs here who don't limit themselves to Pentax.
08-25-2013, 03:35 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by scratchpaddy Quote
I can tell you about that UV filter. It's designed to block UV light, which is invisible to the human eye but could mess up a film picture. You probably knew that already. The L39 indicates the strength of the filter: it means it will block any light with a wavelength shorter than 390nm. As another example, an L37 UV filter would block light shorter than 370nm.
As photolady said, they aren't worth much nowadays. UV light doesn't affect digital sensors, so a UV filter is just a useless piece of glass on digital.
I'd say you should go ahead and post pictures of your Voigtländer and Minolta bodies, since there are plenty of old gear buffs here who don't limit themselves to Pentax.
Thanks, ScratchPaddy. Everything I'm asking about is all relative to the Pentax M42 Spotmatics, so someone may still want the UV lenses.
The Minolta Unimat camera will probably go up on eBay later this week, along with the two Spotmatics that I have, the various lenses, and the motordrive for it. The Voigtlander just sold on eBay for $727. That was a pleasant surprise!

Still hoping some can chime in on the "dirty lens" question and identify the Pentax part that looks something like a battery meter. I realize it's only been a few hours, so I'm not expecting anything right away. People are hopefully outside enjoying the weather and not on their computers all day...
08-25-2013, 06:45 PM   #13
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Hi 1980 Corvette,

I hope I can provide some information for you.

The Spotmatic SP you have shown above is in very good condition and should fetch a good price because of its minty condition and the fact that it is black. The fact that a motor drive accompanies it means that it might be designed to work with that motor drive. A Spotmatic SP that works with a motor drive can be identified by the words "Motor Drive" on the bottom plate directly beneath the self-timer lever. Because these two items were found together increases the chance that it is a motor drive version and, if so, that increases its value as well.

The cable shown above is to connect the motor drive battery to the battery charger. I don't know if you have the charger.

The little meter shown above is a battery checker and it plugs into the side of the motor drive handle. The reason that there is a marker between 10 and 12 is because the motor drive only works when its voltage is between 10 & 12 volts.

These items are a very rare find in such good condition and they should not be separated.
08-25-2013, 08:05 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by rayallen Quote
Hi 1980 Corvette,

I hope I can provide some information for you.

The Spotmatic SP you have shown above is in very good condition and should fetch a good price because of its minty condition and the fact that it is black. The fact that a motor drive accompanies it means that it might be designed to work with that motor drive. A Spotmatic SP that works with a motor drive can be identified by the words "Motor Drive" on the bottom plate directly beneath the self-timer lever. Because these two items were found together increases the chance that it is a motor drive version and, if so, that increases its value as well.

The cable shown above is to connect the motor drive battery to the battery charger. I don't know if you have the charger.

The little meter shown above is a battery checker and it plugs into the side of the motor drive handle. The reason that there is a marker between 10 and 12 is because the motor drive only works when its voltage is between 10 & 12 volts.

These items are a very rare find in such good condition and they should not be separated.
Ray, thank you very much for the informed response! I have all my stuff set to auto-post to eBay on Thursday, 8am, EST. This will give me time to go look at the motordrive, battery meter, and camera body to see if things line up! And if so, I can update my listing. I'll keep y'all informed!
08-26-2013, 01:29 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by 1980Corvette Quote
Ray, thank you very much for the informed response! I have all my stuff set to auto-post to eBay on Thursday, 8am, EST. This will give me time to go look at the motordrive, battery meter, and camera body to see if things line up! And if so, I can update my listing. I'll keep y'all informed!
No problem. It was my pleasure to be able to help. I hope your ebay sales go well.

If you had shown those items to me 10 years ago while I was still shooting film with my Spotmatics, I would have been very tempted to buy them from you. I still have my Spotmatics but I rarely shoot film nowadays and I am not about to purchase any more film equipment. But I'm sure that there will be significant interest in the gear you are selling.
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