Based upon this thread I rather hesitate to apply to this forum particularly when I remember Woody Allen's injunction on the subject of joining clubs. Still, I've been lurking for quite a while and the level of discourse is quite nice and I'm in need of some basic advise.
For some time now, I've been causally considering picking up a film camera (I shoot Canon 1D's) just to remember/recapture the studied experience I use to have with a series of range finder 35mm in my gloriously misspent youth. I liked the feel of B&W and frankly the greater thought I gave to the cost of film, processing, and effort before I squeezed the trigger. Mostly I miss the experience of thinking in black and white.
This all came to a bit of crisis just now when a neighbor up the road in the village I live in stopped me as I came back in from one of my wanderings along the now dry acequias with the question, "Would you look at this camera junk my uncle left me. I've got tubs of the stuff and won't ever do anything with it. Don't want to deal with Craig's List and all those strangers, so you do cameras maybe you'd like it."
She had the stuff sitting in the side portal and literally it was four plastic tubs filled with cameras, lenses, bags, straps, tripods, etc. I rooted around in it not seeing anything stunning like lost Leicas or vintage Nikons but there did appear to be several possible operable film bodies. There was a fair amount of older Kodak though mostly Instamatic and Brownie. I didn't have a clue as to value and neither did she and I really didn't want to take advantage of her. Finally she snorted and said, "I doubt there is anything fancy in here. He was a real pack rat. Give me $200 and if you find something worth $10,000 give me half of it and we'll go party." Okay, so now I have 4 tubs of photographic ephemera.
I'm still rooting around but the best of it seems to be an Oly OM-1n with 3-4 lenses including a 28mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.4. Past that there are 3 Argus, 3 Minoltas 3-4 Konica, 3 Ricoh, 2 Yashica, and 30-40 lenses. I have no clue what some of this stuff is.
So I have a couple of three questions. First, would someone direct me to some concise sources that can help me learn if this stuff would be of value to anyone. Second, I'd like to get the Oly operational. It doesn't have a manual, but I'm guessing it needs a battery. Source? Finally, I've been looking for a quality 50mm to replace the quite disappointing Canon one I have. In looking at adapters, they appear to cost either $20 or $175. What accounts for this huge disparity? In both cases one ends up with a totally manual lens as far as I can tell.
OntheRez wrote:
Based upon this thread I rather hesitate to apply to this forum particularly when I remember Woody Allen's injunction on the subject of joining clubs. Still, I've been lurking for quite a while and the level of discourse is quite nice and I'm in need of some basic advise.
For some time now, I've been causally considering picking up a film camera (I shoot Canon 1D's) just to remember/recapture the studied experience I use to have with a series of range finder 35mm in my gloriously misspent youth. I liked the feel of B&W and frankly the greater thought I gave to the cost of film, processing, and effort before I squeezed the trigger. Mostly I miss the experience of thinking in black and white.
This all came to a bit of crisis just now when a neighbor up the road in the village I live in stopped me as I came back in from one of my wanderings along the now dry acequias with the question, "Would you look at this camera junk my uncle left me. I've got tubs of the stuff and won't ever do anything with it. Don't want to deal with Craig's List and all those strangers, so you do cameras maybe you'd like it."
She had the stuff sitting in the side portal and literally it was four plastic tubs filled with cameras, lenses, bags, straps, tripods, etc. I rooted around in it not seeing anything stunning like lost Leicas or vintage Nikons but there did appear to be several possible operable film bodies. There was a fair amount of older Kodak though mostly Instamatic and Brownie. I didn't have a clue as to value and neither did she and I really didn't want to take advantage of her. Finally she snorted and said, "I doubt there is anything fancy in here. He was a real pack rat. Give me $200 and if you find something worth $10,000 give me half of it and we'll go party." Okay, so now I have 4 tubs of photographic ephemera.
I'm still rooting around but the best of it seems to be an Oly OM-1n with 3-4 lenses including a 28mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.4. Past that there are 3 Argus, 3 Minoltas 3-4 Konica, 3 Ricoh, 2 Yashica, and 30-40 lenses. I have no clue what some of this stuff is.
So I have a couple of three questions. First, would someone direct me to some concise sources that can help me learn if this stuff would be of value to anyone. Second, I'd like to get the Oly operational. It doesn't have a manual, but I'm guessing it needs a battery. Source? Finally, I've been looking for a quality 50mm to replace the quite disappointing Canon one I have. In looking at adapters, they appear to cost either $20 or $175. What accounts for this huge disparity? In both cases one ends up with a totally manual lens as far as I can tell.
Hi Robert...Why dont you post a list of all the lenses you bought so those in the know here can advise you which ones are worth keeping and which should be put back on sale, say on ebay.
Yes, it would probably serve you well to list the gear. For example, you mention you have a couple of Yashica's (presumably bodies) so maybe some lenses. The vast majority of Yashica lenses are virtually worthless but the 21/3.5 would get about $3-400!
Ok, let me dig thru this stuff. Turns out to be 6 boxes of stuff. She had two more. I think quite a bit of it is just junk. Hard to say. I'll also try to put a group shot of the bodies together.
