# I'm buying cameras again



## Battou (Aug 22, 2008)

I just bought another Canon AE-1 w/50mm 1.8. I'll be giving that to my GF. I'm also planning to buy another AE-1 from the local antique shop for my self on saterday or sunday, That has with it an Canon FD 28mm 2.8 , Canon 35mm 3.5, Canon FD 50mm 1.8, stunning Canon FD 100-300mm, bag, and various filters and misc stuffs. That's going to cost me well over $150 (USD) and all I really want is that 100-300mm, that is worth a hundred and fifty by it self to me. 

The Canon FD 28mm 2.8 , Canon 35mm 3.5, Canon FD 50mm 1.8 I alredy have, But having the duplicates will be useful now as my GF wants to explore photography her self. I also alredy have an AE-1 body but, it's crap and has actually been officially retired from service when I got my TLb. It squeels with the canon squeek, the eyepeice is broken, seals are toast and the meter is dying. I'll prolly phence that off for parts to hopfully take the sting out of this months purchasses. 

I'll post Pics upon aquisition.


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## Mitica100 (Aug 22, 2008)

That 100-300 Canon lens is great. You'll love it.

I still have my AE1, had two A1 and traded them away. Good pictures takers.


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## Battou (Aug 22, 2008)

Mitica100 said:


> That 100-300 Canon lens is great. You'll love it.
> 
> I still have my AE1, had two A1 and traded them away. Good pictures takers.



I know, when I first saw it I could not help me self and I put it on my TLb right there in the antique shop, absolutely fabulous condition it's in....I wanted to buy it right there but the vender refuses to separate it from the set. at the time I really did not have any reason to spend money I technically did not have on duplicating three lenses and a body I alredy had.

Yes, the AE-1 will take great pictures and I have gotten some real winners out of the one I have now, but truthfully I was never fond of it. It just has shortcommings that my EF does not. However despite that I constantly recommend the AE-1 to beginners for several reasons, My GF is no exception in this. I figure I'll take this oppertunity to grab my self a new one as well. With the extra lenses that come with it, I'll have extra lenses available and won't have to worry about fighting over the 28mm to justify buying the whole setup for that 100-300 :blushing:

Sadly after this purchase I might have to stop and start saving for an FD 400mm 2.8 L, I found a couple and now I want them......both.


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## Battou (Aug 24, 2008)

This sucks, this has never happened to me before.

I went down to by the setup yesterday after work and some one had bought it earlier in the day wile I was at work...dammit, Owell, I'll just have to Ebay me another one, I guess.


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## Mitica100 (Aug 24, 2008)

Sorry! That sucks.


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## Battou (Aug 24, 2008)

Well, I was the one who hesitated. Countless times I have delayed well over a month (almost six with my Leica) and they have always been there. I guess it was going to happen sometime or another. I'm actually becoming rather well known locally. People who don't know my name call me the camera guy . I guess the fact I use similar gear is possibly rubbing off on some of those who have been wanting to get into this field.

After all, I do say "If you are just starting out, hit up E-bay or the antique shop and find an AE-1".


It's my own fault, Have no one to blame but my self.


I still got the one from E-bay so I'll live, maybe I'll look E-bay over for a new EF as a backup, I do prefer that body after all.


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## Battou (Aug 25, 2008)

The first camera arrived this morning, I'll pick it up after work today or tomorrow. I'm currently stalking three bodies on E-bay so we'll see have to see how that goes.


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## ksmattfish (Aug 25, 2008)

Psst... hey, kid!  You wanna buy some cameras?


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## compur (Aug 25, 2008)

Is that a Norita on the second shelf?


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## sarallyn (Aug 25, 2008)

ummmm.... can _I_ be your girlfriend? 

but really... i'm a little biased, but all that equipment sounds pretty awesome.


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## Battou (Aug 25, 2008)

Is that an H2 on the bottom with a 300mm+ lens?


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## Battou (Aug 26, 2008)

Mine


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## monkeykoder (Aug 26, 2008)

I think buying cameras is addictive...  Maybe I need to start haunting thrift stores...


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## Battou (Aug 26, 2008)

monkeykoder said:


> I think buying cameras is addictive...  Maybe I need to start haunting thrift stores...



Large scale antique shops are killer, I have seen atleast one of almost every camera ksmattfish has in that picture at the one locally.

I bought some of my favorite peices there


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## monkeykoder (Aug 26, 2008)

Battou said:


> Large scale antique shops are killer, I have seen atleast one of almost every camera ksmattfish has in that picture at the one locally.
> 
> I bought some of my favorite peices there



Interesting the ones my mom used to drag me through never had cameras.


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## Battou (Aug 26, 2008)

Mine has got tons. it's one of those places that is more like a mall than an antique store. The owners don't buy and sell, they rent out booth space to who ever wants to sell what ever. Lots of attic clearing all in one place. There are over a dozen of those in my small corner of the state. Yeah they have tons of furnature from the turn of the century but they also have lots of other cool stuff.

I got my bellows, EF body and my m42 screw 200mm tele amung others there.


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## monkeykoder (Aug 26, 2008)

Wow I'll have to stop by a few of those places again now that I know what to look for...


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## ksmattfish (Aug 26, 2008)

compur said:


> Is that a Norita on the second shelf?



Yep.


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## ksmattfish (Aug 26, 2008)

Battou said:


> Is that an H2 on the bottom with a 300mm+ lens?



There's a Spotmatic (I'm not sure which model, I have 3 or 4) with a 75-260 Soligor zoom on the left side, and the long lens on the right is a 400m Tele-Astranar (super cheapie, even back in it's day) on an Exacta body.


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## Battou (Aug 26, 2008)

ksmattfish said:


> There's a Spotmatic (I'm not sure which model, I have 3 or 4) with a 75-260 Soligor zoom on the left side, and the long lens on the right is a 400m Tele-Astranar (super cheapie, even back in it's day) on an Exacta body.



I though it was more likely a spotmatic its more common, It and the H-2 are damn near identical.

here is my H-2 with 200mm Bushnell


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## ksmattfish (Aug 26, 2008)

monkeykoder said:


> Interesting the ones my mom used to drag me through never had cameras.



I find it hit and miss.  Most antique stores and malls, flea markets, etc... will have at least a few beat up old box cameras and vintage point-n-shoots.  Sometimes I find some cool stuff, but in general my experience has been that the prices on Ebay are significantly better than what I'm seeing in the antique shops/flea markets in my neck of the woods.  For instance I always see Crown and Speed Graphics in shops going for $400+, and they can often be found on Ebay for around $200.  My best antique shop finds have been an Ansco Titan 20 (6x6 120 folder) for $15, but it was in ugly condition, and a Pentax K1000 for $20.  

Where I've struck it rich is garage sales, although I've visited hundreds for every one that had anything decent.  I picked up a whole bunch of large format darkroom accessories (hangers, tanks, washer, etc...) for $10 at one.  I found my Rolleiflex 3.5E Planar with a bunch of accessories for $150 at another.  Graphmatic film holder for $10 at another.  When I worked in the camera store I heard a tale of a sorority girl borrowing her dad's old camera for her photo class, and then sold it in the sorority charity rummage sale for $20; it was a Leica M something.  

As Battou mentioned, I found once people caught on that I was collecting old cameras people started calling me and bringing them to me.  All of my Spotmatics, and many of the other 35mm SLRs were cleaned out of relatives closets, and given to me for free.  Old photogs die, and their relatives call me.  I've bought several large boxes full of cameras and gear for $100 to $200.  There was a Leica F3 in one (it's up and to the right of the Diana box (which does contain the Diana)).  My greatest score has been the Widelux F6 which was given to me by an old photog.  

The best thing about collecting cameras has been that trying out all the different kinds of gear really taught me that the gear isn't very important.  Whatever camera I'm using, whether the photos are any good or not is up to me.


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## alexkerhead (Aug 26, 2008)

Battou said:


> I though it was more likely a spotmatic its more common, It and the H-2 are damn near identical.



The easiest way to tell is the screws around the lens. The H2(as wel has the H1) has a plate with screws behind the lens, and the spotmatic does not. 

Here are pics of an H1(looks the same as a H2), Spotmatic, k1000, and me. I would have thrown in the SV, but it IS identical to the h1, except for the re being a timer under the rewind know. 









The cameras are reversed in this shot.


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## Battou (Aug 26, 2008)

alexkerhead said:


> The easiest way to tell is the screws around the lens. The H2(as wel has the H1) has a plate with screws behind the lens, and the spotmatic does not.
> 
> Here are pics of an H1(looks the same as a H2), Spotmatic, k1000, and me. I would have thrown in the SV, but it IS identical to the h1, except for the re being a timer under the rewind know.
> 
> ...



I see this now, I'm not a pentax specialist and had not seen them side by side like that, thanks.


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## ksmattfish (Aug 26, 2008)

alexkerhead said:


> The easiest way to tell is the screws around the lens. The H2(as wel has the H1) has a plate with screws behind the lens, and the spotmatic does not.



That's good info.  Mine are all definitely Spotmatics then.


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## Battou (Aug 26, 2008)

tis mine

that will prolly be the last body I buy for a wile. I originally was looking at it as a third string incase I got out bid on the AE-1...after getting the AE-1. I simply could not pass that one up. One of those two AE-1's is just going to sit now


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## Battou (Sep 10, 2008)

They arrived in the mail yesterday and I picked them up today. the AE-1 is friggin totaled, The EF is stunning mechanically, but I have not had a chance to check the electronics of it.

The AE-1 is really no big deal,There is visable deteriation to the brass on the body, it squeels worse than my old one and the meter cable is snapped. I took it appart shortly after I go it and stole the eyepiece out of it and put it into my old AE-1, on top of that the lens on it was salvagable so...


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