Is the Edixa Reflex valuable?

albada · Apr 17, 2016

A eBay auction ended today selling two Edixa Reflex camera with 50mm lenses. The hammer price was US$800. Here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/351694019541

I own a working example of these cameras. Its build-quality is acceptable, but below the other German makers, as is typical of Wirgin. An Ennalyt lens I tested was below average in its class. These were cheaper SLRs sold in a losing battle against the Japanese in the early to mid 1960s. So why $800? Seven bidders were involved, so this was not a foolish bidding-war between two people. Am I missing something here?

Mark Overton

Les Sarile · Apr 17, 2016

It's as valuable as the buyers thinks it is.

leicarfcam · Apr 18, 2016

These cameras were cheaply made and were prone to breakage. I would never pay the price it went for..

Ian Grant · Apr 18, 2016

I see Edixa cameras quite regularly at camera fairs, they are always cheap and cheerful. Having had one I agree with you Mark about the build quality.

Sometimes items sell on Ebay for way more than they are worth, there's no logic.

Ian

Ricardo Miranda · Apr 18, 2016

Someone really wanted those 2 cameras.
Maybe she/he knows something I don't?

choiliefan · Apr 18, 2016

I had one of these cameras years ago. I believe it was an Edixa Mat Reflex or something like that. Featured interchangeable viewfinders and was smooth in operation. The Schneider lens had a very unique moving depth of field scale in red under a clear plastic window adjacent to the aperture scale functionally similar to the DOF scale on later Rolleiflex MF cameras. Quite a nifty camera I traded away at one of the camera swap meets in SoCal...

BMbikerider · Apr 18, 2016

Like all things old, if they are a rarity, even if rubbish when new, then the value (AKA Cost) will go up sometimes out of all proportion.

Actually when I started photography the Edixa was about the most common Reflex available at the time. Most models only had a limited range of shutter speeds 1/30th to 1/500 or 1/1000. There was a model I think was called the Edixa Prismat 'D' had a full range from 1 Sec to 1/1000, but was quite a bit more expensive. The only lens I seem to remember being used on the models advertised for sale in UK, was the ubiquitous 50mm F2.8 Tessar. (Apart from wide angle or telephoto).

I have just searched under 'Edixa reflex cameras' and there is a web page with masses of pictures of this make. Including some with Schneider Xenar and Xenon standard lenses

choiliefan · Apr 18, 2016

Looking at page 441 of McKeown's 97-98 price guide. Mine may have been the Edixa-Mat D with f2 Xenar lens and shutter speeds 9 sec to 1/1000. Mfd between '61 and '67.

Xmas · Apr 19, 2016

choiliefan said:
Looking at page 441 of McKeown's 97-98 price guide. Mine may have been the Edixa-Mat D with f2 Xenar lens and shutter speeds 9 sec to 1/1000. Mfd between '61 and '67.

Rarity and condition
Reids cameras and lenses ie UK manufactured Leica clones are astronomical £ today.
Cheaper getting a IIIc...
The lenses were good (I had one) on my Leica after they stopped manufacture but they had trouble selling them.
Think Edixas were similar.

RauschenOderKorn · Apr 20, 2016

I have inhereted an Edixa from my father, and they were not as cheap or as bad as described in this discussion.

The System was wide-spread in Germany and working well - you can get a lot of Edixas still working perfectly without any problems on German ebay.

Pricewise: today, not too expensive, but somebody thought that these particular cameras are worth US$ 800.-

Is the Edixa Reflex valuable?

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