One of the most ridiculous camera markups ever

[demonboy]

I'm pissed that I thought of it first but didn't do it!

Though I never would have thought of charging that kind of money..

I'd been thinking about this idea too, damn them.

I think they look great and if they revitalise a camera and it goes to a good home, rather than locked up in some cupboard in bits, then that's ok, isn't it? If the business model works, hats off to them. I'd be pretty stoked if someone bought me one of these as a present.

I certainly woodn't (did you see what I did there?) buy one myself though. The mark-up is ridiculous, but it's no different to me buying a VW Beetle, de-chroming it, tinting the windows, adding a nice pastel two-pack paint job and some tear-drop rear lights, and selling it for more that it's worth. Up until the 80s you could pick up a Beetle for next to nothing, until enthusiasts started pimping them up.

 

[Moopheus]

I'd be pretty stoked if someone bought me one of these as a present.

I would have to slap them silly.

Just for laughs, I googled the company, and it seems they've been getting a lot of notices in the non-photo blogosphere. People are just agog over these things!

 

[wesleyfurr]

I had to register just to add my two cents... I actually did an Argus C3 in wood covering some years back. Wish I'd known it was worth nearly two grand...I would have started making them like crazy! Though perhaps it is not too late... Here's the one I did: http://www.megley.com/argus/wood.html Wesley (ps - sorry - not sure why my line breaks are disappearing and making my message one ugly blob of text...I tried to make it look nice!)

 

[richard ide]

For a real challenge; when I have a few days with nothing to do, I think I will try to veneer my F4. I think making the grain match each segment will be the real B*****d. Just trying to decide which wood to choose. No! I will not provide updates on progress.

 

[summicron1]

you guys are being kinda harsh -- a full cla on any camera costs about $125-$175 or so and their site seems to claim a more extensive job than that -- plus hand-fitting a veneer covering, plus the snob mark up -- what the heck, if they can make money at it, let them, it's supporting film use.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

I had to register just to add my two cents... I actually did an Argus C3 in wood covering some years back. Wish I'd known it was worth nearly two grand...I would have started making them like crazy! Though perhaps it is not too late... Here's the one I did: http://www.megley.com/argus/wood.html Wesley (ps - sorry - not sure why my line breaks are disappearing and making my message one ugly blob of text...I tried to make it look nice!)

Haha dragging out the lurkers

You beat them to the punch! Now to sue em for everything they got! Jk! Also how did it hold up over time? I expected a veneer finish to have been quite slippery, but since its an argus brick I dont think any amount of griptac would have made it more manageable.

 

[Steven L]

It's definatly something for DIY and not to buy, unless you've got the money and haven't got the skills to DIY. The product is kind of like custom bicycles, motorbikes, cars. Downside of this kind of industry is that it is extremely personal. People who wants camera's like this, want something exclusive and creative. The only way to make shure it is exclusive, is by making it yourself. Or pay $$$ to fit your needs.
As for my own DIY project, the Revueflex AC2 (aka Chinon CE4) has a bit of a challenge. The sides wrap around the camera, so I have to ply the wood into shape.
A practical question for who knows the answer: Does a coloured camera have any influence with marco photography? I think it might bounce off some coloured light on the subject.

 

[wesleyfurr]

Haha dragging out the lurkers

You beat them to the punch! Now to sue em for everything they got! Jk! Also how did it hold up over time? I expected a veneer finish to have been quite slippery, but since its an argus brick I dont think any amount of griptac would have made it more manageable.

LOL...actually not even a lurker...a member of the Argus Collector's Group that knew of my camera alerted me to this thread...so I signed up just to post.

I doesn't get used heavily, about two rolls of film per year, so I can't say but so much about how well it holds up, but so far just fine, and I think it's been like 7 years. The other thing that helps is I keep mine in a nice leather case such as were designed specifically to hold C3's. The other thing it has going for it is the finish...dad works in a custom cabinet shop. He used the same catalyzed varnish on it that they use on their cabinets. He has told stories about being able to actually wipe it down with lacquer thinner and not begin to budge the finish. So...if lacquer thinner can't bother it, I'm not worried about my hands messing it up. As for grip, it holds just as good as an original leatherette covered one...

Wesley

 

[E. von Hoegh]

It's not really a new idea, except for the ridiculous price. There was a guy who covered a Mk.II Jaguar with rosewood veneer back in the late 60s.

 

[Moopheus]

you guys are being kinda harsh -- a full cla on any camera costs about $125-$175 or so and their site seems to claim a more extensive job than that -- plus hand-fitting a veneer covering, plus the snob mark up -- what the heck, if they can make money at it, let them, it's supporting film use.

It's true--they also claim to clean the lenses, which most techs would charge extra for. And a few square inches of veneer must cost them at least $10 or so. So it can't really be more than 60 or 70 percent snob markup. As snob markups go, that's not too bad.

But even if I was going to pay snob markup for a vintage rangefinder, it wouldn't be for an Argus (I am biased against them; I had one as a kid and it was horrible to use).

I don't really see this as supporting much film use. How many cameras can they sell this way? Not very many, I'd guess.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

It's true--they also claim to clean the lenses, which most techs would charge extra for. And a few square inches of veneer must cost them at least $10 or so. So it can't really be more than 60 or 70 percent snob markup. As snob markups go, that's not too bad.

But even if I was going to pay snob markup for a vintage rangefinder, it wouldn't be for an Argus (I am biased against them; I had one as a kid and it was horrible to use).

I don't really see this as supporting much film use. How many cameras can they sell this way? Not very many, I'd guess.

A full CLA includes cleaning the lens - otherwise it isn't a full CLA.
An Argus brick is worth maybe $50 for a clean one with case. Say (to be safe) the CLA brings that to $200. They sell it - without even retouching the paint on the shutter release - for $1850. Thats a 925% markup, not 60-70%

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Charlatans with single word.

 

[cliveh]

Does anybody convert antique film cameras to digital? Now there's an idea.

 

[GRHazelton]

I noticed that the site has an extensive glossary, defining terms which anyone who's done photography for any length of time already knows. This suggests to me that they're aiming at people with more money than brains. Hmmm, not a bad business plan! To clean up an Argus C-3, readily available for what - $30 or less? - and offer it as a woodie for $1,875.00...I wish I'd thought of it first!

 

[benjiboy]

Does anybody convert antique film cameras to digital? Now there's an idea.

Not unless they like hospital food

 

[Marc B.]

Somehow, the wood covering doesn't 'do it' for me.
Give me leather, exotic skin, or leatherette. Sorry Pee-tah!


Yashica 'Mat':
http://cameraleather.com/yashicatlr/matrss01.jpg

Yashica 'LM':
http://cameraleather.com/yashicatlr/mat_C_sadtan02.jpg

'Argus':
http://www.cameraleather.com/argus/c3red.jpg

'Mamiya C330':
http://cameraleather.com/mamiya/C330_tan1.jpg

'Honeywell Pentax':
http://www.cameraleather.com/pentax/h1a_BRgreen.jpg


Marc

 

[Steven L]

Those coloured leather camera's look awesome. Especially the Honeywell Pentax. But, as I asked before, does a coloured camera have any influence with marco photography? I think it might bounce off some coloured light on the subject.

 

[Marc B.]

Steven,
Camera body color is basically a moot point in Macro.
Often you shoot through a white board with a hole, just large enough for your lens to protrude through.
This technique allows you to reflect more light on the subject, and the light appears to come from a larger source.
Or, as in many situations, you're using a micro/macro ring flash attached to the lens. Again, camera body color is moot.

Marc

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Pimp my camera Dead Link Removed

 

[daleeman]

Camera Van is the next rage for anyone with too many cameras
http://www.cameravan.com/allabout/

 

[Sirius Glass]

Does anybody convert antique film cameras to digital? Now there's an idea.

Not unless they like hospital food

And plan to only be able to eat food that can travel through a straw.

 

[Steven L]

Camera Van is the next rage for anyone with too many cameras
http://www.cameravan.com/allabout/

Are the cameras just for show or do they all actually work?
I have browsed the website but couldn't find the picuters he made.
He could apply for a job at Google Earth.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

The Fool: Lucas Allen Buck, co-founder of Synthetic, maker of Hipstamatic*

The Money: $1,850.00

The Parting: Quoted from page D16 of the Wall Street Journal - “I’m currently obsessed with this vintage Argus C3 Mansonia** camera wrapped in wood. This will by my ‘Wayne’s World’ moment: ‘She will be mine! Oh yes, she will be mine!’”

---
* A Holga-like plastic case for an IPhone and software that turns a phone picture into the fuzzy likeness of a Holga picture.

It used to be that ‘hip’ meant, among other things, being true to oneself; un-plastic, as it were. The current culture that calls itself hip is very, very un-hip. Hip died many deaths - the last being October 6, 1967. Let it rest in peace.

** From The Wood Database: Mansonia [a tropical hardwood from West Africa] is on the short list as one of the worst wood species in terms of toxicity and commonness of allergic reactions ... heartwood [has] been found to contain cardiac poisons ... Ah, schadenfreude

 

[semi-ambivalent]

Hip died many deaths - the last being October 6, 1967.

And what makes PBS the sole arbiter of History?

s-a

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Pimp my camera Dead Link Removed

Whoever did this should be beaten. How rude.