Spotmatic bodies expensive?

Tony-S · Apr 26, 2012

I was tooling around on KEH.com and saw this Spotmatic SP F body:

Dead Link Removed

More than $200 for one in EX+ condition? That seems crazy. I may have to dig mine out see what kind of condition they're in.

CGW · Apr 26, 2012

Tony-S said:
I was tooling around on KEH.com and saw this Spotmatic SP F body:

Dead Link Removed

More than $200 for one in EX+ condition? That seems crazy. I may have to dig mine out see what kind of condition they're in.

Nice examples of "classic" SLRs are scarce now and get priced accordingly. Very few died pretty or kept their looks and most are in sorry shape. The days of finding cheap Mint- 35mm gear ended about 3-4 years ago.

Hatchetman · Apr 27, 2012

that is in pristine condition, like new out of the box. plus you get a 6 month warranty. you can pick up a nice one on ebay for $50, but surely you're going to need a CLA on it, which is $75. So you would be in at least $125.

Steve Smith · Apr 27, 2012

Or you can sometimes get lucky and find a nice Spotmatic F locally for only £20 which is in great, well cared for condition and works perfectly.

Steve.

Moopheus · Apr 27, 2012

Steve Smith said:
Or you can sometimes get lucky and find a nice Spotmatic F locally for only ?20 which is in great, well cared for condition and works perfectly.

Steve.

Right, but that's just luck of the draw. $200 is clearly a premium price for a Spotmatic, and for that price you're paying to not have to rely on luck to get a body that doesn't need a CLA as soon as you get it.

CGW · Apr 27, 2012

Steve Smith said:
Or you can sometimes get lucky and find a nice Spotmatic F locally for only ?20 which is in great, well cared for condition and works perfectly.

Steve.

Right. Like the mint 1964 Porsche 356C I found in a barn last week and bought for $500 from a farmer who thought he'd done me.

Afraid the yard sale Leica is the stuff of urban legend.

Klainmeister · Apr 27, 2012

I got my Pentax ME with 50mm 1.4 for $30 off of CL last week. I was the only person who called about it. Things works beautifully and is in great condition...

Seems like a good deal to me. Or a M7II with 4 lenses for $1500...

Steve Smith · Apr 27, 2012

CGW said:
Right. Like the mint 1964 Porsche 356C I found in a barn last week and bought for $500 from a farmer who thought he'd done me.

Well done with the Porsche! I actually did get my good condition Spotmatic F for £20.

Steve.

Moopheus · Apr 27, 2012

CGW said:
Afraid the yard sale Leica is the stuff of urban legend.

But the yard sale Pentax somewhat less so. A Pentax, even an old Spotmatic, is not like a Leica or a Porsche; they were common consumer items. How many K1000s are there in the world? Bazillions. Do a search on ebay; there are hundreds for sale at any time, for cheap. It would be more like going into the farmer's barn and finding he's got a 1977 Chevette in there.

Hatchetman · Apr 27, 2012

Yeah, but if you want a Spotmatic, the cheapest way to get one is to buy it on the open market, not spend hours searching for hidden gems that may not exist.

Ian Grant · Apr 27, 2012

Last Sunday I could have bought Spotmatics for £10 each in good condition and there was a wide choice 20 or 30 at one stall, nore at others, I didn't see an F though but I then wasn't really looking. I already have a mint Spotmatic F that I paid £20 for with a lens and case as well as an earlier Spotmatic which came with some other equipment.

So $200 is actually way too much.

Ian

CGW · Apr 27, 2012

My point is simply that the mythic, truly mint Pentax, Nikon, Whateverflex body, closet-bound for 40+ years and sold for peanuts is fabulism. These things were around maybe 5-8 years ago when 35mm prices were in freefall, much like they are now. Problem is, the pretty, collectible-grade stuff--never that thick on the ground--is now stashed or selling at prices that outrage bottom-feeders. Prices will crash if the current turbulence in film production worsens and depresses demand below current levels.

Steve Smith · Apr 27, 2012

It's not mythical if it actually happens. Rare perhaps, but it does happen.

Steve.

Steve Smith · Apr 27, 2012

Moopheus said:
for that price you're paying to not have to rely on luck to get a body that doesn't need a CLA as soon as you get it.

Paying or praying?!!

Steve.

Tony-S · Apr 27, 2012

Well, I dug out my two Spotmatic SPs last night. I'd have to say one is LN- and the other is EX. I may have to put batteries in them and run a roll of film through each to see if they're properly working. Not sure I want to hang onto them, though. I have too much camera crap as it is.

Hatchetman · Apr 27, 2012

Tony-S said:
Well, I dug out my two Spotmatic SPs last night. I'd have to say one is LN- and the other is EX. I may have to put batteries in them and run a roll of film through each to see if they're properly working. Not sure I want to hang onto them, though. I have too much camera crap as it is.

Got any interesting lenses?

Tony-S · Apr 27, 2012

35mm f/2 Super Tak (67mm filter), 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak, 55mm f/2 Super Tak, 50mm f/4 SMC Macro, 135 f/3.5 Super Tak. I have others, but I'm keeping them.

Hatchetman · Apr 27, 2012

Tony-S said:
35mm f/2 Super Tak (67mm filter), 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak, 55mm f/2 Super Tak, 50mm f/4 SMC Macro, 135 f/3.5 Super Tak. I have others, but I'm keeping them.

I've got all those, but the 35mm and both 50mm's should bring you some nice change. The 17mm is the only one I really crave.

lxdude · Apr 27, 2012

Moopheus said:
But the yard sale Pentax somewhat less so. A Pentax, even an old Spotmatic, is not like a Leica or a Porsche; they were common consumer items. How many K1000s are there in the world? Bazillions. Do a search on ebay; there are hundreds for sale at any time, for cheap. It would be more like going into the farmer's barn and finding he's got a 1977 Chevette in there.

Hey, finding a '77 Chevette is really uncommon these days!

For obvious reasons.

CGW · Apr 27, 2012

lxdude said:
Hey, finding a '77 Chevette is really uncommon these days!

For obvious reasons.

Just try finding a clean Yugo!

At least the jokes were funny:

What do you call a Yugo with a flat tire? Totaled.

What's included in every Yugo owner's manual? A bus schedule.

What do you call a Yugo that breaks down after 100 miles? An overachiever.

narsuitus · Apr 27, 2012

CGW said:
What do you call a Yugo with a flat tire? Totaled.

What's included in every Yugo owner's manual? A bus schedule.

What do you call a Yugo that breaks down after 100 miles? An overachiever.

Thanks for the hilarious jokes.

brucemuir · Apr 27, 2012

I sold an SP F right here on the boards recently for 25usd shipped.
It needed CLA but was pretty clean.

IronStar · Apr 27, 2012

@CGW & narsuitus
Come visit me in homeland of Yugo, we can find something for you! Maybe even non-rusted one!

*For the record Yugo was actually produced until November 2008, with minor facelift near the end of it's production. Facelift version "Yugo Koral In" looks quite nice to me. Yugos exported to USA were probably best built - imagine just how plain bad were ones for domestic market.*

-Stefan

Ian Grant · Apr 27, 2012

brucemuir said:
I sold an SP F right here on the boards recently for 25usd shipped.
It needed CLA but was pretty clean.

The reality that CGW doesn't grasp or understand is that these Spotmatics are so wwell made they don't really wear out a quick CLA revives them for many more yeras. I sold an S1a back in the late 70's and saw the buyer again about 4 years ago and it was still his only camera and as reliable as every.

These days we expect things not to last, or become obselete, but bhey I can still get film for all my cameras even the obscure sizes like Quarter plate and half plate.

So yes there's a glut of 35mm cameras at the moment but those prices will rise again soon.

Ian

narsuitus · Apr 27, 2012

IronStar said:
@CGW & narsuitus
Come visit me in homeland of Yugo, we can find something for you! Maybe even non-rusted one!

*For the record Yugo was actually produced until November 2008, with minor facelift near the end of it's production. Facelift version "Yugo Koral In" looks quite nice to me. Yugos exported to USA were probably best built - imagine just how plain bad were ones for domestic market.*

-Stefan

Stefan,

Thanks for the generous invitation, your great sense of humor, and your good nature.

Spotmatic bodies expensive?

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