Value of MF gear

shicks5319 · Aug 23, 2007

I have owned by Hasselblad system for a number of years, so I really haven't been keeping up with what's going on in the used market.

I recently put up an ad here at APUG for a 500c/m body and found there was no interest. At the same time I began watching the sales over at ebay and was shocked to see these bodies being sold for 80 to 100 dollars.

Has our gear devalued to near zero?

Nick Zentena · Aug 23, 2007

Don't know but some things seem more expensive to me.

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 23, 2007

Yup, there's a real glut of MF out there, unless you've got some particularly high-end Zeiss glass, like long teles and such.

Dan Henderson · Aug 23, 2007

If you're trying to sell equipment, it sucks for you. But if you're like me and buy stuff, life is good.

DrPablo · Aug 23, 2007

I've seen plenty of 500 c/m bodies plus WLF, one A12 back, and an 80/2.8 CT* go for around $500. That seems to be a pretty typical package and price.

david b · Aug 23, 2007

The c/m was made from 1970 to 1994.

How old is yours?

How much did you pay for the camera?

Sirius Glass · Aug 23, 2007

Sirius Glass · Aug 23, 2007

CX ~$500 ex
f/2.8 80mm CF ~$500 ex
f/4 50mm CF ~$850 ex+
f/4 150mm CF ~$800 minty
f/5.6 250mm CF ~$850 ex+

A12 backs ex - $135 and $200

All purchased in the last 3 months.

Steve

Alan9940 · Aug 23, 2007

There seems to be a glut of MF gear on the market that no one appears to be interested in. I also have a 500C/M and several lenses that I can't imagine I'd ever sell. There's nothing wrong with MF and...Zeiss glass! Need I say more! Why everyone started dumping good gear, like Hasselblad or Pentax 67 or...pick your marquee, for prosumer level digital cameras is beyond me.

I say...anyone interested in MF should start buying! It's probably as cheap as it's gonna get!

panastasia · Aug 23, 2007

Alan9940 said:
There seems to be a glut of MF gear on the market that no one appears to be interested in. I also have a 500C/M and several lenses that I can't imagine I'd ever sell. There's nothing wrong with MF and...Zeiss glass! Need I say more! Why everyone started dumping good gear, like Hasselblad or Pentax 67 or...pick your marquee, for prosumer level digital cameras is beyond me.

I say...anyone interested in MF should start buying! It's probably as cheap as it's gonna get!

These times will be remembered as good! "Let the good times roll".

Sirius Glass · Aug 23, 2007

panastasia said:
These times will be remembered as good! "Let the good times roll".

With these prices I brought my Hasselblad equipment and now I owe enough to buy a house!

Steve

shicks5319 · Aug 24, 2007

Well,I guess the thing to do is just hang on to it, use it, and not worry about it.

I recently picked up a 500 cx body, which left me with 3 bodies. I'm not sure if I will ever have a need for three of them, but maybe something will change to make them more value later on.... like affordable Digi backs...

Nick Zentena · Aug 24, 2007

Just wait for the selling volume to dry up. The KEH catalog came this week. The price for Pentax 645 and Bronica ETR bodies are up. At least they're higher then I paid last year. OTOH common stuff like 75mm lenses have dropped yet again. Soon they'll have to pay you to take them.

k_jupiter · Aug 24, 2007

Fer years I looked at MF SLRs, with no hope of being able to afford anything reasonable. This year, two rb67 bodies (1 ProS, 1 Professional, both in great shape), a 50mm, 65mm, 90mm, 127mm, 150mmSF, and a 180mm lens, all "C" except the 90. Two WLF, a prism finder, a chimney finder, two extenders (#1 and #2), 6 backs (2 6x7, 4 6x45) a couple of hand grips... I haven't broken a grand yet. I've had two bad experiences with crappy equipment ( a 65mm lens that had sand in it, a pro body that was crapped out), returned both.

I'm having a blast. Thank you D*g*t*l.

tim in san jose

sanking · Aug 25, 2007

k_jupiter said:
Fer years I looked at MF SLRs, with no hope of being able to afford anything reasonable. This year, two rb67 bodies (1 ProS, 1 Professional, both in great shape), a 50mm, 65mm, 90mm, 127mm, 150mmSF, and a 180mm lens, all "C" except the 90. Two WLF, a prism finder, a chimney finder, two extenders (#1 and #2), 6 backs (2 6x7, 4 6x45) a couple of hand grips... I haven't broken a grand yet. I've had two bad experiences with crappy equipment ( a 65mm lens that had sand in it, a pro body that was crapped out), returned both.

I'm having a blast. Thank you D*g*t*l.

tim in san jose

I expect that the price of quality MF gear will start to rise again at some point in the near future. There is a finite number of those cameras around, and a lot more folks like us. Plus, if image quality if your main criteria good MF film, scanned, still equals or beats all but the best digital SLR. I calculated that the dollar factor is about 5:1 in favor of film.

Some MF equipment is still very expensive. Mamiya 7 bodies and lenses, for example, are still in high demand and not inexpensive at all. Pentax 67II bodies are also in pretty high demand, though good lenses are at bargain prices for this camera.

Sandy King

Value of MF gear

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