Tag Online Auctions

Not always as they appear…

Chris and Carol 3 Comments

I recently took delivery of what appeared to be a well-kept Canon A-1 35mm SLR from 1983. It was reported by the seller as in good condition but untested. The lens was specifically listed as clean and clear. As you can see from the pictures the lens is far from “clean and clear”.

It looks great and from my experience with this model when they look this good they generally have no issues.
Sharp-looking camera.
Canon NFD 50mm f1.8 lens as seen from behind. BTW, the date code (Y1116) to the right of the red dot indicates that this lens was made in November 1984.
Opening the aperture blades to f1.8 and shining a bright LED light reveals the hidden issues with the lens – haze and overall edge cloudiness.

I knew the camera was untested (I asked the seller and they said that they didn’t have a battery) so I knew that going in. BTW, the 6v A544 batteries that power the A-1 are quite common and available in stores and online. After checking out the camera with a fresh battery I discovered that the light meter display wasn’t working. The shutter speeds sounded accurate but without knowing if the meter was responding I wouldn’t have been able to trust the camera in full auto mode. The camera also had the infamous Canon “squeal” that happens whenever the mirror assembly’s lubrication dries out over time and from sitting unused for long periods. The squeal is not caused by the shutter as some people believe.

Obviously looks can and often are deceiving and in this case, I could have taken a hit. Fortunately, I was able to return the camera. At this moment I’m waiting to receive my refund.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by, and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

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Yashica Pentamatic II at a recent auction.

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

If you’ve been following our blog about the Yashica Pentamatic II, then you know that it had one of the shorter production runs of any 35mm Yashica SLR camera. Released in September of 1960 – only a few months after the original Pentamatic went on sale in May of 1960, the model II was replaced by the Pentamatic S by January 1961.

So few of these come up at auction that’s it difficult for a collector to find a good example of one to bid on. This Pentamatic II (pictured below), just sold on an online auction for ¥8,500 with fairly robust bidding activity. While that’s not an extremely high final sales figure, it was rather high in our opinion for a camera that may not be functional with a lens that may have some issues (fungus, mold). Having said that, given just how rare the Pentamatic II is, it is certainly undervalued by some collectors. The camera set looks to be in good condition overall – no major issues seen with the body and it looks complete.

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The serial number (NO. 96001891) would indicate that this body was made in September 1960, and that it was number 1,891 in the production run. For one month that is actually a high amount produced compared to the monthly totals of the original Pentamatic. We will point out that the only change that we’ve been able to find between the two models is that the model II uses a different standard lens – 5.8cm, f/ 1.7 Auto-Yashinon vice the original’s 5.5cm, f/ 1.8 A-Y lens.

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So there you have it – a Pentamatic II with the correct lens, strap and a genuine Yashica filter sold for around $80. You should expect to pay in the vicinity of $100 for a clean version with certified working shutter.

Thanks for your visit and as always, happy hunting!

Chris