Here are some pictures of my new Yashica ML 50mm/1.4, pretty isn’t it? :) These pictures were taken with Yashica ML 50mm/2.

Yashica ML 50mm/1.4

Yashica ML 50mm/1.4 front

Yashica ML 50mm/1.4 side

The Contax/Yashica mount of this lens

I love to buy used cameras and lenses on ebay, as you might have suspected ;) Most have arrived in great condition, but on some I have had problems. Here are some tips and links, gathering my and others experience (some good links at the bottom of the article). Don’t be shy to fill in with your tips in the comments – or write a post of your own.

1. Pricerange on previous sold lenses
   Check how much other people payed for the same lens. MFLenses has a Used lens price guide, use that and seach on forums, ebay and Google also. Research the lens well. For example there can be differences between batches of products hinted by the serialnumber.

2. Reliable seller?
   When you buy anything, you need to know that the seller is ok. Check sellers feedback!. It should be 100% or close to it. Do a search on the sellers username, some sites has blacklists of bad sellers.

   

   Dont buy from Al Capone

3. Shipping
   I live in Sweden, buying a cheap heavy camera from ebay.com is not very smart for me since the shipping often will be very high. A filter or hood might work better. Possibly a lens. I more often buy heavy things from ebay.co.uk and the swedish version tradera.com
   
   

   Shipping could be expensive

4. Condition of the item
   No reason to buy worn stuff when mint condition often don’t cost much more. Watch out for the “I know nothing of cameras” auction. It can be a bargain or something really bad – there’s no way of knowing. You take a chance, sometimes you will get wonderful things and sometimes crap.

   If you wan’t to be sure the item is in good condition there should be images, you should see the lenses and make the seller write that there is no fungus or scratches. See the articles I link to below for more tips.

   however, sometimes it can be worth it taking a chance…

5. Things to watch out for
   • Fungus – often look like small spiderwebs inside the lensglass.
   • Scratches – the lens can still work but you get it much cheaper!
   • Cleaningmarks – to hard cleaning can damage coating
   • Stuck/oily aperture – can work with cleaning if you feel up to it, otherwise don’t buy this.
   • Dented filterrings – you wan’t to be able to attach hoods, filter etc… and dents don’t look nice ;)
   • Corroded batteries – happens sometimes with old gear unused
   • Dead lightmeters – Camera can still be usable but not very fun

Links with more tips on how to buy used cameras and lenses:

• MFlenses Used Lens Price guide
• Vintage Camera Evaluation and Buysers guide
• Buying an Antique Camera
• Buy a Camera safely and Avoid the cowboy sellers
• Matt Denton: Camera-buying tips for ebay

Images in the article is from Wikimedia Commons

Today I got this mice package from c-hylse with a Yashica ML 50mm/1.4 in prefect condition :) I went outside and tried a few shots. It felt good but I’m not used to the f1.4 yet so many of the shots were to short depth.

Image of the lens itself will come shortly :)

Swedish nature near my home a mild winter, but with some ice. This is Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm/3.5 version. There is a creek making it’s way down the hillside and a small waterfall I go to sometimes.

Ice pattern with Super-Tak 135mm

Spruce on ice with Super-Tak 135

Ice world with Super-Tak 135

This image made with Tele-Tokina was from my play with the christmas (toycars and road of wood) gift I got for my daughter ;) Grownups can play too, right?

Racecardriver

You can find more images with Tele-Tokina in my review.

When I first tried the russian lens Mir-1V I got the feeling I wanted to use it for portraits. This christmas I took this nice image of my family in the hallway. Like the light. Of course it’s not planned, no poses just snapshot. But I love the warm feeling. Nice m42 wideangle from russia.

My wife and daughter with Mir-1V

More image, not portraits with russian lens Mir-1V from earlier this year.

I’m thinking of selling my Tele-Tokina and need some help, how much is a Tele-Tokina worth to you? In a package I got this nice lens Tele-Tokina 105mm/2.8. It has T2 adaptall mount to M42 at the moment. I can’t find information on it on the Internet – this lens seam very rare. The one thing I can find is info on it’s sibling the Tokina Macro 105mm. I asked the worth on this Tele-Tokina on mflenses and got answers ranging from $10 to $400.

It has a small dent in the filterring but can still take filters, so it’s not too bad. Otherwise good condition. I can count 10 blades aperture. Preset. Sharp, but great bokeh. When I come to think of it maybe I should sell the Super-Takumar 105mm/2.8 instead… it’s not an easy choice. Here’s a link to my review on the Tele-Tokina.

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Tele-Tokina 105mm/2.8 side

Tele-Tokina 105mm/2.8 front

Tele-Tokina 105mm/2.8 angle

Portrait of my wife and duaghter

Mushroom

For us with this kind of condition I’ve put together a list of 10 signs you got GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). This particular variant, CameraGAS, is a condition which some of us interested in old cameras develop ;)

• You have more cameras and lenses then you can use, but can’t help yourself placing a bid on that fantastic lens 50mm/1.4 lens from your favorite maker.
• You are a member of forum.mflenses.com, forum.manualfocus.org, www.yashicaforum.com, www.rangefinderforum.com, www.pentaxforums.com, and all the right Flickr-groups.
• You have great trouble every day choosing which cameras and lenses to take with you outside.
• You buy a lens not because you need it, but because you want to “save” it from being unsold or a worse faith.
• The main argument when you buy a DSLR is “Which adapter can I put on this thing?”
• You buy two copies of a camera or lens, one in great condition and one for spare parts…. or two in great condition.
• You have more then 5 normal primes (50mm-lenses).
• A lot of items on your christmas wishlist is links to ebay auctions.
• You’re thinking about investing of a large toolkit for repairs on cameras and lenses.
• You run several websites about old cameras and lenses… hmmm

Maybe a list like mine is signs you got small GAS-condition? ;)

Shoppingwindow Leica

Some links for you, to support your GAS:

Camera Junkie (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) @ Flickr
Camera Junkie (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) @ Ipernity

As a reaction to my post “5 reasons I love manual lenses” some responses on other sites was claiming you need, yes MUST have autofocus to shoot moving objects. This is, I guess, from people who haven’t tried and can not turn a ring.

Sure. I have not shot birds, swallows in flight, racing cars… oh, but I wait I am mistaken. I have photographed those things with manual focus. But the “newer is better myth” says it’s impossible. I wonder what more miracles I can perform? ;)

I don’t have time to find really good examples today, so just some I fetched from my flickr, but my point is that it takes some practise but it is possible. The swan is one of my first manual photos and not the greatest of images but it is in focus:

Racing a cloudy, foggy day

Flying Swan, one of my first manual photos

Yesterday I did some christmas window shopping equiped with Carl Zeiss aus Jena Sonnar 135mm/3.5.

Snowqueen

I have more I’ll post later on. Here are some christmas window shopping from others :)