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u/Broken_Perfectionist Dec 08 '24
Yes, lots of thoughts, where is this???!?
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u/JonPhoto1391 Dec 08 '24
Retro photo in Reading PA
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u/malac0da13 Dec 08 '24
Man I should really make the trip there to look around. It is only like an hour away…
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u/JingleXIV Dec 08 '24
Damn, wrong side of PA for me.
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u/Jako21530 Dec 08 '24
Right side of PA for me.
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u/2many_hobbies Dec 09 '24
Not sure what map you're looking at, it's clearly the left side of PA ... ... I'll show myself out
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u/bluejay9_2008 Dec 08 '24
As a British person hearing “wrong side of “insert state here” is mind boggling
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u/zippy251 Dec 08 '24
Takes about 5 to 7 hours to cross the state depending on the route. That's a quarter of a day
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u/jmt5179 Dec 09 '24
Do you get your film processed there? I'm curious how their scans are.
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u/JonPhoto1391 Dec 09 '24
Yes! I get all my film scanned here, everything is on my profile. Not too much so far but I should get my next roll back of Kodak 400 from Green Bank WV this coming Friday and I’ll post whatever I get back that looks good.
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u/jmt5179 Dec 13 '24
Thank you! Looks great, I'm going to give them my film next time I'm in Reading.
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u/JonPhoto1391 Dec 08 '24
I was just in there a few days ago and they’re all untested but most likely working is what one of the guys said. They had a huge sale going on. You can follow them on Instagram to see everything they have. Huge collection of analog cameras!
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u/FairAdvertising Dec 08 '24
Second the Bolex, looks like it doesn’t have any lenses tho. I do see some Olympus OMs in the back and a 4x5 studio camera.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 Dec 08 '24
Good eye spotting the old Calumet view. Be a nice score if the ground glass isn't broken.
I would go thru that box of filters.
I think I see some Kodak PC filters.
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
Looks like that Calumet's groundglass looks unbroken and hopefully not cracked so that's a good sign.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 Dec 08 '24
Those cameras were tanks. Great student camera. Just can't break em
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u/Unhappy_Put_2396 Dec 08 '24
I always like to take a look but to my experience these racks are already 2-3 times filtered so there is almost always there just leftovers no one wants.
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u/416PRO Dec 08 '24
Great for parts! 👌
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
This would be a goldmine for those people looking to repair a camera they have and looking for one for parts.
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u/bladow5990 Dec 08 '24
You say that with such confidence, and yet I see several I want, including the bolex h16.
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u/tjdux Dec 10 '24
What's average pricing look like at a place like this?
I've always wanted some retro cameras to put on display as home decoration and I see them locally but proce varies wildly depending on the day really.
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u/TreeplanterConnor Dec 08 '24
I see a Minolta CLE in the bottom left bin there. Those cameras are great and fairly valuable.
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u/moofei Dec 08 '24
It’s almost certainly inoperable. But it’s the best thing in this image aside from the Bolex and maybe the Contax rangefinder.
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u/mydppalias Mamiya 645s, solvet rangefinders, Nikon F Dec 08 '24 edited Dec 08 '24
Probably a Kiev, not Contax. Contax only have a serial number in the coldshoe area while Kievs had additional info stamped as you can kinda make out in the picture.
Eta, I looked closer, there are several Contax/Kievs so ignore that I said. Lol
The red is definitely a Kiev, the yellows could be Contaxs.
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
Yes there are contax rangefinders as well as Kievs most of them are fully functional
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u/incidencematrix Dec 09 '24
Got one relatively recently, and have been pretty impressed. The punch/size ratio is fantastic.
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u/TreeplanterConnor Dec 09 '24
I think they're really beautiful looking too, nice and tiny. Good shutter noise. Great selection of lenses
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
The cle is inoperable and the bolex h16 are fully functional
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u/pk851667 Dec 08 '24
I recently had to go through donations for a photo charity where people just chucked stuff into a bin like this. Had to go through, see what worked, what was salvageable etc. funnily enough, there were some really pricey models in there. They were likely sitting in that bin for decades. Best find was a a couple of Olympus Trips and a Nikon F3
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u/JonPhoto1391 Dec 08 '24
RETRO PHOTO READINGGGG
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u/NickTechTalkYT Dec 08 '24
Came here to immediately say this, I recognized the floor tiles right away before reading any comments haha
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u/veepeedeepee Fixer is delicious. Dec 08 '24
Bought many, many, things from Mike over the past decade. You’ll probably get a good deal. I think this is the stuff that was kept at his former storage spot in York.
The wild thing is that this is just a small look at his massive inventory.
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u/NickTechTalkYT Dec 08 '24
Mikes a great guy, but tbh some stuff is really pricey that he has
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
Depends on what you’re looking at….. there are expensive items in my shop yes
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u/CholentSoup Dec 08 '24
Good reminder that millions of these cameras were made every year for 100 years.
The camera you're buying is over priced.
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u/SquashyDisco Dec 08 '24
I think this is a Rollei 3003 or 6006. Rare and tasty.
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u/Kellerkind_Fritz Dec 08 '24
That's a 6008, a original or SRC1000. If there's a lens in that pile that's a great shooting combo if it works.
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u/tttulio Dec 08 '24
Minolta CLE, Contax 139+lens, Bolex, Contax IIa , CanonA1…and run
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
Yup those are the models I'd want from those bins..someone ought to hustle there and grab 'em. Then we might see posts in this sub about these cameras :-)
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u/We_Are_Nerdish Dec 08 '24
It’s tough looking, but also a lot of fun.. I’m sure you can get some good functional ones. Or parts for dirt cheap.. which honestly would be the main reason for digging through.
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
If you are handy with repairing cameras places like this one can be a gold mine.
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u/We_Are_Nerdish Dec 08 '24
100%, fixing one of these has a nearly non existent barrier.. it’s already fucked if it doesn’t work. Or you strip it for parts and learn more about the actual camera you’re wanting fix.
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
That's the beauty of this. If you find a camera that has a working part you need for your camera then you are in business!
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u/NickTechTalkYT Dec 08 '24
The store that has all of this has an owner who knows his stuff heavily, and his prices reflect. Nothings cheap there
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
Yes I know my stuff but I give eBay prices unless you’re looking at the rare items
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
We do have about 8-9 million new old stock camera parts available for those parts that are hard to find
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u/416PRO Dec 08 '24
That Canon 7 with the 50mm f0.95 would be my first pick, the late model Black dial Nikon S2 with the 50mm f1.4 would be second. The Bolex is nice as are a number for the other SLRs.
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u/Brilliant_Cheetah_35 Dec 08 '24
Well assuming the Contax is functional. That's already a score!
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
Looks to be in good condition but not sure mechanically. If there's a lens for it in the pile that's a huge plus!
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u/Initial-Cobbler-9679 Dec 08 '24
Aw! A couple Aries 35’s near the bottom of the photo that I’d rescue. Grew up on one of those, earning my stripes before dad let me into the Nikon cabinets in high school. 🤣
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u/cheezkuz Dec 08 '24
Mine got somehow stuck. Rewind is jammed and shutter does not realease anymore. Do you have any advise?
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u/Initial-Cobbler-9679 Dec 08 '24
Sorry, I’ve never needed or tried to work on one. I feel like they are pretty serviceable though because I have seen refurbished units for sale. Best of luck.
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u/Nautilius_terrenum FE/F90x/Olympus OM3ti Dec 08 '24
Lots of nice cameras including the Contax. Shame with the way they are stored though.
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u/5thEditionFanboy Dec 09 '24
looks like one of the few remaining stores where you can still buy an old, untested camera for a non-delusional price
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u/francocaspa Dec 08 '24
I mean if you can get lenses from here (without the unknown condition of the body) its great! I also saw a couple of cheap tlrs.
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u/RedHuey Dec 08 '24
I would be highly suspicious of any of them based on how the current owner treats them. They probably spend almost all of their time sitting jumbled up in old boxes in his dusty garage or basement. Anything of real value (I.e. working and not just for parts) has probably been gone for years.
Buy old cameras from people who cared for them. The premium is worth it.
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
The view you see here is the aftermath of people digging through the containers. Here is how it was before it started
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u/UberKaltPizza Dec 08 '24
I have that same Bolex 16mm. Mines in mint condition too. Sweet little camera.
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u/srtviper15 Dec 08 '24
I highly do not recommend. They are all eBay prices. Posted as “yard sale” starting at $5 and up but indeed was not
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Dec 08 '24
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u/srtviper15 Dec 08 '24
Put it to you this way. The digi cams that I asked about he was asking $50 a piece for. They were going for around $30 or so on eBay. Canon batteries for digi cams were $8 a pop and the chargers were $16 a pop. As far as the other cams. I didn’t ask about too many. But in comparing to eBay on a few he was asking around 50-100 or so more. But again, I didn’t get to review in depth. Just for my personal experience I would definitely not go back for the “yard sale”
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u/LeicaM6guy Dec 08 '24
First, it makes me incredibly sad to see these cameras treated with such neglect.
Second, I have questions.
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u/Ok_Afternoon_6517 Dec 09 '24
OMG ITS A Fuxking BOLEX, I’ve been wanting to shoot a short film with one of those .
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u/abjectraincoat Dec 10 '24
Who throws cameras in a pile like this. Heresy.
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
The general public when scouring through the bins
Before people started digging…. See the difference
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u/Captain-Codfish Dec 13 '24
I see a little silhouetto of a FED. Scaramouche Scaramouche there's a Communist camera
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u/KingsCountyWriter Dec 08 '24
I see a Contax in the back, but it’s not worth sorting through a photo. Lots of movie bullshit.
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u/Ybalrid Dec 08 '24
Context???
Just surface level there's a lot of cool stuff.
Personally I would dig for Contax rangefinders in there... Amongst many other things
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u/DarkChild010 Dec 08 '24
This place is awesome! It’s like an hour from me, I should take a trip there. How much were the cameras in this bin?
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u/Salah-Manda Dec 08 '24
Dragon horde…. I definitely would try to take the Contax, Aires and what I think are Retinas
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u/PekkaJukkasson MinoltaMinoltaMinoltaLeica Dec 08 '24
I see a damn Minolta XK/XM/X1 in there!
And a Minolta CLE!!!
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u/HuntAggravating2475 Dec 08 '24
Anyone got a reading on the camera near the bottom right with a motor drive? Also Nikon SP!!!
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u/galumph-mania Dec 08 '24
I want to go to there.
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u/srtviper15 Dec 08 '24 edited Dec 09 '24
Not worth it unless you want parts cameras. I drove 2 1/2 hours, anything actually worth getting was all eBay prices or higher in a few small cases
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
Depending on when you arrived you might’ve missed the first wave a lot of great cameras left at cheap prices. 1st day we almost had to limit the amount of patrons we had in our shop..
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u/Swimming-Ad9742 Dec 08 '24
I'm taking one of those contax cameras and I ain't letting nothing stop me.
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u/-_ByK_- Dec 08 '24
OMG I’m sweating had to take off my sweater!!!!
Lots of goodness there
5+ Contax rangefinder cams
Few Nikon
Minolta CLE!!!
Rolleiflex 6000 series
I’m still way too hot…..
Wish was closer to my place
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u/This_Racoon Dec 08 '24
Lots of stuff there To pick Bolex, Nikon FG, Contax RF, 4x5
But I’m interested in that Minolta CLE there hiding between Bolex without lens and Yashica SE-III
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u/DeepDayze Dec 08 '24
I would love to spend time picking thru these bins looking for a nice camera and a lens to go with it.
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u/lostmojo Dec 08 '24
Huh… it’s a 2 day drive for me… I’ll take my coffee to go. (I don’t drink beer)..
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u/Zestyclose-Ad-5305 Dec 08 '24
First body I recognized was the Nikonos. Those were excellent street photography cameras due to their almost silent shutter.
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u/thevmcampos Rad vids: youtube.com/@vmcamposCameraClub Dec 08 '24
When I retire, I'd like to get a gig sorting though cameras and books. See you in 2040!
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u/Sec0nd Dec 08 '24
If that's a proper 16mm Bolex in there it could go for $700-2000 depending on the condition etc. Probably more towards the lower end since it has no lenses. But still a wonderful get regardless.
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u/OneEyedJedi Dec 09 '24
I just wanna go buy a bunch of those because I'm trying to start a collection of old cameras.
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u/wgimbel Dec 09 '24
Intriguing as I live in Lancaster, PA since about two years ago. Need to take a trip to Retro Photo and check out that heap of photo equipment. It does seem sad to just have it all thrown together like that as if it is all junk…
I see on their website pictures of maybe nicer equipment on shelves behind glass, so maybe what. You show is their “junk pile”?
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
This is what happens when people search through well kept cameras this is the before image
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u/corkcorkcorkette Dec 09 '24
Poor things :( the mirrors are all kinds of scrached and cracked and so much broken
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u/nimajneb Dec 09 '24
I just assume any camera piled in a bin like that isn't worth my time or money.
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u/Retro_Photo_Reading Dec 10 '24
To clear the air here on this post. This is my shop and gear… this equipment was for sale at another shop in Pennsylvania which couldn’t move it in 7 years and I decided to relocate the equipment to my main location. A large percentage of cameras for sale do work and a very small amount of them have minor defects or functional issues. We have over 10k cameras and lenses and decided to thin the heard a bit… this will be available for sale til the end of December as I’m adding many more rangefinders slrs medium format cameras and lenses. After the 4th day of this there were still mamiya 6/7 lenses in the bins… definitely worth a look
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u/Puzzled_Counter_1444 Dec 08 '24
A shockingly bad way to store cameras.