Contax 645 prices

[dseelig]

Just wondering why contax 645 prices are raising lately. Seemed way up in the last few months.

 

[Professional]

Some gear prices go up, and some almost the same for years, and some went down, it can vary according to the markets, demands, crisis, brand policy, currency games,...etc.

 

[Audii-Dudii]

Actually, it seems to me that only the prices for bodies and basic kits are going up, whereas prices for most lenses and certain accessories seem to be dropping, in some instances by quite a bit. For example, 45-90 zooms for $1500 or less; 35s for $1200 or less; 120s for $900 or less, a GB-1 lens hood for $129, a waist-level finder for $189, etc.

 

[dseelig]

KEH prices are up for non zoom lenses and ebay prices seem to b up for lenses as well as kits. Where did you see these prices

 

[evgeny]

Contax 645 140mm is the only lens, which price dropped from approx $1200 to approx $900. Lens hoods dropped in price by quite a bit. I believe lenses and bodies on eBay, which sell today at lower than usual prices, are not in good condition, be careful.

Body kits in good condition are going up. 80mm lenses are also going up, when sold separately from the kits. Other lenses in good to mint conditions, especially 55mm, 120mm and 45-90mm, keep their price.

 

[KeithL]

It's a damned good system. Cameras and lenses in mint condition are inevitably becoming harder to find.

 

[Audii-Dudii]

Contax 645 140mm is the only lens, which price dropped from approx $1200 to approx $900. Lens hoods dropped in price by quite a bit. I believe lenses and bodies on eBay, which sell today at lower than usual prices, are not in good condition, be careful.

While it's true there is no shortage of equipment on eBay that is in less than perfect condition, it's also true that some great deals can be found there, too. For instance, every single piece of Contax 645 gear I own -- two bodies, five lenses, and a lot of accessories -- was purchased on eBay over the past four months at better-than-good and sometimes great prices, and all of it works perfectly. Note that only a few of these pieces of equipment were purchased via an auction, as most were purchased at the seller's "buy it now" price or via the "make an offer" function, which is where I find that most of the really good deals originate.

Body kits in good condition are going up. 80mm lenses are also going up, when sold separately from the kits. Other lenses in good to mint conditions, especially 55mm, 120mm and 45-90mm, keep their price.

I agree with you about the price of bodies and 80mm lenses, but having closely watched the sale prices of 55mm, 120mm, and 45-90mm lenses on eBay sites around the world over the past five months, I would disagree with you about these holding their value, at least based upon the prices of them earlier this year. For instance, I personally purchased a 55mm lens in excellent cosmetic and perfect mechanical condition for $525 and a 45-90 zoom (with OEM lens hood!) in similar condition for $1450. I have seen several 120mm lenses sell for $900 or less and quite a few more for $1200 or less, which is about half to two-thirds of what they were selling for earlier this year. I also bought a mint- GB-1 lens hood for $99 and waist-level finder for $189 and have recently seen others sell for similar prices.

Of course, all of these prices are subject to the realities of supply and demand and thus are likely to continue to fluctuate in both directions. For now, though, it seems to be a great time to be acquiring or completing a Contax outfit with lenses and accessories and not so a great time to be selling same.

 

[monza]

$189 for a W/L finder?? That's a genuine anomaly...they are usually $400 and up. Nice find!

 

[evgeny]

While it's true there is no shortage of equipment on eBay that is in less than perfect condition, it's also true that some great deals can be found there, too. For instance, every single piece of Contax 645 gear I own -- two bodies, five lenses, and a lot of accessories -- was purchased on eBay over the past four months at better-than-good and sometimes great prices, and all of it works perfectly. Note that only a few of these pieces of equipment were purchased via an auction, as most were purchased at the seller's "buy it now" price or via the "make an offer" function, which is where I find that most of the really good deals originate.

I agree with you about the price of bodies and 80mm lenses, but having closely watched the sale prices of 55mm, 120mm, and 45-90mm lenses on eBay sites around the world over the past five months, I would disagree with you about these holding their value, at least based upon the prices of them earlier this year. For instance, I personally purchased a 55mm lens in excellent cosmetic and perfect mechanical condition for $525 and a 45-90 zoom (with OEM lens hood!) in similar condition for $1450. I have seen several 120mm lenses sell for $900 or less and quite a few more for $1200 or less, which is about half to two-thirds of what they were selling for earlier this year. I also bought a mint- GB-1 lens hood for $99 and waist-level finder for $189 and have recently seen others sell for similar prices.

Of course, all of these prices are subject to the realities of supply and demand and thus are likely to continue to fluctuate in both directions. For now, though, it seems to be a great time to be acquiring or completing a Contax outfit with lenses and accessories and not so a great time to be selling same.

Well, these are great deals. I missed them.
I have all lenses, except 45mm (sold it) and 350mm. Anyway, I agree, this is the time to watch the eBay and buy best Contax 645 gear :thumbup:

 

[gogopix]

One of the things that I noticed (pleasant surprise) is that the lenses have held up well, actually VERY well up to 60MP (I have the P65+). Although Phase, Hasselblad and the S2 keep improving, I can't think of one item that means anything to me...except possibly the lighter S2 system, and slightly faster AF.

I too am surprised at the WLF at under $200. However, a WLF for $800 (yes, there were some sales last year)makes no sense.

Also, much like the 35-70 2.8 Leica R lense, the 45-90 Vario-sonar is almost better than the comparable primes. At $1500 grab it. It is a bit heavy but works smoothly, and it IS AF. At 90, it is no Makro, but is amazingly close to the 120mm.

But I wouldn't chase prices... look around and there are genuine values if not bargains.

If I were to sell, I would not be disappointed by current prices, and as recently as 6 months ago I picked up the bellows hood at a reasonable price (now, the one item I WOULD expect to have a premium price is the auto bellows...rarer than hens teeth). The only reason for selling would be the carrying problem; I gave up on taking the C645 and S2 to compare in France because of shoulder problems. The M9 was quite good though.

anyway, prices are not up that much, and relative to other options it is a great value, AND it has a film option (if you test the vacuum back you will see how smart the contax design is.

So, all those considering, we, of the Contax 645 persuation would like nothing more than to welcome you to the club, and see your images!!!

regards
Victor

 

[Audii-Dudii]

$189 for a W/L finder?? That's a genuine anomaly...they are usually $400 and up. Nice find!

It was a "buy it now" deal and at that price, I didn't hesitate. Ironically, I'm not really using it as often as I expected, as I like to photograph from a high perspective (lens typically at 7-8' off the ground), which is difficult to do with the WLF, and in any event, I prefer to simply use my 3.5X Mamiya 645 Loupe directly over the focusing screen. It is both brighter and clearer than the WLF and it doesn't distort the image noticeably, either!

Oh, the $525 55mm lens was also a "buy it now" deal, which is why when I was putting together my Contax outfit, I tried to check eBay on my iPod Touch every 15 minutes or so. I don't bother with this so much now that I have everything I <cough, choke> "need" (although I'm tempted buy the 120mm lens just because I've heard it's such a stellar performer) but it's clear from looking at completed auction listings that there are still good-to-great deals popping up on a regular basis...

 

[Audii-Dudii]

$189 for a W/L finder?? That's a genuine anomaly...they are usually $400 and up. Nice find!

What can I say? Sometimes you get lucky!

One of the things that I noticed (pleasant surprise) is that the lenses have held up well, actually VERY well up to 60MP (I have the P65+). Although Phase, Hasselblad and the S2 keep improving, I can't think of one item that means anything to me...except possibly the lighter S2 system, and slightly faster AF.

I'm pleased to hear this, although the P65+ is out of my reach financially (well, at least not without rejigging my priorities a bit) and as somebody who hasn't photographed during daylight for many months now, its limited long-exposure ability makes it a non-starter for me even if as a happy amateur I could somehow justify its price.