Diax II with Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 1:2.8 45mm

<p>Hey guys!<br>

I dont know much about photo nor cameras, but I got my hands on a Diax II and my search shows that it is very, very rare camera with a desirable lens. I want to sell it, have however a hard time pricing it, since it is very rare and no ebay entries. Cant find one place that sells it, so would grately appreciate any help. I see that the lens only sells for 100 plus dollars, but how shoud I price it *did find that it was sold for 430 dolars on enay previously, but I have no idea about the condition of the one I have, dont even know how to check if it works... ANy help appreciated!</p>

<p>My old (2002) copy of McKeowns values it at $60 - $80 with that lens.</p>

<p>Oh, thanx...But this is a very rare camera, sold for around 430 dollars on ebay, so was hoping for a bit more..As it is not even available for sale anywhere...</p>

<p>Well, if you look at successfully completed (i.e., actually sold) listings on eBay for the recent past...<br>

Diax II with Schneider/Kreuznach 45mm 2.8 - 10-24-2016 - $75.00<br>

Diax II with Isconar 50mm 3.5 - 11-16-2016 - $100.00<br>

Diax IIb with S/K 50mm 2.8 - 12-2-2016 - $58.02<br>

Diax IIa with Isconar 50mm 3.5 - 12-22-2016 - $40.00<br>

Diax IIb with S/K 50mm 2.0 - 1-15-2017 - $200.</p>

<p>Obviously there are variations in body and lens, but it's a starting point for crude "<em>guesstimation</em>" perhaps.</p>

<p>Jim M.</p>

 

<p>According to Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diax the company made about 100,000 cameras from 1947 to 1957. A single listing on ebay completed may be two collectors trying to outbid one another on the camera or someone not familiar with the camera over paying. If McKowens list it at $60 to $80 in 2002 I would suspect it to be worth less than $200 today. Xenar are tessar type lens. Tessar is a very common, readily available type lens.</p>

The latest 12th edition, (2005/2006), of McKeown's still has that camera and lens listed for $60 - $80.

 

With Schneider Xenon f2/45mm: $70-90

 

With Rodenstock Heligon f2/45mm: $90-100

 

I wonder if McKeown's is ever going to come out with their 13th edition? http://www.mckcamera.com/

<p>http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Voss-Diax/Diax-II.html</p>

<p>also says $60 to $70, but with low confidence, as there isn't much data.</p>

<p>There are many cameras from about that time frame in that price range.</p>

<p>I have a Mercury II, from about 1945, which I got for $45. Rare is hard to say, but the Mercury II is a little unusual, with its rotary focal plane shutter. </p>

<p>There are many cameras that are individually rare, but together not so rare. Enough to keep the prices down. People don't tend to throw away cameras, like they might for old toys.</p>

<p>I have a Diax IIb, with the Xenar lens. It cost me NZ$30 in 2008. (That's around US$22).</p>

<p>It is true Diaxes (by Voss Ulm) are not found often. But when they emerge here in The Netherlands at a camera fair, their price is around € 60 (US $ 65). With the standard Schneider Xenar that is. </p>

<p>Any old camera can be rare, but it is not <strong>rarity</strong> that makes something valuable, it is <strong>demand</strong>.<br>

Prices for items that are seldom seen can vary enormously, and printed catalogs are out of date the minute they are set in type.<br>

eBay "sold" is the best way to establish current price.</p>

<p>There are people, somewhere in the world, who do collect old Diax cameras, I am sure. But it is not the most active item in auctions of any kind, and you would do well to accept that this camera, even in superb condition, is unlikely to bring a huge price anywhere.</p>

<p>The only Diax that attracts big money ($1000+) is the "Standard", which was released only in Australia and possibly New Zealand. There are only about 30 accounted for, so far as I know.</p>

<p>Just looked at ebay UK completed sales :</p>

<p>Diax IIa + SK Xenon f2 ....NOT SOLD.... £252<br>

Diax II + R Heligon ...............................£351<br>

Diax II +SK Xenon f2 .............................£60<br>

Diax + SK Xenar ...................................£47</p>

<p>Looks like the one with the Rodenstock Heligon might create buyer interest but with the Xenon or Xenar the prices indicated in the above posts seem about right.</p>

 

<p>Back in 2010, I bought one of these at an auction:<br /><img src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/johnf_04/Photonet/002s.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /><br /> This is classed as a rare camera, but the one here is missing the cover over the light meter, and the flash socket is broken. I resold it for not much more than the small sum I paid for it.</p>

<p>Thank you all. I do think that, as somebody mentioned, the only thing that is relevant are the current ebay sales. I do not intend on having a garage sale. To collectors, a "small" thing , like model being a regular Diax, a Diax II , II a, b or Diax I a or b DO play a huge role. What I know is that just lens from this camera is gerally sold for over 90 dollars on ebay, and the ONLY international sale of this camera is on ebay is 431 dollars. If people sold the lens for 120 dollars just a cople of days ago, I simply have a hard time believing that a rare camera with that lens should be sold for less. I do appreciate the feedback, but I simply have a hard time believing a rare camera should be sold for less than a super common zorki 3 or kiev that go for 80 dolalrs. Each to their own, I will price it slightly lower than the other seller on ebay and see what happens. Cheers. http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Diax-II-Rodenstock-Diax-Heligon-2-45mm-2313653-/252440625233?hash=item3ac6a24051:g:5DEAAOSwJ7RYVU3j </p>

<p>Also, the same listing as I posted comes up on uk ebay, the mentioned 70 dollar listing is not there at all - have no idea why people are so interested in telling me that the price is much lower than it should be. Also having a friend offering me 200 dollars for it after posting on facebook. This thread ought to eb an interesting study in anthropology and social behaviour. </p>

<p>IMO you should take the $200 and consider yourself VERY lucky, if it's not too close a friend :-)</p>

<p>Where you are and your search terms has a lot to do with the returned search results on ebay.<br>

Ebay Us A from California, search term Diax II in all categories only turned up wrist watches, same search limited to Cameras and Photo returned one front element for a Wollensak lens and a handful of Canon parts from disassembled cameras.<br>

Many sellers sell lens and bodies separate as they can get more than if it was sold together.</p>

 

<p>So I went back to Ebay.com and put diax in the search box and diax camera showed up in the drop down suggestion list so I clicked on it and got<br /> http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R2.TR10.TRC0.A0.H1.Xdiax.TRS0&_nkw=diax+camera&_sacat=0<br /> A lot of sellers asking for $$$ but when the completed items is checked<br /> http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=diax%20camera&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684<br /> one sold for $200 in Romanian but the rest sold for $100 or less.</p>

<p><strong>P.S.</strong><br>

<strong><br /></strong>I do not expect the linked ebay search results to be good for more than an hour or two.</p>

 

"...have no idea why people are so interested in telling me that the price is much lower than it should be. "

 

People are only interested in answering your question and use competent sources to do so. If those same sources said the camera was worth $5,000, people would be delighted to tell you so.

<p>People often have unrealistic ideas about the value of old cameras. Beware of pricing according to the asking price on online auctions - I've seen cameras with unrealistic values relisted continuously for months, with no interest. It's worth remembering that a camera can be rare, but unwanted. I think we will see, too, when the new edition of McKeowns arrives, that most film cameras have dropped in value since the mid 2000s. </p>

<p>The Diax II was a <em>fixed lens</em> camera, so talk of "lenses for this camera selling on Ebay" is rather irrelevant. The link the OP posted to the Ebay example shows an example with the Heligon lens, which may make it somewhat more desirable than one with the Xenar or Xenon lenses, and the camera has a certain rarity value over the more common Diax models.</p>

<p>eBay pricing can be strange sometimes. Years ago, I was working on school networking projects, and buy parts on eBay. Sometimes I could buy 10 networking cards for less than the price that one might sell for. If someone wants just one, they don't bid on ten.</p>

<p>Also interesting, and more applicable here, sometimes exposed rolls of film sell for more than unexposed ones. Maybe some hope for exciting discoveries in old exposed film. </p>

<p>There may be collectors out waiting for a Diax to appear. They might have it on a watch list, such that eBay will send a note when one appears. There are many items that are rare, but not so valuable. </p>

<p>Good luck in your sale!</p>

<p>Yes, as mentioned the link provided is to an example with a Rdenstock Heligon lens. (See my previous post above for the current auction price difference between Heligons and Xenon / Xenars) The Heligon appears to be scarcer and so attracts a premium among collectors. The best known use of this Rodenstock / SK choice between Heligon and Xenon / Xenar lenses is probably on some models of the Kodak Retina II and III. Again the Heligon usually commands a higher price. The reason again is scarcity - theHeligon models did not sell as well as the Xenons. In use there is nothing to choose between the SK Xenars and Xenons and the rarer Heligons. Another example where low sales at the time has translated into greater desirability for the collector. Funny old world. <br /> Best of luck with the sale!</p>

<p>Thank you for your replies. To people linking the results of regular Diax, Diax II b, Diax I a etc, once again: these searches are NOT relevant. This is a rangefinder camera with a fixed lens like somebody pointed out, so the regular Diax , the 1st edition is obviously not in the same price range, and , since being pretty common, obviously will not sell for the same price as a rare camera. <br>

The ONLY Diax II sold on ebay, from what I could find, and I have searched different ebay sites , was sold for 431 dollars with the Heligon lens. Obviously, the more common lens will cause a price drop, it is however ridiculous to believe that its worth 40 dolalrs as somebody suggested. I dont have unrealistic expectaions - I will make 10 times the money even if I sell for 150, and I already have a 200 dollars offer. Will put it out soon, and lets see. <br>

I really want to thank people who clearly knew what they were talking about and trying to help- on the other hand, I have really hard time un derstanding people who clearly had no more idea than me, googling results from cameras others than I asked about, posting it as a reply, offering "advice". I would never, ever offer advise or help in areas I am not sure about. I know how to use google, I have fingers and a laptop,and an IQ above avarage , so I find it rather insulting when people google things I have googled myself several times, posting it as an answer,pretending to be experts on pricing etc. It is confusing t me, I would never, ever offer advise to people if I have no idea about the subject, just from googling. Its just weird to me. Suggesting prices paid on garage sales is also completely useless information, because I am selling specifically to collectors and not a group of middleaged women hoping one of the will bring a photo-interested husband. I paid very little, because the guy was just selling an old camera, no idea of its worth. That does not set the worth of this camera to 15 dollars. <br>

From the more helpful answers, what I could figure out is that it is a rare camera but not the Leica status camera, and it pretty much depend on what kind of a collector will get to ebay if I put it as an auction. On the other hand, a right collector will maybe pay really well, if I dont mind waiting. Basically, the worth is hard to establish and it depends on how badly a particular collector wants it at the time. It is rare, so I could put up a high price and wait or I could just put an auction and see how high it goes. Anyhow, thank you (the ones of you actually offering some help, you know who you are) for your help and I will let you know how it goes :) </p>

I am not sure why you can't find it but a

Diax II with Xenon was sold onebay on

24 Oct for $75 in the US. Buy it now so

perhaps undervalued? I bought mine,

with a Xenar, for about the same price

as Buy it now, also from the US, about

a year ago. I was annoyed when not

long after another one sold for less in

auction. If someone offered me $200

for mine, I'd sell it.

In response to your complaint that

people replied with less than useful

info, you may have confused them by

claiming that 'the lens alone sells for

more'. The lens is fixed so no one sells

the lens alone. The price of

interchangeable Xenars is irrelevant.