FIRST FILMED ASCENT OF NORTH FACE EIGER CAMERA ADVICE...

[nick_phillips2]

Dear Classicals,

 

I have a Pentax Asahi Spotmatic and Carl Zeiss Jena DDR lens 81150 MC S 1:3.5

f= 135 as used by my father on the expedition up the N. face of the Eiger with

Yorkshire TV in 1972.

 

There is also a PENTACON auto 2.8/29 MULTI COATING lens too...

 

It is in good condition and is really a family treasure...

 

I would appreciate some advice as to this packages worth from the Classic

collectors out there?

 

VBR

 

Nick

 

d i v e r s e a s i a @ y a h o o . c o m

[sw12dz]

Nick,

 

It's worth a lot more as a "family treasure" then what you can get for it on the used camera market.

 

The camera is worth around $25, as are each of the lenses according to the completed sales on ebay.

 

Collectors are more concerned with the make, model and rarity of a camera as opposed to where it has been.

 

I have a Folding #2 Autographic Brownie that belonged to my father-in-law. He was in the Australian Army and this camera witnessed the Siege of Tobruk during the Second World War, but it is still only worth $10-25. I would never sell it.

[colin carron]

I agree. It may be worth a bit more in the climbing fraternity.

[Troll]

Hillary's Retina IIa (the first camera on top of Everest) would probably be an exception.

[steve_bellayr]

You need the provenance certified. I recommend a certified letter by your father with the serial number in the letter. Attach a photograph of your father with the camera on or at the mountain and include some photographs of the expedition taken with the camera. If you can do this the camera could sell for more providing that this was an important expedition. (Currently, mountain climbing traffic is heavy.)

[phyrpowr]

Bill M., Mallory's camera, if ever found, will be the ONE

[patrick j dempsey]

Its a family treasure, and if you end up with a child or grandchild who is into photography they might just kick your butt if they found out you hocked it on ebay to make room for more shoes, or to make some extra cash that would probably only amount to a one fancy dinner! My recommendation is make sure the cameras are stored well... preferably in a sealed container with a silaca gel packet, and not in an old moldy camera bag. Old camera bags and straps sometimes contain foam rubber... which over time decomposes into a sticky, fine black dust. Even if film becomes obsolete and the camera becomes unusable, the lenses will be good for a long time to come as long as mold doesn't grow on them.

[peter_a__nyc_]

A few years ago a camera was found in the ice from an historic expedition decades ago, and images were found on the film. Anyone know about this?

[colin carron]

I agree with Jack, Mallory's camera would be the one to find. Mallory and Irvine attempted the ascent of Everest in 1923. They both died in the attempt but were observed high up near the summit 'going strongly for the top'. They carried two cameras at least one being a Kodak VPK. If found it might be able to solve the mystery as to their fate and whether they reached the top. In 1999 Mallory's body was found at about 27,000 feet but no camera was found on the body.

[roseberry guitars]

Sorry to break this to you guys but...they did find Mallory's Kodak VPK. It's now locked in the freezer vault along side the bodies of the aliens that crashed at Roswell, NM. and the hide from "Big Foot" shot by Montana rancher Fred A...well, never mind. Mallory forgot to load the fim anyway so what's the big deal over a stupid old camera? Yikes, did I just write that comment???

 

On a less conspiritoral note, Steve has it right. The more you can document the item, the more important the climb (and climbers involved) to the climbing world the more likely it will have value to collectors of Eiger memorabilia.

 

I suspect after all is said and done that it will have much more value to you and your family than to a collector. During the 60's and early 70's there was a lot of traffic up the Eiger (and the Alps in general) but the main focus of the climbing world was shifting away to more exotic places like the Himalayas.

[colin carron]

Mallory's camera is not a legend. From the earliest time of photography all explorers took cameras with them, partly for publicity and hence money when they returned, but also more crucially to prove they had actually got to where they said they had. Shackleton for example took Aussie photographer Frank Hurley with him on his expedition to the South Pole in 1915. The expedition was a failure but the photos are now some of the classics of exploration, all the more astonishing as they were all taken on glass plates.<div></div>

[JDMvW]

Steve Bellayr above is absolutely right. This is not a collectible camera, it is a camera collectible. Its value as a vintage camera to a camera collector is nil. The place to ask about its value as a climbing item is on a climbing collectors site of some kind, if there be such things.

 

For it to be of interest to those collectors, the documentation of provenience is absolutely critical. You will need to have evidence that it was the camera that went up the north face.

[nick_phillips2]

Thanks to everyone concerned for your input, first time for me to use a forum, many thanks....

 

I think I'll keep it for my daughter!

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

Best Regards

 

Nick

[Troll]

Hurley's photographs and the video documentaries made from/with them are almost terrifying.<P>Mallery's camera would only be of interest if it confirmed consumation of the ascent. Otherwise, its worth about three bucks at a flea market.