clark_king1 Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 I have been offered a Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD body, with 65 mm and 127 mm lenses, extension tubes no. 1 and 2, 2-120 film holders, polaroid back, waist level finder, cds metered "smoke top?" finder, and doskicil case. The seller is asking $1,250.00 for this. Is this a fair price? The lenses and tubes look new, and the body only has some minor rubbing/ minor scratches. I have put 3 rolls of 120 through it so far and except for user error in regards to exposure the camera and lenses seem to work great. Really sharp prints. So...what do you think, does it sound like a good deal? What should I look for or ask about before buying this. Thank you very much for your help. Clark King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychophoto Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Hi Clark, Are the lenses the newer KL lenses or the older style? If they are KL, then it's definitely a good deal. If they're the older style, not so much. The RB is a great system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_dewberry Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Whether KL or not, this is a very good deal. I use a 127 C lens on my Rz II, and it is a very good lens, as is the 65, as long as they are C or better. Grab it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_erickson Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 One easy way to check the quality of the deal is to surf over to <a href="http://www.keh.com">KEH</a> and see what it would cost you to buy the pieces. Accessories like the film holders and polaroid back really add up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted October 5, 2002 Author Share Posted October 5, 2002 As I can tell the lenses themselves say "Mamiya-Sekor". How would I know if they were "c", or "kl" lenses? Looking at a B and H photo catalog I find the 65 mm and 127 mm under the section for the KL lenses. Again though...how would I tell the difference? By the way David how have you been! Clark King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted October 5, 2002 Author Share Posted October 5, 2002 As it turns out after looking at KEH.com I don't remember the "KL" being on the lenses. So I'll ask a more pointed question, how much should I offer to pay for the items listed above? Thanks for all the help! Clark King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted October 5, 2002 Author Share Posted October 5, 2002 I should clarify a few things. The body is a Pro-S not Pro-SD. The lenes are of "C" type, 65 and 127mm. I viewed KEH to get a feel for rating the condition of the camera and lenes. So with this new info. What do you think? Thank you. Clark King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel_brown1 Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Clark, you sure are a moving target! [:-) Shooting from the hip, I'd conservatively value the Pro S body/WL finder/120 back at about $450, each C lens at $300-$400, tubes at $150 each, extra Pro S 120 back at $150, Polaroid back at $75, CDS finder at $300, any decent case at $50-$100. That adds up to far more than the price you mentioned. Plus, you've tested it and it all works. Take it and run. Even if you later decide it's not for you, you can definitely make money on it by selling it piecemeal on eBay. There's not much to be wary of in RB67 systems; they're tank-rugged and rather simple, considering all the Rube Goldberg-esque activity that takes place when you press the release! As in all cameras, there may come a time when you will have to replace the foam seals in the backs, but those can be considered maintenance items that you can do yourself, inexpensively. Also, as with any other brand, you should check the lenses for signs of fungus, separation, or excessive dirt. Holding them up to the light won't do; shine a flashlight through them to reveal those nasties. I assume you have already checked the slow shutter speeds for consistency and reasonable accuracy. Even if you have to treat each lens to a CLA, you'll still have a fine deal. I would also suggest that you replace the stock screen with a brighter one. Mine has a Brightscreen, and it is a large improvement over the standard focusing screen. They're a bit pricey new, but you should be able to get one on eBay without having to mortage the cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berj_bannayan Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Seems like a pretty good price to me. I recently found a used Pro S with a 180mm non-C lens and 1 120 film holder and it was about $2200 canadian -- about $1400US. The price on your system beats the pants of of that by a pretty wide margin! Considering the new value of one of these babies it seems like a good deal. Things to look out for: - Check the light seals in on the rotating adapter and the film magazine. After enough time the seals in the Pro S turn to mush. Replacing them will cost you (I was quoted about $100US from one place). - check to make sure you're getting Pro S film holders (they'll say Pro S on them). The original film holders will work but they don't support double exposure prevention and they're a little more difficult to deal with. Anyway.. at that price I'd certainly take it. Have fun. Berj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan brewer Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 This sounds like a good deal, in general some folks never get used to the system of interlocks on the Mamiya, force/break the camera, or the camera needs a CLA, or they bought somebody else's dog. I talked to one of the techs at the Mamiya shop, they're seeing a lot of gear from purchases on e-bay, if the est. is high, the gear is simply sold to someone else and so on. Old Mamiyas properly maintained lasts pretty much will last forever, shutter rebuilds on your lenses, repairs/cla, mag rebuilds, you could spend close to a $1000.00 on this camera, that would be a high estimate, but it's possible. Rather than alarm you, this is to say that if it were me, I would exact some sort of written warranty from him against future repair or a reasonable amount of time, if it is good stuff, and the seller is reasonable and honest and not hiding something, you will get some concession, if not, I'd walk, not because of the asking price, but because of the addition cash you will spend if this isn't on the 'up and up'. Consider this, suppose you end up spending $500 a CLA/repairs for this outfit, that brings you to $1750.00, that's a brand new SD, a 120 mag, and a 127mm lens(the value pack) and a warranty from the folks who bring their stuff back from Japan. I've bought an SD for $795.00 and a Prism II for $395.00, from one of these folks after checking out his reputation, and it was a great deal. This deal cost what he/she is asking now, plus everything else you will ever spend on the gear, that's the real price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan brewer Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 OMT that I learned the hard way a long time ago, just because something functions(now), doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be fixed. Good luck whatever you do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychophoto Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 OK, ignore my initial response...not sure what I was thinking. This definitely sounds like a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin giacobbe Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 check the light seals, the rubber breaks down in time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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