If I had one I would not be selling it, just like I would not consider selling my Fuji A 240/9 for any amount of money (well, "any amount of money" that anyone would be willing to pay).Originally Posted by ramon
If I had one I would not be selling it, just like I would not consider selling my Fuji A 240/9 for any amount of money (well, "any amount of money" that anyone would be willing to pay).
Just depends on how patient you are. Auctions are actually a bit predictable, and I've seen price spikes and fluctuations in "rare" cult lenses like Dagors and Fuji A's etc. Somebody will happen to pay an absolutely outlandish price, so that incites people to put their own comparable lenses on the market.... one or two more will
sell at a high price and temporarily satisfy demand, and then unexpectedly, a couple more will show up and just sit there, and they'll accept a bargain offering. No
difference with rare prints by famous photographers or anything else behaving as an auction commodity. It takes either luck or timing. But these Fuji C's, esp the
two longer ones, aren't like a garden-variety plasmat where there's a glut of them around. Their combination of light weight, huge coverage, and superb optical performance is going to keep them in demand, esp with field photographers.
I agree with Drew in that the auction prices cycle over a period of time. There was a recent period when the 240 A was not to be found, then all at once there are five of them listed at the same time. Same with the 450 C. The last to sell on ebay was on July 1 out of Japan for $1280 (plus shipping); however, I have seen them go for around $900. I've also found all the offerings to be in excellent+ shape. If you are waiting for a price half of $1250, all I can say is "good luck." I do not believe the prices will be going down; so, it's either exert patience or pay the freight for instant gratification.. -- Ted
It's a silver bullet man. The more you talk about it, the higher the price goes. Had both, happy with my Nikkor, although the Fuji was a lot of fun! 450mm APO Skopar f9! Killer lens. I use the Skopar on 8X10 and the Nikkor on ULF. Sorry, didn't add. I think $450 is fair.
"Fair" and realistic are two different things, Jim.... Would YOU sell one for half the going rate????????????????
Just kiddingIt was a silly question in the first place. What the market will bear is actually the right answer and the fellow didn't want to hear that . . . so as my momma used to always tell me, "ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer."
The most recent new price was over double what they were a few years ago. The 300mm is up to $1400 new: https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/...duct_list&c=28. The last new 450 sold from Badger a few weeks ago. I don't remember the price, but it was at least a couple of hundred higher.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
It's not just lenses.... a strong Yen versus the dollar, and dramatically increased energy prices in Japan ... all factors in a tipping point. So they decide to drop their LF lenses, and that tips the balance for those who have these lenses on their wish list .... maybe sinks it! By contrast, Fuji general-purpose plasmats are abundant and cheap used, and damn good too. One just never knows.... a year ago, Nikkor 300 M's (another portable desirable lens) became scarce and pricey soon after discontinuance, but now there's a glut of them. A rarer compact cult lens, the Fuji 360 A was almost impossible to find even if you waited a decade (I managed to bag two of them), but then a dozen turned up for sale in a single year. I wanted a mint Kern 14 inch Dagor too, and simply waited until there was some odd coincidence of the stars and several turned up at once, and I actually got the pick of the litter fairly cheap - then the next year people wanted three grand apiece for the things! I'm personally getting too old to wait for every LF wish-list lens I ever coveted - If I don't really use it, I don't need it. I'm not a lens
collector per se! But that 450C gets used every week, it seems. No regrets buying that one!
I'm glad I came across this thread! I am surprised at the Fuji 300 C price! I was looking into selling mine and the prices I was given by some of the places that buy used gear aren't worth it! Maybe I should put my list of lenses on this site instead.
Seems that the Fujinons have developed that dreaded photographic disease: "too valuable to use syndrome". Just like my Summicron 35/2 that I purchased new 30 years ago for 370 (tax included) and is now worth 2500 and thus I rarely use.
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