Large Format on Ebay?

[neil poulsen]

I just spoke recently with an EBay tech on this. She saw the problem and is going to try to get it fixed. A good way to demonstrate this to techs is to show them how Type=Large Format works fine when setting up a sale, but not for browsing. She recommended also pressing the link at the bottom of the page on whether the software works or not.

If enough of us call this in, it might get fixed.

[Racer X 69]

I simply typed in "Large Format" into the search box and there were plenty of hits. Sure, there were also large format printers, a Polaroid Land camera, and several Bronica medium format cameras.

What I don't get is why a seller will list something, like this for instance: SINAR BRON SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 5.6/300 4X5 LARGE FORMAT DIGITAL PHOTO LENS

Why does the seller have the word DIGITAL in the description? It has nothing to do with large format photography.

And then there are other listings with extraneous terms: CANNON FD REAR LENS CAP CANNON NIKON PENTAX SONY DIGITAL FILM

Or: AFTERMARKET OLYMPUS CAMERA REAR LENS CAP OM MOUNT NIKON NIKKOR MINOLTA PENTAX OEM FULL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY!

Huh?

[desertrat]

I simply typed in "Large Format" into the search box and there were plenty of hits. Sure, there were also large format printers, a Polaroid Land camera, and several Bronica medium format cameras.

What I don't get is why a seller will list something, like this for instance: SINAR BRON SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 5.6/300 4X5 LARGE FORMAT DIGITAL PHOTO LENS

Why does the seller have the word DIGITAL in the description? It has nothing to do with large format photography.

And then there are other listings with extraneous terms: CANNON FD REAR LENS CAP CANNON NIKON PENTAX SONY DIGITAL FILM

Or: AFTERMARKET OLYMPUS CAMERA REAR LENS CAP OM MOUNT NIKON NIKKOR MINOLTA PENTAX OEM FULL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY!

Huh?

I believe sellers do that so more people will see their listings. Sometimes sellers will include in the title 'not X' or 'not Y', where X and Y are some other brand. They do that so people looking for X or Y will see their listing. There are many sleazy tricks that some sellers use. I generally don't bid on an item represented in any of these ways.

A search trick that works fairly well is enter:

camera (x,y,z)

These letters represent brands you're looking for. You can enter many more than three, this was just an example. There should be no spaces between the commas

[Jim Jones]

Try http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...5230&_from=R40. Oops, now that the secret is out, ebay will probably "fix" it again!

[Racer X 69]

I believe sellers do that so more people will see their listings. Sometimes sellers will include in the title 'not X' or 'not Y', where X and Y are some other brand. They do that so people looking for X or Y will see their listing. There are many sleazy tricks that some sellers use. I generally don't bid on an item represented in any of these ways.

A search trick that works fairly well is enter:

camera (x,y,z)

These letters represent brands you're looking for. You can enter many more than three, this was just an example. There should be no spaces between the commas

Thanks for the comment DR. This is what I suspected, to be sure. And yes, many of those listings have the trappings of ultra sleaze, and are usually for items that are in very poor condition or are cheaply made knock offs of the much higher quality originals.

[Racer X 69]

Try http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...5230&_from=R40. Oops, now that the secret is out, ebay will probably "fix" it again!

[Dan Fromm]

I simply typed in "Large Format" into the search box and there were plenty of hits. Sure, there were also large format printers, a Polaroid Land camera, and several Bronica medium format cameras.

What I don't get is why a seller will list something, like this for instance: SINAR BRON SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 5.6/300 4X5 LARGE FORMAT DIGITAL PHOTO LENS

Why does the seller have the word DIGITAL in the description? It has nothing to do with large format photography.

And then there are other listings with extraneous terms: CANNON FD REAR LENS CAP CANNON NIKON PENTAX SONY DIGITAL FILM

Or: AFTERMARKET OLYMPUS CAMERA REAR LENS CAP OM MOUNT NIKON NIKKOR MINOLTA PENTAX OEM FULL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY!

Huh?

eBay calls it keyword spam and forbids it but enforcement is lax.

[schneideritis]

I don't see the problem. Yes, apparently there is no longer a genuine large format category to search in all eBay services around the world, but as Jim Jones suggested, what's so hard about going into the film camera category and doing a search for "large format camera" (and remember the quotation marks to get those three words in that exact order) in titles and descriptions. It always reveals well over a hundred hits, and the majority are relevant. After you've exhausted those, go up a level, to the broader camera and photography general category, and do a quick scan through the many more hits you'll get. Yes, now quite a few will seem irrelevant, but you don't want to let nay winners slip through the cracks. The one adjustment I make in the general category is I often just search titles. As usual, your mileage may vary...

[Doremus Scudder]

I don't see the problem... ...what's so hard about going into the film camera category and doing a search for "large format camera" (and remember the quotation marks to get those three words in that exact order) in titles and descriptions...

Because I might just list a camera as "Zone VI 4x5 view camera" or the like, and not have "large format camera" in my title or text. And, what about accessories? "8x20 filmholder," "reflex viewing hood," "Super Angulon 120mm" and the like don't have your search terms in them either.

All we can hope for is that intelligent sellers include the words "large format" in their titles (but what about a 2x3 view camera...)

Anyway, it was a lot easier to browse when there was a distinct category for large format, large format accessories, large format lenses, etc. It seems like eBay is cutting off their own nose despite their face, since this only can reduce sales and, with them, their commission...

Best,

Doremus

[Racer X 69]

eBay calls it keyword spam and forbids it but enforcement is lax.

One observation about eBay since I first stumbled upon it 18 years ago is just that, the lax and inconsistent enforcement of the rules.