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View Full Version : Soft Focus Buyers Beware.....



Jim Galli
8-Nov-2011, 08:22
Okay, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

This (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140635429393&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123) is now the second time in a short while that a Verito has shown up with only one length of barrel and no shutter.

CAUTION:

You can buy a Verito, rob the Studio Shutter out of it to part out and sell later, then put the back glass at the end of the front barrel and put the remains on Ebay for some poor unsuspecting buyer.

A Wollensak Verito will ALWAYS have a front barrel, a shutter or aperture, and a rear barrel behind the shutter~aperture and then the rear group.

The factory threading is such that this is easily done. Not throwing stones at any seller, just trying to educate. When I get home on Thurs nite I'll grab one of my Verito's and do some pictures illustrating what I fear is going on.

Jim Galli
8-Nov-2011, 08:26
This guys not too bright. He's selling the rear barrel and shutter (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wollensak-Studio-Shutter-Style-B-No-3-/140635460781?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item20be86d4ad) on the same day in a different auction!

E. von Hoegh
8-Nov-2011, 08:37
Well, he seems to be merely clueless, not dishonest. I hope.

Jim Galli
8-Nov-2011, 08:39
Well, he seems to be merely clueless, not dishonest. I hope.

I always give folks the benefit of the doubt too, but.........buyers beware. We may start seeing this.

jp
8-Nov-2011, 08:58
Looks like, based on reflections in the glass, one auction is the front half of a verito, the other auction is the shutter and rear tube, and the rear group is gone missing. Basically a parts auction.

Dan Fromm
8-Nov-2011, 10:52
Someday all that will be left for "real photographers" are bits and pieces like this because the lens gluttons of the world will have all the complete working lenses hidden away so they can get all gushy when they fondle them.Not so. As we die off our grieving widows will sell our treasures for pennies.

goamules
8-Nov-2011, 18:30
Someday all that will be left for "real photographers" are bits and pieces like this because the lens gluttons of the world will have all the complete working lenses hidden away so they can get all gushy when they fondle them.

Take it easy Francis.

ImSoNegative
8-Nov-2011, 20:31
i was noticing on the bay this morning a couple of ads that the seller had no clue as to what they were selling, for example one ad was for a "4x5 plate holder" it is clear from the picture it is a contact print frame. another was a large format camera sold with 3 "film plates" 2 of the "film plates" as they were called looked to be 8x10 and the other one was 5x7. there was no 5x7 back for the camera, but then again the camera may have been a 5x7 and you get 2 8x10 holders with it. this is why when i buy any LF gear i would rather buy off the forum

Asher Kelman
8-Nov-2011, 20:42
Not so. As we die off our grieving widows will sell our treasures for pennies.

Dan,

Let's hope not!

I'm making a catalog of all my lenses, filters, cameras tripods etc, with the price paid, so if anything happens to me, my family has some clue as to what's there and its value.

That's why I don't mind paying a good price when getting a lens from a family that lost someone.

Asher

cdholden
8-Nov-2011, 21:22
Well, he seems to be merely clueless, not dishonest. I hope.

He/she/it encourages potential bidders to check out their other auctions. To quote, "*PLEASE SEE MY OTHER ITEMS AS SOME ITEMS MAY GO TOGETHER AND, AS SUCH, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING BOTH"
In my opinion, it seems like they are aware of this and may just be splitting it in hopes of catering to the "I've got a damaged front/rear element" crowd. Again, just a possibility. I cannot confirm.

DrTang
9-Nov-2011, 09:22
Someday all that will be left for "real photographers" are bits and pieces like this because the lens gluttons of the world will have all the complete working lenses hidden away so they can get all gushy when they fondle them.


eh...people die and unsuspecting family members sell their stuff off for pennies at garage sales


and then it starts all over

stuff comes..it goes..and it comes again

Dan Fromm
9-Nov-2011, 10:29
Dan,

Let's hope not!

I'm making a catalog of all my lenses, filters, cameras tripods etc, with the price paid, so if anything happens to me, my family has some clue as to what's there and its value.

That's why I don't mind paying a good price when getting a lens from a family that lost someone.

AsherAsher, I hope not too but expect it.

Cautionary tale. The late Charlie Barringer (co-author of The Zeiss-Ikon Compendium, one of the founders of Zeiss Historica, very serious collector) was a neighbor and friend. He received his death sentence well in advance, had ample time to prepare for his treasures' disposal. We discussed how to do it, which auction house or specialist dealer to consign things to, ... There was much too much to place quickly via, e.g., eBay.

He sent his inventory to his friend Peter Koeln, of Westlicht Gallery, got a nice reply to the effect that although he had some real gems much of his collection was going to be hard to place. People who collect what he had were dying off, the market was shifting, ... After Charlie died Peter came over, took the real gems and I don't know how much else. Sold a few of them for vast sums. I have no idea what will become of most of the gear that Charlie accumulated. Therese hasn't told me.

Most of the bits and pieces you and I have are essentially worthless. We find them useful but no one else will.

Sorry,

Dan

John Kasaian
9-Nov-2011, 14:55
Well, he seems to be merely clueless, not dishonest. I hope.

Take a Verito, unscrew it and put each end up in seperate auctions as Veritos?
Nope, he's not clueless.

Lachlan 717
11-Nov-2011, 12:38
Okay, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

This (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140635429393&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123) is now the second time in a short while that a Verito has shown up with only one length of barrel and no shutter.

CAUTION:

You can buy a Verito, rob the Studio Shutter out of it to part out and sell later, then put the back glass at the end of the front barrel and put the remains on Ebay for some poor unsuspecting buyer.

A Wollensak Verito will ALWAYS have a front barrel, a shutter or aperture, and a rear barrel behind the shutter~aperture and then the rear group.

The factory threading is such that this is easily done. Not throwing stones at any seller, just trying to educate. When I get home on Thurs nite I'll grab one of my Verito's and do some pictures illustrating what I fear is going on.

Jim,

Are you referring to the lens that I discussed in the Soft Focus lens sales thread? If so, this is in a Wollensak-engraved barrel without shutter.

In that thread, I asked for more information on this simple barrel lens and received nothing. I'm happy to post photos of the lens (as I was to post sample photos from this lens).

Jim Galli
11-Nov-2011, 12:52
Jim,

Are you referring to the lens that I discussed in the Soft Focus lens sales thread? If so, this is in a Wollensak-engraved barrel without shutter.

In that thread, I asked for more information on this simple barrel lens and received nothing. I'm happy to post photos of the lens (as I was to post sample photos from this lens).

Yes, and I will contend that it once had a shutter or aperture section and a rear barrel, and that people are breaking them down and selling the pieces for more than the whole.

Lachlan 717
11-Nov-2011, 13:02
Yes, and I will contend that it once had a shutter or aperture section and a rear barrel, and that people are breaking them down and selling the pieces for more than the whole.

There was also mention in that thread that the barrel was too short; however, it focuses fine at (the marked) 9" draw. As such, I'm not convinced that your assertion is correct.

Either way, I'm pretty happy with the image quality, and, to me, that's more important than any other consideration.

Jim Galli
11-Nov-2011, 13:30
There was also mention in that thread that the barrel was too short; however, it focuses fine at (the marked) 9" draw. As such, I'm not convinced that your assertion is correct.

Either way, I'm pretty happy with the image quality, and, to me, that's more important than any other consideration.

Fair enough, and I'm not here to argue, just to give a heads up. You might be concerned that you've not seen another like yours either in photos or catalogs.

Jim Galli
17-Nov-2011, 07:20
So, he got $317 for the combined pieces. If someone DID buy them both, that's a very good buy for an early Verito in a nice size.

Did our warning here cause the low price? We'll never know. I just didn't want to see a trend.