You think gear is expensive now?

[Michael Graves]

So I got my hands on a few magazines from 1948. I hadn't thought the ads would interest me that much. I mean, what am I going to do? Call in an order? But then again, it got me thinking.

What did it cost to be an amateur photographer back then, right after the war and all? I went to the US Government Inflation Calculator and did a few comparisons.

A brand new Exacta VX with a 50mm 2.8 Tessar - $325.00. In 2012 dollars, that is like one of us spending $3,089.00.
An Auto-Rollei TLR with a 2.8 Tessar - $259.00. Works out out to $2,747.75 in today's dollars. (I found it odd that the Exacta sold for more than a Rolleiflex.)
A 4x5 Pacemaker Speed Graphic - $279.50. Or about the same as $2,657.00 today.
On the lower end of the scale, that old Argus CIII (The Brick) that we all make so much fun of? $74.50. Not quite as much as $710.00.

On the other hand, 100 feet of Super XX 35mm film was $3.50. I can't find 100 feet of bulk film for $33.50 anywhere I look. I don't know how accurate that inflation calculator is. But it is pretty clear that someone saved up a long time for decent camera. But once they had it, it was pretty reasonable to shoot.

[C. D. Keth]

That's interesting. I remember reading in Edward Weston's daybooks about him taking one of his lenses into Mexico City to sell it to pay bills and the amount he expected to get was in the range of several month's rent.

[C. D. Keth]

By the way, I've noticed something similar with firearms. I have a sharps target rifle made in 1875. When it was new, it sold for $165. That is about $3200 in today's money, which really isn't bad for the premier American target rifle of the day. A serious target shooter now might easily sink $10K into his rifle. The regular model sharps- the everyman's model if you will- cost $75. That's like $1500 where you can get an "everyman" model hunting rifle now for $500. It seems like the regular models of things had a higher threshold for cost since manufacturing was lower quantity but the higher models had a lower threshold since people seemingly had less tolerance for price gauging for upper class items.

If you think of that in camera terms today you can get a canon point and shoot for $200 or a leica X2 for $2K. The difference between the cheap stuff and the high class stuff is far, far more.

[Jim Jones]

The list price for a Leica IIIf with the 50mm f/3.5 Elmar in 1953 was $278, almost three month's pay for a junior Navy enlisted man. I bought mine overseas for $149. The MSRP for a Crown Graphic with 135mm Optar was $503 in 1970. No wonder some of them show little abuse. However, there were bargains in those years. My Government model .45 ACP in nearly new condition cost $40 in the late 1950s. After considerable use and with a pitted bore, it brought $700 at a gun show a few years ago.

[jp]

Comparatively cheap LF gear is why I'm into it. I couldn't afford this stuff in the 80/90's. Now I've bought cameras and lenses (once in a while) for what they sold new for 60-100 years ago without the inflation calculated. I've bought the automat rollei that cost $250 new for <$250 in 2011, the $200 speed graphic for $200 in 2010, etc...

I think our present film (from Ilford/Fuji/Kodak) is worth a lot more $33/100ft; the quality, small grain, consistency is comparatively amazing.

[goamules]

This is why photographers in the 40s-70s probably only had one camera. Today, they are so cheap we can buy them by the wheelbarrow load.

[jp]

And the F4s I paid $2000 for in 1989 is worth $200 now.

[Jon Shiu]

My father bought a Simmons Omega 120 camera around 1954 in New York City for $350, which would be about $3000 in today's dollars. That's amazing!

Jon

[Joseph Dickerson]

Interesting...When I got out of college (mid 60s) I went to work in a camera shop. If memory serves, we sold the Pentax/Honeywell Spotmatic for $279 with a 50mm f/1.8 lens. Seemed like a lot, I guess it really was.

JD

[Kirk Gittings]

It is interesting. I remember really struggling-saving for a couple of years to buy a new Mamiya C330, but I never thought of making the comparison via inflation with today's cameras.