6 Argus C3 35mm Cameras: Current bid $13.50
The Argus C3 very well may be the best selling camera of all time. Mass production started toward the end of World War II, at a time when 35mm cameras were still considered a luxury. Sold up until 1966, the Argus C3 recently found a whole new generation of 35mm enthusiasts when it appeared in a Harry Potter movies. While PlymouthLiquidators’ auction is for 6 of these brick-shaped cameras, there are plenty of auctions out there for individual C3’s—most can be picked up for about $25 in good condition. The incredible success of the Argus C3 in the middle of the century can be attributed to its use of Bakelite plastic, which allowed for cheap mass-production—most other cameras that came out during this time were made entirely of metal. In fact, our resident film camera expert here at Popular Photography told me that he picked up his very first Argus C3, brand new, sometime in the mid 40’s for $25. So not only is the C3 a simple and elegant testament to mass production, it is also apparently inflation proof as well. Click to view the auction
Leica 250 Reporter Rangefinder (circa 1937): $10,862.32
We absolutely love crazy-looking, ultra-rare Leica cameras, and as journalists, we are especially fond of this one. Designed specifically for news photographers, this rangefinder was modified to take special film cassettes that offered 10 meters of film or up to 250 shots, hence the two massive film spools. While you may have a hard time coming across these specialized film cassettes, the camera itself, according to Ebayer Classic_Photography_UK, is in pristine working condition. It features a 50mm f/2 lens and shutter speeds ranging from 1/20 sec up to 1/100 sec. Orginally based off of the Leica II, less than 1000 units of this body were ever made. Click to view the auction
Right Medical Slit Lamp Microscope with Digital Camera: $16,999.00
We have always been fascinated by micro-photography, so when we stumbled upon this auction, we knew we had to include it in this week’s Ebay Watch. So what do you get from Ebayer OCUHealthPlus for 17K? You get a high-end stereoscopic zoom microscope with parallel optics, a very expensive light source and what appears to be a Nikon D100 camera. And while the seller likely did not intend their auction to be used by anyone other than doctors or scientists, we bet, in the hands of a photographer, some pretty cool images could be made with this bad boy. Also, in case you missed it, the seller will even throw in a free Dell Inspiron 12 laptop with every purchase! Click to view the auction
Gold Brunei Royal Edition Leica M6: $38,999.99
Its been a while since we’ve included a gold-plated camera in our weekly Ebay Watch, so here is one for old time’s sake. According to seller Zhuomingcamera, this camera is brand new and in all of its original packaging. Included with the auction is a matching 50mm f/1.4 lens. What is unclear is whether or not this camera was originally made for Hassanal Bolkiah, the king of Brunei, and he didn’t want it, or if a bunch of these were produced for some sort of occasion. Either way, nothing quite says royalty like a 40K gold-plated camera, except for maybe a 40K platinum-plated camera, but that is besides the point. Click to view the auction
