(this is my personal view and I am not connected with the ebay organisation and am not claiming to represent them)
(revised edition, 05 November 2002, (C) Roland Rashleigh-Berry)
I've bought a lot of old medium format cameras on ebay. Sometimes I have been delighted with the purchase but many times been very disappointed and frustrated by the attitude of the seller. So I've put together a list of things to check when buying old medium format cameras that have come from personal experience so that it can help you avoid trouble and make your use of ebay a positive experience. I'll be updating this article from time to time as I get more information in.
Avoid sellers with a dark glasses sign besides their user-id. This means they have recently changed their identity. It could be that they ran out of good will with previous buyers and they are trying to start with a clean slate. Always assume their slate is dirty if you see those dark glasses.
If you discover that an auction you just bid on is a private auction then email the seller and ask them to cancel the bid, explaining you do not bid on private auctions. You have less protection from ebay for these private auctions. Also the seller could have friends who help them hike up the bidding on items so that you may think the item is popular when it is nothing of the sort and is nowhere near as valuable as the bids suggest.
Bear in mind that a seller who hasn't sold much in the way of old medium format cameras before on ebay might not have much of a clue. These old cameras can look very appealing to people new to them. They can be "perfect in every way", "mint" or "beautiful", but to our jaundiced eyes they could be fit only for spares. The seller might have a high rating but for other items not camera related. Also they could be a buyer turned seller and they could have sold very little before. But even if a person has a high rating, there is so much pressure from ebay to stop people leaving negative feedback that the rating is not a good indication of the service you will get from them. But so long as you ask the right questions from the seller, as below, then hopefully it will be OK.
This is the most important item on the old medium format camera. Cosmetic condition is secondary. If the lens ("taking" lens for a TLR) is imperfect then so is the camera (unless it has a replaceable lens that you intend to replace at your own cost). A lens might look OK on a photograph. Even a close-up photograph. But the only good way to check the lens is to open it up on "B" shutter and look through the lens at full aperture pointing at a small bright light source. This will show up any defects in the lens immediately. You will see scratches, dirt and coating marks if they are there. So if you are buying an old MF camera then if it isn't clear from the item description that the seller has placed, you will need to contact the seller to ask them to clarify the condition of the lens. Ask the question something like "Have you checked on this lens by looking through it at a bright light source? Can you please give me a detailed description of the lens condition?". If the lens is scratched even only slightly then the camera is maybe worth a quarter less than if it hadn't been scratched at all. Coating marks will also devalue the camera but only by about a tenth of its worth. Don't worry about balsam bubbles but worry about balsam separation. If there are signs of balsam separation then the lens will need taking apart at some stage and rebalsamed. If it is a TLR you are buying then don't worry too much about the viewing lens. So long as it works and looks good enough then don't worry. BUT, if you are buying a TLR you should additionally and specifically ask the seller the condition of the mirror. These can become dull with age and sometimes the reflective coating can be so bad that the viewing through the hood can be difficult. So, if you are buying a TLR, check on the condition of the mirror as well. If it's an old MF SLR you are buying then again, check on the mirror.
This is the second most important item. If your shutter isn't working properly, then even with a perfect lens you won't be getting your exposure right. It would help if you knew what were the good shutters and which were less reliable. Some cameras such as Zeiss folders have different shutters sold at doifferent prices when new so some shutters were definitely better than others. Vario and Prontor are low priced shutters, for example. But let us suppose you do not have this knowledge. You need to be assured that the shutter is working properly. At the fast end of the shutter - the 1/300th sec speed or faster, the shutter should be so fast that is difficult to even see if it has moved when you trigger it. At the slow end - at one second, the speed should be slower than two seconds. You have to bear in mind that the shutter springs will weaken over time and what was exactly one second when new will be more like 1.5 seconds fifty years on. If the shutter on one second takes more like two seconds then the shutter will need a service and this can be expensive like $75 for cleaning and servicing. Also you should ensure that the "B" setting works correctly. This is not something to ignore. And if the camera has a "T" setting then this should work as intended as well. If "B" or "T" isn't functioning then the value of the camera is reduced by about two thirds as much as if you needed a full shutter service. Another thing to check on, is the condition of the shutter blades, if the camera has a leaf shutter that most old MF cameras do. This is a REAL important one to check, because some sellers wll "help" an old shutter work smoother by squirting in some lighter fluid. This is a very bad thing to do. So ask the seller, if not in the item description "Is there any sign of oil or other marks on the shutter blades?" If the diaphram (the thing that alters the aperture) baldes are located away from the shutter blades then a bit of oil on them won't hurt and could be deliberate.
If you are buying a folding camera or if it is another type but with bellows then you should check that the bellows are light tight. If they leak light then they will spoil your shots. Don't buy a camera whose bellows leak light. You should check that the seller has checked the bellows and they are indeed light tight before buying the camera. Always ask if the bellows has been repaired. If it has then the camera is worth about 20% less.
If it is a folding camera then make sure the door catch is working emphatically so that the door stays closed when it is supposed to.
Your old medium format camera will either have a red window at the back, so you can see the frame number on the film, or it will wind on automatically - internally sensing the film position. If the camera relies on the red window then you should not buy the camera if its red window is missing. If the description says this is easy to fix then let the seller fix it before you buy it. Don't buy a camera like this (I'll go more into translating innocuous-sounding comments liek this in a new section at the end of this article). And if it relies on automatic wind-on then make sure this has been checked. Some cameras will only wind on automatically if there is a film in the camera. It is a simple matter to use an out-of-date film roll as a dummy roll to test this. It costs the seller nothing and only takes seconds to do. Assume if it hasn't been tested then it doesn't work. If this is not covered in the item description then ask the seller about it. It might cost you a lot of money to fix a fault like this. Think $60-100. Also, if it has the red window and relies on it, then a camera without a built-in mechanism for coverig this red window is worth far less than one that does. Film speed used to be around 25 when the cameras were made, rather than our slow speed of 100 now. And early B+W film was not sensitive at all to red light. Mostly blue (that's why skies are always white in very old photographs). So if you use a colour film in cameras that rely on the red window then if you leave the red window open you will get fogging of your film because the light will seep through and expose your film. If you get one of these cameras then you should realise that it is worth less than one that has the red window cover and you should bear in mind that if you want to use this camera then you are going to have to tape insulation tape over the window and keep removing it and replacing it when you use it. So if you buy one of these old cameras then don't be suprised if there is a sign that tape has been used. This is only natural. And the sticky residue it leaves behind is easily removed with lighter fluid. Red windows can also get roughened up to the extent where you can not read the film frame number through them without applying spittle to them.
You need to make sure you have sufficient photographs to view to assess the cosmetic condition of the camera. It isn't sufficient to read a comment like "some paint loss typical of cameras of this age". That could mean extensive flaking and extensive paint loss. You will need to judge from the photographs. Also, in the old days, paint chipping and flaking was quite common and the owner would retouch it using spacial paints available for this purpose. So even if you have the photographs you will not see evidence of retouching on them do you should ask. A camera in its orginal perfect finish is worth far more than one that has been retouched. A camera retouched in several places, no matter how well done, is worth only 2/3rd what the camera is worth if in perfect original condition. If it is extensively retouched then it is worth maybe only half. That was the condition of the enamel. But you could have a chrome finish on the camera or perhaps it is plated. So check for corrosion and brassing (where the surface has rubbed through exposing the brass underneath) and "bright marks" and scratches on chrome. "Bright marks" are where your camera has a chrome satin finish. The sating can be rubbed down by fingernails and can result in the chrome looking unsightly. This can again devalue the camera by a third.
If the camera has a separate viewfinder then ask about the condition of it. If the viewfinder is cloudy then they can sometimes be difficult to clean. If the viewfinder isn't clear then you may need to take the top off the camera to clean it yourself. Some old viewfinders don't clean up well at all. If you don't want this hassle then ensure the viewfinder is clear by asking the seller, if it isn't covered in the item description.
If the camera has a built-in rangefinder then you should inquire as to whether this is accurate or not. These are usually easy to adjust so if the seller is selling it and hasn't been able to adjust it then it coud be problematic. Sometimes the camera has been roughly handled at some stage (true of nearly every camera that is old) and the double images might be very slightly out of alignment vertically. But if this isn't by much then don't worry about it. It happens and does not devalue the camera. It is easily fixed but it isn't worth the bother for anyone to do it. It is whether it is accurate that counts.
These are nightmare cameras. You can be lucky or not. Russian cameras made for export outside the old eastern block are usually of better quality that those coming out of that area afterwards. This because there were tighter quality controls for exported cameras. Trouble is, you don't know the camera's history. Also, you might be buying from another country so you have to bear in mind the cost and bother of sending it back if it is not in good condition. I would go as far as to recommend that you DO NOT BUY cameras from eastern block countries at all - no matter how glowing is the description of the camera and no matter what assurances you are given. For example, I have bought two Moska V's, which are supposed to be exact copies of the Zeiss Super Ikonta made on the exact same machinery that they got out of the Zeiss factory only to realise what trash they were because of the poor quality and poor tolerances of the machined parts. If you do intend to buy Russian cameras from your own country then you should check on the history of the camera and also if it has been used and if it is reliable and if there are any light leaks. But my advice is to steer well clear of them.
(I will add to this list in time.)
Voigtlander folding cameras (old Voigtlander, not Cosina/Voigtlander) can be nightmare cameras. The standard that the lens and shutter assembly sits on can be wobbly and not hold the lens and shutter assembly tight enough. This will result in the lens shaking when you take the shot. The coupled rangefinder Voigtlanders can be even worse. This is because somebody could have turned the rangefinder knob with the door closed. This will result in the arm that extends the lens becoming buckled. Not only is this unsightly and can make it difficult for the door to open, but the length of the arm has effectively changed and the lens will need to be refocussed. Always, always ask to know whether there is any sign of the rangefinder arm having been buckled for these coupled rangefinders (Bessa Rangefinder and Bessa II). But apart from that, these can be wonderful cameras to collect and use and can hold their value well.
Agfa folding cameras use front-cell focussing. The front element screws into the second element and adjusting this gives you the focus. This has to be greased stiffly enough so that the front cell does not vibrate when the shutter is fired, since the tiniest of movement will put the picture out of focus. So Agfa, in their wisdom, smothered the threads with a green gunk for this purpose. And after fifty years it set as hard as concrete and tougher than any other substance known to man. Always assume this front cell is stuck on these cameras. Even if the seller says it turns then they will have loosened it with pliers and it will be unscrewing the second element with it as it turns. These two elements can be gotten apart by soaking in acetone or cellulose thinners followed by a lot of twisting. You should remove all traces of this green gunk if you get that far and leave it for a while to make sure the gunk does not stick again. Then use a good quality grease like for a car or even vaseline. Do not leave this cell ungreased as it will vibrate when the shutter goes off and will blur your photographs.
Although not a medium format camera, you might be tempted to buy a Voigtlander Bessamatic 35mm SLR since they look so solid and attractive. These easily jam. Also they might work perfectly well with the lens it comes with but jam as soon as you fire the shutter with another lens fitted. Always insist the seller tries out this camera with more than one lens fitted and fires the shutter to test it. If they only have the one lens available then don't buy it. Should one of these cameras ever jam on you then they leave the shutter blades half open. Don't touch those blades. Instead, whack the camera on top of the prism housing with the base of your hand as hard as you can and it will unjam. Don't worry about breaking the camera. Worry about breaking your hand.
Mamiya TLRs are problem cameras. The bodies tend to hold their looks even after prolonged rough treatment. But both the body and the lens could be far from perfect. Dealing with the lens first, if the body looks good then most sellers do not check the lens carefully. The front elements are often scratched. Sometimes the lens is cloudy or milky. Do not touch a Mamiya TLR lens if the front lens is scratched or the elements are milky. I have tried cleaning some of these milky lenses and it is impossible. Also, nearly all these TLR bodies have been dropped. Maybe multiple times. And they often land on the viewing lens. This can bend the filter rim over, but more problematic is the damage done to the camera itself. It pushes back the top of the lens board so that the viewing lens is now closer to the camera. Maybe as much as two millimetres. And this is easily enough to make the focussing positions of the viewing lens and taking lens to be very different so you can no longer rely on the viewing lens for focussing. There is a distance scale on the cameras and that will likely still be very accurate for the taking lens. You should trust this scale and not the viewing lens focus until you have done some work on the camera. You can put spacers under the ground glass screen top and even build up the mirror using super-glue gel to move it backwards slightly where it slots in to the four holders. You have got to play around with these spacers until the viewing lens focussing agrees with the distance scale. If you intend to use the camera for portrait work then you will have to make sure this is exactly right. Having said that, once these cameras are in proper adjustment they are capable of giving excellent results. And their standard 80mm lens is a 5 element lens and the lenses are of very high quality. And of course, you get interchangeable lenses with these cameras. For landscape work then use the scale for focussing and not the viewing lens and I think you will be very pleased with the sharpness of the pictures. These cameras can be picked up very cheaply (about $200 for a C3 and 80mm standard lens) because they are unpopular due, I think, to their weight.
A camera can get damaged in transit. If given a hefty whack then the case could be bent. Even if there is no visible damage then the lens could be put out of alignment or the shutter broken. If the camera was sent in working condition and it arrives in non-working condition then this is the first thing you should assume - that it was damaged in transit and make a claim. Do not send valuable cameras by post anywhere unless they are fully insured.
If you intend to buy to resell then think about how you are going to do this. If you are going to resell the same way you bought it (i.e. on ebay) then keep in mind that the item you bought was open to all bidders and that you probably paid the going price for it on that selling mmedium. So if you sell it again you might even make a loss on it or it may not reach its reserve price. So you might want to resell to a camera shop. But if you sell a camera for up-front cash then they will only give you half what they are intending to sell it for. If they have a number of the same items then they will offer you less then half. You cam sell on a commission basis in which the camera shop keeps 25% of the price it gets sold at, but they will only handle items worth more than a certain amount otherwise it is not worth their while running this service. The lower limit will be something like $200 so don't expect to buy loads of cheap folders, for example, and expect to be able to sell them at a shop on a commission basis. So this may only be worthwhile if you effectively have your own camera shop. Also, your money could be tied up in these cameras for some considerable time before they finally sell. Think two years on average. And I hate to say it, but if you have your own camera shop then you would be better off selling new digital cameras and not bothering with old cameras at all, unless they were just for display. In short, if you are thinking of buying cameras on ebay and selling them on a commission basis through some shops you know then you will have very little success. Don't give up your day job.
Suppose you have checked on all these things with the seller. Your camera arrives. The first thing you should do is go through the above check list yourself to ensure the camera is OK and as described. You must bear in mind that for checking automatic wind-on, sometimes this only works if you have a film in the camera. Use an out-of-date roll as a dummy roll to check this and keep it in a handy place so you always know where to lay your hands on it. If you buy a Rolleiflex then the later models (Automat onwards) sense the film position when the film passes between rollers. You have to thread the film between these rollers for it to detect the frame positions correctly. Don't make a fool of yourself by complaining to the seller that the wind-on mechanism doesn't work if you don't know how the camera is supposed to work.
If the camera doesn't pass all these tests then don't consider the transaction over. Get straight back to the seller about it. Same day. If the camera isn't as described then you should return it and get a refund. And the seller should refund your return postage at least. If the seller claims the camera was fine when they sent it and you are claiming it wasn't working when you got it then make an insurance claim sice it is obviously the carriers fault and they damaged it in transit. Don't get into arguments. It will get you nowhere. What you want is your money back and the insurance will cover you. You paid for it. Now you collect.
If you have a bad experience with a seller then never deal with them again for anything. Remember their id. Avoid anything and everything they sell on ebay (I wish ebay had a killfile) no matter how good it sounds. But also remember good sellers. Go back to an excellent seller again and again. Look at the other items they are selling using the link. But always check the cameras like I said, when you get them, in any case. Nasty things can happen to sensitive mechanisms when going through the postal system.
This is a translation guide so that you can convert seemingly innocuous statements in the item description into some thing more readily understood. I will be updating this frequently as I am exposed to more of these statements. This will not always be true. This is a cynical interpretation. You should take this with a pinch of salt. Or take it literally and never get stung.
"This camera is maybe sixty years old but looks as if it were bought yesterday" - "I've lost my glasses".
"I am not an expert on cameras, but" = "I am feigning ignorance so that I can sell you trash and not refund your money".
"No returns" = "I am selling trash".
"This photograph is of a similar camera. The camera I am selling is BETTER than this" - "I've got some junk to sell and I'm looking for an extremely stupid person to buy it".
"Lens is slightly cloudy/milky but should be easy to clean" = "There is fungus on the lens and maybe in the balsam. The lens is ruined".
"Paint missing in some places typical for a camera of this age" = "The camera needs a respray".
"Signs of retouching" = "Extensively retouched and done badly at that".
"Slow speeds seem a bit tardy/hesitant" = "Shutter needs a service".
"Should be easy to fix" = "I can't fix it. You won't be able to fix it. Maybe nobody can fix it".
"Has been stored for a long time" = "Internally filthy and may need dismantling and require a professional clean".
"Case needs some restitching" = "Case is falling apart at the seams".
"Lens has a slightly sepia look" = "This lens has a lanthanum element with radioactive thorium added and will get more opaque as time goes on".
"Pictures have an appealing soft look" = "Lens is no good".
Hopefully, if you follow these guidelines (which I will update from time to time and I welcome feedback) your buying experience on ebay will be a positive one and you will enjoy the old medium format cameras you buy.
Roland Rashleigh-Berry