where is a good place to get a starter MF cam?

[nightwolf75]

hi! just for curiosity's sake - where in s'pore can i find a beginner's MF cam? i read thru the threads here, and get the impression that the seagull is good for beginners. wats the average price of a used seagull in s'pore? sorry have to ask, me never used or handle a MF cam b4. now, quite inspired to try it after seeing another bro's MF prints.

thanks in advance!

[Tetrode]

Originally Posted by nightwolf75 hi! just for curiosity's sake - where in s'pore can i find a beginner's MF cam? i read thru the threads here, and get the impression that the seagull is good for beginners. wats the average price of a used seagull in s'pore? sorry have to ask, me never used or handle a MF cam b4. now, quite inspired to try it after seeing another bro's MF prints. thanks in advance!

The only Seagull to buy is the cheapest of them all, the 4B-1. This is because it has a knob to advance the film which is more robust than the other models which have a lever wind. The 4b-1 sells for about $180 at Konota and K-13 I believe.

If you can stretch your budget and patient, I'd recommend getting a Rolleicord Vb or Va from Ebay. These range between $300-500 depending on condition. They are many grades better than a Seagull in quality, can take 35mm film(using an adaptor) and are easier to use. Also if you ever tire of MF, you can sell a Vb away again very easily and get back your money(sometimes even making a profit).

While a Seagull is essentially worth nothing on the used market.

[nightwolf75]

Originally Posted by Tetrode The only Seagull to buy is the cheapest of them all, the 4B-1. This is because it has a knob to advance the film which is more robust than the other models which have a lever wind. The 4b-1 sells for about $180 at Konota and K-13 I believe. If you can stretch your budget and patient, I'd recommend getting a Rolleicord Vb or Va from Ebay. These range between $300-500 depending on condition. They are many grades better than a Seagull in quality, can take 35mm film(using an adaptor) and are easier to use. Also if you ever tire of MF, you can sell a Vb away again very easily and get back your money(sometimes even making a profit). While a Seagull is essentially worth nothing on the used market.

hey, tetrode!

thnx man! haha... i quite wary of ebay - singapore or otherwise. heard of so much horror stories and fraud cases that i dun even wish to try. same goes for yahoo! auctions singapore. is 2nd-hand rolleicord available in s'pore? i saw in a very early thread that can try a shop in peninsular (2nd floor), prime and TCW. do they carry?

[Tetrode]

Originally Posted by nightwolf75 hey, tetrode! thnx man! haha... i quite wary of ebay - singapore or otherwise. heard of so much horror stories and fraud cases that i dun even wish to try. same goes for yahoo! auctions singapore. is 2nd-hand rolleicord available in s'pore? i saw in a very early thread that can try a shop in peninsular (2nd floor), prime and TCW. do they carry?

Ebay isn't as bad as you have been made to imagine. Just make sure the seller has good feedback(100%).

You can check out Prime, Cam-X, Fotografix(at Lucky Chinatown) and Ron's camera(at Adelphi) for used Rolleicords but they will charge more than what you can get from Ebay and there is still no guarantee that they won't sell you a dud. I've helped a couple of my friends to purchase cords from Ebay with no problems.

[igpenguin]

You can try looking for the contacts for Joe who used to run Hotshots. He has a good collection of rollei gear.

My first ebay transaction was for a MF TLR. I bought it from a guy who wins bids on TLRs of suspect or faulty mechanical condition, repairs / CLA the TLRs and resell them on ebay - I checked the guy's ebay history. 100% positive feedback. Basically be a bit more cautious when you bid.