I suspect the buyer was a bit of a dope who forced a 90mm lens on the camera (a Contax G1) and did some minor damage to the pins. Paypal refunded his payment but I pressured both agencies enough that the camera was eventually returned to me. The buyer somehow damaged the camera and then made a false claim against me on eBay. On the other hand I've had two bad experiences with eBay, one involving a $400 sale.
Both parties were satisfied and the buyer has kept in contact with me, so I gained an internet penpal as well as made a sale. I also sweetened the sale with several other brand name items (Softar filters, a lens hood, a grip and a soft case) and two five packs of film. My experience with selling quality photo equipment on THAT site goes back to about 2015 when I managed to offload my beloved Hasselblad 500CM for what I had paid for it (I bought i secondhand), to a serious buyer I had several conversations with before the final sale and who I met in person when I delivered the camera to him in person. Is there a reputable secondhand camera dealer in your area you would trust with your Mamiya? This may be the best way to go - the commission will be somewhere along the line of up to 25 percent but going through a dealer will eliminate many of the headaches you will likely encounter on eBay or other internet sale site. I would be very reluctant to sell any camera worth that much on eBay at this time - the site seems to be good for nickel and dime items but more expensive cameras either don't sell at all or attract bottom-feeders who want good gear for nothing. Never fun to lose money, what I am meaning is along the lines of "will your kids miss a meal if that happens?" You know what I mean. You do not use it much at the moment, but you might decide to use it in a couple years. It will probably work fine another 20 years or more anyway. If you "can afford" to lose a few thousand (*) in case the camera gets bricked, keep it. If you don't need the money right now but will later, take your time to find a buyer who will give you a good deal and/or will take good care of the camera. I'm probably overly paranoid here, though.? (knock on wood.)Īs you are attached to the camera, let's consider the problem from a different angle: do you need the money? (or do you expect you will need the money in the foreseeable future?) My main worry is that those electronics-laden devices are likely to be changed into a paperweight if they break down. I figure I'll probably (maybe?) keep it, but given the economy and such, two to three thousand dollars isn't nothing.
Perhaps the lens most of all- its serial number is OK1234. I'm very attached to the camera for sentimental reasons, and the lens as well. If I decide to sell it, should I wait longer so that it goes up still more in value?
I took it with me on Monday, along with my RZ67 and another camera, and I forgot it was there until after I got home. It's just not functioning much for me these days. It held up surprisingly well, though of course it had to be repaired.Īt the moment, it functions normally. The biggest ding came in 2019, when it fell over five feet onto a hard floor from my backpack. It's had some rough moments, having been serviced many times over the years. It has the polarized rangefinder window of a 7II, as well as various internal parts that have likewise been upgraded along the way. A quick eBay search shows Mamiya 7I + 80mm combinations going for around 3K in some cases 7IIs are well above that mark. Of course, I wouldn't be thinking about selling it if the market value wasn't so high. That's not to say there hasn't been a place for my Mamiya 7- it's just been uncommon. These days, I prefer using my RZ67 to make my work. That was coincident with having transitioned from tripod-avoidant to tripod-dependent. For most of the time I've had it, the 7 was my only medium format camera. However, I'm not using it much these days and haven't for some time.
I've made a lot of pictures with it over the years. I've had it for nine years in January and it helped change my life. For the first time, I'm thinking seriously about selling my Mamiya 7.