Irvin Bennett wrote:
> I am beginning to figure that out. The Farrar lens guide (unofficial)
>lists the price used as "$750 to $1100" while cautioning private sellers in
>a footnote they shouldn't expect to get that much. Now, I can't even find
>one in that range, even at the high end! Are they still being
>manufactuered? Is there some type of zuiko shift lens cartel fixing prices?
The 24mm/3.5 shift lens is still being manufactured. Unfortunately, this is one
of several Zuiko lenses least in demand and these are only manufactured as
enough orders accumulate. The others are 18mm/3.5, 35mm/2.8 shift, macro
20mm/2, macro 38mm/2.8, 180mm/2, 250mm/2, 350mm/2.8, 400mm/6.3, 600mm/6.5, and
1000mm/11.
I am one of those who recently bought a 24mm/3.5 shift. I bought one new
because I was able to buy one in Japan when I went there to visit my family in
March. The price I paid was 160,000yen with 5% tax included. I paid cash to
get this price.
In Japan several big camera store chains all charge 172,000yen (214,000yen) for
the 24mm shift. There are a few smaller stores which would sell this lens new
at a deeper discount. Because I learned about the availability of this lens
with more than 20 0iscount, I was able to negotiate the price down to
160,000yen at Yodobashi.. Later I found out there is a store in Tokyo (Fujiya
Camera) which sells Olympus and other cameras (Nikon, Canon, etc.) at a deeper
discount of 330ff list. (http://photo.net/photo/japan-buying.html ) Fujiya's
price for the 24mm/shift was 143,000yen and they had one in stock! For me it was
too late and I had to live with my purchase at Yodobashi. Today's exchange rate
is 122yen to the dollar.
Later I saw two used 24mm/3.5 shift lenses in Tokyo. One was 145,000 yen with
5% tax included and the other was 125,000yen before tax. Both looked to be in
excellent condition and particularly the former was said to be mint. I have to
admit that I only looked at them through the window and not in my hands.
I recall Brian Huber has seen a mint 24mm shift at Midwest Photo Exchange in
Ohio in February. The price was around $1300, if I remember correctly.
Since I bought a medium-format rangefinder during the same trip, I have since
learned more about medium format SLRs and view cameras. IMHO, the 24mm shift
lens, used judiciously, produce good results. Whether you are happy with a
shift lens for the 35mm SLR for your architecture photographs depends on the
extent to which you do this type of photography. The 35mm SLR lets you do the
job faster if your objective is to produce results which can be enlargeable to
11x14.
There is a book on architecture photography authored by Norman McGrath, titled
"Photographing Buildings Inside and Out". He includes the Zuiko 24mm shift lens
in his description of his equipment. Obviously he owns one and an OM-4. His
sample photographs includes those taken with wide angle Nikkor lenses, 20mm and
24mm lenses as well as at least one each taken with the Nikkor 28mm PC and the
Zuiko 24mm shift lenses.
Most of his photographs were taken with his Sinar view camera system, however.
I know one professional architecture photographer here in Baltimore. His
systems are the Sinar, the Mamiya 645 and the Nikon for the 35mm SLR which
includes a 28mm PC. He does not have a Mamiya shift lens since he relies on the
Sinar for shifting and tilting.
If I were to make a decision now, I would rent the Sinar 4x5 system to see what
it is like and also sit down to figure how much it would cost to own a view
camera system for the type of architecture photography you would be doing. Be
sure to include the running costs, film, developing, digitizing, and Polaroid
proofing. For example, I was shocked to find a price tag for a single PhotoCD
scan of a 21/4" (6x6) which turned out to be $9.00 per frame even in regular
resolution.
As for myself, I may have a paid architecture photography job in the future. I
think I would just rent a view camera system for a specific job.
In 1993 I bought a 35mm/2.8 shift lens and I know I have made enough profit to
pay for it, but at the moment it looks like it will be a while with the 24mm
shift before I earn enough profit to pay for this lens.
Tomoko Yamamoto
mailto:tomokoy@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.charm.net/~tomokoy/
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