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Expert: - 9/24/2008


Question

Canon equipment
Dear Mr Silver,
I retreived your name and email address from a website that stated you may do appraisals.
Attached are some rough photos of the equipment I have. The camera body is stamped on the bottom Made in Occupied Japan.
Please advise if this is something you could appraise with more info or are interested in pursuing.
Thank you,
Peter Whitley


Answer



Hello Peter,

That would be a Canon IIB, a traditional 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, made by Canon of Japan from 1949 to 1952, for standard 24 x 36 mm exposures on regular 35mm film.  It's a fairly common model, a classic copy of the Leica camera from Germany, with over 20,000 units produced.  With it you have the standard complement of a Canon or Serenar 35mm wide-angle lens (with case, and apparently the accessory viewfinder) and a 135mm telephoto lens (with case, but I don't see the viewfinder; it may be hiding in the cap compartment of the case).  You also have a dedicated flash unit for the camera, a couple of other minor little bits and bobbles, and some sort of typical 1950's selenium exposure meter.  This is a very difficult camera outfit to sell in today's stressed market, but if it's all in excellent condition I'd suggest a minimum value of $400 and perhaps as high as $500 to the right buyer.

Now there's the rub.  How do you find the "right" buyer?  Not on eBay or similar internet venues.  Currently that's where vintage 35mm outfits like this go to die!  No, you need to locate appropriate buyers individually, and I can help you with that if necessary.  Feel free to contact me directly at <silver@well.com>, provide a few more images so I can better evaluate condition, and I'd be happy to recommend a few good honest collectors and historians you can contact on your own.  The other option is that I'd be willing to take the outfit and sell it for you at one of my organizations upcoming sales of fine vintage camera gear in three weeks.  No commission necessary; please consider it a professional courtesy.  Let me know whatever appeals to you.

Best wishes,

David Silver  

David Silver

Expertise

I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.

Experience

I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:

http://www.photographyhistory.com


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