What's your best film equipment bargain?

[tmnt]

I just got a secondhand AT4073a mic off aussie ebay for about US $180 which is a steal for in the states and even better in the land of high prices.

Also got a nice Canon FD 85mm 1.8 SSC for about 65 aussie dollars if I recall correctly.

What's your best bargain/s?

[MattinSTL]

The shared knowledge and sense of community that is DVXuser... cost? $0

Aside from that... probably something DIY... the only thing I have to compare is a Canon F 0.9 lens that I got for a half inch CCD cam... ebay... for around $100. It retails for something like $800 or so.

[tmnt]

The shared knowledge and sense of community that is DVXuser... cost? $0

lol. It's comments like that which earned you the custom title Mat. btw I still laugh at your disclaimer (I think I did call you Mattin once...).

[Erik Olson]

I bought, in the early 90s, two Mole Richardson / Twentieth Century Fox modified studio microphone preambulators. They had been changed from wire control to internal gears. Once we refurbished them, they were likely worth $10k each.

I paid $1000 for the pair. My good luck changed when they were both stolen by a fellow who used to run a porn distribution company in Fullerton, CA. I can't mention his name, but karma will catch up with him someday.

e

[tmnt]

Hopefully he's doing his own porn in prison.

What's a preambler? One of those floating chair things?

[Erik Olson]

I was twenty at the time and didn't have the money for an attorney to go after him. Likely, he would have surrendered my property once he was served. Ah well, chalk it up to experience. You should always get contracts!

e

[MattinSTL]

Man... I can't believe you got screwed by a guy from the porn industry. There's nothing worse then losing your preambulator object elation to a porn producer. Don't worry, I'm sure that guy will get it in the end.

[HorseFilms]

Don't worry, I'm sure that guy will get it in the end.
Yeah, I think the term "Five Finger Discount" means a little something else there.

[Erik Olson]

You'd think after a couple years of it that HorseFilms' avatar would stop bothering me. Yet, it persists.

e

[HorseFilms]

You'd think after a couple years of it that HorseFilms' avatar would stop bothering me. Yet, it persists.

e
My mission is to force people to dream about it. Even while sleeping, you can't escape.:evil:

[tmnt]

Man... I can't believe you got screwed by a guy from the porn industry. There's nothing worse then losing your preambulator object elation to a porn producer. Don't worry, I'm sure that guy will get it in the end.
There's 17 different jokes just here.

But to shadow Mat(tin) - I just can't believe a porn dude turned out to be shady. Would you really want your preambalar back after he'd used it anyway?

[Erik Olson]

He had done a traditional feature as well. His primary business was distributing direct-mail porn, not making porn. Actually, come to think of it, that almost sounds worse.

e

[tmnt]

M. Night Shyamalan?

(I've used this joke 3 times this year already, works for everything).

[CharlieG]

I bought an 8 X 10 film camera for $40

[Huy Vu]

Got a Merlin from Noel for $350. Definitely a bargain, although can't compare with tmnt's 4073a bargain. I paid $450 for that mic when I got it.

[tmnt]

Yeah I was stoked with the AT4073a for that price. I'd been keeping an eye out for a long time. In the ebay auction it just said 'proffessional mic' in the title, no mention of the brand or model. My eyes lit up when I clicked on it, I was the only bidder. I think that mic in Oz is nearly a grand.

[joemiked]

im a sucker for a deal,
once i got my canon rebal for 20 bux off a drunk in oakland a few yaers back,
my azden 1x i think was a hundreed bux then i phantom popped it,
i was at the flea market and got a smith vector flood light with stand for 5 bux!
fog machine for 15 bux and my dvx was 3500 from an authorized dealer!!

[Jim Brennan]

13" Panasonic production monitor for 7 bucks at Goodwill. Nobody wanted it because they couldn't figure out where the channel changer was.

[Kegan]

I like Jim's deal - WOW! Definitely checking out my local Goodwill.

-Kegan

[Batutta]

My wife was working for a sound stage and they let us borrow 6 C-stands, 2 massive black flags and ten folding chairs for a shoot. Soon after my wife left the job and they went bankrupt, and they never asked for them back. I've had them for 10 years now.

[Jim Brennan]

Kegan,

I've gotten other good deals there (cases, some wheelchairs, a mixer and such), but nothing rivals that. But I average about 10 trips a month to some sort of thrift store. Most of the time it's a bust, but every now and then it pays off.

Batutta,

you can't beat free.

[tmnt]

Yeah Jim that's awesome. Joemiked, was it a drunk or a thief?

I got a wheelchair (dolly) for free.

And stupid me, I said I got the AT4073a for US $90 - it was actually US $180. Still great buy for sure though (fixed in original post).

[dory_breaux]

Dvx user for sure.

Other than that, I'd have to say getting CS3 for Xmas. God I love my extended family! Oh and my DIY dolly I payed nothing for.

[MattinSTL]

Jim's production monitor find made me sick... until I found a RED camera at my local Goodwill for $4!
























http://www.aphotoaday.org/apadnews/images/whitestripes.jpg

Hey seriously for those who don't know... Goodwill is an AWESOME place to buy wardrobe for your next short/feature! Get sizes for your cast and have your flick look like you want it to for once! You're looking at an average cost of $10-15 per actor, per total wardrobe change... and they will look exactly as you imagined! Trust me, it's worth it... for a single location, 4-actor shoot where no more then a full day is supposed to transpire... you're looking at a lousy $60-/+ to make scenes look the way you WANT... rather then having your sophisticated hit man show up in a Spinal Tap t-shirt.

[Jim Brennan]

Thrift stores are also good for the odd prop. Of course, I've bought weird stuff there that I've never used. But it's tough to beat the price.

Matt, is that the Red Scarlett? I see they really went upscale on the glass! :thumbsup:

[Jeff Anderson]

Thrift stores are also good for the odd prop. Of course, I've bought weird stuff there that I've never used. But it's tough to beat the price.

Matt, is that the Red Scarlett? I see they really went upscale on the glass! :thumbsup:

yeah Optical makes some schweet lenses!

[mcgeedigital]

. rather then having your sophisticated hit man show up in a Spinal Tap t-shirt.

Sounds like the next Coen brothers blockbuster....

[Jim Brennan]

I just picked up a pair of Matthews 20 foot wheeled, hi-hi stands for 75 beans a piece.

[Alex H.]

Audio Technica AT825 Stereo XY mic with 25-foot XLR 5-pin-to-dual XLR 3-pin cable... free.

I walked into a friend's office and saw the mic and an MA-300 XLR converter for a Canon XL-1 sitting on his desk. Knowing he had nothing to do with audio or video production, I asked what they were doing there.

"Oh," he said, "a guy shot a wedding here about two years ago and left them stashed under a chair in the nave. They've been sitting here ever since. He never came back, never called, and I never had his contact information to get in touch with him. After two years, they're write-offs by now. Want 'em?"

[David G. Smith]

I once picked up a an Arri II-C body and CS motor for $100.00 bucks from a guy who found it while cleaning out a deceased uncle's house. I turned around and sold it for almost $900.00 two days latter. That kept us in beer for a while....

[Deepfocus88]

My wife was working for a sound stage and they let us borrow 6 C-stands, 2 massive black flags and ten folding chairs for a shoot. Soon after my wife left the job and they went bankrupt, and they never asked for them back. I've had them for 10 years now.


10 folding chairs???? Sweet! Thanksgiving seating problems solved.

[Deepfocus88]

I just got a secondhand AT4073a mic off aussie ebay for about US $180 which is a steal for in the states and even better in the land of high prices.



I just SOLD an AT835b on eBay for $190, which is great cuz I always hated that mic and it's not much less than I paid for it in the first place.

[Bryan Daniel]

I'm hoping to build a jib/crane tomorrow with some buddies, which I think has potential to be an extraordinary bargain. If all goes well, we'll make sure to post pictures/videos in the DIY forum.

Also picked up a dvx100b Andromeda for $1600 with 150 hours. What do you guys think about that deal? (I was pretty stoked :p)

Bryan

[Taylor Rudd]

Interned at Panavision for credit in my last college semester. One day I was going through old inventory and came across a Nikon AIS 300mm f/2.8 lens in a steel case.

According to my boss, the "case is probably worth more than the lens." I offered them $100...they just gave it to me.

The glass is in mint condition, the iris ring is de-clicked and...IT WAS FREE

http://trudd.com/TRudd/Home_files/Picture%203.jpg

[The Student]

Scored two Arri 1k Fersnels with barndoors and scrims for $75 each at a local thrift store. They still have a lot of really old video monitors and switchers too... :)

[Chris Light]

i just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to geico.

[Richard J. Johnson]

I bought two full Lowell Kits at a Yard sale for $25. I have 4 650's 8 Tota's and 3 1k's. Plus extra bulbs, barn doors, Some filters and the cases. They may be 10 years old or so. But they all work great.

The man said he had no idea what the hell those things are and I said I'll give you $25 for them. He agreed and I sprinted to car.

[dotconnproductions]

This fall I was redoing my home office and looking on craigslist for a desk. Came across this beauty: http://www.ergonomichome.com/parafubatae.html

Only difference, mine is 2' longer (A custom build). Motorized maple desktop platforms elevate all the way to 48" and down to 22". My cost on craigslist: $500.

So, I chalk that up to at least a $12k savings.

[Reith tv-films]

The best bargain I've personally found in film gear (in the way of price/value ratio)
was an old Neumann km84i mic.

This was nearly 20 years ago, and it was 50 pence from a fly pitch seller at brick lane market in the east end of London. its a good little mic, but looks like its had a hard
life. The guy selling it had absolutely no idea what it was, and had nothing else even remotely like it.

I can't help thinking how a mic worth at least several hundred pounds then as now,
would have ended up literally on the ground in the '50p pile' amongst other choice bargains like used drill-bits, tupperware, chipped ashtrays, etc. - in fact I nearly missed it
because it was in the 'junk' pile!

[zakart]

i got two B&M keg lites, two audio tecnica shotgun mics, a wireless lav, 2 501 heads, 4tota lights, 1 lowel softbox, and a doorway dolly all for free.99

[ZazaCast]

Original 1960 Neumann U47 long-body and (2) RCA 77DX's, Tascam mixer, a couple old half-tracks, bunch of cables & wiring from an old ad agency that was closing down.

.....are you sitting down....


They paid me $50.00 to take the stuff away!

[Reith tv-films]

from ZazaCast;

Original 1960 Neumann U47 long-body and (2) RCA 77DX's, Tascam mixer, a couple old half-tracks, bunch of cables & wiring from an old ad agency that was closing down.

.....are you sitting down....


They paid me $50.00 to take the stuff away!

That's brilliant, the best yet - now if I can only convince the Abbey road studios here in London to take advantage of My reduced rate 'microphone disposal service!':happy:

[Paul Hudson]

A foot foot slider with the Bogan riser $400. I have tons more hit me up with what you need.