What's your best film equipment bargain?

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
























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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.
 
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:
 
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Jim Brennan said:
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:
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yeah Optical makes some schweet lenses!
 
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?"
 
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....
 
Batutta said:
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.
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10 folding chairs???? Sweet! Thanksgiving seating problems solved.
 
tmnt said:
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.
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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.
 
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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
 
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

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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... :)
 
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.
 
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!
 
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
 
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