Market price of Canon AE-1

[Axel]

I read here about somebody who got his AE-1 for $50! Lucky I guess. I've seen one which has very few scratches by the hinges. Looked good, but I don't know if it is in good condition though. It's sold by the local photo shop here and they ask $189.

1. Is that a reasonable price?

2. How do I know if it is working properly (what do I look/listen for)?

Thank you all!

PS. They also have an F-1 in there. Are they good? How much should they cost? That one looks almost mint!

 

[Big Mike]

check finished auctions on E-bay or KEH.com for current prices of used stuff.

 

[ksmattfish]

I think that you wouldn't have to wait long to get one on Ebay in the $50 to $100 range. But it can also be well worth it to buy from a place where you can see the camera first. KEH and mpex.com will be more expensive than Ebay, but they pretty much guarantee quality merchandise. Look for great feedback and a good return policy when using Ebay.

 

[Canon Fan]

I was one of the "Lucky ones" to get not one but two AE-1's for under $60. The first one is a Black Body AE-1 in very near mint condition and no shutter squeal. However I am begining to think that the light-meter is dead on it. The second one is an AE-1P that has a fairly substantial dent on the left upper corner and various usage scratches. The shutter on that one squeals like a pig though! Everything else works fine. In short, I had to wait a very long time to find these that cheap, and I had to battle it out down to the last second of auctions (literally!) and I have some problems to fix. The AE-1P wont be much of a problem or very costly but it will still only be a beater after that. The black one however I have no idea what it may cost or if it is even salvageable. In my very NON-expert opinion I would say anywhere between $100-$150 for a near mint fully working AE-1 is doing OK. If you want the "hold it in your hands" before you buy it and "I can take it home now" scenario I would probably pay the extra for it.

 

[MDowdey]

i won mine from Ebay for 100 bucks. that included a damn near flawless body(no shutter squeek), PLUS it came with a mint condition 50mm f1.8 lens...


i love that damn camera....

md

 

[Walt]

F1's are a great camera. They were Canon's top of the line pro camera for a number of years. I've been following prices on Ebay for a while and good ones go for anywhere between 3 to 5 hundred depending on specific model, condition and accesories. Now, as soo as I can soften the wife up on the idea....