Pricing S/H gear

Anyone know of a reliable way of pricing S/H Pentax and related gear for ebay or wherever? I think my film shooting days have come to an end and I seem happy enough now to use a low-cost digital beast. No point in letting the great film gear just rot - but are prices tending to zero or upward with collectible status? Is there a Glass's Guide anywhere even? Any suggestions very welcome.

Why not give them all to a charity shop?

Thanks Guys, obviously I need to have another go researching on ebay. Originally I found most of my stuff wasn't quoted! John, you say "As lenses can be used on current DSLRs" - am I right in thinking that's the later bayonet fittings, not the earlier screwthreads?
Cheers
MichaelB

The screw threads can be used with a suitable adapter.

What Mike said!

The M42/screw mount lenses seem to attract the collectors as well as the users from what I see. I get the distinct impression that some bidders are after investments rather than gear to use carefully.

If I end up with something particularly rare or minty it just gets used more carefully. I won't take the near-perfect black ME into situations where it might get covered in muddy water, but I'll risk the scruffy chrome one (for example).

When looking at ebay remember to choose "completed listings" in the advanced search section.

As to the value of equipment, some bodies are more sought after than others. For example, the LX, MX and K2 still attract high prices but you'll find it difficult to give an A3/A3000 away. Lenses all tend to sell well although the more common, the cheaper they are. M series 50mm f/1.7 or f/2 lenses don't sell for very much but any Pentax 85mm lens will sell for a nice sum. A series lenses tend to sell for a bit more than the M series ones because of convenience, K series also sell for a bit more than M series ones due to rarity. Hope this helps.

Some of us still shoot a lot of film...

Best wishes, Kris.

I think you can definitely arrange Pentax bodies into divisions of desirability, judging by ebay prices. The one which has always puzzled me is the K1000. I've got one but I don't find it anything like as good as, say, the KX or MX. Yet the number of times I see them at a very optimistic BIN price with "Ideal student camera" in the heading...

Thanks everyone, all this has been tremendously helpful. I'm now going to take notes - and sure, I'll post the items up on this site as well. I should turn all your comments green really, but I don't actually see why it's helpful to do this - weird mechanism!
Cheers
Michael

Actually I might be missing a big trick here - so please forgive my lack of expertise on these things. I've taken a lot with a cheap digital Canon over the last 2 years and now know all too well what it lacks: I want a digital camera that lets me prioritise shutter speed, lets me tone down automatic flash to 50% or 25%, and has an effing viewfinder! I'm guessing about £250 but haven't researched yet for lack of cash.
Query - if I just sell on my SP500 body but keep the lenses (Kris mentioned 85mm as being desirable - I always get a really high-level thrill when using my f1.8 auto-Takumar!) - then might there be a Pentax digital body that gives me the 3 things I'm lacking at the moment - and an adaptor to take the lenses as Mike-P says?
This might even give me more for less!!

You could certainly get a very good second hand Pentax body for £250 (and you're not too far shy of a new one either) which would allow you to use your existing screw mount lenses with an adapter, however, there are a couple of caveats:

Firstly, you wouldn't be able to use them in shutter-priority mode. The lens would effectively be "dumb" (no camera-lens communication) so you would have to use them exclusively in manual mode with stop-down metering (just as you used them on your SP500). On the brightside you will get focus confirmation and shake reduction as they are functions of the camera independent of the lens attached.

Secondly, the SP500 is probably the least desirable of all the Spotmatic bodies and is unlikely to fetch more than around £10 - you'd probably be better off just keeping it as a back up or for nostalgia's sake.

If you do buy a Pentax digital body then the chances are you'll find the "kit" lens thrown in. It won't set the world alight but it's not bad and the 18-55mm focal length range translates to about 28mm to 85mm in old money. The lens is autofocus and, more importantly, will allow you to use the camera in all its modes (shutter priority, aperture priority, program, scene, etc) as well as just manual. Then you'll have a choice as to whether you want the exceptional quality of your old Takumars or the convenience of a modern zoom - both have their place depending on the situation in hand.

A slight addendum to Hefty's comments... With M42 Takumars you can put the camera in Aperture Priority mode and use the Auto/Manual switch to close the lens down to take the photo (i.e., focus wide open, shut the lens down with the lever, take the shot, open it up again). I find the Taks quicker to use this way than the K/M series lenses with green button manual metering.

K.

Thanks both - it does look rather like a clash of cultures trying to match the two worlds together. I've clearly got some mulling to do - and may just quietly accept my age and that I'm not taking serious pix any more (I used to do a lot of theatre photography and related portraits, and occasionally professional AV work too). It might just make sense to keep things simple!
Best wishes all

Well, I'm now in the same situation! Considering buying a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 in a month or two when I get paid for the current contract, however I'm thinking I'll get rid of a few of my unused bodies and lenses to help fund it. Thing I can't decide is whether to sell them here or see what part exchange offer I get from Carmarthen Camera Centre.

List at the moment is an SF7 with the non-SMC 28-80mm f3.5-4.5, MZ50 with F 35-80mm f4-5.6, also the F 80-200mm f4.7-5.6 and 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 zooms and a Takumar Bayonet 28mm f2.8. Might also get shot of my FA 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 as I never use it.

Any ideas or suggestions? I'm guessing the bodies will be of very limited interest hereabouts as would the attached lenses. I don't feel remotely attached to the auto focus gear so if it'll raise £100 or so towards a new lens then that'd be great, but I've no idea of value. It all works and the optics are perfect aside from the usual dust.