Worth of Zone VI 4x5 w/210mm 5.6 Lens

Completed sales will give you or him the best idea for what they sell for.

And you should tell him that a reserve price will not only cut his prospective buyers by a huge factor(80% or so). He most likely will not sell at all. A reserve auction needs two bids above the reserve to sell.

If he has a lowest price he wants to sell it at, then he should just start the auction at that price.

Yours looks just like mine, with the spring back and the plate on the front that says Made by Zone VI.
The hardware and trim are purportedly gold plated.

I think this is the most desirable of the four(?) versions of that camera. It should have an 18" bellows.

KEH currently has two Zone VI 4x5 field cameras, an EX condition for $751 and an EX+ for $849.
I paid $700 for mine in as-new condition.
One sold on LFPF a couple of months ago for $700 + S&H.

These prices are all sans lens, which you probably want to sell separately to get maximum $$$.

- Leigh

I think Leigh is fairly accurate on the camera's value. The 210mm lens is probably worth $350 to $450 in the excellent condition it's in. Just a guess on the tripod, $100-150 including the head. The film holders are probably worth at least $25 each, paired in the original boxes. It's a well regarded setup.

Thanks to all of you for your timely responses.
I gather from your remarks that it might be better to sell the camera, case and accessories separate from the lens, and I will discuss your responses with my friend to see how he wishes to proceed from here.
This is a beautiful camera, and I'd be tempted to purchase it myself if I lived in an area more suited to the great landscape.

The issue that the owner of this camera has is finding a buyer, not determining the price. The world of large format is fairly small. There are two fundamental potential markets - those who buy cameras as collectable things, and those buy cameras to use them. Most users are already well equipped, so this would probably appeal mainly to someone who is looking to get into large format work. And in that scenario, offering the entire setup as a package probably makes more sense because a newbie will need all of that stuff. And that's a great starter lens.

You might want to locate the serial number of the camera and make that part of the information package offered to potential buyers. It should be engraved on the tripod mount (the round thing in the center of the large box). There were several versions of the Zone VI camera, and the serial number can be used to determine when it was made, by whom, and what the features are. And listing the serial number adds gravitas to the advertisement.

Isn't it just a Wista with levels and nameplate?

I was just looking to buy a field camera myself. They look like nice cameras, but I would be afraid to take it outside. What happens when it rains?

Louie, thanks for the info about the serial number. I located the number, and it is 1292. From what I've been found, this camera was made by Zone VI between 1988 and 2001, but that is all the information I have been able to gather.

I agree that including the serial number with the ad should be done. And your suggestion to offer the entire kit as a package is food for thought, although I would still consider selling the tripod separately.

By far the largest non-bay market for this equipment is at the
Large Format Photography Forum http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/

Their For Sale section gets about 50 new posts every day.

Peruse that section to see what's been selling. The Zone VI cameras at reasonable
prices usually sell in a couple of days.

The vast majority of FS offerings are for individual pieces, or sets with the pieces
available separately and a discount if you buy the whole set.

- Leigh

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=27

Really?

"There are no posts in this forum."

...Is what I see when I go there.