Episode 85: Mint and Rare Cameras with Jo Geier

The Camerosity Podcast returns with Episode 85 where we wander back into the wonderful world of high end camera auctions.  For this episode, we went all the way to Vienna, Austria and invited Jo Geier from Mint and Rare Cameras and the Wetzlar Camera Auctions.  In addition to Jo, we also welcomed back Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera and Auctions.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, Mike, and our two special guests are returning callers Brian McDomnhaill, Dan Cuny, Fernando Villava, Gheerwijn Clicque, Ira Cohen, Wes Loder, Miles Libak, Tom Zoss, and Wayne Scheipers,

As you might expect when you have two of the world's most respected camera auctioneers on the same episode, we talk about a lot of super rare and collectible cameras.  Everything from the original Ur-Leica to rare cameras like the Carl Zeiss Jena Contax, the Australian Snider 35 rangefinder, and Luxus Leicas.  In addition to some pretty deep GAS, some love is given to several more affordable cameras like the Canon P, Tower/Nicca rangefinders, and the Nikon F4.

In addition to GAS, several great questions were raised including whether or not the definition of 'rare' has changed over the years, whether or not finding collectible cameras is getting harder to find, and why there aren't more younger people collecting cameras.

Jo tells us his origin story to how he started both companies and shares with us what his 'white whale' camera would be, Dan and Jo show appreciation for each other and talk about how they have collaborated in the past, including a very special Leica which Dan found at a Pennsylvania garage sale.  We revisit the need to get old cameras repaired sooner than later and how quickly experts in certain cameras are disappearing, tips and tricks for new collectors, and Jo proposes a $10 "ugly" camera challenge for anyone going to a camera show.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are are going to the suggestion box and covering a topic that you all have told us you wanted to learn more about, adapting lenses.  There are many people in this hobby who love cameras, but love the lenses more.  While an old Kodak Ektra might be pretty to sit on the shelf, it is more practical to adapt that lens to a modern digital camera and see what kinds of results you can get from it.  Episode 86 will be dedicated to the hobby of using old lenses on modern digital cameras.  We will record Episode 86 at our regular time on Monday, February 10th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.  If you live in a different time zone and would like to participate, be sure to check your favorite time zone calculator to find out the exact time in your region.

In This Episode

• Jo Geier's Origin Story / Shooting a Yashica FX-D with No Film
• Wetzlar Auctions Runs One Auction a Year / Jo Doesn't Keep Too Many Cameras
• Dan Loves Wetzlar Auctions and Has Worked with them Many Times
• How Jo Determines What Goes to Auction and What Goes to Retail
• Auctions Set a Benchmark for What Things Are Worth / Collectiblend
• Has the Definition of "Rare" Changed? / What is the White Whale that Has Never Shown Up?
• Sometimes a Pristine and Truly Mint Camera is More Rare Than a Collectible
• Are Certain Things More Common in the US compared to Europe and Vice Versa?
• Most Collectible Cameras are no Longer Owned by their Original Owners / Large Collectors
• Zeiss Prototypes and Oddities are Far More Difficult to Come By than Leicas
• Paul's Story About a Guy Buying a Luxus Leica in 1984
• The Rarest Cameras Need to be Handled in Person to Fully Authenticate
• Post War Carl Zeiss Jena Contaxes / Does Jo Sell Rare Japanese Cameras
• Jeicy 35 Rangefinder / Leotax A / Minolta Sky / Konica FR / Konica F / Canon Standard and Hansa Canons
• What Are the Most Surprisingly Beautiful Cameras Jo and Dan Has Ever Handled?
• Theo is Still Looking for a Snider 35 Camera / Bell & Howell Foton
• Everyone Lists Off Cameras They Think Are Pretty
• Is it Getting Harder to Find Rare Cameras to Sell?
• Gheerwijn Wants to Know Why There Aren't More Younger Collectors
• Anthony and Paul Just Bought an Unused, New in Box Nikon F4 and It Don't Work
• Getting Old Cameras Repaired Today / It's Already Too Late for Some Models
• Other Great Japanese Cameras / Tower Rangefinders
• How Often is the Same Camera Sold More than Once?
• Tips for Getting into Collecting For Those New to the Hobby
• Do the $10 Camera Contest / Buy the Worst Camera You Can Find and See What You Can Get

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social.  This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there.  Follow us there for show announcements and other content.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

Jo Geier - https://www.jogeier.com/ and https://www.wetzlarcameraauctions.com/

Dan Tamarkin - https://www.tamarkin.com/ and https://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/