How the sixty dollar console-Nintendo classic mini, costing an arm and a leg?

Summary – Sad story of a sixty dollar console costing an arm and a leg.

quoted from one of Amazon user's Nintendo NES Classic Edition Console review: https://amzn.to/2Gid1mP


I also found similar one from customer Q&A sections @ #Amazon's Super NES Classic item page

Q: Will we ever have a chance to buy this?...
A: ...am willing to pay but when you make it impossible to get except rip-off-bay it makes it meaningless that....

Simply put - Nintendo didn't make enough products and they just kept trying to shutdown the productions because they wanted sell their other main line product like Nintendo Switch.

Here is evidence of what I said was probably true:

Despite the positive reception, journalists were confused about Nintendo's decision to discontinue the unit as announced in April 2017. Nintendo did not say at launch that the system was meant to be only a limited run, and its...

quoted from Reception section of NES Classic Edition - Wikipedia


Their products are selling so well but they were simply stop producing the product. Does it make sense to you?

Nintendo NES Classic immediately sold out

The NES Classic immediately sold out when it was first released in November 2016, with resellers charging hundreds of dollars for the popular product.

quoted from Nintendo's NES Classic and SNES Classic are going out of production - The Verge


more details from Scalping and bootlegs section of NES Classic Edition - Wikipedia
This, coupled with the extremely high demand, prompted internet scalpers to buy as many as they could, so they could resell them with extreme price markups. In the US, prices were commonly set between $200 and $500, compared to its launch price of $59.99.

Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens sample photos without pp.

quoted from Helios-44 | Camerapedia | FANDOM powered by Wikia

Helios-44 is a series of standard lenses for SLR cameras, produced in Soviet Union.... Based on the lens Biotar 2 / 58,....

So every version has slight different things like shorter(or longer) minimum focus distance, different aperture blades, etc.

This technical details were only for the Helios 44-2 version.


Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens technical details:

type: Prime lens
mount type: M42
optical design: 6 elements in 4 groups
aperture range: f/2 ~ f/16
aperture blade: 8
minimum focus: 50 cm
filter thread size: 49mm
weight: 230g
length: 57mm

I don't much care about this technical details of lens. But sometimes it can be useful.
For example, if I already have same uv filter or hood like this lens, I can use with this lens.
And I'm walking long hours when I do photo-walks. So if lens wasn't heavy, it was very suitable for me. That is the reason that I mostly shoot with prime lens.
So I do check those things from the technical details.


You can read more about the lens from here:

• Helios-44 | Camerapedia | FANDOM powered by Wikia
• Helios 44-2 58mm F/2 Lens Reviews - Russian and Zenitar Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
  * You can read user's review and even with sample photos.
• Zenit Helios 44-2 58mm f/2.0 : Specifications and Opinions | JuzaPhoto
  * You can read user's review and even with sample photos.
• The Helios 44-2 58 mm f/ 2 Lens. Specs. MTF Charts. User Reviews. - allphotolenses
• Helios 44M & 44-2 58mm f2 lens | Vintage Camera Lenses

Here is comparison shots - Biotar vs Helios

• Comparison shots : Biotar 58/2 1Q & Helios 44-3 58/2 MC - MFlenses forum
• Zeiss Biotar 58mm f2 vs Helios 44-2 58mm f2: Third Party Lens Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Photos of the lens that I used:

Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens

Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens

Technical notes:

These photos were all taken with handheld and I used M42 lens to Sony E mount or Micro four thirds adapter so I have no idea about aperture number for the photo.

When I am taking photos, I do use Raw file format. So I need to convert raw file to jpg file and during that time, I do some post-processing--this is kind of darkroom process in developing film.
And when I do this, I don't use any default setting from Rawtherapee--open source software because there has some image modification settings like sharpening, micro-contrast and among other things.
I don't use Adobe Photoshop but this also has same kind of default setting with sharpening.
This isn't important for photography. But this is about the lens--what kind of photo I can take with this lens. So sharpening won't help to know about the lens.


So when I do use Rawtherapee, I removed all the default setting.
I will do these adajustments, if necessary:
 - click the auto button in exposure tab--automatically calculate the exposure value,
 - adjust exposure value, if overall image was still dark or too bright,
 - adjust contrast(between 3 and 18) in L*a*b* adjustments tab,
 - if there have some areas were too dark or too bright which makes me feel unbalance the overall look, adjust the shadow/highlight value.
 - Sometimes, white balance set to auto or slightly reduce the temperature value. Because Sony A7's white balance value was quite terrible when I do use other brand lens--not Sony E mount lens.




Sample photos:

Sony A7 full frame camera with Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens:

cherry blossom at Sincheondunchi - Helios 44-2 lens

* It was my flickr account photo. Same post processing and then film simulation set to Kodak Ektar 100.

at the Sincheongyo, Daegu

forsythia at Sincheondunchi, Daegu

Cosmos sulphureus

Olympus E-P3 camera with Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens:

I didn't use Rawtherapee because I like the color of Olympus Viewer 3 produced.
I did only adjust exposure value. And then adjust level in Gimp--open source software.

at the Sincheondunchi, Daegu

I think it is morning glory or ipomoea kind of flower.

at the Sincheongyo, Daegu

P.S. If you'd like to read in Korean, you can read it from here--this is my Korean blog.

Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 MC M42 lens sample photos without pp.

Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 MC lens technical details:

type: Prime lens
mount type: M42
optical design: 7 elements in 7 groups
aperture range: f/2.8~f/22
aperture blade: 6
minimum focus: 25 cm
filter thread size: 55mm
weight: 210g
length: 53mm

I don't much care about this technical details of lens. But sometimes it can be useful.
For example, if I already have same uv filter or hood like this lens, I can use with this lens.
And I'm walking long hours when I do photo-walks. So if lens wasn't heavy, it was very suitable for me. That is the reason that I mostly shoot with prime lens.
So I do check those things from the technical details.


You can read more about the lens from here:

• Pentacon Auto MC 29mm f/2.8 : Specifications and Opinions | JuzaPhoto
  * You can read user's review and even with sample photos.
• Pentacon 29mm / 2.8 MC Auto (M42) Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
  * You can read user's review and even with sample photos.
• Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 (M42) Review © blog.bkspicture.com
• The Pentacon auto 29 mm f/ 2.8 Lens. Specs. MTF Charts. User Reviews. - allphotolenses
• Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 lens on Nex — Simon Hawketts' Photo Blog
• Pentacon 29 2.8 | Vintage Camera Lenses

Technical notes:

These photos were all taken with handheld and I used M42 lens to Sony E mount or Micro four thirds adapter so I have no idea about aperture number for the photo.

When I am taking photos, I do use Raw file format. So I need to convert raw file to jpg file and during that time, I do some post-processing--this is kind of darkroom process in developing film.
And when I do this, I don't use any default setting from Rawtherapee--open source software because there has some image modification settings like sharpening, micro-contrast and among other things.
I don't use Adobe Photoshop but this also has same kind of default setting with sharpening.
This isn't important for photography. But this is about the lens--what kind of photo I can take with this lens. So sharpening won't help to know about the lens.


So when I do use Rawtherapee, I removed all the default setting.
I will do these adajustments, if necessary:
 - click the auto button in exposure tab--automatically calculate the exposure value,
 - adjust exposure value, if overall image was still dark or too bright,
 - adjust contrast(between 3 and 18) in L*a*b* adjustments tab,
 - if there have some areas were too dark or too bright which makes me feel unbalance the overall look, adjust the shadow/highlight value.
 - Sometimes, white balance set to auto or slightly reduce the temperature value. Because Sony A7's white balance value was quite terrible when I do use other brand lens--not Sony E mount lens.



I have two lenses. One with red MC and red letter on the feet. The other one is with green letter on the feet.
Photos of the lens that I used - Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 MC (green letter on the feet) lens:

Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 MC lens

Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 MC lens

Sample photos - Sony A7 full frame camera with Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 MC lens:

Pentacon 29mm's bubbly bokeh

* It was my flickr account photo. Same post processing and then film simulation set to Kodak Potra 160.

This is quite extreme bokeh, I think.
But you can also take photo like below--quite smooth bokeh:

I think it is morning glory or ipomoea kind of flower.

at the Sincheongyo, Daegu

Olympus E-P3 camera with Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 lens:

Pentacon 29mm's bubbly bokeh

I took this photo in jpg and use auto tone in Olympus Viewer 3 software.




Photos of the lens that I used - Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 (red) MC lens:

Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 red MC version lens

Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 red MC version lens

Sample photos - Sony A7 full frame camera with Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 red MC lens:

at Taepyeong negeuri, Daegu

* It was my flickr account photo. Same post processing.

Sincheondunchi, near Dongsingyo

Sony Nex-5R camera with Pentacon 29mm f/2.8 red MC lens:

at the Sincheongyo, Daegu

P.S. If you'd like to read in Korean, you can read it from here--this is my Korean blog.