Film camera prices going up?

[totalmotard]

I bought a demo rated Nikon N80 from Adorama back in April for $89. Today a demo rated N80 from Adorama is going for $159. Is anyone else noticing that prices seem to be going up? Or is this just an isolated example of a great camera finally being recognized?

 

[CGW]

I'm not seeing any relief from the downdraft on 35mm prices. For many, it's the disappearance of cheap C41 processing that's driven in the final nail. When I can get a clean Nikon F90x/N90s for $50, there's not much reason to think they're in demand. Collectibles and some medium format aside, there's not much reason to think there's even the old "dead cat bounce" behind what you're hoping to see. Sorry

 

[Stephen Schoof]

My purely anecdotal experience with Nikon bodies at KEH is that the prices just keep dropping.

 

[2F/2F]

As far as I can tell from my totally informal take, the deals just keep on coming...but sellers are more broke (or have less credit, really, since they are likely just as broke as they always have been but did not realize), so they are asking more. I do not, however, think they are getting much, if any, more in the end.

Supplies, OTOH, seem to have gone up quite a lot in the past few years...especially for U.S.A. users of Ilford products.

Let us also remember how many products have been eliminated from further production in the past few years. Basically, whatever interesting and unique analog things were left are now no more. All tungsten-balanced still film is gone. Almost all high-speed film is gone (Pro 800Z, Superia 800 in anything but amateur 4x24 packs, Superia 1600; when will Portra 800 go?) The entire Polaroid company went under. Both Kodak and Fuji are condensing their product lines (e.g. Fuji with all Fujicolor, both pro and amateur, and Kodak with the elimination of Portra 400NC and VC). Color chemicals are a pain now for the home user. Color printing paper in cut sheets is almost entirely gone, when I could get at least five different emulsions, each in three different surfaces, as few as three years ago. EPN and EPP, two of the best films ever for studio flash product work, completely axed. TXP in medium format, for heaven's sake! (I honestly did not see that one coming, as I thought it was an extremely popular emulsion; it certainly is among everyone I know.) This is not all, but you get the point.

What do we get in return during this period? A new T-Max that to me does not appear much different than the old in anything but 35mm, yet another medium speed color neg film, and an ugly one at that (Ektar), a middle of the road replacement for 400VC and NC, gimmicks that only fools would buy (like Rollei Crossbird), and a bunch of new, expensive plastic cameras in every orientation you could imagine.

Everything different and useful about what film offers over digital is being stripped away, and replaced with things that are the same and of limited use – things that offer less difference between them and digital than the unique products that were axed. When unique analog materials go away, a few people will scrape around in the dirt trying to find ways to replace them using analog methods, but most will turn to digital for the niches that these products filled. As such, demand for film goes away as film becomes less and less different than digital.

In short, I am more worried about having things to put in my cameras than about the prices of cameras, which are bound to go nowhere fast, at the rate people are quitting and/or slowing their film shooting.

 

[moouers]

2F/2F, Fuji 64T is gone? Damn. That film was absolutely killer.

 

[jp498]

TXP in medium format, for heaven's sake! (I honestly did not see that one coming, as I thought it was an extremely popular emulsion; it certainly is among everyone I know.) This is not all, but you get the point.

Kodak still advertises txp for 120 and everyone is still selling it.

 

[Moopheus]

It's hard to say, because prices for used gear can be volatile. I just did a little camera shopping, and some stuff seems to be "hot" and going for good prices, and other stuff is getting ignored and going for bupkis, and most of it seems to be going for less than a few years ago. I think people are dumping 35mm gear for cheap now the way medium format was a few years back.

 

[vbarniev]

I just found 10 rools of TMax that had expired in 1997. Paid a buck each; load them on a Rolleiflex With a Planar 2.8 and went taken Pictures around the Coast of Chile. Later I took then to a professional Lab and ask them to give an extra 2 ''ticks'They came out beautiful. I'm not worried about film going away.

 

[aldevo]

I think you'll find that prices for film bodies that accept German-designed (e.g. Zeiss) and/or German-manufactured lenses are, largely, on the rise due to collector interest out of the Far East.

Where lenses are concerned, you'll find that most prices for most lens families that can be fitted with an adapter for use on digital camera bodies (e.g. M42 lenses) have actually been on a slow, steady rise over the past 3-4 years or, at worst, are stable.

 

[darinwc]

Generally I see that bodies are still dropping in price, except for some that collectors are going gaga over.
Rolleiflexes seem way overpriced. Those little rollei 35's seem to demand premiums.
Small cameras are in. 35mm SLR's are out.
It's harder to find a good "kit" these days. it seems that either the bodies are sold alone or with crappy lenses.

 

[mabman]

I haven't noticed it with camera bodies (but I haven't bought a lot lately), but I have seen it with K-mount and M42-mount lenses. With Pentax' backwards compatibility digital shooters have figured out that a lot of manual-focus lenses are very good. I've particularly noticed this is in standard portrait lengths, like 75-135mm.

 

[removed account4]

Supplies, OTOH, seem to have gone up quite a lot in the past few years...especially for U.S.A. users of Ilford products.

kodak too

i just bought 4x5 tmy (400 ) at 1.50 / sheet ..
the last time i bought it it was 65¢ / sheet

 

[EdSawyer]

There's no slackening of prices on some stuff - mamiya 7 gear for example. RZ67 stuff used is pretty consistent too.

Granted, we've lost a lot film-wise and paper-wise, but it's not as bad as it might seem. There's still tons of great reasons to shoot and use what is available.

-Ed

 

[2F/2F]

Kodak still advertises txp for 120 and everyone is still selling it.

You cannot be serious, can you? Where are these ads for it, and where is "EVERYONE" still selling it?

Are you sure you are not thinking of TX? TXP was announced as discontinued months ago, and it sold out at both my local Samy's locations and at Freestyle within a few days of Kodak's announcement. B&H, Adorama, Freestyle, and Samy's do not have it listed online either. It can even be somewhat hard to find in any quantity on E-Bay a lot of the time.

 

[2F/2F]

2F/2F, Fuji 64T is gone? Damn. That film was absolutely killer.

Fuji still list it on their U.S.A. Website, but I believe they announced its discontinuance over a year ago. I agree about it. It is one of the best color films ever made.

So much got discontinued so quickly that I could not afford to stock up on all of it. I stashed plenty or Reala, out of fear that it will go away. I would like to have a good stash of Pro 800Z, T64, and TXP, though.

 

[M.A.Longmore]

.
I'm waiting patiently for the price of the Minolta XK-Motor to drop !!!


Ron
.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I think that the US prices for Hasselblads has been stable for a while. They were still dropping two years ago when I bought my equipment. Since then they have risen slightly.

Steve

 

[nickandre]

I bought my last N80 body for $30 on eBay. Demand? No.

 

[Focus No. 9]

Pentax Lenses are getting outrageous prices IMO. It's a Dutch Tulip Market. Asking prices of $1400- 1500 for an 85mm(pentax)???? That's an ounce of GOLD or better!! Now I ask you.. if you had an ounce of gold TODAY would you buy/exchange it for one PentaxMF lens? And use it? In the field? Without a prophylactic?

And you used to get a bargain on C*L not so true anymore. The few local pawn shops I've visited don't have any film cameras cause they don't loan on ''em. may get lucky and see some lenses or digicams. So what does that mean... the needful can't get the cash ticket so they figure they try to max it on the classifieds.

Although, I have been foolish spending a couple of ounces on crap film cameras/accessories/film in the last year. KICK ME!

 

[M.A.Longmore]

now a days everything prices are skyrocketing.

.
Hi Paul,

Welcome To APUG !
I'll need a payday loan if I decide to buy the XK-Motor.


Ron
.

 

[Kisatchie]

I've been watching Nikon F3HP and Nikon F2A prices for the past 5 years on eBay. Back between 2005-2008, I bought four F3HP bodies in excellent condition for $180~$220. Earlier this year, I bought another one for $190. Prices seem to be consistent for excellent F3 bodies. On the other hand, excellent + or better bodies go for significantly more.

I also noticed that Nikon FE2 and FM2 bodies are priced pretty much the same as F3HP bodies in similar condition.

These are my observations. Yours may vary.

 

[pschauss]

I recently picked up a completely functional Honeywell Spotmatic without a lens for only the cost of shipping ($7).

 

[wclark5179]

My body is dropping.



I need to get on a regular schedule of ab exercises!

 

[hpulley]

My full camera bag weighs over 40lbs/18kg so my photo hikes are very good exercise!

But with F-1's going for 200 I can't say they're going down. I keep hoping to pick one up for a song but alas, not to be... must be happy with my FTb bodies...

 

[j-dogg]

Portra 400vc is gone? I loved that film shot it very recently. For a while it was the only thing I shot.

I've been shooting the new Ektar 100 heard a lot of good things about it going to polish off two rolls this weekend I'll let you know how they go.

I've noticed 35mm prices going up, call it sellers capitalizing on young college kids picking up 35mm. I see ads ALL the time on Craigslist "great student camera" "college course" "great for students" and cameras that were 50 bucks a few years ago are now 100.

Maybe people are finally realizing that digital sucks 500 bucks on a film camera gets pro grade hardware and double that gets you in the door with digital