How much would you spend on a film camera, today?

takef586 · Oct 27, 2008

Well, I have spent over 2.500 USD on a Leica M7 - this includes the VF upgrade and the elimination of the 75mm framelines. I feel this camera is expensive, but very reliable and sturdy, and for the time being I do not see a digital camera of the same kind on the horizon capable of challenging B&W film performance, which is what counts for me. An SLR equivalent of this - a Nikon FM3A, has cost me much less, so have the Hasselblad and Rolleiflex. In MF the bargains are really incredible.

John Koehrer · Oct 27, 2008

$14.00 Spotmatic ll w/50 f2

CBG · Oct 28, 2008

JBrunner said:
Arriflex SRII 16mm with zoom, primes mags, video tap and accessories. Near state of the art at the time.

He meant film camera, not film camera ...

C

2F/2F · Oct 28, 2008

John Koehrer said:
$14.00 Spotmatic ll w/50 f2

word

kristopher_lawrence · Oct 28, 2008

I have just ( a month ago) spent 2300$ on a bran new Hassy 501CM 80CFE and A12 back.... The outfit came from freestyle

I am close to have payed it back with contracts... Seriously, I am totally into film and don't mind paying high price for gear that I will use for many years to come. What Kind of dSLR you get for 2300$ and will it be good in 5 years.... At least the Hassy can be fitted with a di*ital back if needed I mean if film really dies next year like salespersons keep telling me since 2005.

And honestly, if I manage to get enough money for a bran new Leica MP + 50mm Summicron. I will buy it witout any second thought

Kris

Aurum · Oct 28, 2008

[Smug]

Latest purchase, Canon T70 with 28mm lens and 70-210mm Zoom for the princely sum of £30 ($60) off Ebay.

Clean as a whistle, just christening it with a roll of C41, and getting the hang of a motorwind. Not used one of my own before.

[\Smug]

I can understand the urge to splash out on brand new sparkly kit, but I resist it and build up my collection piece by piece instead

Poisson Du Jour · Oct 28, 2008

Most likely AUD$800 would be the limit for a 35mm marque (i.e. Canon in my instance) in excellent condition i.e. EOS 1V B/O...
Happy to spend up to AU$14,000 on a LF work kit in a year or two, assuming sheet film holds in availability (that's the problem: unless you're in a capital city and know where to look, 6x4.5 sheet film is scarce in many places Downunder). I am very unsure how long film will be around for. Maybe I'm pessimistic, but many colleagues have left stalwart RVP (Velvia) for the bland chroma of sRGB digital. Even digibacks for Hassy are here.

Paul Goutiere · Oct 28, 2008

I'd spend the going price for the film camera I wanted, whatever that would be. Film cameras seem to be mostly used, so the demand is a little less and the investment is a little lower.

My personal belief is even a used film camera, say a Hasselblad 500 series or a Nikon F2,3,4 etc. is a far better investment than a new digital system at this time. (availability of film notwithstanding)

Poisson Du Jour · Oct 28, 2008

Paul Goutiere said:
My personal belief is even a used film camera, say a Hasselblad 500 series or a Nikon F2,3,4 etc. is a far better investment than a new digital system at this time. (availability of film notwithstanding)

That is the piece-de resistance! When the film goes, then what!? We're stuck with a medium (digi) we neither like nor wish to use, or will be bow at the alter of rampant commercialism ad false positives and all embrace digital as the new age way of creating fine art? I'd rather leave photography if push comes to shove.

pentaxuser · Oct 28, 2008

david b said:
Considering the state of the world and the current state of the film and darkroom materials, how much would you spend on a film camera?

Just curious.

What state of the world?. Fortunately I got out of banks and into BP petroleum, Russian gas etc many months ago so the sky's the limit.

Yes, I know all the other replies have been serious but a bit of ironic levity in these straitened times may be appropriate.

I fancy a P645N, a F6 and maybe a Mamiya 645D. Could I justify any of them? It's doubtful. What I could justify price-wise in relation to expenditure that I could afford to waste if I didn't use them enough, would get me much less than I have in my Pentax and Agfa Isolette 1(the latter given to me "gratis")

pentaxuser

Paul Goutiere · Oct 28, 2008

Poisson Du Jour said:
That is the piece-de resistance! When the film goes, then what!? We're stuck with a medium (digi) we neither like nor wish to use, or will be bow at the alter of rampant commercialism ad false positives and all embrace digital as the new age way of creating fine art? I'd rather leave photography if push comes to shove.

Perhaps I'm only a hopeful idiot, but somehow I believe film will see me out, at least Black and White film.

If not, and film goes, I'll join you I'm afraid.

John_Nikon_F · Oct 28, 2008

David, it depends, if you're limiting it to new only, then, if I could afford it, I'd pick up an F6. But, if you're counting used, there's only one other body I want to grab. A functional 500C or CM with 80f2.8 and A12. I have all the 35mm gear I want, except for a couple lenses, and motor drives for the F, F2, and F3... Most I've paid was $363, including shipping from the UK for my F3P. Prior to then, it was my first FM2n @ $295 in 1991, plus 8.1% (now 9%) sales tax. Least I've paid, without getting something for free? $12.00, plus shipping for a black Nikkormat FT2 body with broken self-timer and meter that was a couple stops off.

-J

Kevin Kehler · Oct 28, 2008

I spent $15 for a 35mm Canon AE-1 (good availability of lens) which I thought was money well spent considering I was upgrading my $10 AE-1P which has shutter lag; I spent a little over $500 for my Mamiya RZ kit (from a friend who decided to stop using film). I am considering laying out the $5000+ for a full Hasselblad 501-503 film kit because I know with regular servicing, I can use it for as long as I can get film. Given I am in my low-30's agewise, I am planning on 40+ years of operation which makes the cost fairly low over the long-term, since I think we will be able to get film in the long-term, it just might not be the film we are using today (I mean, you can still buy transistor tubes for things).

The question for me is whether film cameras are now like: (1) cars that depreciate the moment they are purchased and will continue to plummet in value until they are worthless due to being unrepairable or nonfunctional; or (2) are they like hockey cards, where some items retain/gain value over time and some become worthless? I personally think most 35mm (Leica being the possible exception) and lower-end medium format cameras will be like cars and high-end medium format and large-format will be like hockey cards, valued by the few.

Poisson Du Jour · Oct 28, 2008

Aurum said:
I can understand the urge to splash out on brand new sparkly kit, but I resist it and build up my collection piece by piece instead

Very wise. But I would have gone for the T90, and speaking from experience (1988-1990) it's a gem. That model remains sought after by collectors and devoted celluloid officionados alike. Even I'm looking for one to play with...

coriana6jp · Oct 28, 2008

Well, decided to buy a new Arca-Swiss 4x5 camera back in July it was alot. Did I have alot of guilt buying it, sure but it will be the one camera that never is sold.

Gary

Aurum · Oct 29, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aurum
I can understand the urge to splash out on brand new sparkly kit, but I resist it and build up my collection piece by piece instead

Very wise. But I would have gone for the T90, and speaking from experience (1988-1990) it's a gem. That model remains sought after by collectors and devoted celluloid officionados alike. Even I'm looking for one to play with...

Nice, but popular means pricey.Scaring on ebay UK The T70, is a little too programmed for my liking, but with the original Canon 70-210 glass on it, I can live with that. I've been rattling off frames of wildlife in the garden. A few more to finish the film then dev and print time.

Its a hard life sometimes

david b · Oct 31, 2008

My latest purchase arrived today. My wife okay'd it.

rhmimac · Nov 6, 2008

F6 !

nsouto said:
Spent 1500 on a F6 two months ago.
And I don't regret it one bit! Worth every cent of the price.

I would spend it on a F6 if O could affort it...

Buying 2nd hand Nikons F65,etc and glass doesn't brake the bank that much:rolleyes:

R

Bubbaspunk · Nov 6, 2008

This spring I spent about $1000 Canadian on an old Hassie system, and about $50 on a much newer Minolta.
So, spend as little as possible but not more than its worth. Or you think its worth.

jchesky · Nov 6, 2008

That's tough to answer as there are all the factors... how much you have available, the state of prices (new or used) and the format you want, how you will use it, not to mention how influenced you are by branding. I have gotten good bargains and some klinkers, but at all times... I wanted it and saw myself using it. Otherwise you're a collector.

nyoung · Nov 6, 2008

Depends on what it is. Recently $300 on a good working Nikon F4s, $1400 on a gorgeousTachihara 4x5 with three lenses an aluminium case and 20 odd film holders, and $75 for a functional Speed Graphic and Heiland flash attachment. All for using not for looking at. Most ever - $2,100 for my first F5 body back in 1998.

Ken N · Nov 6, 2008

Budget

I'm able to budget up to $1200 USD per year on camera purchases for my photography business. I can either buy a new fancy digital body every two years, or a lesser digital every year, or stretch as lesser digital three years and get whatever I want the other two years.

As film is getting back to being an important part of my business, I can justify spending whatever I need to on this technology. As I really haven't invested additional monies in film gear since 1993, if I got something, I'd have to sell something to get it. My kit got very very refined through the years with very little dross.

Through the generosity of others, I've been actually acquiring some pretty high-end stuff for little to no money. However, I know that I'm going to spend a chunk of change on some fancy flashgear and motordrives before the next shooting season opens.

As I budget/balance everything and it has to earn its keep, professionally, I do calculate the cost of digital gear and the cost-savings by being able to skip a year or two in replacement/upgrade cycles is able to fund the purchase of some nice film gear. But I do try to keep things interchangeable with digital as much as possible so there is little to no duplication.

As to the cost of film and processing? I typically pass those costs onto the client anyway, so there is little cost advantage to me to shoot digital.

Yet, for professional photographers (both fulltime and parttime), it really is hard going to shoot film anymore. And one must be VERY patient when getting film-technology items because as long as you are not in a hurry to acquire, you can get stuff cheep or free.

Markok765 · Nov 6, 2008

Spend $275 on a F5 a few months ago!

Martin Aislabie · Nov 7, 2008

Confused

I have spent over 8000 UK Pounds over the last 18 months getting into LF and am still going, although at a slower rate now I have most of the stuff I need and want.

I could have done it for less - a lot less - but as an amateur with a hobby I dont have to do the value for money business thing.

I plan on using this stuff for the next 25 years so cost per year is pretty low.

Most of the stuff I bought new and only a few choice pieces second hand

I dont always understand you guys:-

On one hand you are all for bragging about how you picked up item X for almost nothing second hand

And on the other you are bemoaning the fact that manufacturers are getting out of film and film cameras

If we want to have a viable film and film camera industry in the future then the choice is in our hands.

We either buy brand new stuff and support the manufacturers or we dont and they either go to the wall or go somewhere else.

Its our choice.

But we cannot have it both ways

:confused:

Martin

Poisson Du Jour · Nov 7, 2008

Ken N said:
Yet, for professional photographers (both fulltime and parttime), it really is hard going to shoot film anymore. And one must be VERY patient when getting film-technology items because as long as you are not in a hurry to acquire, you can get stuff cheep or free.

Yes, so sadly true. I won't invest in any film cameras for active shooting (save for collecting a couple i.e. Olympus OM 4, Canon T90) as E6 is becoming tedious and drawn out to process, with the turnaround now 4 to 5 days locally (1 hour in pro labs, but add $20.00 fuel, 2.5 hours return travel and a heap of traffic hassles). Even C-41 processing is now a tenth of what it was locally than 4 years ago. I am not weakening in my resolve to continue shooting Velvia for as long as I desire, I just do not like the idea that film should be summarily shoved aside for the stormtrooping 'God' that is digital, with its many inherent faults and failings. Where are we going?

How much would you spend on a film camera, today?

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