Point and shoot price inflation

[xkaes]

Yup, those buyers have no idea that they could be buying junk, even if it looks brand new.

...even if it IS brand new.

 

[Huss]

...even if it IS brand new.

Yup. There are a few Canadian sellers offering brand new, boxed Ricoh R10s. One has over 10 available, the other has several etc. No returns..
I did a little research and they came from a big lot at a police seizure auction. They apparently were sitting in a big crate at some warehouse.

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I found one seller that actually stated their real condition - i.e do they work? Basically only a handful, the rest had LCDs which didn't work, shutters didn't fire etc
Brand new. But old and mostly broken.

 

[KerrKid]

Patience is a virtue when it comes to buying on eBay. I’ve bought minty Olympus XA2’s for $20. Sellers don’t always know that you can “fix” a camera with fresh batteries.

Sometimes, a seller just wants to make a quick buck and doesn’t want the hassle of an auction. That said, I bought $400 worth of minty Nikon gear for $35 at auction. Sometimes, the planets align and I get lucky when no one seems to want to bid much on something.

The Pentax Zoom 90WR’s are going for a song.

Stay away from the cult classics and you can get good/great cameras for cheap.

 

[ericB&W]

First series of Canon Eos are very undervalued .
I bought an Eos 650 for 13 eu, is like new and works
perfect.
I never had a Canon film camera , i have the 550 digital but wanted to try the Tamron
70-300 on film, so i read many good reviews abuot that cameras, also Ken Rockwell
writes wery well about , so i bought one, then got the 600 that has stabilizer ,
for a ridicolous price too.

 

[Chan Tran]

...even if it IS brand new.

Some of them are junk when they were new.

 

[guangong]

My wife and I bought a Contax t3 when it came out as a combined her birthday, my birthday, wedding anniversary present since all take place in same week. And it wasn’t cheap back then. Compared with current prices for much photo equipment, has not kept par with many other point and shoot cameras.
For the most part I favor simple cameras. Never felt any desire for auto exposure, auto focus, auto everything. However, preferring to travel light, a small compact automatic camera such as T3 is just right. If it dies, I got my money’s worth.

 

[Don_ih]

$400 worth of minty Nikon gear

Did it taste like mint or just smell like mint?

 

[Huss]

Did it taste like mint or just smell like mint?

Both

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www.nikonusa.com

 

[Jordanpereira1]

Unfortunately everything is increasing...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Unfortunately everything is increasing...

And increasing faster than film, film processing, film and digital cameras new or used. Quit complaining because things will get worse worldwide before they start to get better.

 

[xkaes]

One more reason to use old gear. While much of it -- in good shape -- is going up in prices, a lot is not. And if you are not in a rush and a smart shopper, you can find some great deals. I just nabbed a Vivitar (Kiron) 28mm f2.5 with a 67mm filter thread in great shape for $10.

 

[Sirius Glass]

One more reason to use old gear. While much of it -- in good shape -- is going up in prices, a lot is not. And if you are not in a rush and a smart shopper, you can find some great deals. I just nabbed a Vivitar (Kiron) 28mm f2.5 with a 67mm filter thread in great shape for $10.

Used camera gear usually cost less than new cameras.

 

[Don_ih]

Used camera gear usually cost less than new cameras.

Especially since the only new good 35mm film cameras you can buy cost $15000....

 

[Sirius Glass]

Especially since the only new good 35mm film cameras you can buy cost $15000....

Money like that could buy a lot of Hasselblad equipment. Why not buy the best?

 

[reddesert]

It has always struck me as a little funny that there is/was an extraordinary range of cameras from plebeian to uber-boutique, and yet people put essentially the same film in them. In the late heyday of film, you could spend between say $100 and $3000 retail for a capable 35mm camera (from Canonet or P+S to pro SLR or RF), and then you'd either spend $3 or $6 per the amateur or professional roll of film.

(This is, I believe, because the scale of the physical plant needed to make film meant all film companies were high-volume, and there was no luxury film analog to low-volume luxury film cameras. Also people are very sensitive to the cost of consumables. You might think an amateur who spends over $1000 on a camera wouldn't care when film goes up to $10/roll, but understandably they do.)

 

[xkaes]

Along the same line, I've always been struck by how many people buy the most expensive camera they can afford, and then buy the cheapest lenses they can find. Part of it is that they can't afford the better lenses, but it's mostly because they don't understand that it's the lens that takes the picture.
Then they complain about the lousy pictures they get -- and blame the camera maker.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Along the same line, I've always been struck by how many people buy the most expensive camera they can afford, and then buy the cheapest lenses they can find. Part of it is that they can't afford the better lenses, but it's mostly because they don't understand that it's the lens that takes the picture.
Then they complain about the lousy pictures they get -- and blame the camera maker.

I bought the best cameras I could afford Nikon, Graflex Model D, Peacemaker Speed Graphic. Then I found a Jobo processor to develop the film. Next I found a 4"x5" Chromega Dichroic II 5D-XL enlarger and started buying enlarger lenses that I could afford. With every purchase, I had to wait until I had the money to take the next step. One has to pace themselves and not spend more than they can afford.

 

[Don_ih]

buy the most expensive camera they can afford, and then buy the cheapest lenses they can find

You mean like using a Jupiter on a Leica M6?

 

[Arthurwg]

I have a dead Contax TVS. Bought new, it served me well. Great camera but now it's over.

 

[xkaes]

I have a dead Contax TVS. Bought new, it served me well. Great camera but now it's over.

My 13 year old cat just died. I can go to the Humane Society Shelter tomorrow and choose another one -- from the 800 they have.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My 13 year old cat just died. I can go to the Humane Society Shelter tomorrow and choose another one -- from the 800 they have.

Will the new cat use film too?

 

[xkaes]

All my cats LOVE to use film -- even more so than yarn. I have a hard time cat-proofing my film at times.

 

[M-88]

Because Bloggers say so.

This.

Sure, suppy and demand are there too, as an important factor, but there would be no supply without someone hyping the value of certain product. And there you have it - increased demand. As for supply, most of these things are inherently less reliable than SLR or any serious device, so they die sooner, rather than later and nobody is manufacturing them anymore. Result: shortage of supply. Ta-dah!

 

[perkeleellinen]

The need to put it in your pocket is key - lots of people coming into this game have only ever had a camera on their phone. They don't want some bag or neck strap. The internet has taught people that a fixed focal length and 2.8 lens is ideal. All the cult cameras meet this requirement.

 

[Swordman]

I actually fully understand the appeal of these cameras, although I’ve never pulled the trigger on buying one.

The closest I got was few years ago when I almost bought a Minolta TC-1, but instead I bought a Rollei 35. The appeal is having a compact camera with a flash. Every other camera I have is somewhat bulky with a flash attached, Rollei 35 included.