Prices on Medium Format Film Gear

mshchem · May 4, 2021

I've been keeping my delivery services busy. About 20 months back my local camera store had a huge trade-in sale. There were people lined up, all kinds of stuff. I traded in $2000 with the 10% extra for spending it 8n the store. I ordered and received the first X Pro3. It's neato! I never use it, but it's really fun.

Then Covid-19, the shop was closed, out of business by last summer. Thus KEH and others have nothing .

redrockcoulee · May 5, 2021

It wasn't tat long ao I had been often been offered 35mm cameras and systems for free and took a bit of Time to find home for them. Ï bought me Hasselblad gear just as prices sated to rise. The last used gear I purchased was a Pentax MX for 60 bucks.

With the rise in price for used gear many of us should consider that maybe we already have what we really need and the higher prices means we can get our money back when we go to sell it. As well consider that it is now more economical to repair as it was less than a replacement wirh a used one . I originally traded a used French bicycle for it with a friend of my wife.

As long as more people are buying film to keep that going I don't care the type or motive of those buying analogue gear as I still buy film, I don't buy much in gear anymore.

GLS · May 5, 2021

Yes the prices of certain MF cameras are becoming silly. The Mamiya 7 I or II especially. Leica M cameras have shot up as well; the going rate for an M3 has almost doubled over the past 6 months. It's frustrating as there are certainly one or two more MF cameras I had my eye on, but the prices are moving ever skyward and it's getting harder to justify the expenditure. I suppose I should count myself fortunate I at least managed to procure very nice Pentax 6x7 and Hasselblad kits whilst the prices were still somewhat sane.

Large format gear doesn't seem to be nearly as badly affected as yet (with the possible exception of Thalmann's "future classics"). No doubt this is due to the much higher barrier towards casual use.

Tom Kershaw · May 5, 2021

GLS said:
Large format gear doesn't seem to be nearly as badly affected as yet (with the possible exception of Thalmann's "future classics"). No doubt this is due to the much higher barrier towards casual use.

This does seem to be generally true, although I've noticed that some of the more modern lenses are now climbing up in pricing terms.

GLS · May 6, 2021

Tom Kershaw said:
This does seem to be generally true, although I've noticed that some of the more modern lenses are now climbing up in pricing terms.

True enough, but not at the same rate as the smaller format gear I think.

Who knows though? LF stuff may not be too far behind. The introduction of the Intrepid range has done a lot to broaden the appeal of that world.

grat · May 6, 2021

Last year when I got into large format, I was able to pick up two or three good quality lenses for $150 each.

Now it's about $200 to buy the same lenses.

Michael Firstlight · May 6, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
The Pentax 67 is demanding 4 digit price tags because every bearded hipster wearing a plaid shirt and skinny jeans on YouTube is telling everyone to buy one. Of all the MF cameras out there, the P67 has the most “ive only had it a week but it’s the best camera ever here’s my uninformed review” videos.

I'm 62 and still going strong with both high-end digital and film (6x7 and 4x5) as well as an active darkroom. To me, the Pentax 67II with the AE finder is the pinnacle of the non-interchangable back SLR-style (Texas) MF cameras. Though I love my RB67 system it's not for the trial. I could boost my retirement portfolio substantially if I ever sold off my entire P67II system which I maintain in near-mint condition, but that won't ever happen - I want it buried with me

film_man · May 6, 2021

GLS said:
Yes the prices of certain MF cameras are becoming silly. The Mamiya 7 I or II especially. Leica M cameras have shot up as well; the going rate for an M3 has almost doubled over the past 6 months. It's frustrating as there are certainly one or two more MF cameras I had my eye on, but the prices are moving ever skyward and it's getting harder to justify the expenditure. I suppose I should count myself fortunate I at least managed to procure very nice Pentax 6x7 and Hasselblad kits whilst the prices were still somewhat sane.

Large format gear doesn't seem to be nearly as badly affected as yet (with the possible exception of Thalmann's "future classics"). No doubt this is due to the much higher barrier towards casual use.

The price of a large format camera is hardly the issue, plenty of used stuff and if you really want to you can buy a brand new Intrepid for the cost of 5 boxes of Ektar. Leica stuff is creeping up to the point where a used MP is within a few hundred of a brand new one. The 0.85x finder ones sometimes exceed the price of a new MP.

Medium format is probably the one more susceptible to prices increases, the amount of cameras around is a lot less than the countless 35mm cameras, the equipment is more fickle and prone to damage and more difficult to repair. So the smaller supply is dwindling and the demand is probably just the same as 35mm, if not more. I don't see anyone dying to try a Konica Zoomtastic P&S but everyone wants to have a go with a TLR or Hasselblad. However, as a GenX my retirement plan is to sell my custom M4 for some silly price and hopefully even more for my spare MS-30 battery clip for the F5

Tom Kershaw · May 6, 2021

film_man said:
However, as a GenX my retirement plan is to sell my custom M4 for some silly price and hopefully even more for my spare MS-30 battery clip for the F5

While hardly inexpensive I see Ffordes has a M4-P for sale at a vaguely reasonable price: https://www.ffordes.com/p/SH-42-040520/leica-m/m4-p-black-body-only

Stephen Prunier · May 6, 2021

For the past couple of months, I've been quiet here. I sold all of my RZ67 gear. It was a tough decision but looking at how little I was using it made it a no-brainer. Having just turned 63, I started taking my SS Retirement. I took a hard look at the cost and like a lot of members here, I've started making the change to digital. Another big factor is being my mother's caretaker, I don't have the freedom to get out or travel as much as I would like.

This was the 3rd RZ67 outfit I've sold over the past decade, and each time I sold a kit I made 30-50% over what I paid for it, and yes, I thank YouTube for it. I'll miss having it, but I had to realistic too.

film_man · May 6, 2021

Tom Kershaw said:
While hardly inexpensive I see Ffordes has a M4-P for sale at a vaguely reasonable price: https://www.ffordes.com/p/SH-42-040520/leica-m/m4-p-black-body-only

Those were 700-900 last year....

Tom Kershaw · May 6, 2021

film_man said:
Those were 700-900 last year....

Well yes, but still better than some of the prices you see on eBay. £4k for a basic Mamiya 7ii kit...

4season · May 6, 2021

2020 and 2021 to date have felt more like a seller's market than a buyer's market to me, so I've been doing a lot more selling than buying. Also been seeing an eBay phenomenon of sellers who price their wares high and don't seem to care if they ever make a sale, like $500, 1000, even 3000 for a Kowa SW.

shutterlight · May 6, 2021

Tom Kershaw said:
Well yes, but still better than some of the prices you see on eBay. £4k for a basic Mamiya 7ii kit...

That's a ridiculous price.

Tom Kershaw · May 7, 2021

shutterlight said:
That's a ridiculous price.

Yes it is, and well over what I've seen the cameras go for from a dealer with full warranty etc.

norphot · May 7, 2021

film_man said:
The price of a large format camera is hardly the issue, plenty of used stuff and if you really want to you can buy a brand new Intrepid for the cost of 5 boxes of Ektar. Leica stuff is creeping up to the point where a used MP is within a few hundred of a brand new one. The 0.85x finder ones sometimes exceed the price of a new MP.

Medium format is probably the one more susceptible to prices increases, the amount of cameras around is a lot less than the countless 35mm cameras, the equipment is more fickle and prone to damage and more difficult to repair. So the smaller supply is dwindling and the demand is probably just the same as 35mm, if not more. I don't see anyone dying to try a Konica Zoomtastic P&S but everyone wants to have a go with a TLR or Hasselblad. However, as a GenX my retirement plan is to sell my custom M4 for some silly price and hopefully even more for my spare MS-30 battery clip for the F5

I think the point about number of cameras is interesting - someone could probably make a relevant used market analysis. The number of many medium format cameras produced is actually quite large, but either they are in use or possibly sitting i storage or lost?

For example according to serial numbers Pentax produced about 200 000 Pentax 6x7 cameras (before 67ii) over a period of about 30 years - hardly rare and difficult to imagine "dwindling" supply. But prices are still reasonably high.

Arthurwg · May 10, 2021

In case you haven't noticed, just about everything on the planet is 30% more expensive than it was a year ago. Prices, and inflation, are on the rise. My advice? Make more money. And remember, photography is cheaper than yachting.

BobD · May 10, 2021

KEH gets much of its inventory from camera shows, especially in California because of the number of shows here. But, the lockdowns closed down the shows so their sources dried up quickly. I bought & sold at Southern California shows for years but finally quit because KEH totally cornered the gear-buying. All the SoCal shows were owned by one guy and he had a deal with KEH whereby KEH was a heavily featured buyer and folks entering the shows immediately went to the KEH table and sold their stuff to them without even checking with any of the other dealers, many of whom would have given them more $ for their gear. It was the local dealers who made these shows what they were but KEH came in and hogged all the buying at the expense of the local guys who made the shows and drew in the crowds, many of whom depended on this income for their survival.

KEH gets a lot of praise from buyers of their gear but at the other end -- the people who sold their stuff to KEH -- not so much because KEH pays so little for their inventory. And, the local dealers get screwed in the process. That is my opinion anyway.

shutterlight · May 10, 2021

I just saw a Mamiya 7 II body in EX condition listed for $3,363 at KEH. I laughed when I saw that because it's so over the top; body only, no lens, of course.

Wayne · May 10, 2021

Don't feel bad; I was shopping ebay last night and found someone selling a 10 dollar gasket with $1000.00 "economy shipping"

cptrios · May 10, 2021

Wayne said:
Don't feel bad; I was shopping ebay last night and found someone selling a 10 dollar gasket with $1000.00 "economy shipping"

I find a lot of the Japanese and Chinese sellers do that...there are lots of cameras from Japanese sellers with lower-than-normal prices that are counterbalanced by higher-than-normal shipping. Some Chinese sellers of Chinese-made adapters and accessories also will charge $10 for a $50 item, but with $40 shipping. I wonder if there are tax differences between the shipping and sale prices. By the same token, I currently see a lot of Airbnb hosts with 'cleaning fees' that are more than double their rental fee!

logan2z · May 10, 2021

Old Gregg said:
The sad trend on eBay is gradual disappearance of "Make an Offer" buttons on Japanese auctions. I guess the demand/supply pressure removed the incentives for sellers to offer that. I was lucky to negotiate a significantly lower-than-listed price for both my Blad and the M6 this way. Some domestic listings still have this feature, but I avoid non-Japanese sellers.

You can contact a seller and make an offer even if the 'Make an Offer' option is not explicitly enabled. I've done it before and negotiated a lower selling price. It never hurts to ask.

Down Under · May 10, 2021

Camera prices are like a wheel rotating constantly. The prices go up and they go down. Two examples from my own situation.

In 2008 I bought a Hasselblad 501CM (camera, film back, 80/2.8 Planar, hand grip) for A$600, a private sale from a friend who needed the cash. I used it for a year or two and then put it on the shelf. Had it CLA'd in 2013 which cost me A$250 (cheap!). In 2016 I divested myself of all my 'blad gear and sold it (with other accessories as a kit) for A$1750 to a cashed-up retired architect who wanted to impress his friends. 501CMs now go for up to A$2500 on Ebay but I'm not sure if anyone is buying at that price. On the other hand, they cost A$5000+ new. So!

I've owned a Rolleiflex 3.5E2 since 1997 (in fact I have two, the oldest I got new in 1966) bought from a Melbourne dealer for A$270. It has some separation in the taking lens. I've used it now and then with a lens hood, and the images look okay.. Similar Rolleis with pristine lenses now go for A$1500+ and my dealer friend tells me I can easily offload my 'separated' Rollei for up to A$800 if I want to. I'm tempted, but again going by what I see on Ebay (advanced searches reveal much useful data) I'm not sure I would be able to sell it. Not many buyers are throwing away A$2000-$4000 for good used Rollies as many Ebay buyers want. As my partner says, "are they minted from gold or platinum?"

To sum up all this, if I had to sell I would be happy just now. If I wanted to buy, I reckon I would be sitting on my hands and keeping my cash in my pocket until the wheel rotates another half turn and prices come down. It will happen.

Down Under · May 10, 2021

Arthurwg said:
In case you haven't noticed, just about everything on the planet is 30% more expensive than it was a year ago. Prices, and inflation, are on the rise. My advice? Make more money. And remember, photography is cheaper than yachting.

Spare a thought for those of us who live on fixed pensions and the pittances banks and investment brokers now pay in interest. A 30% price hike (we are also seeing this in Australia now, even in the regional centers where little or no economic activity has taken place since people drove 'roos before we got the General Motors Holden in 1947) has hit us hard and many I know have sold off their investment houses and land for money to live on - Aussies are insanely house fixated and in some places real estate prices have shot up by 50% or more in the last 12 months.

Japanese sellers now seem to all want $1000+ for cameras they were offloading for half that a year ago. Either fantasy has taken over reality in their brains OR someone out there must be buying. I've had a yen (bad joke alert!) for a Fujifilm GS645W for some time and in January 2020 I passed up one with some minor cosmetic marks from a seller in Jakarta for A$450. Silly me. Now they have hit the thousand dollar mark and in many cases even higher. Needless to say, I will not be buying a GS for some time, if ever. Likely the latter.

On the other hand, Nikkormats (often with standard lenses) are going on Ebay for +/-A$100-A$130. They are the Sherman tanks of the 1970s Japanese SLR industry, but these days nobody seems to want them.

It is all mystifying...

logan2z · May 10, 2021

ozmoose said:
On the other hand, Nikkormats (often with standard lenses) are going on Ebay for +/-A$100-A$130. They are the Sherman tanks of the 1970s Japanese SLR industry, but these days nobody seems to want them.

Those may be the next ones to pop. I have an FT3 and it's built like a brick sh*t house. Admittedly, I've never owned an F2, but I think the FT3 is nicer aesthetically and seemingly easier to service (I still want an F2, though )

Prices on Medium Format Film Gear

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency