Upward trend in camera prices.

John Bragg · Dec 16, 2015

Is it just my imagination or is the price of film cameras, especially compact ones, going up ? I bought some tidy Olympus Mju compacts a while ago on Ebay for literally pence. Even the humble Mju i is going for silly asking prices ! Is this due to a film revival or are hipsters and lomographers wiseing up to these little gems ?

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 16, 2015

Or less Mju cameras being offered or around. Might be a supply side rather than demand issue.

John Bragg · Dec 16, 2015

Richard S. (rich815) said:
Or less Mju cameras being offered or around. Might be a supply side rather than demand issue.

That is entirely possible, although the upward trend seems to be with Nikon slr cameras as well. Student demand perhaps ?

MartinCrabtree · Dec 16, 2015

I think it's just a general trend in costs for everything. Been food shopping lately?

ToddB · Dec 16, 2015

Either way.. good news for us Analog guys.
Todd

Paul Howell · Dec 16, 2015

I think over the last 12 to 15 years prices bottomed out, as good gear is bought or dies a natural death there is just few less gear, without new gear prices are bound to go up.

Sirius Glass · Dec 16, 2015

I have noticed that the last few years and still now the prices of Hasselblads and their lenses have dropped except for the SWCs and the longest lenses if they are APO.

Slixtiesix · Dec 16, 2015

Yes that is also my own observation. Hasselblad prices have come down a bit. Rollei TLRs on the other hand seem to be going up. SL66 is pretty much the same I paid 10 years ago.

Tijmendal · Dec 16, 2015

A camera like the Mju-II has a bit of a cult following.

James Page · Dec 16, 2015

Not sure I see it. If anything, prices for film Leicas and Nikon rangefinders seem to be continuing to slowly decline. Nikon SPs, S2s and S3s, Leica M4s and M5s, all are much lower now on ebay than a few years ago. Ever looked ro see what a really nice Black F w plain prism is going for these days? About half of what it went for two years ago.

wblynch · Dec 16, 2015

A lot of people buy used MJU and MJU-ii and then break them, removing them from the gene pool. They then search for a replacement.

Dwindling population.

They're kind of delicate cameras. Hint... don't open the film door while the film is rewinding..

film_man · Dec 16, 2015

Depends. The Mju gets a bit of a cult following nowadays just like things like the Hexar AF and so on so prices have gone up. Medium format gear seems to have stabilised for some, Mamiya 6/7, Hasselblads and some other stuff seems to have appreciated a bit. Saying that it is probably things breaking thus a lower supply. You can still buy pretty much any Canon EOS body that is not a 1N/3/1V for £10-30 on ebay and there is an endless supply of old AF compact cameras that you can't even give away for free.

Xmas · Dec 16, 2015

My Lomo shop had a drawer full of expired 120 last week that is not a good sign.

leicarfcam · Dec 17, 2015

I've seen an uptick on film camera/lens lately but my opinion is the sellers are just trying to get more money since most of these prices are not being met.

One other thing I have noticed is the sudden increase of prices since Thanksgiving when the usual Christmas buying usually starts. Funny thing is these high priced items are not selling..

Sirius Glass · Dec 17, 2015

leicarfcam said:
I've seen an uptick on film camera/lens lately but my opinion is the sellers are just trying to get more money since most of these prices are not being met.

One other thing I have noticed is the sudden increase of prices since Thanksgiving when the usual Christmas buying usually starts. Funny thing is these high priced items are not selling..

Good observation although KEH prices are down.

John Bragg · Dec 17, 2015

leicarfcam said:
I've seen an uptick on film camera/lens lately but my opinion is the sellers are just trying to get more money since most of these prices are not being met.

One other thing I have noticed is the sudden increase of prices since Thanksgiving when the usual Christmas buying usually starts. Funny thing is these high priced items are not selling..

I agree with the seasonal greed element. I am always looking for a bargain and there are none to be had on fleabay. Even Nikon SLRs with sticky rubber are up in price ! I dont mind the work involved de-stickifying them as it is worth the effort, but not at silly prices. Nikon F90x in particular is worth an hour or two with rubbing alcohol and elbow grease !

Sewin · Dec 17, 2015

Never mind cameras, just look at the prices Rondinax daylight developing tanks go for. OK they are relatively rare, but £125 the other week on ebay?

blockend · Dec 17, 2015

The gap between Buy It Now and Sold prices is large. Camera bodies are not going up in value but lenses are, especially desirable brands in good condition.

Ian Grant · Dec 17, 2015

There was a similar post earlier in the year and yes the prices of many film cameras is definitely rising and has been for a while. It is supply and demand and the supply of good film cameras is shrinking. There's still a glut of bottom end cameras which can give a false impression.

I see film cameras selling regularly at much higher prices at the camera fair I visit compared to 6 or 7 years ago, and more than last year.

Ian

Theo Sulphate · Dec 17, 2015

Some old lenses may be up in price because people are discovering they perform well on digital cameras.

For example:

- Minolta AF lenses are desirable for SONY mirrorless interchangeable lens (MILC) cameras
- Canon EF lenses can be used on Canon digital cameras
- Nikon AI, AIS, and AF can be used on higher end Nikon digital cameras
(pre-AI lenses can be used on the Nikon Df)

I'm sure there are more.

Xmas · Dec 17, 2015

Ian Grant said:
There was a similar post earlier in the year and yes the prices of many film cameras is definitely rising and has been for a while. It is supply and demand and the supply of good film cameras is shrinking. There's still a glut of bottom end cameras which can give a false impression.

I see film cameras selling regularly at much higher prices at the camera fair I visit compared to 6 or 7 years ago, and more than last year.

Ian

Yes but allowing for inflation I'm not sure.
The Lomo people are selling Lubitels at silly prices still!
I can still get a CanonP and CV 35mm /2.5 for less than a Lubitel if I'm patient.
Only one other person I meet rather than surf the web with is film only & ok he is hybrid.
I see lots of people carrying film cameras but very few shooting.
A considerable number drop off at D&P labs.
It is pretty critical that Ferrani ship production film soon.

blockend · Dec 17, 2015

Ian Grant said:
There was a similar post earlier in the year and yes the prices of many film cameras is definitely rising and has been for a while. It is supply and demand and the supply of good film cameras is shrinking. There's still a glut of bottom end cameras which can give a false impression.

I see film cameras selling regularly at much higher prices at the camera fair I visit compared to 6 or 7 years ago, and more than last year.

Ian

I'm surprised at your observation. I recall a (admittedly mint condition) plain prism Nikon F selling for £800 about three years ago. About half that price would secure the same thing today. Leica prices are all over the place, flawless, glass case examples selling for huge multiples of more worn examples. Only Leica glass seems immune to the slide, and I suspect much of that ends up on digital cameras.

My impression is the novelty, lo-fi "Lomo" film stage has worn thin, and people want high quality items, especially if they can be used on film and digital cameras.

Ian Grant · Dec 17, 2015

There's always exceptions and deals to be had as well big variations in prices. People are also buying cheap sometimes on ebay to sell on at higher prices elsewhere.

I know what it would cost now to replace my Leica and Rolleiflex and it's doubled in the past 5 years but in real terms it's bounced back to their value 10 years ago, so not gone up long term.

Ian

James Page · Dec 17, 2015

blockend said:
I'm surprised at your observation. I recall a (admittedly mint condition) plain prism Nikon F selling for £800 about three years ago. About half that price would secure the same thing today. Leica prices are all over the place, flawless, glass case examples selling for huge multiples of more worn examples.

Yes, this is what I seem to be seeing, too.

And, yes, as someone who usually has a few bodies and lenses to sell, I've always listed them directly after Xmas. It seems, at least on Ebay, that demand and prices are way up during this time. A lens I can't give away for $500 during the Summer months usually goes quickly for $650 now.

What I've also seen is that the strong dollar vs the yen has created a lot of lower priced japanese offerings for nice vintage nikon items, which of course requires American sellers to drop their prices to compete.

darkosaric · Dec 17, 2015

If somebody is looking for a good deal: right now Leica M-A is only 3399 € in this shop:

http://photohaus.de/index.php?id=55...single&tx_trproduktgalerie_pi1[produkt]=20610

Regular price in Leica shop is 4050€.

ps:

Upward trend in camera prices.

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