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.
Internet gurus are responsible for the steep climb, sharp fall situation. Someone says a Werra, or an F3, or a Fuji Natura, or whatever will bring boundless joy and everyone wants a slice. Having tried their latest acquisition the buyer becomes a vendor as a glut of cult cameras hit the market at the same time. There was a time not too long ago when rangefinder cameras defied market gravity, then it was Japanese super compacts that sold for top dollar. Both appear to have succumbed to reality in recent times.
There will always be someone asking twice the market price on ebay, but that doesn't mean it's what the camera sells for. Taking inflation into account, I reckon used Leica rangefinder film body prices are as low as they were in the late 80s, which is as low as they got in living memory. My suspicion is people are buying such cameras as a keepsake and aren't putting any volume of film through them, but are shooting with their X100s and 5Ds.
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.
About camera prices, please reflect on this: Charlie, a trader and repairer I know, has commented recently that it is becoming more difficult to find bodies in good working condition.
Bottom line is supply. Make no mistake, ask any camera repair person, these film cameras are not being made anymore and never will be, they are disappearing either into landfills after they break, or into closets, or into our collections. A lot more breaking and never to be used again than you might think. The wave of people going digital and dumping their gear, especially the pros with all the Hasselblads, Mamiyas and Pentax pro MF gear is long gone. The wannabe DSLR shooters have sold off their nice film SLRs a while ago. There is less and less decent gear out there. Party is over.
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
Good observation although KEH prices are down.
Are they really going up in price, or are you noting the set starting prices of the seller?
What I have been seeing is a huge difference between the asking price and actual selling price and the actual selling prices are much lower in fact about the same average as has been for the last couple of years..
Yes, exactly this. There is no increase of any significance in demand for film gear either from any trends or some blogger mentioning a certain camera, at least in anything but a very small short term. Also asking prices, which many above are quoting, have nothing to do with what's actually selling. eBay is littered with overpriced cameras because some seller saw a rare or pristine version of the same camera sell for a lot so they throw there more common or bargain grade examples on auction for a very high price hoping for some moron to bite.
Bottom line is supply. Make no mistake, ask any camera repair person, these film cameras are not being made anymore and never will be, they are disappearing either into landfills after they break, or into closets, or into our collections. A lot more breaking and never to be used again than you might think. The wave of people going digital and dumping their gear, especially the pros with all the Hasselblads, Mamiyas and Pentax pro MF gear is long gone. The wannabe DSLR shooters have sold off their nice film SLRs a while ago. There is less and less decent gear out there. Party is over.
Another horror is that some film users, even ones found on APUG, use digital! Talk about poisoning the well!
Another horror is that some film users, even ones found on APUG, use digital! Talk about poisoning the well!
Don't be so serious, Sirius! Poisoning the well? Checking the back of my D800 just now, I went from 12 October until last night (I shot the Christmas lights at Capilano Canyon) between shoots with the digital. During the same period, I likely shot something in the neighborhood of 35-40 rolls of film (35mm and 120), both black and white and color...
... A fully charged Li-Ion battery netted me ten shots before expiring because of the severe cold (4C); meanwhile the F5 worked without issue...
I'm one who doesn't. My phone has a camera... but it's not even my phone; I get it as part of my job. I only use the camera for quick shots to show something (or to read a serial number where I cannot fit my head). I did buy one of those CVS "single-use" digital cameras, just to see if I could re-use it - I was able to. It was basically just a toy to me (I did the same with a single-use camcorder).I think most here have at least one digital camera.
I think most here have at least one digital camera.
At 49 years of age I doubt that there is enough time left for me to wear out the mechanical cameras I own.
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