When/how did professionals got rid of their film cameras?

rayonline_nz · Feb 22, 2020

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Over 25 years ago, I worked for photographers that had their gear for decades. Rarely photographers got rid of their gear. There was a change when digital photography became common and a lot of photographers felt the need to upgrade. There were tons of film gear on eBay for little money. I was able to buy film cameras I dreamed of having in the 80's and 90's. Now the price of old cameras has gone up. No more Hasselblad 500CM kits with 2 backs 80mm lens and a prism for $800. I also shoot digital. Pros and amateurs are selling their old gear to buy new gear. I decided to get a used Fuji XT-1 for half the original price. The camera is like new. GAS is driving the churn in photo gear and eBay is one fo the outlets.

In in NZ it's not unheard of a 500CM with the 80mm and 1 back could go for as little as $600US. Things do not get listed frequently thou and more than not it's about the same cost as the USA and things just get unsold.

jnantz said:
a lot of the people i know sold their pro film gear and have tried to give away darkroom stuff but no one wants it.
i've given a lot of things gifted to me to community arts centers so they can keep being used by people who want and need them.

I got into BW film developing at home, no printing with darkroom though. Prob about 2013. I got many stuff for free but you are correct, darkroom stuff no one wants basically. One could sell it on auctions online for maybe $15US say a developing tank with some measuring cylinders etc and a thermometer.

Deleted member 88956 · Feb 23, 2020

Hm, looking at my closets it appears they have all been calling me to unload.

kevs · Feb 26, 2020

In 2006, the college where I was studying gutted their colour darkroom to make way for a digital suite. They gave away the enlargers, which were mostly De Vere 504 benches with colour heads, to the students and staff. They also gave away some old studio lighting gear. I was gifted a rather neglected 504 with a Varicon head, which I still have and converted to an LED light source. I felt a bit miffed I didn't get a colour head until I saw re-conditioned Varicon 504s sell for £1,800! Happy days.

They probably scrapped loads more gear, including the creaking Kreonite colour print processor that was installed in 1978!

Philippe-Georges · Jun 12, 2020

I kept my analogue gear as I couldn't depart from it as it provided a good income for my family. I bought my Hasselblad in 1980 plus lenses, the Linhof Kardan GT plus lenses in 1990, and the Multiblitz generators and torches in 1989 (and a Volvo 245 to haul this lot) all still in good working order (except for the Volvo)...
No one wanted these old camera's anyway!

The same for my dark room, which I still have and use, even the Colenta AT60 developing machine (for E-6) is still here and operationable.
Luckily, I didn't threw all this fine equipement in the waste container as many of my colleagues then did over here.

BTW, I got rid of my digital Nikons three years ago, and that felt so good!

foc · Jun 13, 2020

Philippe-Georges said:
even the Colenta AT60 developing machine (for E-6) is still here and operationable.

Wow, the Colenta AT60 brings back memories. I operated one in a lab back in the late 1970s early 1980s for processing Agfa CNS films. It was a great and simple idea for a processing machine and the spindle could take a mix of 110, 126, 35mm and 120. The only draw back was the little clips. If not secured correctly they could pop off and jam the drain plug open so the next chemical bath would just drain.

Philippe-Georges · Jun 13, 2020

foc said:
Wow, the Colenta AT60 brings back memories. I operated one in a lab back in the late 1970s early 1980s for processing Agfa CNS films. It was a great and simple idea for a processing machine and the spindle could take a mix of 110, 126, 35mm and 120. The only draw back was the little clips. If not secured correctly they could pop off and jam the drain plug open so the next chemical bath would just drain.

Yes, those damned clips, that's why I have an I.R. vision to retrieve them in the dark.
Before starting the processing I always pulled at films to check if the clips were tight and when they jumped off, the I.R. came in handy...
The flashlight has an I.R. filter glued in front.

When/how did professionals got rid of their film cameras?

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