When was the golden age of film camera buying?

blockend · Apr 22, 2017

From 2004 to 2009 I stopped taking pictures on film. I almost stopped completely, except for an occasional shot on a digital compact, few of which have survived. When I returned to film I found the backs had fallen off my two Nikon F601s, so I set about buying something better and now I have, er.. more cameras than I need.

In 2009 film cameras were considerably less expensive than they are currently, but I'd like to know if there was an even lower point in film camera prices? What were your most outrageously cheap purchases? Mine was a set of six Canon FD primes, a zoom, an A-1 and a box full of FD accessories for a little over £100. I'm sure people have done better.

cooltouch · Apr 22, 2017

Early 2009 is when I began buying a lot of cool film gear that I had previously owned, always wanted, or never could afford before. That was when I got back into photography after several years of inactivity save for photos around Christmas time and birthdays. (Note my join date here at the forum) 2009 was pretty much a nadir year from what I saw. Things started heading north soon after. But it was fun while it lasted.

Nodda Duma · Apr 22, 2017

Having never switched from film, I can attest that the bottom of the market was about 2006. Before that it had been building but '06 was the peak of the "flood". At that time I could easily find JOBO CPP-2 for less than $300, and basically picked up a full darkroom including a Jobo for about $500. SLR's (Nikons, Canons, etc) averaged less than $20 w/ or w/o lens. I fleshed out my Zuiko lens collection in '05-'06 paying pennies on the dollar for their best glass. Everything was cheap as the entire country (and the rest of the developed world as well, I'm sure) dumped film equipment onto ebay to buy digital cameras. I could pretty much get anything I wanted for basically nothing.

The secondary market supply has steadily but very slowly dwindled over the past 10 years -- imagine a very shallow curve upwards in prices, but 05-07 is about when the massive "flood" occurred.

Ap507b · Apr 22, 2017

Around 10 years ago I managed to bag a few Nikkor AIS primes for £30 each. Near mint 135mm F2.8 was one of them.

benjiboy · Apr 22, 2017

I bought the majority of my equipment second hand 25-30 years ago right at the top of the market before digital came out..

Theo Sulphate · Apr 22, 2017

My best purchase ever was last year: a perfect Canon FTb for $10:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Here's a CIPA (*) chart showing the film camera peak in 1998 and total die-off in 2005.

(*) Camera & Imaging Products Association

http://www.cipa.jp/stats/report_e.html

BMbikerider · Apr 22, 2017

Was the total die off as it is called partially down to the fact affordable new cameras were no longer available?

benjiboy · Apr 22, 2017

I see even all digital cameras sales have reduced significantly in favour of smartphones, the truth is most people don't want or need a camera their smartphone does everything they need, and the phones are getting better all the time, it's only boring old farts like us who want them.

ciniframe · Apr 22, 2017

Depends on the model, good prices are still out there. A more important thing to remember however is that those film camera bargains of 10 years ago are now 10 years older and service people for them are retired are dying. This means service may be harder to obtain for some brands. At least the ones worth servicing. At my age I've stopped buying cameras but just 3 or 4 years ago I was able to buy consumer grade 35mm SLR's for $20 or less with standard lens and working meters. A Sears KS500 (Ricoh KR-5) for $5 and a Fujica ST605n for $20, not bad although I did replace the light sealing foam on both cameras. I doubt they would go for much more today.

superpos · Apr 22, 2017

Well, not a film camera but somthing for film/prints. Though prices increased considerable they are still low. Just compare it to the time "before digital". My best bargain was in 2011 when I bought a Jobo LPL 7415 / 7452 L for EUR 50,- in Germany (plus fuel money to pick it up). But I agree, best times overall were somewhere between 2006 and 2010 or so.

Sirius Glass · Apr 22, 2017

The last ten years is the golden age of film camera buying.

Alan Gales · Apr 22, 2017

benjiboy said:
I see even all digital cameras sales have reduced significantly in favour of smartphones, the truth is most people don't want or need a camera their smartphone does everything they need, and the phones are getting better all the time, it's only boring old farts like us who want them.

My 23 year old daughter prefers her OM-1 over her smartphone.

There is still hope!

Ko.Fe. · Apr 22, 2017

No was, but is. It was only film cameras and here was no reason to sell them cheap. Now it is mobile phones and digital camera.

Paul Howell · Apr 22, 2017

In the golden age of film most film was sold to entry level photographers, it all stated with the box camera and roll film. 126, 110, APS and 35mm point and shoots, today the smart phone fills that nitch. I think Kodak, Konica, Fuji, Agfa were taken somewhat by surprised by the speed if the digital market. Between 2002 and about 2009 prices for used gear was very low, and there was a lot of on the market. Although I don't have any hard data seems that there is less gear and prices are going up, at least for the better quality gear, on the other hand the price of F5, Minolta 9s, and EOS 1N are still coming down, so don't really know as no one is tracking used cameras and lens. (Well maybe the collectable market is tracked by the auction houses, KEH or other retails may have data as well.)

cooltouch · Apr 22, 2017

I guess most smart phone users don't care about megapixels. The latest Samsung Galaxies, for example, have actually decreased mp resolution since the Galaxy S4 (13mp). The S6-S8 are all 12mp. And since most of these folks are posting their images online, I don't guess mp resolution matters much.

But there will always be photographers. Those who are serious about the craft, the art, the profession. And they're always gonna require tools that push the envelope. Now, it might be the camera and lens makers might have to shrink their production levels back to those before the asymptotic rise indicated in theo sulphate's chart, but will that necessarily be a bad thing? I don't believe it will. Who knows, perhaps a bit of stability will return to the market, where photographers will again become concerned with their own output instead of the latest in whizbang gimcrackery.

In my earlier post above, I forgot about a brief period where I sold off a few items back in 2004. Actually I did quite well with most of the stuff I sold. Except a Simmon Omega XL enlarger, which, for years, was selling second hand for $350. So I put it up for auction on eBay and was rather shocked to find it sold for $40. Ouch, that hurt. But at least it went to a good cause -- a school in Tennessee. But yeah, by 2004, darkroom stuff was sucking wind big time.

BAC1967 · Apr 22, 2017

I have been buying film cameras at garage sales and estate sales since before 2010, it's only the last few years that people are realizing there's still a market for them. Before that they were practically giving them away thinking they were completely obsolete and unusable. Many people I bought cameras from didn't even think you could still get film for them. Estate Sale companies and antique stores are especially wising up to the film camera market and raising their prices. I remember buying an entire OM-1 kit with 3 lenses for $25, I sill use that kit today. I also bought a 4x5 press camera kit for $50 with a nice Ilex shutter and lens and several film holders.

Huss · Apr 22, 2017

I just picked up a really nice Nikon F100 for $125. Mainly to compare to my F6 as some think it's an equivalent. So I think we are still in the golden age of buying film cameras.
And last year I picked up a super sweet Nikkormat FT2 for $17. There are a few cameras where I've noticed the prices going up. The Cosina Zeiss Ikon ZM and the Fuji GF670. A couple o years ago I could get the Ikon for $750, now it's at least $1200. The Fuji for about $1K, now it's at least $1700.

cooltouch · Apr 22, 2017

BAC1967 said:
I have been buying film cameras at garage sales and estate sales since before 2010, it's only the last few years that people are realizing there's still a market for them.

I think it all depends upon the person and their motivation to sell. Now, this was about three years ago, mind you, but I bought a complete Canon A-1 outfit that included a 24/2.8, 35/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 70-210/4 zoom, A-1, and Motor Drive MA. All the lenses had original caps and the primes all had original hoods. It was all very clean gear and everything worked. But I immediately caught the vibe that they just wanted to get rid of the outfit, so I low-balled 'em. Offered $125. And they took it! !!! And I haven't sold a single piece from that outfit, either.

Sirius Glass · Apr 22, 2017

When I was a teenager I wanted a Bronica S in the worst way. A Hasselblad was way beyond dreaming about. Now I have a Hasselblad 503 CX, the 50mm CF lens, 80 CF lens, 100mm CF lens, 150mm CF lens, 250mm CF lens, 500 mm C lens, Hasselblad 2XE teleconverter, and a 45 degree PME prism. Several 35mm cameras, a WideLux F7, Pacemaker Speed Graphic and a Graflex Model D. I also have a color and black & white darkroom with a Super Chromega Dichoric II, a 30" wide drum print dryer and a Jobo CPP2+. I can afford more but my GAS has been fully quenched.

cooltouch · Apr 22, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
When I was a teenager I wanted a Bronica S in the worst way.

When I was a teeenager, I wanted a P-51D Mustang in the worst way. Still haven't managed to pull that one off.

I probably would have settled for a Ford GT-40, though. But cameras? Pbpbpbpbpth! I didn't care about no steenking cameras!

darinwc · Apr 22, 2017

Oddly, smartphones killed the used camera market..
People wander the aisles of the thrift stores daily with smartphone in hand. They look up almost everything unusual. Everything photography related goes fast!
Also Goodwill Industries, a thrift store chain in the western USA, has gotten smart. They pull anything valuable and sell it on their own auction site.

Ebay is killing itself slowly. only 1% of their sales are from auctions (no real data, just from experience). Most items for sale are from fixed-price items. And without the auctions, there is not much reason to go to ebay at all.

But ultimately most film photography related items have already been dumped years ago. Yeah I'd say around 2006 was about right. Prices have been creeping upward and stocks have been dwindling. There are still bargains to be had. But they are few and far between. Never did find the Leica for 10$

cooltouch · Apr 22, 2017

Hmm, yes and no, I'd say. It doesn't make sense to me that smartphones have killed the used camera market. It may have made things more difficult to buy second hand photo gear for dirt cheap, but I don't think you can say it killed it. There are other avenues.

Goodwill Industries is national, not just based in the Western US. Shopgoodwill.com is often a source for good deals on photo gear. I know cuz I've bought a lot of stuff from shopgoodwill.com over the past few years.

eBay is still collecting its 20% commision whether the items are auctioned or sold outright. And lots of eBayers don't want to wait. I know I don't if I'm looking for a particular item. I'm only willing to play the auction game if I'm trying to pick up an item for well below "market value." Whatever that is.

And finally, just because an item sells once doesn't mean it won't be resold. And I still manage to find a decent selection usually when I'm shopping for used photo gear on eBay.

chip j · Apr 22, 2017

Late 1960s if you were a US serviceman in Germany. You went to the Canadian PX and new Nikon Photomic FTs were $95, and new M4s $165. And Hasselblads et al cheap.

Johnkpap · Apr 22, 2017

Here in Sunny Australia, the following dates were:-

1995 - 2002

This was when Auto focus came out, and a chain of second shops called Cash Converters opened, every one and his dog was getting rid of their manual film cameras, the Cash Cash Converters shops were full of very mint film manual film cameras and lenses. You could buy a Pentax MG with a 50mm 1.7 for $20.00 as they had 10 of them !!!!

2002 -2009

Digital Cameras were the new thing on the block the quality was still sub standard
Ebay was up and running
The Minilabs and Pro labs were in decline

Government departments and schools are closing their "wet" Darkrooms ect

There are alot of Photographic Auction's

In this time period darkroom gear could be bought for next to nothing, I bought a whole storage room at a auction for $200 to get a shoe box full of enlarging lenses. Auto focus camera cameras were almost worthless as people uograded to a digital camera.

Kodak, fuji agfa amd ilford are in trouble, and film is being deleted and no longer sold in supermarkets, camera shops are closing down. This is when you could get alot of very cheap film

2009 - 2017

Digital camera production is at its peak but is starting to decline as smart phones improve

There is a renewed interest in film, this is first driven by Hipsters with holga cameras

There are still film camera and darkroom bargains out here but not as many.

Jobo Equipment is starting to get expensive

More People are seting up darkrooms at home again

This is my look on what has transpired and others will see things I did not

Johnkpap

Chrismat · Apr 22, 2017

I got re-bit by the photography bug about 10 years ago which was pretty good timing considering how inexpensive film cameras and film equipment were then. But you can still find good deals depending on the camera model and some patience. About three years ago a local camera shop closed and among the cameras and equipment I bought was a black Pentax MX body. I think that averaged out to be $5. One of my favorite rangefinders is the Yashica Lynx 1000, you can still find them for not much money because they're not sought after as other Yashicas. Agfa Karats are cheap mostly because on a lot of models the focusing grease has stiffened, but with a little patience that be remedied.

When was the golden age of film camera buying?

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