Where do you draw the line?

Sounds like time to move on. I have the D200 and it's pretty expensive. As soon as you get one then you want flash equipment, flash cards, batteries, lenses and CS2 or CS3, external hard drive, maybe a new computer. A bottomless pit. The good news is the system is fantastic. I am keeping all my film equipment myself because I think film is great. A terrific format. I kind of think of it all as one system, film and digital. At the same time I see no reason to keep stuff lying around that is not used.

You sell F3 now you get peanut, keep it. Did not say your F3 is a Mint condition? Then gives you more reason to keep it. After yrs, a good condition F3 will be less and less. You should hope Fuji & Kodak still produce film then your F3 will be more of an collector item.

 

Look at this way, collector will collect a F3, who will collect D100 or D200? After few years they worth non. Save some more money to get a new digital camera, instead of trying to sell your older equipment to fine an faster way out. Older equip only adds few hundred bucks now. You can easy save that amount in a months.

You don't draw any lines.

 

When the novelty of instant gratification and the latest technology wears off, you will realize that a camera is a camera, regardless of what is the imaging technology it peruses. I shoot with D200's and with Nikon F3's. They're both cameras. They serve different needs-- and no, film is not being replaced by digital, at least not for my projects.

"When the novelty of instant gratification and the latest technology wears off, you will realize that a camera is a camera, regardless of what is the imaging technology it peruses."

 

That's exactly why I've made the decision to go entirely digital. I long held this off, being indoctrinated here about the supposed superiority of film and full frame over APS size digital. But in the end, I figured, a camera is a camera regardless of the technology. And digital works..

 

I've sold my 6x6 system, four 35mm film bodies, put the remaining two 35mm film bodies in a box in the attic, and haven't shot film for months. I don't miss film a single bit..

I sold all my Leica R stuff two years ago because I was worried it would become worthless. Apologies to the Nikonisti but Leica lenses are the best glass ever to walk the earth.

 

I now use a D200 with a D70s as a backup.

 

I wouldn't go back to film now if you tied me behind a horse and dragged me through texas.

Thanks for all the insight. A very informative thread. Obviously I'm not alone in my quandary.

A happy D200 user, I still grab my F3 and F4 on a regular basis! Film - in its last viable days - is still appealing and 'wide-angle' is exactly that.. (contrary to what 'DX' does to my view on the world through Nikon-glass..).

 

And if no immediate need for selling them arises, a good place on the shelf awaits them at retirement. They're worth looking at, after service is over. Just as my Canonets and Praktica's.

Honestly, (and I don't mean this in a derogatory way) I draw the line at film. I kept a couple of bodies (which have now seriously depreciated) for travel backup, but ended up getting another DSLR as backup. That's it for me and film.

I still have my film gear and although my everyday shooting has migrated to digital (have a D200 and D50), film still has its place. If I travel to another country I will always bring my film gear (Contax T3) and some films. If I lost my memory cards I still have some images from my trip. If I go to remote places where power supply is out of the question, film camera's batteries last an incredibly long time (some doesn't require battery at all!) and it may be the only way to shoot pictures.

 

Film gear's used market prices (both asking and sold) don't reflect their real value at all. At a time when demand is low and supply is relatively high, it's best to just keep them. You might just need to use them one day.

Never sell an F3. They don't make them any more, and will someday be as prized as the Leica M3. And when you get the urge to shoot film, you'll have a great machine at your disposal.

Wayne, I found the same thing you did about a year ago. Three days ago, I ordered a D-200 body. I kept my FM3A; all other 35mm's got sold/traded. I still shoot film with MF and 4x5LF, but I have to remind myself to 'exercise' the FM3A. Welcome to the world of digital photography. BTW, for B&W, check out 'Convert to Black and White Pro' http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/software/must-have.shtml

I was a film hold out. Got a D70 and just about stopped using any of my superb film cameras. Just got a D200, and am loving using the couple of MF Nikkors I did not sell on it. I still have my 20mm f3.5, 55 3.5 macro, and a tiny sharp 100mm f2.8 e lens. The ability to do matrix metering on the D200, and its bright contrasty finder makes using these lense fun again. I'm even starting to sell of my Leica rangefinder stuff.<div></div>