Those of you who have moved to FF or Z ..

If you have moved over to FF or Z or even a newer DX have any of you just kept your old stuff. Have many of you guys sold it. I find there is really not much value in many of the older gear and for many of the DX specific lenses. While I could pick up another DX body (and spend money doing so) well into the future that is maybe not such a sensible decision ....

 

Cheers.

I moved from film to digital but that's all. I never had DX and I don't move to Z. I prefer not to change unless I have to.

I have FX and DX - both useful. My suggestion would be to avoid the DX kit lenses in favor of the better ones and use quality FX lenses as well. There is nothing wrong with the format for most purposes. Photo gear moves in, but ex the odd gift, rarely moves out. i have nearly all of my film era Nikon cameras and lenses and they still give fine service on occasion, both for film and the lenses for film and digital..

I would agree with Sandy, and do to some extend. I also kept almost all of what i have. But i often wonder why, since i never use the old stuff. Why, for instance, grab an old 6 MP DX Nikon when i could just as easily use a modern FF Nikon with 6 times as much MP? It's not more comfortable using the old thingies. On the contrary: much has been improved since. Nor do the MP ever get in the way.

So i am still waiting for that occassion that would need (or at least ask for, for whatever reason) using those oldies again.

 

And yes, i do not think there is that much value in that old gear. If you can get such a 6MP DX camera as i mentioned above for $ 20 or thereabouts, what's the point of selling? It will not make you rich.

Edited March 3, 2021 by q.g._de_bakker

I think you should buy gear to use it and not think of it as an investment. Whatever you buy, the resale value will probably be insignificant, hence you should buy gear that you are presumably going to use for a long time and will get value out of it while you are using it, as opposed to when you are no longer using it.

None of my older cameras have much monetary value, the prices drop like a rock when the next generation arrives. That being the case I just keep mine and I’ll use one or another at times. The older ones don’t use as much storage space as a newer fx and can be ‘expendable’. Plus I just like them. As for Z cameras I just haven’t developed an interest or seen any need.

 

Rick H

I have archived photos from my old D60 - different, but still as satisfactory as my film photos scanned. The interesting thing to me, is acquiring old top of the line Pro Digitals that I could never have afforded and playing with them. Money? Few make money from a hobby / passion - it is about living life and having a kick a** ride.

It is almost to the point, yeah I am never going to use it so why keep it. A bit like the original iPhone or the other earlier iPhones or other brands. Even thou we can still text message or make telephone calls or check our Gmail on it, people don't really use old phones anymore.

 

Fortunately since 2013 all the stuff have been second hand like the Nikon 18-35g and 70-200 F4 G lens. My Ricoh and Fuji X has been second hand also. The different thing is that now my much newer cameras are cheaper and I also don't need so much stuff. Many people could just use FLs between 24 to 70 or 85mm. Out there many people might not do dedicated landscapes or sports and wildlife even to an amateur level with a 200mm.

If you have old gear you don't use and that doesn't even have sentimental value for you, why not sell it at a low price—or give it away? Someone else, usually someone of far lesser means than you, can get good use out of your old gear. So let them! To hang on to old gear solely because it is an affront to sell it so cheap is just selfish.

 

Please note, i am speaking of retired gear. If you have an old camera that you like to pull out of the closet once a year and shoot a roll of film through for sentimental or any other reasons, if it brings you joy, then by all means keep it!

you just kept your old stuf

No, I don't. I tend to trade in/sell when I get something new - but to a varying degree. I kept D200 bodies when I already owned a D300 - but sold both when I moved to D7100/D7200 - which in turn where disposed off when the D500 entered the scene. It all depends on whether I think I will use the old stuff ever again. I did use the D200/D300 in parallel - but realized it was pointless to use a D300 alongside a D7200. The D700 was toast the instant the D810 was acquired. It's the same with lenses - I tend to keep what I can use (or at least think I will still use) and dispose of the ones that definitely won't find their way into my working kit anymore.

I'm just about to trade-in/sell my D7200 and D810. I have a D500 and D850 and have realised that I have an FX back-up if needed, my ancient D3S and a couple of D5100 & D5300s I use for teaching.

 

The D3S has very little £ value at 480k+ frames but works as a remote cam OK.

 

Lenses are a similar issue of replacing OK usable ones with 'better' faster ones. Niche lenses like the Nikon 8-15mm fisheye don't get much use, but I can afford to keep it at the mo'.

 

I'm slowly getting rid of my DX gear, apart from the D500, Sigma 18-35mm and 50-100mm 1.8.

 

If these sales generate enough collateral, I'm looking at the Z6ii + 24-70mm f4 which can be got grey here in the UK for under £2K. I'm keen to try (E)VF video!

And I'm using a D50 with a 50mm lens today, now there's a challenge.

So far I've only had a couple of digital cameras, but did not trade in my D3200 when I got a D7100, because by the time that happened, it was well worn, with the logos worn off the buttons, etc., and worth nearly nothing, though it worked just fine. I keep it as a spare and keep saying I'll do an IR conversion on it one of these days. The same is likely if and when I update the D7100, because it's now rather old, paint worn off, buttons worn down, etc. Worth nearly nothing even though it works fine. Since I have no current plan to replace it, it may well be broken or lost by the time that happens.

 

A couple of years ago I drastically thinned my film camera collection and gave a bunch of stuff away, but I've kept the Nikons and Minoltas, none of which are worth much of anything anyway. (oh, and an embarrassingly large stash of Olympus XA's) Most of my film gear was well used even before I got it, cheaply bought. I could get decent money for a couple of Barnack Leica bits (I hear the Rodenstock Heligon lens is worth a buck or two) but otherwise, I figure I might as well keep it all.

 

I'd give some more stuff away, I think, if someone I knew needed it, but they don't.

It's all about the photos. If there's something you can't do with your current gear, or you just want a little motivation, then figure out what you need to do that. Back in 2008 I was dissatisfied with 12 MP and bought a Sony A850, and after a time my financial situation forced me to sell of a lot of NIKKOR lenses and my D300. Fast forward to 2014 and I have a girlfriend with Border Collie's and the A850 and the lenses I was using on it couldn't keep up with them, so I replaced it with a used D800 and later acquired AF-S lenses and my keeper rate went way up.

 

I recently acquired a D500 to raise my keeper rate for my girlfriend's Border Collies, and based on my experience with my D300 I knew the D500 was going to be great all-around camera. Last month I bought a Tokina AT-X Pro 14-20mm f/2 lens, which is a DX/APS-C lens -- it's a bit hefty with a limited focal length range, but it only cost me about $400 and it's stellar on my D500. I also bought a Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and it's a fine lens you can buy for about $200 which is really impressive when you compare its AOV coverage to its FX counterpart in terms of price, weight, and performance.

 

Long story short, my current DX system outperforms my old Sony A850 system and Nikon's FX systems prior to the D800. Indeed, I would say in terms of image quality, my admittedly subjective assessment is that I get about 95% of my D800s image quality from my D500.

I am planning post pandemic camping vacations in Eastern Europe. If somebody steals old Samsungs from my tent or saddlebags, I won't cry...