Is it worth keeping film equipment for collecting or sentimentality purposes?

I realize there have been similar posts concerning this issue but I need some

sympathetic advice. A few months ago I made the leap to a Nikon D200 DSLR

after holding off for the longest time. The intro of the D300 and the resultant price

drop on the D200 (not to mention those people who just have to have the newest

DSLR, so sell their old one) spurred this on. I also was asked to shoot a wedding

and I knew people would expect digital rather than film. I possess a range of

Nikon bodies, from the F to the F4, a FE2, and even a Canon Elan 7e along with

the usual accessories (flashes ,etc.). My lenses range from a non-Ai'd 20mm and

50mm 1.4, to a 24mm f/2.0, 35, 55 micro, 85, 105 f/2.5, 180 f/2.8, 28-105, 80-200,

and 400-600 Tokina, My favorite lense of all....a circa 1970 Vivitar Series 1 90mm

1:1 macro lense. Great lense! So the question is this. Do I hold on to these

items for sake of sentimentality? Just keep than as curiosities for future family

members and friends to remark on as I have them on my bookcase? Is there any

possiblity that they may turn into "vintage antiques" more collectible or of value in

the future...then they may be considered now? Or should I garner what little

monetary value they may have at this time, in this market, in this economy (!) and

hope that cumulatively they might add up to something of note? Darn well

nowhere what they might have been worth a few years ago I realize but still

something to show for it? Or is best to just "write them off" for value's sake and

keep them for my own personal nostalgia? Let me know what you think! Thanks.

I'd say keep them for nostalgia - and maybe even put a roll through them now and then!

I have a D2-X but still use my F-4s to shoot black and white.

I think it's a personal decision: do you want to keep them? And do you still shoot film? As far as them being worth money some day, I'm not so sure. If the current pricing is any indication, it doesn't look promising.

 

I keep mine because I can still use my AIS lenses with digital, and I have my darkroom still set up (even though I haven't shot film in a few years, but I plan to).

 

At the very least, I wouldn't try to sell the stuff now because of the obvious reasons of the economy, plus they might be worth a little more in the future.

 

Bottom line, IMO, if you don't have to sell them, it can't hurt to hold on to them. You might even want to pick up a film scanner some day. You never know. Good luck!

It's a personal choice for sure - I faced the same decision about a year ago. I received some film cameras from a relative (N65, N75, N80) and a few lenses, and I had 3 F4, 2 F3,2 FA, and an F5 of my own. Decided to keep one F3 for sentimental reasons (26 years old by now) and the F5 too for the occasional film shoot - the rest was sold. Of my manual focus lenses I only kept the 20/4, 28/2.8 AIS, 50/1.8, and my first lens, the 105/2.5. On the cameras and equipment that I sold I had the same thoughts as you - hold on to them for personal nostalgia or let them go so someone else gets some use out of them - after some time I moved from the former to the latter (at least partially).

Don't sell them unless you must. Think of yourself as a conservator of vintage

camera gear. ;-) In the past, when I've found a vintage camera treasure, I always

quietly thank the former owners who obviously cared greatly for the item.

 

I really should be divesting of all my old gear, but I keep procrastinating. The hassle

of selling the amount of equipment and accessories I have on eBay is just too

daunting. I have thought of sending all the better stuff I have to a place like <a

href="http://www.schouten-select.com/index.asp">Schouten</a> in Holland to sell

on consignment. The Euro is strong and I think I may get more for my gear in

Europe. It would certainly involve less anxiety and bother than dealing with looney

buyers, eBay/PayPal, and you know places like KEH will just insult you with their

quotes. Argh!!! I guess I'll decide what to do later.

It just depends on whether you're the packrat type.

 

In my opinion the only film cameras that are likely to be worth anything (and I mean *anything*) in the future are rare models in museum condition. Run of the mill stuff is landfill material unless it has some sentimental or curiousity value to you.

Robert,

 

With all due respect, do you really expect people who don't even know you to be able to gauge the sentimental value of these items--to you? Only you know that your late father gave you the Nikon F, or that this F saved you life in Viet Nam, or that the F4 took your first published pictures.

 

Without some connection to people we value, cameras and lenses are just tools made of glass, metal and plastic that should have no sentimental value at all.

I can't disagree with you more, David!

 

I cant pick up a Leica M3 or a Nikon F2 without falling in love. ;-)

Film equipment is worthless. Send it all to me.

 

BK

I still enjoy B&W film photography. I'm not only keeping my current gear but buying more stuff 2nd hand at pennies on the dollar!

At minimum, I would have the older lenses AI'ed for use on the D200 body. I had John White http://www.aiconversions.com/PricesAndShipping.htm convert my lenses (for use on my F100). He did an excellent job. You will still be able to use the converted lenses on the old bodies.

 

As for the bodies, you will not get much for them, so I would keep them, but that is me.

 

As to sentimental value, only you can answer that question. Some people are sentimental; others are not. It is neither good, nor bad; it is just the way people are.

Unless you need the money ( and I mean NEED ) I would keep them and also use

your film gear alongside the digital. To Mark CI ...... "film gear is only good for

landfill" .....OUCH thats not very friendly to the environment ( or the film gear ! ) ,

here in the E.U. it is totally illegal to dispose of unwanted electrical items in your

general trash, ( this also includes lenses as the glass in older ones often contains

lead ) you must take them to a designated recycle site or if renewing it the retailer

whom you buy the new item off is obliged to "take back" the old one and bear the

cost of recycling it even if they did not originally sell it to you. Back to the original

question, Robert if I were you I would keep them and use them.

My rule of thumb is anything I haven't used in the past two years goes to eBay. I'm going to be selling a ton of stuff in a couple of weeks. I hope to get enough money out it all to buy a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, something I will use a lot.

 

 

Kent in SD

Unfortunately the market for used film cameras imploded a few years ago. For years until that point. Every piece of Nikon gear I owned could have been sold for what I paid for it. Now day's you are better off letting them collect dust.

A little less than two years ago I decided to go full bore into digital after 30 years

with two Nikon F2 cameras. I had a Nikon 995 for a while and knew that digital was

the way for me since I also do Macintosh support, graphic design and web sites. I

looked around at the time at used prices and decided I would just trade in the bodies

and three lenses, about $300, and put it to a new D70s.

 

On the sentimental side, the F2s got me into the first incarnation of Nikon

Professional Services (which I am no longer eligible), shot my first published photo

(the poster of the movie "A Woman Under the Influence") and got me a one-nighter

after a rock & roll show in Bakersfield one week after buying the camera

(sometimes those farmer's daughter jokes are for real).

 

No regrets though, the memories are what really count. Now I look forward to

replacing my two D70s bodies with two D300 bodies (which very well could be the

last bodies I need to buy considering how much they can do).

I've been selling most of my film Nikon gear because (a) I don't ever use it, (b) it takes up space and © it will be woth less tomorrow than it is worth today. Unfortunately, I see film cameras going much the way of manual typewriters. Even though some of the old typewriters are interesting examples of the mechanical age, they have never drawn much collector interest. I suspect a good share of film gear--except for some very rare cameras and lenses, will have much the same fate. Even now, once you get past the top of the line film models from Leica, Nikon and maybe Canon, you can buy a truckload of relatively modern film gear for pennies on the dollar. And I suspect most of us will be long departed before there is much real collector interest.

I have 2 film cameras, Canon AE1P and T90. I sold all the lenses but they offered me around 30 USD for the T90 and around 10 USD for the AE-1P. So I kept them, each with one lens so i can shoot them some times. It takes me over a month to shoot a roll of film but I still use them. I didn't see the point in getting rid of them for 40 bucks. Besides 1 of my kids seems to like cameras, he is 8, so i thought he might enjoy them to start with. I learned on that AE-1P 25 years ago and it would be nice if he learns with it too. Uhmm! and hard to let them go, sentimental reasons!

 

Rene'

Robert, how about using the digital and film?

I just want to thank the person who parted with there Mamiya RB67 ProS kit and sold it

to me.

his/her*

You may find you want to shoot film still. You don't have to "lock" in and limit self.

Even though I shoot the D200 a lot, I still think film has a different look and is a richer

medium so every once in a while I go on a film shooting binge and still love the results,

but not the expense. I would keep and use your stuff. Also, on you D200, a lot of

those older lenses are completely usable.

Benjamin, about the rb67,one great thing about digital is that alot of people are selling great cameras,because they can't do both! I got my RB67 Pro-s from a New York camera store at a great price!

If you sell it, sooner or later you will want one of the lenses that you sold--and possibly a lot more. As for the bodies, I would keep the ones that I like to shoot or that mean something to me. On the other hand, if you need to simplify your life and reduce the clutter, you might be better off without some of them. So, I would say, unless you have a compelling reason to get rid of them, keep them--and shoot them! I only have a handful of 35mm film bodies left, but I actually bought up some Bronica and Mamiya stuff for almost nothing (especially the Bronica stuff), and I have a good scanner. You just never know. . . .

 

--Lannie

I got my Mamiya kit for dirt cheap. Now I'm in the process of building a darkroom, and

I got my enlarger and other equipment for dirt cheap, as well.