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

[carl_becker2]

I don't think anyone can answer that question. Personally I do not collect things. I don't like the clutter. You may want to use the lenses. You may want a film backup. If they have a meaning for you then you know the answer.

[photo5]

Sold the Sinar F along with the Nikkor 210mm and the Sinar 90mm lenses. Sold the Mamiya RB-67 Pro-S kit with the 50mm, 90mm, and 180mm lenses. Sold the Nikon FM2n and all my manual focus lenses. This was in 2002 when I planned to go all digitial. Actually I had an F100 with a few lenses, and I shot digital alongside my Nikon Coolpix 990. Slides were still slides, nothing else could touch them for conveinance and quality. Sold the F100 later on, bought an N80. Sold the N80 after I bought the Nikon D70. Sold the D70 later on and got an F3HP. Bought a D70s later on after that (after getting to play with a D200 and deciding that I really did like digital more than film after all). Sold the D70s when I bought a D80. Sold the D80 after I bought a D300. Sold the F3HP.

 

Recently I bought a mint Nikon FM and a few lenses. I have the Nikon 28mm f2.8 AIS, the Nikon 35mm f2 AI, the Nikon 50mm f1.8 AI, the Nikon 55mm f2.8 AIS, and the Nikon 105mm f2.5 AI.

 

I still enjoy shooting film, still enjoy using manual focus lenses and experiencing photography that way. Sometimes it's nice to just go outside with the FM and the 35mm f2 attached and see what happens. It's so small and lightweight, and it's somewhat retro now. It works well too.

 

But the final product from the D300 does please me much much more than the final product from film. Especially if I scan the film!!

 

I love looking at old slides projected on a good screen from the 1960s. I recently found an as-new Kodak slide projector purchased NEW for $437 at an estate sale for $8.00!! It included the Kodak zoom lens. My slides look so gorgeous!

 

But I don't want to shoot more slides. I recently gave away a brick of Kodak E100GX slide film to an old friend who still does film work becuase I just don't want to shoot it anymore. Digital has opened up so many possibilities that just weren't there before. I couldn't have possibly have shot 740 photos a week ago in Seattle at the Maritime Festival. But I did. Granted I should edit them down a lot, there is a lot of overlap.

 

But the lenses are still as good as they ever were, they will stay. And seeing as how I only paid $45 for the Nikon FM (and it's not really worth much more than that) why not just keep it? I'm keeping the old Rolleicord III I've had since 1987 when my aunt gave it to me. Maybe someday I'll shoot some film through it again.

[lisa_lowden]

hi. keep it. someday it may be of great value. i have an f5 and d1 for this purpose. i use the every now and then. they are in great shape, lisa

[Ziggy01]

Robert,

All this equipment is worthless now. I sold my equipment few years back when was still worth something and I don't regret a bit. Anything left I use now as a door stoppers or bookshelf decorations.

Good luck!

[bjscharp]

I just purchased a `new' EOS 30 (second hand), for Landscape use. Until the 5D family becomes a lot cheaper, film is still the easy way to go for extreme wide angle, especially for Nikon users (who don't have a `5D' yet...

You might hang on to one or two of your best bodies for that, and try to sell the rest.

 

Just don't sell it for less than it's worth to you, otherwise you're losing out on the deal. I have one film body I'll probably never sell. It's an `old' Miranda MS-2. Worth maybe 20 bucks to someone else, but it was my grandfather's, and you can't put a price on that.

[photonaturally]

I find it hard to sell any of my stuff....besides, they are not worth much anyway. I will only sell it to someone who will make use of it. Sometimes is is a pity to sell beautiful equipment.

 

I had 2 F3 and I wasnt using it much, so I sold a F3 with DA-2 and MD-14 for $350. The DA-2 would be worth that much :s

[httpwww.someantyx.coma]

I'm doing things backwards here, I started digital and am now moving into film. Medium Format to be sure. I believe that 35mm film is mostly dead, replaced by the speed and quality of digital. Shooting digital myself (canon 1d mkII) for 5+ years now and having several canon bodies and some good glass, I find I missed a lot from the film years.

 

I don't believe digital can accurately produce black/white as good as film/silver. So I am setting up a darkroom, getting all the gear I need for dirt cheap/next to free in some cases. Learning the ropes. I've developed several rolls of b/w film and am getting the hang of spooling the film right and timings etc. Its like a giant chemistry set! Weeee.

 

Also, looking into Medium Format Digital, I don't think the size is the same, most are 48mm x 36mm? That seems to be 1/2 of 6x7 and I just get goosebumps when I pull some 6x7 film out. I can't even comprehend 6x12! EEEK!

 

I still shoot digital where necessary and at times I'll shoot both side by side. Today I was shooting film and digital of the same thing. The digital is like a polaroid, the film more permanent. I'll shoot digital to meter and gauge my composition, then switch to film if I like things. Film helps me to slow down too, digital is too quick, too result focused and not really process focused.

 

I enjoy and learn from both!<div></div>

[jose_angel]

After a long debate with myself about to sell or not my non-used gear, I finally get rid of almost all my AF lenses and cameras that were greatly improved with newer models. About the manual focus cameras and lenses, I still keep the best ones I owned, and I get rid of the consumer, very used and older bodies. I didn`t sell them for the money (I didn`t take so much for them), just for the space needed! I must say that I`m a current user of film.

 

If I were you, I would keep the F collection up to the F3 and get rid of the F4 and FE2. There is nothing you cannot do with a F3 and a DSLR. I would keep the F4 only to collect all the F line... from the F to the F6, althought that`s not for me. If so, I would collect from the F to the F3 looking for in-between models.

 

About lenses, I would keep only the best Nikkor primes, just to fit their manual focus counterpart bodies. I would not keep the zooms unless they were in mint condition or very rare. Keep you non-Ai lenses for the F and F2 if they`re in very good condition.

 

Let the very used or with no value gear to your childrens for play.

[sven_felsby]

I sold my manual bodies except for an FM2n and a Sover Wong restored F2A. These have affection value for me, their sale value is irrelevant. Half the lenses were sold, I kept a 20/3.5, 45/2.8, 105/2.5 (and non-AI lenses 35/2 and 105/2.5 for their looks). You might want to go through your collection of bodies and lenses the same way.

Under no circumstances sell your 105/2.5 or your 180/2.8. These are some of the sharpest you can get, no DX zoom will surpass them when it comes to contrast and resolution.

As for the keepers, be sure to test them thoroughly on your D200 - they may not perform as well on a digital as on a film body.

[jeffrey_prokopowicz]

I didn't mention, although I still have film gear, I culled my collection of cameras to an F2 and an FM3A. I sold the Hasselblad 500CM, Nikon FM2, F3HP, F4, 35Ti, and a brace of M6s (one silver, one black). I've kept all my lenses: 17/3.5 Tamron SP, Nikon 28/3.5 PC, 35/1.4 AIS, 85/1.4 AIS, and 80-200/2.8 AF-D.

 

As I look back, it might have been nice to have held onto one of the M6s, but I don't shoot film enough to warrant having all that cash invested collecting dust, plus the M lenses. I'm pretty happy with my GRD2, so that eases the pain.

 

The F2 works nice on a tripod with the 28/3.5 PC with it's mirror lockup and all mechanical operation. The FM3A is pretty good for documentary/street stuff.

[paulo_cortez]

Like Simon wrote "Unless you need the money ( and I mean NEED ) I would keep them".

I would do the following: store the camera bodies in a plastic box with tones of silica gel (don't forget to remove the batteries) and use the lenses and, if possible, flashes on DSLR bodies.

Other possibility: a good film scanner - the Plustek Opticfilm is a very valid and cheap alternative.

Anyway, there was never a worst period to sell film equipment like nowadays!

[ned1]

Don't sell the lenses, the AI ones will work with your D200!

 

And someday you'll upgrade to a FF DSLR and you'll want FF lenses again.

 

The D3 has a good focusing screen, fine of manual lenses, and the D200 can be upgraded to a KatzEye for manual focus.

 

I have a Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI that I frequently use on my D200 for weddings. And your 24/2.0 is a fantastic lens.

 

And my FE2 just died. Want to sell me yours?

[jiayao_zhao]

My film gear are sentimental to me,they bring me into photography.

[ddcam]

I don't quite date back to the days of the F, but all my photo stuff is too special to me in its own way that I will never be able to get rid of it. i have developed a kind of attachment to my gear, like, I can't use anyone else's camera to take a picture, it just doesn't feel right.

[mdoyle]

Keep the film stuff, I have a Canonet and continue to shoot B/W film. Its will keep your peice of mind and renind you of why you got into photography in the first place

[franklee]

I know that when I got switched to digital I was all gung ho about getting rid of all my

film equipment. I got rid of an F4, some lenses and a GORGEOUS barely used contax

g1 with lens and flash. I regret it to this day. I wish I had never rid myself of all my

film stuff. I have recently started picking up some odds and ends at flea markets and

yard sales. At least now I am paying pennies on the dollar for the stuff. Film will

never die for me. There is still something to be said about the look and more

importantly the anticipation of film. Viva la Film!!!

[robert_gaston1]

Wow! Such heart felt advice over a bunch of technologically obsolete metal, glass, and yes, even plastic. If I didn't know better I would think we were talking about old loves lost! It is all greatly appreciated. And both camps (those for selling, those for keeping) have made some excellent points in each case. I have to admit I lean towards the emotionally sentimental points. I can associate a memory with almost every item I own. Or, I can take the other road and think in terms of the classic mechanical design, the feel of the mirror/shutter as I take a picture, the sharp contrast that pops in a b&w photo taken with my 105 f/2.5 Nikkor lense or my favorite 24mm f/2.0. On the more practical side there is the fact that in today's economy selling used camera equipment, vintage or otherwise probably isn't a wise decision, at least at this time. I would say that I might as well keep the gear as in "how could it lose any more value than it has" but let's face it....it can and probably will. So, I guess it does come down to the fact that I would probably regret selling most if not all of the equipment. I do like to shoot film, especially b&w and a nice roll of Velvia II once in a while. A film scanner would bridge the gap between the film and digital worlds. And, as it has been pointed out my D200 will let me use some of my older Nikkor lenses. So, as I am not in dire financial need and I am use to a bit of clutter in my house I will hold on to most of the gear for now. Thanks for the advice and the soul searching involved. I appreciate everyone's help.

[d.olson]

Sentimental is your sentimental. When I could see that anything I could do in digital surpassed, including B&W printing in the 135 format I sold the bodies off. Keep the glass you like, it's easy to Ai I do my own. When I do shoot film it's with LF. I have a Busch Pressman Model D and a Speed Graphic, 7 lenses mounted and all the accessories. MF never held an interest for me.

 

Basically it's your's to keep or off.