Where has it all gone?

soupdragon

soupdragon

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Tony
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Is it me or is it getting hard to find quality used film equipment these days?
This time last year for instance, there was really good condition Hasselblad gear all over the place.
Now all I can find is stuff described as "near mint" but looks like it's been dragged behind a car.

And don't get me started on "Franken- Cameras". The amount of 500 series blads I've come across with mis-matched backs, screens, lenses and viewfinders beggars belief.

It's not just Hasselblad either, Bronicas in boxes were commonplace in 2022. Mamiya 7IIs were affordable in good condition and Pentax 67s were in abundance.

It just seems that there is only dross left.
 
You checked out all these places?

I mean that's still only a handful of retailers, ebay, LCE, FFordes, Mifsuds, Camera World, Vintage Classic Camera and Cameratiks

1684242449718.png
 
There's been a resurgence in film over the last 5 years or so, with zero new cameras being made. With demand going up, I'm not surprised.
 
FishyFish said:
Also, certain cameras become "fashionable", particularly when featured ob popular social media channels, or by influencers, which pushes up the price beyond what they are probably worth.
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The Olympus Trip is a good example of this, cleaned and wrapped in a subtle, or not so subtle skin and they're selling for between £140-170, for a Trip!
 
CheshireCat said:
The Olympus Trip is a good example of this, cleaned and wrapped in a subtle, or not so subtle skin and they're selling for between £140-170, for a Trip!
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I know. It's bonkers. Every single "old" film camera that comes into our charity shop is worth trying to get working. Even really old crappy point and shoots will sell for £20+. Occasionally we get the odd AE-1 or Canikon 90s SLRs with a decent lens and hit the (relative) jackpot. I've taught some of the volunteers to remember when looking through stuff. "Olympus Mju? Say wohoo!"
 
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(Don't) think of all the old cameras we've chucked in the bin or virtually given away in the 00's..
 
dancook said:
You checked out all these places?

I mean that's still only a handful of retailers, ebay, LCE, FFordes, Mifsuds, Camera World, Vintage Classic Camera and Cameratiks

View attachment 389512
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I've been browsing ebay and whilst there is a fair amount of Hasselblad gear around, it is in generally poor condition or cameras made up of parts from different vintages.
For instance Ffordes have a PME90 up for sale but the ambient light sensor does not work. To make things worse, that's the ONLY one I can find in the UK and I want one.
 
Harlequin565 said:
I know. It's bonkers. Every single "old" film camera that comes into our charity shop is worth trying to get working. Even really old crappy point and shoots will sell for £20+. Occasionally we get the odd AE-1 or Canikon 90s SLRs with a decent lens and hit the (relative) jackpot. I've taught some of the volunteers to remember when looking through stuff. "Olympus Mju? Say wohoo!"
Click to expand...

I wish all charity shops had someone like you to advise them.
The only old cameras that I have had to return as not as described on ebay have been from charity shops, some of their listers have such a good imagination and ways with words they could sell ice at the north pole.
Some are wishful thinking and selling, others have been absolute BS, statements that could never be true :)

We have bought loads of old film cameras this year, average price just under £5 each, nearly all of which now work, and the repairing is where most of the fun is for me.
 
soupdragon said:
Is it me or is it getting hard to find quality used film equipment these days?
This time last year for instance, there was really good condition Hasselblad gear all over the place.
Now all I can find is stuff described as "near mint" but looks like it's been dragged behind a car.

And don't get me started on "Franken- Cameras". The amount of 500 series blads I've come across with mis-matched backs, screens, lenses and viewfinders beggars belief.

It's not just Hasselblad either, Bronicas in boxes were commonplace in 2022. Mamiya 7IIs were affordable in good condition and Pentax 67s were in abundance.

It just seems that there is only dross left.
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I suspect the numbers of expensive "pro" cameras is much smaller than say pentax me supers or whatever. Coupled with age killing many, and probably some in attics, backs of wardrobes etc. The numbers left for sale must be very limited. Once they are gone, chances are they wont be back on sale till the new owner dies.
 
benc98 said:
It's seen some chatter/comments on Youtube and Twitter suggesting the film bubble has burst, prices have peaked and started to come down.. so it could be people are reluctant to sell right now
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OR..... people are realising film use is expensive now and is a deterrent? Kodak and Fuji charging high prices for film doesn't help and why should they care as if you don't buy their film, they will just close that small size of their business down........for Joe public.
 
excalibur2 said:
OR..... people are realising film use is expensive now and is a deterrent? Kodak and Fuji charging high prices for film doesn't help and why should they care as if you don't buy their film, they will just close that small size of their business down........for Joe public.
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same thing in my view.. people buying film cameras and then realising how expensive they are to run and now offloading them. Hopefully, the anecdotes are correct, and it turns into a buyers market
 
benc98 said:
same thing in my view.. people buying film cameras and then realising how expensive they are to run and now offloading them. Hopefully, the anecdotes are correct, and it turns into a buyers market
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and also depends on newbies attitude to the value of money, for us more silghtly older members, we remember not so long ago it was all cheap i.e. film and dev, but newbies might think £12 or more for film and results is nothing when compared to a round of drinks in a pub etc etc.
 
excalibur2 said:
OR..... people are realising film use is expensive now and is a deterrent? Kodak and Fuji charging high prices for film doesn't help and why should they care as if you don't buy their film, they will just close that small size of their business down........for Joe public.
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TBF I don't think film is expensive in general. Film is not only colour film by Kodak or Fuji.

In my friends group (30-40yo) we've all dumped our overpriced/overengineered DSLRs and mirrorless and gone back to shooting with old 100$ cameras. We all use Ilford and Foma. Cheap setup and great fun.

Nobody I know has used 1 roll of Kodak or Fuji film in the past 5 years, except for the occasional Gold 200 drugstore find.

The thing is, not every young photographer is an American youtuber shooting 20$ rolls of Portra or Cinestill every weekend.
 
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excalibur2 said:
and also depends on newbies attitude to the value of money, for us more silghtly older members, we remember not so long ago it was all cheap i.e. film and dev, but newbies might think £12 or more for film and results is nothing when compared to a round of drinks in a pub etc etc.
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to be fair I'm a newbie and that's where I am - I've not felt the price increase, it's been the price I've always known..
 
Film has always been expensive - very much so in the 50s and getting cheaper as the decades rolled by and only really getting cheaper in the late 80s.

IIRC a 36 roll of 35mm Fujicolor C200 was around three quid a time in '78 when my eldest lad was born. Taking into consideration the inflation rate since then brings that price up to £17.08.

Value of 1978 British Pounds today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1978 pounds (GBP) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United Kingdom.
www.inflationtool.com www.inflationtool.com

Considering it can be bought at that same price today, I can't see what all the fuss is about. :thinking:

www.amazon.co.uk/FujiFilm-Fujicolor-Exposure-Colour-Camera/dp/B000NWKJT2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fujicolor+c200&qid=1685533607&sprefix=fujicolor+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1
 
Sky said:
Film has always been expensive - very much so in the 50s and getting cheaper as the decades rolled by and only really getting cheaper in the late 80s.

Considering it can be bought at that same price today, I can't see what all the fuss is about. :thinking:

www.amazon.co.uk/FujiFilm-Fujicolor-Exposure-Colour-Camera/dp/B000NWKJT2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fujicolor+c200&qid=1685533607&sprefix=fujicolor+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1
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As I mentioned in another thread my parents had a Diana camera but I don't remember them ever using it. Photography was an expensive thing if you were working class. I remember when I earned £17 a week and it went up to £21. I thought I was rolling in it but I still walked half way to work because I couldn't afford to get the bus the whole way.

I've bought film era lenses to use on Mirrorless cameras but I have noticed that it's getting harder to find lenses in good condition at a reasonable price. I suppose I'm lucky I bought most of mine when you could get a good one for £20.

That's just brought back another memory. Way back then I bought a calculator to use at college and it cost over two weeks wages.
 
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I can't say for sure, as my own observations are entirely anecdotal, but I have noticed that the last couple of fairs I have been to cameras seem a bit thinner on the ground. One dealer, I've previously bought a Spotmatic and a Canon AV1 off was reduced to selling ratty looking Prakticas this time around. And only common or garden mid range zooms.
 
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Sky said:
I can't see what all the fuss is about.
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I think mainly because other things such as wages for example have not increased at the same rate, so overall its actually more expensive as I cant buy as much, sorry little tangent there. Also depends which data point you choose as well, looking back at some argos catalogues from the 90s and doing the same calculation it would still be under a tenner

How I understand it film was a loss leader and the difference was made up on gear, developing and prints.
soupdragon said:
Is it me or is it getting hard to find quality used film equipment these days?
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I feel many ppl are deluded with what their stuff is actually worth and always hope to not lose too much, keeping prices high and nothing changing hands

The fairest prices I see is the Japan market, they have absolutely everything and if it wasnt for that VAT and Duty at import I'd be using them all the time
 
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acrobatic_Citron said:
I think mainly because other things such as wages for example have not increased at the same rate, so overall its actually more expensive as I cant buy as much, sorry little tangent there.
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Yes, of course that's very true and something I'd not considered TBH.

However, even taking that into consideration, I think most people feel it's expensive because they see digital pictures as 'free'. Of course, they're not; as digital cameras decrease in value far quicker than film cameras ever did. Without doing the maths, I would guess that it's actually more expensive to use a digital camera than a film camera ever was.
 
benc98 said:
to be fair I'm a newbie and that's where I am - I've not felt the price increase, it's been the price I've always known..
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Well to get digi guys to try film, in the past, used to continually post this:-
www.talkphotography.co.uk

A Development In My Hobby - The Film Journey

Ah yeah I see I’m getting confused lol. I don’t know what I did to be honest. It must of been user error, I’ve just developed a roll from a railway museum today and they look ok Shutter capping normally shows up at the higher shutter speeds (1/1000 +) so if your pictures from the railway museum...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk
 
Sky said:
Film has always been expensive - very much so in the 50s and getting cheaper as the decades rolled by and only really getting cheaper in the late 80s.

IIRC a 36 roll of 35mm Fujicolor C200 was around three quid a time in '78 when my eldest lad was born. Taking into consideration the inflation rate since then brings that price up to £17.08.

Value of 1978 British Pounds today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1978 pounds (GBP) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United Kingdom.
www.inflationtool.com www.inflationtool.com

Considering it can be bought at that same price today, I can't see what all the fuss is about. :thinking:

www.amazon.co.uk/FujiFilm-Fujicolor-Exposure-Colour-Camera/dp/B000NWKJT2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fujicolor+c200&qid=1685533607&sprefix=fujicolor+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1
Click to expand...

The problem of being an old film user and agree in the 60's colour film and Kodachrome was expensive BUT more recently:- Poundland film (£1) Agfa Vista was Fuji C200..and when film and cameras were being dumped (8-to 12 years ago) bought 100 Fresh rolls Fuji superia (36 exposure) for £35 and 20 rolls of Fuji Reala £10 on ebay......the good times.
 
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Sky said:
Film has always been expensive - very much so in the 50s and getting cheaper as the decades rolled by and only really getting cheaper in the late 80s.

IIRC a 36 roll of 35mm Fujicolor C200 was around three quid a time in '78 when my eldest lad was born. Taking into consideration the inflation rate since then brings that price up to £17.08.

Value of 1978 British Pounds today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1978 pounds (GBP) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United Kingdom.
www.inflationtool.com www.inflationtool.com

Considering it can be bought at that same price today, I can't see what all the fuss is about. :thinking:

www.amazon.co.uk/FujiFilm-Fujicolor-Exposure-Colour-Camera/dp/B000NWKJT2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fujicolor+c200&qid=1685533607&sprefix=fujicolor+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1
Click to expand...


Film has never been cheap but there used to be no alternative.
 
Mint/Exc++++ (or whatever dubious description of condition) film equipment is being snapped up so fast I'm struggling to get what I want.
Mint used to mean indistinguishable from new, sadly, it's a term used to describe something that looks like it might work.
For example:
West Yorkshire Cameras are describing a Hasselblad 50mm CFi lens as "Wonderful condition, minimal signs of use, a few specks of dust."
Whereas, just looking at the pictures, I can see the flash cable release is broken, the mounting bayonet looks to be worn and a lot of the white lettering on the lens has worn off.
When is that ever wonderful condition?
 
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Sky said:
Film has always been expensive - very much so in the 50s and getting cheaper as the decades rolled by and only really getting cheaper in the late 80s.

IIRC a 36 roll of 35mm Fujicolor C200 was around three quid a time in '78 when my eldest lad was born. Taking into consideration the inflation rate since then brings that price up to £17.08.

Value of 1978 British Pounds today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1978 pounds (GBP) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United Kingdom.
www.inflationtool.com www.inflationtool.com

Considering it can be bought at that same price today, I can't see what all the fuss is about. :thinking:

www.amazon.co.uk/FujiFilm-Fujicolor-Exposure-Colour-Camera/dp/B000NWKJT2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fujicolor+c200&qid=1685533607&sprefix=fujicolor+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
Inflation? something amusing:- at the bootie last year a guy was selling a stack of new watches for a £1 each, so I bought one that was working anyway a month ago the battery went flat and I asked the guy in the shop "how much to change the battery" and he said "£13" and I said "HUH" o_O...he took a look at me and said "this is 2023 mate". :D
Well a few years ago bought a card with different sizes of batteries (on it )at Poundland (£1) and replaced the battery myself (y)
 
MF backs are ridiculous now. I remember popping into camera world, when i lived in chelmsford, and picking up 3 or 4 for a tenner each for my Bronica. They're like £120 now! wish i'd bought them all up as i saw them!
 
soupdragon said:
Mint/Exc++++ (or whatever dubious description of condition) film equipment is being snapped up so fast I'm struggling to get what I want.
Mint used to mean indistinguishable from new, sadly, it's a term used to describe something that looks like it might work.
For example:
West Yorkshire Cameras are describing a Hasselblad 50mm CFi lens as "Wonderful condition, minimal signs of use, a few specks of dust."
Whereas, just looking at the pictures, I can see the flash cable release is broken, the mounting bayonet looks to be worn and a lot of the white lettering on the lens has worn off.
When is that ever wonderful condition?
Click to expand...
Same thing on ebay. Cameras described as Mint++++, and you can see it's a piece of tat despite the photos being bleached out on a bright white background.
Saw a Mamiya with a hole rusted through the bottom. That one was merely excellent condition!
 
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Well if you are desparate I still see crappy plastic fantastic cameras at the bootie but nothing decent for ages, but then I don't get there a 7:00 in the morning so might have missed them. The last one I saw a amongst amongst a pile of junk was a Spotmatic with f1.4 lens and missing the winder, bought that for about £3 and had a spare winder (don't even know if it is a Pentax one) and works except the exposure meter, but wouldn't trust the shutter speeds. Put the F1.4 on another camera and that works OK and now put it on My Pentax S3 as that 58mm F1.8 lens (bought new in 1960) has now got a sticky iris :(
 
Jakemico AE-1P said:
What would you say is the 'holy grail' hassy?
503CW? 501CM? 500?
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Probably the 503CW unless you can find the Unicorn 503CWD.
I guess I'm fortunate in as much as I have an almost new 503CW with 80mm CFE lens, Acute matte D 42217 screen and the latest mk4 A12 and A16 film backs.
As far as I'm concerned I can't get any better plus, it's all in original serial numbered boxes.

The big problem is trying not to treat it like a collectors set and get out and take pictures.
 
Jakemico AE-1P said:
My word that’s hideous! I want it
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I nearly bought one about 12 years back from a dealer in Woolston near Southampton called Parkers Photographic.
They had three of them and were selling for £4500.
It was then, and still would be today, an expensive ornament.

The only real collectors camera I owned was an as new 503CW Millennium
 
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