Where to buy empty camera bodies? (UK)

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benwick

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Hi all,
My friend has just moved into a new house and has talked about wanting a Leica / vintage camera body for his mantlepiece. Purely for display, doesn't have to be working or even containing and components, just the outer body of the camera.

I've looked online and can't seem to find this sort of thing, any ideas as to where I should look?

Thanks :)
 
try car boot sales - doubt you'll find a Leica but maybe some medium format cameras and they go cheap enough

Les :)
 
Hiya, welcome to TP!

eBay is the answer:
Do a basic search for "film camera"
On the left hand side under "Condition" check the "for parts or not working".

You're unlikely to get Leica simply because they don't break and if they do, they're very repairable. My 1954 M3 is still going very strong and was certified as "working perfectly" when I had it checked over last year.
You're unlikely to get a camera plus lens because people will often keep the lens/sell it as "working" and get rid of the "broken" camera. You're more likely to get something that has an un-detachable lens. [Edit to add that's sometimes not the case...]

[Edit to add add... Sort by "Ending Soonest" to see the bargains about to drop off...]
 
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If he doesn't want to trek round car boot sales on a Sunday morning living in hope of a bargain, then probably a search on eBay for 'spares or repairs' vintage/classic film cameras might produce something he likes the look of, both aesthetically and financially?
 
andrewc said:
Quite a lot of fully working old film cameras are surprisingly cheap, so don't restrict yourself looking for broken ones.
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Why take a fully working one away from the opportunity of being bought, used and enjoyed by someone? If it's going to be a dust gatherer (my name for household ornaments) then surely it's better to buy a non-working example instead?

Mind you, I believe once someone picks up an old film camera and finds how tactile and intriguing they are, then they'll probably want to put a film in it and join the rest of us who've fallen under the spell of beautifully crafted vintage mechanical objects and silver halide. ;)
 
Mr Badger said:
Why take a fully working one away from the opportunity of being bought, used and enjoyed by someone? If it's going to be a dust gatherer (my name for household ornaments) then surely it's better to buy a non-working example instead?

Mind you, I believe once someone picks up an old film camera and finds how tactile and intriguing they are, then they'll probably want to put a film in it and join the rest of us who've fallen under the spell of beautifully crafted vintage mechanical objects and silver halide. ;)
Click to expand...

Flipside - If it saves a perfectly good camera being thrown away to live on a shelf being admired, than thats also good.
 
andrewc said:
Flipside - If it saves a perfectly good camera being thrown away to live on a shelf being admired, than thats also good.
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Cameras need to be used, cameras die in display cabinets. Sure if it's already dead then no problem.
 
A lot of car boot sales these days are a waste of time, all the good stuff is bought by dealers who are waiting for the cars to arrive, yes there are still bargins but it's hard work finding things, it's more luck of the draw. The other problemwith finding a Leica is they are still worth money for the parts or as someone already said repair.
 
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