Analog prices on the rise?

[hansz]

Hello all,

Here in the Netherlands I see an upward trend in second hand analog camera prices. For example, on the web flea market site www.marktplaats.nl there is a definite rise in prices. I can imagine prices for lenses are up because of the new kid in town: the system camera, but the same holds true for analog bodies.
Do you experience the same trend in other areas?

One trend here is to supply P&S cameras to student public to shoot film and process it differently (...) to get lomo-type images.

Hans

[pompiere]

I haven't noticed a rising trend in my area. The higher prices that I see are usually from people who remember paying hundreds of dollars for a do-it-all camera and don't understand that no one wants it any more because it's not digital. I did sell a few cameras at a garage sale recently to a man who just wanted them for office decoration.

[Berndt]

The only thing, I noticed here as a trend is, that analog SLRs became cheaper. One year ago, it was still hard to get a perfect working SLR ( Canon AE-1, FTb, etc. ) for less than 70-80 USD, but I saw many for app. 20-30 USD meanwhile.

Always expensive are cameras, which are rare and/or in good condition ( especially german cameras/lenses are quite expensive here in Japan ).

Japan is also a humid country ( especially during the rainy season in summer ). That shortens the life of all cameras and most vintage cameras from the 50s and older are basically destroyed by mold already. So, the last remaining units in acceptable condition are decreasing with every year and therefore, they should become more expensive as well, I guess.

[camerastoomany]

In my country town, secondhand cameras are rarely found, so the bay has beeen my marketplace. I have watched prices creeping up for more than a year. I rarely buy these days.

Strangely (or not!), some mighty fine cameras still sell very cheaply. They obviously lack cachet but I don't mind. In recent months I paid $20 for a Minolta Maxxum 650si body; $24 for a Maxxum 700si with 35-70 power zoom; $18 for Ricoh xr-20sp with 35-70 (worth it for the lens) and a Mamiya ze-x body for $20, all near mint.

Nevertheless, cameras I couldn't justify buying a year ago, are further out of my reach now.

[Deleted]

A thread like this pops up every so often. With a few exceptions (like Leicas) prices for film cameras continue to drop. For one thing fewer stores are carrying film. Second, many of the photo labs are shutting down their film processing equipment. I also think it is foolish for schools to still be using analog cameras for photo courses. Unless you are collecting them, film cameras are much like manual typewriters--of very little use. Plain and simple: film is not making a comeback. Film may hang around for a while as a small niche market but for all intents and purposes, analog is dead (except for people on forums like this one). Sorry to be brutal but it's a fact.

W.

[daveh]

I think Wayne has pretty much got that right.

I'm sure there are pockets where prices are high and others where they are low. I don't think camera are much different to other commodities in that regard: supply and demand dictate.

[col]

""analog is dead "" Oh DEAR!

[grenouille]

I'm happy 35mms are easily avaliable in our region so analog is pretty much alive over here.
For prices, Leicas, Nikon RFs and Canon RFs are holding very well. Looking through the various sites, SLRs from the 60s, 70s, etc can range from 30€ up to 150€ depending on type and condition, Regards

Hye

[col]

Notice the new trend.. late model Canon Nikon Minalta ect being sold 'Body Only". I guess the lenes end up on digital cameras.

[hansz]

I agree with Wayne that for most people the 'analog is dead' is perfectly true - reflected by the prices of most cameras. Here one can buy a Minolta 7000 for 10 euros...

2 years ago a Canon F1new did € 100 - 150. Today not under € 200. Also Topcon equipment, RE Super in special, commands premium prices - maybe to the Japanese climate conditions described above?

True collectibles like Contax I, have always been expensive, but while in the current economic situation 'run of the mill' equipment is getting cheaper but I suspect a upwards trend in specialties due to 'money saving' principle - like hoarding gold (or art), interest rates here are just minimal:-(
Hm, what I meant to say is easier in Dutch than in English...

Hans

[nikonbob]

Wayne called it exactly like it is even though I wish it were not so. For quite a few years now in my area even the pawn shops won't take analog cameras anymore. Quite a few lenses seem to be holding value or even increasing in value in Leica's case due to being able to be used on digital cameras. The analog bodies that seem to hold or increase in value are likely due to collectors not users wanting them. Film is not dead but is a horribly small market to cater to as can be seen buy the number of films discontinued, local labs closing and fewer local stores having any kind of film in stock forcing you to go to mail order for purchases and processing. The infrastructure for using film is slowly being dismantled. It all adds up to film becoming even more expensive to use. No, film is not dead but will likely never be like it was.

Bob

[Berndt]

Wait a moment ... the prices of film cameras are dropping because film is dead ? Where is the connection ?

I think, first of all, we have to make a difference between 2nd hand/used and vintage/antique. If something is a few years old, the price is naturally dropping ... but that's not an issue of digital or analog. When I bought my GH1 ( new and just released ), I paid 150.000 Yen for it ( because I really wanted it at that time ). Less than two years later, I could get a second GH1 for just 20.000 Yen in nearly new condition. So, I honestly think, that the prices of digital equipment are dropping even faster than in the analog world. I can find not even five years old digital cameras here in junk boxes of the camera shops for less than $ 5, but a still working folder or TLR from the 50s or 60s still sells for $ 100-200.

But that's because there actually isn't any connection between the collectable and its usage. If somebody collects stamps, he mostly does not want to glue them on a letter too, doesn't he ?

[nikonbob]

Berndt

The is a direct connection to the price of most used film bodies and the huge plummet in the use of film over the last 10 years by the general public. I say most because as you have said there is a certain segment of buyers that are collectors and not users so to them there is more value to only certain film bodies. Serious collectors would turn up their noses at 95% of the film bodies offered for sale. Personally I don't think new digital depreciates any more rapidly than when new film bodies were the only game in town either if we are talking SLR type bodies. Yes, in the same junk box as the $5.00 digital P&S I can also find $5.00 film P&S. I don't think anyone has said film is literally dead but it sure is gasping for air. It is literally dead to the general public as an everyday preferred medium with which to take their photos. Without that huge base of consumers film is in the position it is now, very niche market. How long the manufacturers can sustain the niche market, or vise versa, is anyone's guess.

Bob

[Berndt]

Yes, in the same junk box as the $5.00 digital P&S I can also find $5.00 film P&S.

Definitely. That's what I wanted to say. I think, the everlasting discussion about the future of film is not necessarily related to the prices of collectable ( everybody needs to define that for himself of course ) cameras. Though ... it might be connected to the number of collectors. I am not quite sure, if there will be collectors of digital cameras in the future as there are of film cameras now. Not everybody is using his collectables, but ... yes, it is important for some people ( for example me ).
It has its charme, bringing a 50-100 years old camera back to life and that is ( still ) possible. But ... will that be possible with digital cameras 50-100 years ahead ? I can't even read the file format of my four years old camcorder anymore

Digital technology is fantastic, beautiful and convenient ... but certainly not made for the eternity. Our mails, posts like this right now and most of all our data will be just garbage in a few years and gone with the wind. People already found a name for that and called in the "Digital Dark Age" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_dark_age

But the idea of collecting is different, isn't it ( at least for me ). There is some kind of appreciation of the past connected, which is very different to the concept of our fast progressing digital age, celebrating nothing what is not new.

[nikonbob]

Berndt

Yea, collectors and collecting are different animals from the average user. I too see the charm in reviving old things and am using on a daily basis old straight razors that I have refurbished, honed and put back to use. I do think in the future some people will collect digital cameras, again as you say it really does not matter to collectors if an item actually works. Well the digital dark age is not such a bad thing as there always was a surplus of less than meaningful photos, writings and so on in the analog age and that is even more true today in the digital age. I am sure the important bits will survive somehow. What I do enjoy in the digital age is being able to communicate with others around the globe in a manner that I could not do 20 years ago. I care little to if what I say electronically or photos I take digitally survive as I ain't Salomon fer sure. As always enjoy and be connected to the past, live and enjoy the now and the future will do what it always has and that is take care of it's self.

Bob