Film SLRs are extremely inexpensive!

With these prices for used bodies that probably work, I wonder about repairing these beauties. To me, it's almost an act of faith to repair and maintain fine equipment, but if another body is only $50, it's hard to justify repairing. For SLRs, I'm tempted to check the light seals, just run the camera till it dies, and then look for another one.

An additional thought: Seems like the electronics and in particular the micro switches are the most likely point of failure. nobbylon mentions "erratic shutter" on a Contax 159, and I have one on an Aria body. This is a failure point for the Hexar AF. I'll fix the Aria, but probably would not fix a lesser camera. Faulty shutter release kills the fun.
 
FE $50. use it all the time.

7910581538_3d0e312be7_c.jpg
 
SLR bodies (with the exception of the collectibles) and accessories have become so inexpensive that people often just give the equipment away.
In the last four or five years I have been given a small mountain of film gear:
Nikon F with photomic finder
Nikon PB 4 bellows
Nikkor 50 mm 1.4
Nikon FM (3)
Nikon EM
Nikon 50 1.8
Nikkor 50 mm f2
Nikon FG
off brand 80~200 .4
Chinon CE II memotron
Chinon motor drive
three off brand lenses
Minolta Maxxum 7000
Minolta 70~210 f4 (beercan)
Minolta 50mm 1.7
Minolta srt 101
Minolta 58
Minolta 28
Minolta 300 4.5
Sigma 35~80
Minolta flash
Pentax MX
Pentax K1000
Pentax 50mm (2)
Tokina 17 3.5
Pentax 50mm
Tokina 28~105
Pentax flash
Yashica body
off brand 50
off brand 28
off brand 70~200
Canon FTb
Canon 50mm
off brand 90-230(!)
Canon AE-1 Program
Canon 50 mm 1.8
Off-brand 80~200 f4.5
Yashicamat body

Nikkor 24 2.8
Nikon SB15 flash

Vivitar 17~28


35 Vivitar lenses in various film camera mounts
6 or 7 vivitar flashes

filters, cable releases and odds and ends

And the film camera bargains I've purchased lately?

Nikon MD-12 motor drive (new in box) 35.00
Nikon MD-12 motor drive (new) $35.00
Nikon MD-2 motor drive-$10.00
Tamron 35~105. 2.8- $165.00
 
One of my Favorite Minolta SRT's.

One of my Favorite Minolta SRT's.

My favorite Minolta SRT101, purchased for $30 on Ebay. Recovered with Red Ringneck Lizard from Cameraleather. Body recently overhauled by Greg Stelz, now performing like new. Shown with my 200mm F4 MD Rokkor purchased recently from KEH. Nothing like having good, reliable equipment.
 

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rbsinto said:
SLR bodies (with the exception of the collectibles) and accessories have become so inexpensive that people often just give the equipment away.
In the last four or five years I have been given a small mountain of film gear:
Click to expand...

Me too. During the past few years, I've been given two Pentax K-1000s', several Ricoh K-mount SLR bodies, a Pentax Spotmatic SP II with 50/1.4 and a 100mm Macro lens, and a Canon AE-1. I kept the Spotmatic/lenses and the AE-1. The other cameras I gave away to several 20 year olds who have an interest in film.

Jim B.
 
I bought an OM4Ti last year for about $65 with the intention to re-sell it for a profit. But then a friend of mine wanted it so I sold it to him for the same price.

SLRs are indeed very cheap, although not all of them are dirt-cheap. I would like an EOS 1V as a film alternative to my 5DII but they still seem to cost around $300.
 
the 200/4 MD is an outstanding lens, one of the best compact teles ever.
and the Hexar AF shutter button can still be repaired. Actually JPC handled the replacement of mine at Konica a few months ago. The camera is like new, they replaced most major parts, not only the wobbly shutter button 🙂
 
"The stuff you have always wanted is out there to be found for "pennies on the dollar." You know, there is even stuff out there, that you never knew you wanted, to be found at the same low prices."

That's exactly the route that brought me here. In '91 I inherited my brother's old Nikon F (body only) and I went to the camera store to buy a 50mm lens for it. They sold me an f1.4 for $40 and I was on the bottom step of a very long ladder. I've always just bought the cameras I had always wanted, and they were so cheap! What made them cheap in those days wasn't digital, it was AF and AE. The Minolta Maxxum sent EVERYTHING to the ash heap!
 
I've also found a $3 Yashica T4, from a university surplus sale. Then I found another for $20 at a garage sale the following week!

In SLR land, my best finds have been a $40 Canon FTb + 55/1.2 from craigslist, and a $60 Contax 139Q + 28mm Distagon at an antique store.
 
Leica MP new in box with new in box Noctilux at the local thriftstore for $10. But they had a half-price sale and I got it for $5. I swear! 🙂
 
Dirk, you have to be "pulling our leg." If not, then congratulations.

My original thrust was low market prices for this gear. When the seller doesn't know the market, then you get the $5 T4 or Leica. But even at today's "fair market" these camera bodies are strikingly inexpensive.
 
Wow - you guys have been really lucky. I have to admit that I got an Oly 1n, 2n and 4 for cheap, but I had to spend quite a bit on my Nikon FM3a ( and it's worth every penny ).
 
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