Give Your Surplus Camera To A Student

[Al Kaplan]

I was exchanging emails with another forum member, Mukul Dube, this morning. His problem is that he has two young nieces that he'd like to start out on film photography but there are about no new cameras being made anymore, and the simpler used ones on the 'bay are a crap shoot. If it doesn't work it's not worth fixing, and then it costs too much to bother sending back.

We came up with the idea of listing cameras here on the forum. As long as they have aperture and shutter speed controls and a "manual" setting if they're automatic. If it does have a meter it would be nice it it works. Focus could be SLR, rangefinder, or even by scale.

Thanks, Al

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com

 

[kuzano]

Community College instructor... BW photography class

Community College instructor... BW photography class

The BW film photography class instruction at our local community college recently changed hands. The instructor of many years retired. His replacement, apparently cruises the Craigslist photo section and if you have a manual SLR listed, she will email you and suggest that if you cannot sell it, please consider donating to the college and taking a tax break on the donation.

I donated 4 working, tested SLR's in my inventory to the school for the class. It makes you feel good and it helps further film photography.

Help these young people out, please.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Yes, most college photography classes seem to start out teaching the basics like developing B&W film and doing conventional wet process prints. I've let several of the students use my darkroom because scheduling darkroom time at the schools can be a problem. There are four colleges and universities within a few miles of my house. Whenever I run into a useable camera I have no trouble finding a home for it.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Sorry to be pessimistic...but I live in a university town, in fact unfortunately I live about two hundred yards from the place, in a heavily student populated area. A great many, whilst always pleading poverty, can always seem to find the cash for nightly ( and sometimes daily! ) boozing sessions in the thriving cafe-bars and pubs!. A couple of years ago I 'donated' two cameras, an old SLR, and a digital bridge camera to an 'impecunious student', to find that he had later sold them to help fund his annual Glastonbury trip!, so now I am very careful who I give equipment to.😡
Dave.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Dave, you weren't using them, now they're being used. The fact that "the middle man" was able to profit? Why not!

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Dave, you weren't using them, now they're being used. The fact that "the middle man" was able to profit? Why not!

Fair enough, Al....what I find hard to take ( and this is not 'sour grapes' )- is today's 'easy come', 'easy go' attitude!. I did not have the benefit of a university education, but left school at fifteen to start my apprenticeship, 44hrs. per week, at a starting wage of £2-5-0 (two pounds and five old shillings! ) per week, and if I did'nt do as I was told - got my a*# kicked by the fitter that was teaching me! 🙁, that Ludwig kit that I dreamed about, remained a dream for a few years!- and can you magine how long a second hand Vito B took to aquire?....NO-not 'sour grapes' - I have few regrets, I just wonder about today's 'values'.
Dave.

 

[Matus]

Without any intention to offend anybody, and even taking into account that at my age I am probably too young to comment - the world as it is now and todays values are the result of our own effort to improve our lives and make them more comfortable. It is the world our kids (mine not yet) were born into, they did not create it - they merely adjusted themselves to take the advantage of it - what is natural ... We were just too successful making this world a 'better' place. But on the other hand - if the last generation(s) were challenged to survive and manege to pay the schooling for their children, many young people today are challenged not to loose their way in the world that is overloaded with all sorts of "stuff" mostly having no value and and no deeper meaning, offering only short amusement. It is harder to find something to "live for". ... (I am sorry, I had a heavy dinner tonight ... )

back to the subject - it is a nice idea - but I would probably rather donate directly to school or other institution that to individuals.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I'm sorry that I ever brought up the subject. It seems to go over everybody's head. One more time:

Kids today CAN'T drool over the Pentaxes and Mirandas and Yashicas in the window of the camera shop. They can't go around to the pawn shops hoping to find a Canonet that they can afford. They don't drool over the ads in the camera magazines for Nikon F's and Leica M2's and Contarexes. None of that stuff exists anymore. The products are gone and the infrastructure is history.

They can and do drool over faster computers, and hard drives with more storage. Things like faster internet connections, better printers and scanners.

Those things are NOT going to prolong the future of film. Somebody has to get them interested, mentor them, teach them, and if that involves GIVING them that old Pentax SP500 that you haven't used in twenty years? You can afford it. It has nothing at all to do with whether or not THEY can afford it. If it sits there for another twenty years unused your kids will likely throw it in the trash, unless you taught THEM!

If our aim is to carry on the traditions of the past it's incumbant upon us to teach them to the next generation, and they need the tools. If your kids don't show interest then teach your nieces and nephews, your neighbors' children, it doesn't matter whose kids, and hopefully they might pass on some of their knowledge about any number of things to the younger generation in your family.

Well, if you don't want to give it free maybe you can negotiate getting your grass mowed, but it makes me feel good when I know that I've done something "just because".

 

[Olsen]

I did just that; tried to get my niece interested in film photography. She got my Canon A1 and four lenses, among others an unique 200 mm 2,8.

I could just as well dropped all the gear on the stone floor. She do photograph, but with her very advanced mobile phone, - and takes some astonishing pictures, that makes her freak uncle look rather dumb with all his gear. Film gear for today's youngsters are like arming them with muzzle loaders.

Buy them each a Nokia N95 (see link here: http://www.nokiausa.com/find-products/phones/nokia-n95 ) it got 5 mill. pixels and GPS! Etc. First then you will be regarded as a cool uncle. (Don't repeat my mistake!).

 

[sepiareverb]

As an instructor at a state college I appreciate donations greatly- when the cameras are working. I can't tell you how many piece of sh't cameras get dropped off at my door, which are in no shape to hand over to a student. Nothing is worse than handing a camera over to a new photo student that won't work, or works 'sorta'.

 

[bmattock]

I used to post HU notices on RFF about colleges and high schools requesting equipment donations. Most of the replies I got, if I got any, were snarky nasty comments about how the kids in that area (wherever it might have been) were rich and didn't need cameras, or why don't schools fund photography classes properly and why should they have to do it if the school district wouldn't, and blah, blah, blah. Most of you talk a good game about donating to the next generation of film users to 'keep film alive', but in practice, you squeeze a nickel until the buffalo farts. So I don't post those anymore. I've mailed off my share of cameras and continue to do so. But you guys can go pound sand, you selfish gits.

 

[sepiareverb]

At least RFF readers will be able to know when a camera is ready for the bin or still has some life in it (I hope). If you can, and have one that works, bring it over to your local community or state college that still has a darkroom- that instructor will love you for it. Too many students are using some AE-1 that was in the attic for 15 years and won't work reliably enough to learn how to use a camera with.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

I was'nt particularly thinking about "prolongng the future of film" or teaching 'ancient crafts' - they don't particularly appeal to me ( sorry! ), just the valueing or appreciating of things given, that took the donor a lot of effort or hardship to obtain in the first place. I have various articles, given by my grandfather, father, uncles etc. that while still useable, have no need to be used in this day and age, and I have no intention of using them, but I still value them greatly. The last camera I gave to a relatives son ( an art student ) was soon discarded in favour of a modern one - with a 'replay screen' on the back!. Anyway - Al, I bet if you gave one of your cameras, or your toy monkey-as a souvenir! to some kid that sold it to go out drinking - you be really p*^sed- off!😱
Dave.

 

[sepiareverb]

That's why you ought to give it to the school- we sign them out, with enough of a fee if lost or damaged to keep them working.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Well, we got a conversation going, didn't we! I guess that's a good thing. Right now I'm fresh out of give-away cameras. If any photographers, student or otherwise, would like to use a darkroom in the North Miami, Florida area I have a well equipped B&W set-up for 35mm and 120 film, and one of the enlargers will handle negatives up to 6.5X9cm, including full frame of the original Brooks-Plaubel Veriwide 100 and 6.5X9cm sheet film

 

[MichaelHarris]

I doit all the time

I doit all the time

in fact I'm giving a Canon 7 and a very clean 50mm 1.8 to a student tomorrow. He's never shot film and really liked my M6. He has a Canon DSLR so he's going to love the Canon rangefinder.

I've given a lot of TLRs away also, students love those. I think it's wonderful giving away nice old cameras, I never ask about what they can afford, I just like giving.

 

[marke]

Al, I think this is a great idea. I'm not worried about the kids who could afford them and still spend their money on something else. We're never going to be able to control that.

I "gave away" my first camera a few years ago when a friend's daughter needed one for her darkroom class at college. Actually, I told her she could borrow it as long as she needed it. I really only wanted it back for sentimental reasons, as it was my first good, manual camera, and it was the first one I used in high school when I first started darkroom work. I had paid for it myself from my first job I ever had. Well, when I asked about it a year later, to let someone else use it, it apparently had been forgotten about and misplaced. It was disappointed, but I figured it wasn't worth losing a friend over so I just got over it. Since then, I have give away a few other of my old manual cameras, along with some more recent purchases that I just didn't need to keep anymore.

 

[DNG]

PM sent to Al

 

[Svitantti]

It is of not much help if you just randomly give film cameras to just any students. Those people need to be interested in photography at least and much rather already have some interest towards "different" style than the basic DSLR + photoshop you see on any internet photo site.

Im sure there are many young people who can give value to a working film camera you give them, if they already want to try it. But if they would just like to take some photos, they probably will not shoot many rolls with your old Spotmatic.

So maybe if you want to give your cameras to use, go for some university darkroom or photo club and offer them there. I personally take care of two student darkrooms here in Tampere, Finland and know many people who have been shooting DSLR's and stuff and then want to try a mechanical flim camera with good manual controls..

But bureacracy is slowing things down with the club, so we only have a bulky Bronica 645 to offer for borrowing and the Minolta SRT is broken. So in this kind of places there could be use for such cameras people dont really use.

Oh, and if you have any M Leicas like a black M4 or M2 to offer me for free, I will gladly take them. I now use an M4-P 😉.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Thanks, DNG. The biggest problem I guess is matching up cameras with people, and that's probably best done through schools' photo classes.