Sell off SLRs?

[Nearsighted]

Help me decide. I've enjoyed using my Bessa R so much that I'm thinking of parting with most of my MF Nikon equipment. I have a nice collection of Nikkor lenses and 4 MF bodies (2 FEs, 1 FE-2 and a new FM3A) that hardly see any use. I hate to sell this stuff off at a loss and with the digital revolution I know I'd never get near what I paid for it. With Nikon getting out of the film camera bussiness for the most part, would you expect the value of this equipment to be on a re-bound?

 

[Frank Granovski]

Keep the FM3 and a few good lenses. SLRs can be versatile. But ultimately it's your decision.

 

[rover]

Don't sell it all. I would hang on to one body and some lenses, the best ones to have a nice kit. RF photography is great, but there are things that an SLR is better for. Hang onto the FM3a, a basic lens set and sell the rest if you really feel the need to sell some of it.

 

[sleepyhead]

I don't know, I would be inclined to keep at least the FM3a and one of the FEs, and any nikkor lenses that you really like, especially anything longer than 50mm, as I've found that I can get better portraits from my Nikor SLR equipment than my rangefinder equiptment, as the nikkor lenses are sharp enough, and being able to accurately judge depth of field and framing before shooting is important in that instance.

If you sold two bodies and a lens or two (even at a bit of a loss), perhaps you could then treat yourself to an additional RF lens - then you would forget your loss and be happy.

---Yaron

 

[Nearsighted]

Yaron, I tryed to give you a shot at my 35/2 AIS, you remember? I just can't believe how much prices have droped like a rock on this great old Nikon gear. I'd like to see them come back a bit. I'm not going to have a fire sale for this stuff. I'd rather let it collect dust then someday teach my grand kids how photos used to be made.

 

[sleepyhead]

I feel the same way about my old Nikon gear (Nikkormat vintage) - I don't think I'll ever sell the 35/2 nikkor-O I finally got hold of!

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Unless you need the cash, like need it to pay rent and food, keep the stuff and use it when you can.

Many people will not pay for film cameras any more and it would be a shame to sell the system for relatively little and regret it next year.

 

[JohnR]

Maybe you should sell one of the FEs and a lens or two and then see how you feel about it?

 

[Frank Granovski]

Unless you need the cash, like need it to pay rent and food, keep the stuff and use it when you can.

Many people will not pay for film cameras any more and it would be a shame to sell the system for relatively little and regret it next year.

That's exactly the problem. You almost have to give away your SLRs and SLR lenses. Perhaps it is best to just hang on to them unless you really need the cash. Sometimes, though, you may find yourself in the position where you can trade some of this gear for something else. Never know.

Personally, I'd keep at least one SLR, such as the FM3, and some good Nikkor lenses. (I know I all ready mentioned this.) I'm sort of into keeping the keepers and selling the ones you don't really want. I've given away 3 SLRs in the past few years, but they weren't Nikons. 🙂

 

[former member]

The AI lenses work on the Nikon D1, D1x, D1h, D2x, and D2h cameras. Keep them. They go for a song now, but may go up as Nikon has discontinued so many Manual lenses. They are metal, and made better than the AF counterparts. If you sale them, do it on a year or so.

Keep the newer manual bodies, but expect the FE's to bring in a pittance. Prices are down. Does the FE-2 have the honeycomb shutter curtains?

 

[dostacos]

Help me decide. I've enjoyed using my Bessa R so much that I'm thinking of parting with most of my MF Nikon equipment. I have a nice collection of Nikkor lenses and 4 MF bodies (2 FEs, 1 FE-2 and a new FM3A) that hardly see any use. I hate to sell this stuff off at a loss and with the digital revolution I know I'd never get near what I paid for it. With Nikon getting out of the film camera bussiness for the most part, would you expect the value of this equipment to be on a re-bound?

two things to think about MACRO & TELEPHOTO one is hard to do with a RF and the other is next to impossible [let's see your RF with a nice 400MM tele 😛 ]

save the best body and a good cross section of lenses

 

[jonasv]

Help me decide. I've enjoyed using my Bessa R so much that I'm thinking of parting with most of my MF Nikon equipment. I have a nice collection of Nikkor lenses and 4 MF bodies (2 FEs, 1 FE-2 and a new FM3A) that hardly see any use. I hate to sell this stuff off at a loss and with the digital revolution I know I'd never get near what I paid for it. With Nikon getting out of the film camera bussiness for the most part, would you expect the value of this equipment to be on a re-bound?

I'm in a similar situation as yours. I owned four Nikon SLR bodies (F4s, F70, FG20 and Nikkormat FT3) but found myself more and more interested in rangefinders - I'll soon buy a Bessa R myself. I decided I didn't need as many Nikons anymore, but I did keep two bodies and most lenses because there are certain situations in which a good SLR can't be beat. Macro, telephoto, sometimes a zoom is just damn handy, plus, you might not want to hear this, but perhaps you'll go digital one day and the Nikon lenses will still fit future Nikon DSLR's. Also, I haven't come across a rangefinder lens that beats my Nikkor 105 f/2.5 wide-open for portraits. Drop-dead-gorgeous!

One last piece of advice: I doubt the FE's or FE2's will be worth a lot of money in the future, but if your FM3a is really AS NEW, and you still have the box and everything, I can assure you some crazy japanese will pay big bucks for that in ten years from now.

I would sell one body (an FE or the FE2) and the lenses you really don't use anymore, then keep two bodies to shoot with (or just one - personally I always prefer shooting with two bodies but if that is not your preferred method, one body will do and you can sell two) and the other lenses. I would leave the FM3a on a shelf but only if it really is as new and you want to earn something - if you prefer using it, by all means sell another FE or FE2 and just use that FM3a.

 

[back alley]

nothing wrong with selling some old gear to buy some 'new' gear.

if i want something new that is on the expensive side or in the past when i wanted to shift to a different system or format, i have had to sell off the current gear.

very few regrets.
joe

 

[titrisol]

I wouldn't like to be on your shoes!
My 0.000005 worth.

- Do you REAALLYY need to sell these?
If so

- Which of the Nikon bodies do you feel more comfortable with?
Keep that one, and the one that is the 2nd best.
I'd keep the FM3a and one of the others. I have a FE and used to have a FE-2 and is very hard to decide which one is best.

- Which lenses do you think you are going to miss the most?
Think of what you can not do with your RF camera
I'd keep those for Macro, a couple of Teles, and probably a zoom that will give you versatility.

Help me decide. I've enjoyed using my Bessa R so much that I'm thinking of parting with most of my MF Nikon equipment. I have a nice collection of Nikkor lenses and 4 MF bodies (2 FEs, 1 FE-2 and a new FM3A) that hardly see any use. I hate to sell this stuff off at a loss and with the digital revolution I know I'd never get near what I paid for it. With Nikon getting out of the film camera bussiness for the most part, would you expect the value of this equipment to be on a re-bound?

 

[lushd]

I actually did this after thinking I would only ever do 35mm RF and medium format. After a bit, I bought myself a Nikkormat and a Nikon EM and some lenses. For some things an SLR is just the right device and the Nikons give as much pleasure (especially the Nikkormat) as the rangefinders. I do have a few really nice M42 lenses that I kept and nothing really good to stick them on, but it would have broke my heart to sell them at less than £5 each on Ebay.

 

[jonasv]

Can we please stop talking about Nikkormats? I sold a beautiful FT3 recently, it was in mint condition 🙁


(don't worry - I don't feel sorry about it - I didn't use it all that much and as a student I can't afford to collect cameras)

 

[petebown]

I did sell all of my Nikon SLR and Bronica SQA equipment in order to finance my Voigtlander setup.

I'm regretting it a bit now as SLR is better for telephoto work... I'm thinking about getting a Leica R4, R5 or R6 and some telephoto lenses... possibly 90mm and a 135mm.

I do miss the quality of 6x6 and the feel of a big chunky Bronica, but don't miss the size and weight of the camera bag.

 

[sf]

I would expect the value to rise for some markets, but certainly fall for the vast majority. I'd keep one nice SLR and the lenses, and sell the rest if I could get enough out of them to buy something I really want. If I couldn't get a reasonable price for the stuff, I'd hold onto it. Someday, film cameras WILL be worth more - like Crown Graphics that sell for more than they cost (inflation, duh). If you have a really nice clean body and some nice lenses, they will sell someday to someone who misses the old times. If you don't NEED the money, keep all of it.

 

[GeneW]

After already getting into RF cameras and using them almost exclusively, I developed a yen for Nikons and have purchased an F3HP and traded for an FM2, plus some Nikkor primes. For much of the outdoors/nature work I do, the SLR's are a better fit. I love 'em both -- RF's and SLR's. I'd hang on to a couple of the SLR bodies (esp in case you get asked to photograph a wedding) and your fav primes.

Gene

 

[Byuphoto]

The only reason to sell them would be to buy Canon ;-)