What is up with Nikon F3 prices in 2021?

Sonnar Brian

Sonnar Brian

Product of the Fifties
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I've been shooting mostly RF's for the past 20 years, but used Nikon SLR's for 25 years before that. Mostly Nikon F2 and F, also picked up an F3AF, one of the first few hundred, long ago as a curiosity. Put a DE-3 on it and an MF-14 to use it as a shooter. Picked up a pair of new F3HP's some 20 years ago in case that one wore out. It did not. Used one of those, the other is in the box. Both were at the 2M roll-over, so I left the one with SN above 2M in the box. Some twelve years ago picked up user F3HP for under $100, the going price.

I looked to KEH for current prices- they are out of stock on F3HP's- at least could not bring any up on a search. Checked Ebay, users are going for much more than what they did a few years ago. Truly Mint ones- in box, crazy prices. They made 750K of these, most probably still work. Same with the F and F2, made even more of them- most still work.

You can pick up a Canon P or Canon 7 for far less than an F3HP these days. Just checked. What are new film users picking up these days?
 
Almost all the decent film cameras are selling for 50% to 100% more than what they were going for a few years ago. Inflation? A Fad? Not really sure. I picked up a couple M3's, an M2, and an M4 in the early teens (2011-2014) for under $1000 each. Now you can't touch them for anything near that. Was looking for an M2 a few months ago, and ones in not as good of shape as the one I picked up for $950 are going for anywhere from $1700 to $2400, it's insane.

I think it's just "what the market will bear", I think the prices will come back down in a few years, especially if film prices keep going up.

Best,
-Tim
 
As Tim says, pretty much everything with a good reputation is selling for much more than a few years ago. In Australia at least, F3’s seem to be selling for about the same as comparable models.
 
The Canon F1 N seems to never had a cheap to buy period since digital cameras took over.
 
Maybe like attrition as cheaper copies previously purchased have failed and become uneconomical to repair. I suspect this is what is up with camera prices in general.
 
I recently listed 4 p&s Olympus cameras on ebay and sold them all at a handsome profit. The dearest of them cost me £36 about 7 years ago and the cheapest was £1. They owed me nothing, and yet they financed my recent purchase of a near mint Nikon F4 and a brick of film to go with it. The high value cameras are not always the best built or most desirable to a dedicated photographer as opposed to a hipster film noob.
 
Many cameras which have a good reputation and have proven to be reliable have risen a lot in price - in small part caused by demand from an older age group who realize they can now afford these cameras and who also realize cameras with such (electro)mechanical complexity and beauty will never be made again.

I bought my F3/T’s and other nice cameras during the film era, so I paid full new-in-box prices. During the digital rush, wonderful Nikkormats and older Canon FD-mount bodies could be had for around $20.

Everytime I check KEH just to look at what they’ve got, they are mostly out of stock except for the very low end cameras.
 
I have a couple of "plastic fantastics" from the late 80s and early 90s that continue to work, an N8008s and an N70s. Recently was given an N6006. The N8008s has the same viewfinder as a DE3. Seem to go for $25 these days. I used mine a good bit with manual focus lenses. A good camera for a beginner. Just does not have the "look and feel" of an F2AS and F2Sb hat I went back to after buying it. My Nikkormat FTn, FT2, FT3 all work. The Nikkormat EL and Nikon EL2 still work. FM, FE, FE2... all work. Picked up a Black user-grade FM for $50, one of the few cameras to use Gallium Arsenide Photocells. I preferred the Nikkormat El over the smaller/lighter FE/FM.

Shooting film is not cheap these days. I guess is you are going to pay premium prices to shoot film, you might as well have a top-notch camera. I got hooked on the Nikon RF's and Canon RF's for film. Continued to use the F2AS and F2Sb for a long time. "Way back in the 80s"- used the F3HP mostly for taking color slides off an IBM Professional Graphics Monitor, there were no good color printers.
 
John Bragg said:
I recently listed 4 p&s Olympus cameras on ebay and sold them all at a handsome profit. The dearest of them cost me £36 about 7 years ago and the cheapest was £1. They owed me nothing, and yet they financed my recent purchase of a near mint Nikon F4 and a brick of film to go with it. The high value cameras are not always the best built or most desirable to a dedicated photographer as opposed to a hipster film noob.
Click to expand...

I checked the Ebay prices for my Leica Mini. Much more than what I paid for it brand-new. Great lens on it. Prices on some P&S are insane. The original Nikon Lite-Touch used to go for $3 on Ebay. Of course I remember seeing a barrel of Diana camera new-in-the-box for 50cents each.
 
I think there is a generational aspect as well, where 20 years ago there weren't too many people looking for these cameras and on top of that all the pros and prosumers were changing to digital, so lots of used gear on the market and few buyers. Much of that first wave of gear resale is done, but now we have a massive generation looking for this stuff. I live near an art college (Pratt) and lately whenever I'm out for a walk (and I'm not out that much) I see a classic film camera on an 18-22-year-old. So, IMHO we have a classic supply and demand with film and processing costs as a moderating variable. I agree, if film prices skyrocket, demand will wane. Funny, I was coming back on the L train from Bushwick last night and overheard two 20 somethings discussing the cost of digital cameras and their expected useful lifespan and how they weren't happy with either.
 
Picking up Mint condition cameras was always a "premium", but was "in the day" generally no more than 25% over an average condition camera. Now that a few decades went by, a mint camera can run several times that of a user-grade camera. I've kept my cameras in fitted cases when used. I have several Nikon bodies bought new in the 1970s that still look new. I was shooting portraits for a friend's wedding and set the F2a down on a sofa. The girl's mother asked that I be careful, that was an expensive Sofa. I looked at her, and said it was almost as clean as my camera. 44 years later- camera still looks like new in its CH-4 case.
 
Very obvious, but under IMHO.

Hipsta for status with no budget limits pickups M6 (E-TTL), same kind of hipsta on limited budget pickups much more simple to use, but still somewhat glorified camera - F3 high eye ball point. And capable hipsta, not eager for status with empty pockets choose P and if it is tasteless and still clueless hipsta then Seven. :)

Clueless hipsta - in camera metering. Capable hipsta - better than in camera limited metering.

Years ago ex film only, photo journalist in country capital media, later two studios with freelancers photog told me - hipsta. Because I went on film from digital with meterless rangefinders. Couple years later he went well bellow me, showing of on same event with metering SLR. It was Minolta :) .
 
Another question may be: why were F3s so cheap for so long? Seriously, with one of the best and brightest viewfinders of any 35mm film camera ever, iconic design, and decent reliability, it is surprising that it is not in more demand.

Also, film is not really "expensive" or at a "premium." Regular film is $5-6 per roll and good labs do develop only for $5. Given inflation, that is no more expensive than the 1980s. What has changed is that we are all now comfortable paying $2,000+ upfront for a digital camera, thinking that we will take so many great photos that it will ultimately be "cheaper" than film.
 
I noticed the prices on all camera gear start to rise about the time everyone went into lockdown. Idle hands with a keyboard or phone started ordering cameras like crazy, as certain models started to become scarce on the market that only a month or two before were plentiful. Even the more prestigious shops were running out of stock. One thing for certain, most of my collection is now worth almost double over two years ago, with some items bringing prices three to four times what they used to. Now, if I can only part with some of it...

PF
 
I've noticed the same thing on my SLR's- prices went up when I was not looking. I still prefer all-mechanical cameras.
My "big" F3 trick- use an MF-14 databack. If the batteries in the body go out, pull the ones from the back and use them for the camera. I've done that twice when just grabbing the camera for an outing and have the camera quitting on me.
 
I've been buying rare and uncommon Leica mount lenses out of Japan at 1/4th the price they were going for 10 years ago. I attribute this to the younger generation in Japan having lost interest in camera collecting. I picked up a Canon 50/2.2 for under $100, it was only manufactured for 6 months. So I think this is an "in style" and "out of style" thing. Plastic P&S and Pro manual focus SLRs seems to be "the in thing". Reminds me of "Buy when everyone else is selling" and "sell when everyone else is buying". Just have to know which is which.

My F3AF is almost 40 years old. Keeps going. Remember that Nikon stated the LCD had a 7 year life. I still prefer the F2.

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Right now, in Nikon Land, F801(s)/N8008(s) and the F90(x)/N90(s) has to represent the great bargains. Those were next-to-top-tier and remains excellent versatile cameras yet they are given away for much less than any odd P&S cameras goes for these days.
The Nikkormat FTn remains comparatively inexpensive, I don't know if the aperture indexing shy people away, but I would rather have a FTn than a Pentax K1000 any day.
Before the first lock-down, the Nikkormat EL was very affordable, but the past year the price has risen sharply along with its newer cusins EL2, FE and FE2.

I bought my first F2HP in Japan 2011 - at that time I paid half the price of the going rate for a similar condition FE2. In all fairness, I also believe that the FE2 is a better camera for most people, but given the choice of a top tier relatively compact "Leica-smooth" F3 and a prosumer FE2 at twice the price, the F3 won of course.
 
  • Money printing/inflation/purchasing power reduction.
  • Renewed interest in film relative to the sell offs of film equipment for digital back in the 2000 and early 2010's.
  • Failure and cannibalization leading to supply restriction of working gear.
  • Fads
  • People with newfound time on their hands that had disposable income when jobs/businesses were shuttered by government lockdowns in response to SARS-COV-2.
  • Interest in formerly high end professional gear that was unattainable for older users at the time or is seen as desirable due to qualities now.
I bought an F3HP for around $235 early this year seeing the writing on the wall as I wanted to try one before the price exceeded what I could bear. I plan to keep it until it dies as a companion for my lighter FE2. I wish I would have picked up an FM3A and F2AS before the prices started to climb. Honestly I may still try to get an F2 after taxes next year as it should outlast me.

M bodies are the same. I bought a mint 0.58 chrome M6TTL for $700 back in 2012 from a retired journalist that didn't want to give $700 extra in commission to a photo store. I had to sell it due to a very bizarre uncovered medical emergency. As soon as I had the chance to buy another a few years later, I picked one up for around $1300 or so (similar price to what I sold at) and am glad I did. I would never pay the current going price for one of those relative to my income levels.

I think it is safe to say the bargin bin days for high end film equipment will not return unless we end up in some apocalyptic scenario (in which case those F2 and F3 bodies will still double as excellent hammers.)
 
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