[arcturus]

I'm not talking just Pentax but just about any brand where they weren't manufactured in limited quantities.

You look on eBay and I swear 90% of the film SLR camera bodies never sell, or go for next to nothing, and that's only if a lens is thrown in. Guess it's a sign of the times.

[post_eos]

I've actually got lenses cheaper by buying them on a film body than by themselves. I just think of it as a really big rear cap.

[redrockcoulee]

Just finished looking on line for a MZ7 as have opportunity of buying one local which I thought was overpriced however the on line want ads are way more, not sure if they will sell or not but I guess the price she is asking is not that out of line. Cameras that are in demand have actually rose in price the last few years according to some who keep track of these things. I know the most recent major purchase we made as hundreds more than it would have been maybe a year or so earlier and now I cannot see one even near in the price we paid, maybe $500 more for the same model. Try buying a MZ-S cheap. But the run of the mill cameras there are more available then there is the demand. But then look at the price of older digital camera, especially the cheapest ones and then you think that film cameras have kept their value rather well.

[Docrwm]

I've actually got lenses cheaper by buying them on a film body than by themselves. I just think of it as a really big rear cap.

Ditto, 2 SF1 and 2 ZX-30's that way.

[vonBaloney]

I'm not talking just Pentax but just about any brand where they weren't manufactured in limited quantities.

You look on eBay and I swear 90% of the film SLR camera bodies never sell, or go for next to nothing, and that's only if a lens is thrown in. Guess it's a sign of the times.

Yes, in general. They are certainly exceptions for particular models, and if a camera is known to be fully working, meter working, light seals good, etc it has a much better chance of selling (still, for a low price) if it is at least a slightly desirable model.

[boriscleto]

Just finished looking on line for a MZ7 as have opportunity of buying one local which I thought was overpriced however the on line want ads are way more, not sure if they will sell or not but I guess the price she is asking is not that out of line.

I bought a ZX-7 with a FA 28-20 and FA 80-320 for $50. I paid $100 for a PZ-10 but that had a FA 50/1.7 attached. Both of these involved long drives.

[Finn]

I've actually got lenses cheaper by buying them on a film body than by themselves. I just think of it as a really big rear cap.

I've ended up with a whole stable of old cameras that way!

[arnold]

What I notice is that the fully manual cameras sell well. They are reliable, not plastic, and don't depend on difficult to get batteries. The reason some don't sell, is the idiots who figure "camera for sale" is all the effort they need for descriptions. Drives me nuts.

[magkelly]

The newer half digitized film cameras might as well be bricks for all people care. If they are buying them it's usually because they are using the lenses on a DSLR. But the older full manual bodies a lot of them have really risen in price over the past couple of years and it's not just the lenses though that's a main benefit of buying them, of course. I used to be able to pick up full manual cameras from the 50's-80's for far cheaper than I am seeing them go lately though. It would seem that even sans lenses they do sell better now than the newer ones. There are exceptions.

You can't hardly give K1000's away for decent money because there are so many of them out there and the lens that's usually on them is not the greatest compared to some. But try buying a decently maintained Spottie lately or a KX and you'll pay a lot more than you would have 5 years ago. I was stunned to see someone on here mention that a Spottie in good shape was going for $100 lately. I hadn't really looked in a while but sure enough I started watching auctions and I noticed them going for $50, $60 and up even in less than ideal condition, even sans the 50 or 55 Tak sometimes. Last time I even looked at a regular one, not a black Spottie, they were going for like $20 so that's quite a jump. I'm still assuming that a lot of it is people wanting that 50 or 55 Tak but still that's a good chunk of change compared to when I first started shooting film and was looking for one. I'm seeing them CLA'd for like $200 all the time now and they seem to be selling too which tells me it can't just be collectors who want one on the shelf for looks...

I went to a photo club meeting a few weeks ago. I saw several people with Taks on their Canons and their Nikons. I see people on the M43 forums using Pentax lenses too. Most of the drive up in prices is people using the lenses but even the bodies alone are not cheap. I don't get that. Most of them won't touch a Pentax DSLR body, but boy, oh boy our glass is sure good enough that they're panting for it. Ticks me a bit off sometimes. If Pentax is so unpopular I figure I should be able to buy my brand's old lenses dirt cheap, right? But no, instead I'm usually fighting people who disdain my brand for our own lenses. There's something vaguely wacked about that....

[Checking...jono]

I have bundled some kits together for ebay sale and found that the demand is good before fall semester. Less desireable lenses are okay for beginning film students. I have to find homes for the rest of the equipment I buy in order to get a nice lens out of a single purchase. With patience and persistence I will eventually be able to afford a nice premium lens. I hope.

[Docrwm]

I have bundled some kits together for ebay sale and found that the demand is good before fall semester. Less desireable lenses are okay for beginning film students. I have to find homes for the rest of the equipment I buy in order to get a nice lens out of a single purchase. With patience and persistence I will eventually be able to afford a nice premium lens. I hope.

That makes sense. Last time I accumulated several basic film cameras I donated them to a small liberal arts college's film department.

[redrockcoulee]

I bought a ZX-7 with a FA 28-20 and FA 80-320 for $50. I paid $100 for a PZ-10 but that had a FA 50/1.7 attached. Both of these involved long drives.

She wants 50 for the MZ7 plus the silver FA 28-80 and FAJ 75-300. As I have lots of batteries for it I took the camera out for a test ride and everything seems to work. Nice to be able to adjust F stops on the DA type lenses. When looking on line I find systems like either one for 2 to 4 hundred but then Canadian prices for used equipment tends to be higher than what I see in the States and that applies to more than just cameras.

On the other hand we bought a SWC Hasselblad and it is not going to drop in price unless 120 film totally disappears.

I can appreciate why totally mechanical cameras are more sought after than the more electronic ones however for myself with the Hasselblads and large format, I do not mind the auto features of the MZ series

[Checking...jono]

Canadian prices for used equipment tends to be higher than what I see in the States

I live close to the border near Thunder Bay and check their Kijiji regularly.Higher prices are true for most things. I suppose that is why we get so much cross-border shopping in this area.

[Northern Soul]

I've actually got lenses cheaper by buying them on a film body than by themselves. I just think of it as a really big rear cap.

I'll agreed with that. My 50mm/1.7M was £7 ($11 US) Unfortunately postage was £4 ($6.50) because it came with a camera attached to it, but it was still an absolute bargain.

As I am genuinely a rear cap short now, I use the film body as a rear cap for my kit lens.

[post_eos]

I'll agreed with that. My 50mm/1.7M was £7 ($11 US) Unfortunately postage was £4 ($6.50) because it came with a camera attached to it, but it was still an absolute bargain.

I actually convinced a seller once that had the rear cap to just send the lens and reduce the shipping. I told them they could just keep the camera and sell it again as body only. They thought that was strange, thinking the body worth more than the lens, but went along with it.