Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I collect old Takumar lenses and a few others and participate in a lot of auctions. What I have noticed is that large format and some of the old pro-Nikon cameras still bring surprisingly high $. Canon 35mm not so much. What you will find is that the lens is worth more than the body in most cases because there is a market for old lenses, ie I use old Pentax on my Canon DSLR's. Unfortunately the Old Canon lenses require either an adapter with a corrective lens or the loss of infinity focus because of the difference in registration distance between the old and new. Micro 4/3's and mirrorless users can adapt most any old lens to be used on their newer cameras and drive a large part of the used market. Video shooters also like the old lenses.

As far as film vs digital? I like that my computer is a dark room and it is quite easy to adjust and manipulate my images. The quality is great and there is no waiting for results, then there is the cost savings once the original investment in the camera is made.... It only stands to reason that most casual and amateur photographers would no longer consider shooting film.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

That's interesting. We still have my wife's FM2N in excellent condition. The lens is stiff, and needs re-greasing, but it's a nice combination as part of the collection. I called one of local stores about getting the lens serviced a couple of days ago!

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

PM me if you decided to sell.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

We've been here before Blurry, and that is not entirely true. It is harder for full frame EOS cameras due to mirror contact issues, but for Canon's APS-C cameras a replacement mount - neither simple nor cheap - can make old Canon glass usable without any intermediate glass and with full infinity focus. Now the EOS M5 has come along with in body stabilization and just a simple adapter using old Canon glass has become far easier and it will most likely get easier going forwards.

I would expect to see good FD lenses increase price going forwards.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Thanks, but no, we're keeping them.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I just sold a canon F-1 with 3 lenses, power winder, filters, flash with off camera bracket, light meter and a zero-Halliburton aluminium case for the wonderful price of $200. That package cosr me about 2 grand in 1975. About 6 grand in today's dollars.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

I was in a flea market, the guy had a box of old cameras all just thrown together. I was going to buy a few to put on a shelf just for the heck of it. The guy wanted $50.00 each, There was nothing special, no good cameras just junk. I didnt buy them. My good Nikon film camera is in a box in the attic. I tried to sell it a few years ago, the offers made me sick and I kept it. someday who knows when, I may get it out and use it.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Your right, I clicked the wrong emoti, used to be easy before they changed the damn format, now I have to really look!!!

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Yes, you are quite right, your adapters will achieve infinity focus with some specific lenses on Canon DSLRs, not all, ie I have an old Canon 17mm f/4 rectilinear lens that they make one for but even with that adapter it will not achieve infinity focus. I forget who manufacturers those adapters but they have a chart of the adapters they make for the various lenses and the focal distances that can be achieved for the specific lens, very small range for my lens and that is the only Canon lens that I ever cared to try to adapt, as we previously discussed I just find it easier to use very simple adapters with Pentax, Olympus, or Ziess lenses.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Hey, if THEY pay shipping, that's $17 more than you've got now!!!
SS

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I think we are in agreement, but that changes with the advent of decent mirrorless cameras, and that is coming whether we like it or not. The replacement mounts that I have used are from Ed Mika in Canada. One of the things that is true about (most) of his modifications is that they are non destructive and reversible. If you kept all the bits they could be returned to the original state and used on -say- The EOS M5 or other mirrorless with a single simple adapter with full infinity focus and in body stabilization. I'm not ready to go mirrorless yet, I think the tech has some significant evolution to go, but it is coming....

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

You can take the lens off and sell the body without it..

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Yes, but we don't wish to. I plan to get the lens serviced so that we can use it with an adapter on our Canon DSLRs and bring the FM2n back into active use with film, even if it will be a gentle retirement.

There are reasons why we have a house full of books, a few hundred vinyl LPs, some antique furniture and so on. These things trigger old memories that are invaluable. They are part of the fabric of our lives and represent years of work and enjoyment. If I needed the money ( and honestly an FM2n isn't that much) I could easily sell something else that didn't have strong associations. Maybe cash in a non-performing IRA which would be orders of magnitude more and just re-balance a few other things to make the money back during the year ahead.

My first serious SLR was a Russian Zenit E, which I still have, but the pentaprism mirroring deteriorated. I found a slightly newer model (the olympics one) on ebay from a guy in Ukraine. It was just the body, but I still have the Helios lens. Now I have my first SLR - or its cousin - and the lens which I am also using on my Canon DSLR. It's eclectic but fun.

When I was at university I was one of the group that ran the photography club. I got myself one of the first Canon AE-1s to land in the UK. My other colleagues turned up with a Yashica FX-1 and a Contax that same year. A few years back one of my wife's uncles died. My Aunt-in-law who is still going strong at 94 gifted me his cameras. The Yashica FX-1 and a Contax 137 MD. Now I have both the family connection and a direct link to my university days.

Just picking up one of those things is so visceral, so many memories come flooding back. They all work, and get exercised occasionally to keep them that way.

Take care.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Yup, that is pretty much it. A very few specific models have retained some or even considerable value. A really good condition Rolleiflex with fast f/2.8 80mm lens is still a large investment. I believe a Canon F1 might still go for a good price. But Nikon F - F4s are so common they have little value except again for certain specific sub-models. A High-Point Photomic should still be valuable. I have no idea about say a "medical" Nikon with Titanium finish for being disinfected with chemicals. Though, probably long replaced with digital by now at Hospitals. Vintage Leica R & M series cameras are still pricey. Leica and Hasselblad lenses still untouchable in quality and price. Sinar View Cameras are still valuable as are other similar top brands. I've notice that the prices for Large Format lenses has actually been dropping lately. Lenses for SLR and DSLR cameras keep good up in price for new, and fluctuate wildly for used. For as little as $15 for a slow "nifty-fifty". Again a few vintage ones have increased in value. Surprisingly one of my film cameras is still worth a good amount. It was is the fancy more advanced version of the Pentax K2, the Asahi Pentax K2 DMD (motor drive version with other special features). It was a luxury for me at the time at about $330.00 body only (lens, drive and battery grip additional). The regular K2 was about $150.00. A K1000 was about $115.00.

obeone

FTb is a great camera, built like a tank. I just left mine outdoors to shoot star trails in -1 degree weather, for seven hours. You're not going to get any camera with batteries to last half that time at that temperature.