Nikon 35mm camera price explosion!

Bluesman Graham · Aug 25, 2023

Hi All.

As a Nikon user most of my professional life, (after starting with Pentax), I'm retiring from pro Sports shooting & want some sanity and go back to my 35mm roots! I wish to utilise my, mainly earlier AF lenses,( IE they have an aperture dial).
I already own a mint FM2 with MD12 drive but, wanted to expand my collection. I cannot believe the prices of used Nikon 35mm cameras

??

I'm looking at my old work horse cameras, F2AS, F3HS/P, FM, FE2, FA etc, and the prices for most are more than when I bought them new back then!

I don't see this huge rise in popularity in any major way for 35mm film camera use via most media outlets, (I know it's getting a bit vouge ), but, Nikon is exceptional in it's film camera price hike??

I can, & have bought a number of Pentax Super A, ME Super cameras etc to quell my fixation on that field and they sell for a price you'd expect for a 30 year + camera, however,
I cannot find a very good example of most of the major Nikon models for much less than what I paid for them back in the day NEW??

Am I missing a trick hear? is 35mm truly making a genuine come back?, or should I just wait a year or 2 &, wait for the bubble to burst?.

C&C always encouraged. Regards Graham.

Rickbb · Aug 25, 2023

I think it’s mostly collector‘s buying them up causing the price hike. The old F2’s were what everyone wanted back in the day, but I don’t see people shooting film with them now. I do see them sitting in curio cabinets, like mine. :stung:

Strodav · Aug 25, 2023

I see an F5 in EX+ condition for $428 at KEH.com, but jumping to an F6 or an FM3A will cost a $1k. So I guess it depends on the model you want. My first 35mm was an AE-1, which is about $200 in EX+ condition. Personally, for film, I like medium format. I bought my Mamiya 645 1000s new many years ago and still have and use it, which you can buy now for about $200. The nice thing is glass is pretty cheap.

Is film making a comeback.? Probably not, too expensive and takes too much time. I capture many thousands of digital images / year and probably several dozens film images. With film, I process it myself, but instead of a dark room, I scan it with an Epson photo scanner, use LrC or PS to process, then print on a Canon Pro 1000 or post electronically. Nostalgia or the look and feel of real film? Probably a mixture of both, but it ends up digital no matter what.

cgw · Aug 25, 2023

A certain chic is attached to the Nikon F series cameras, especially black models. They're hard to find in EXC shape, unlike, say 12-15 years ago when they were easy to find. I've not been impressed by the condition of FM/FE variants friends overpay for now. Cheaper still were prosumer gems like the N90s/F90X which were excellent MF/AF cameras. As mentioned, the "film revival" slams hard into the reality of pricey film, scarce often iffy processing, and vanishing camera repair resources for the potential doorstops so many lust after.

Still love my MF Mamiya and Bronica kits for b&w. Those, nearly all Japan-sourced now on the big auction site, are crazy-pricey.

My innate cynicism(aka realism) still insists that most film cameras are really disposable cameras in 2023, so shoot 'em till they break--then get another.