Old Film Cameras - what to keep??

[Vondelieth]

I was cleaning out my house today, and I found a few old cameras. I'm trying to figure out what to keep, and the rest I'm going to donate to an amazing community darkroom. Here's the list:

Olympus XA (probably going to keep)
Pentx SF1 (probably not going to keep, but it was my granpas, so I'm a little on the fence)
Canon EOS Rebel (probably not going to keep)
Minolta Maxxum 5 (probably not going to keep)
Diana F+ (someone bought me this from urban outfitters, I don't really understand the appeal)

Just for reference, I have a Minolta SRT100 that I started shooting with today, and in my other place I have a Hasselblad, an AGFA isolette, and a Canon 7d (digital obvs), all of which I love. I don't want to give away anything that's secretly sweet (the olympus xa turned out to be an internet fav) so what is the general opinion on these cameras? Anything that pops out, or that I should save? Thanks a million for your thoughts.

 

[limr]

If the Diana F+ was bought at Urban Outfitters, a) the person spent too much, and b) it's not an original Diana. I don't know if you've seen any images taken with a Diana - it's that soft focus, vignetted, "nostalgic" type of image. I quite like it when it's done well and I've seen some amazing things done when someone really knows how to use a Diana to play up its strengths. But if that's not your thing, then yes, you should ditch it. I can't say how much it would go for, given it's the Lomography version and not an original, but if it's unused, then at least it has that going for it.

I would totally shoot up those disposables, just for fun to see what you get. I also see you've got a Polaroid there. Can't quite tell what model it is, but it looks like a fairly modern one that takes 600 or maybe SX-70 film? If you don't mind paying $24 to the Impossible Project for 8 shots of instant film, that could also be fun to play with. But I'm also an instant film junkie, so that might just be my bias talking

I think you're right to keep the XA. It's a quite capable little thing and really easy to just throw in a pocket to always have a camera handy when you need it. The others...nothing too exciting. I can see why you might keep the Pentax for sentimental reasons. (Once again, my bias is showing, however, since my first and lifelong love is a Pentax K1000, so I've got a soft spot in my heart for anything with the Pentax name.)

 

[wanderer86]

I agree. Definitely keep the XA. I have a friend who has gotten awesome results from hers. I'd keep the Pentax for sentimental reasons.

And the Polaroid could be fun to play with but if you really like instant film you might have more fun with a Polaroid 250 Land camera or the likes that take Fuji's pack film that runs 9 dollars for 10 peel apart shots and not 24 for 8 sometimes finicky shots haha

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[Derrel]

Why not keep them all?

 

[wanderer86]

Why not keep them all?

Well she could, but I admire wanting to donate some to a local community darkroom where they can get more use and bring others joy as well and keep the fire burning for film.

Oh did I mention that it's awesome you have a local darkroom? I'm jealous. [emoji17]

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[Vondelieth]

Why not keep them all?

Why would I store a bunch of cheap cameras that I won't use?

 

[Vondelieth]

I agree. Definitely keep the XA. I have a friend who has gotten awesome results from hers. I'd keep the Pentax for sentimental reasons.

And the Polaroid could be fun to play with but if you really like instant film you might have more fun with a Polaroid 250 Land camera or the likes that take Fuji's pack film that runs 9 dollars for 10 peel apart shots and not 24 for 8 sometimes finicky shots haha

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Definitely keeping the Polaroid, that's why I didn't list it. My photo was just confusing because it was taken for something else, that's why it has disposables and the SRT100 in it. Thanks for the XA vote though, will keep that for certain now!

 

[Derrel]

Why not keep them all?

Why would I store a bunch of cheap cameras that I won't use?

Maybe so you would not be donating a box of junk equipment worth $15 to some local organization and act like you're doing them a big favor. I'm sure they're awash in loads of other people's cast-off photo junk.

I don't think the "bunch of cheap cameras", as you described it, and which you plan on "donating" the scraps from, will really go much farther than the rubbish bin. Apparently, you need us to tell you what to keep, and the utter garbage that's left over after you pick the carcass clean will be "donated" to some wonderful organization...

As an aside, I used to donate to a program for photography for disadvantaged inner city youth: I bought them an entire electronic flash system and studio background setup. THE BOXES of garbage people donated were filled with old cast-offs like this....decades old, broken down...junk. EVERY time somebody cleans out a closet and keeps the good stuff then "donates" the rubbish was like a slap in the face to the kids, and to those of us helping them.

 

[Vondelieth]

Why not keep them all?

Why would I store a bunch of cheap cameras that I won't use?

Maybe so you would not be donating a box of junk equipment worth $15 to some local organization and act like you're doing them a big favor. I'm sure they're awash in loads of other people's cast-off photo junk/

They are just starting off, and requesting cameras. These are all in working condition, and I replaced the batteries and cleaned them up. I don't have money to buy them a flash system (good for you!) but I do volunteer for them.

 

[wanderer86]

Why not keep them all?

Why would I store a bunch of cheap cameras that I won't use?

Maybe so you would not be donating a box of junk equipment worth $15 to some local organization and act like you're doing them a big favor. I'm sure they're awash in loads of other people's cast-off photo junk.

I don't think the "bunch of cheap cameras", as you described it, and which you plan on "donating" the scraps from, will really go much farther than the rubbish bin. Apparently, you need us to tell you what to keep, and the utter garbage that's left over after you pick the carcass clean will be "donated" to some wonderful organization...

As an aside, I used to donate to a program for photography for disadvantaged inner city youth: I bought them an entire electronic flash system and studio background setup. THE BOXES of garbage people donated were filled with old cast-offs like this....decades old, broken down...junk. EVERY time somebody cleans out a closet and keeps the good stuff then "donates" the rubbish was like a slap in the face to the kids, and to those of us helping them.

The rebel and maxxum are not junky cameras. I have 2 rebels that were given to me that I use for various things. I'm just more of a manual shooter and prefer the metal bodies of my older manual cameras.

In the end its not the camera, but how you use it that creates a photo. I've seen plenty of awesome photos from junk cameras.

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[wanderer86]

Why not keep them all?

Why would I store a bunch of cheap cameras that I won't use?

Maybe so you would not be donating a box of junk equipment worth $15 to some local organization and act like you're doing them a big favor. I'm sure they're awash in loads of other people's cast-off photo junk/

They are just starting off, and requesting cameras. These are all in working condition, and I replaced the batteries and cleaned them up. I don't have money to buy them a flash system (good for you!) but I do volunteer for them.

Put a 50 1.8 on that Rebel and you can get amazing photos! We all know that its all about the glass you use, not so much the box that holds the negatives. I've made some of my favorite photos with other people's junk

This photo was on a Pentax K1000 that someone threw away. On my first roll ever. The magic that is film can't be dulled by just "junky" cameras.

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[limr]

I agree - the cameras aren't "junk." The phrase I used was "nothing very exciting" but that's not the same as junk. They're not very exciting to me because they're not the kind of cameras I usually like to shoot, but they are very capable cameras.

I somehow missed the part about donating, not selling Not that it changes anything I wrote, except maybe I wouldn't have written anything about how much the Diana would go for. In my defense, it was late and I was tired

 

[Buckster]

I'm the wrong guy to ask which cameras to get rid of.