Deal or Dud?

[sm4him]

Just picked up a Nikon N2020 AF camera with a Sigma 75-300mm AF lens for $40, total.
Don't have any film, so I can't test the camera, but it looks to be in really good shape, except it needs a little dust cleaned off. Don't see any scratches or problems with the lens.

I haven't decided whether to turn around and try to resell them, together or separately; try to use the lens on my D5100 (although my vision stinks, so I can't really imagine the whole manual focus thing working that well for me anymore), or just add it to my camera collection that is just for display.

Did I get a good deal? Would it even be worth the time and effort to try to resell them, or would I likely make so little profit that I might as well just keep them for decoration?

 

[ann]

go buy a roll of film and have fun, see what happens.

 

[tirediron]

Deal.

 

[Proteus617]

A dea if it works and you want to use it. As for your eyesight, the N2020 is AF, no? If you sold it, you would get your $40 back and thatś about it.

 

[davisphotos]

You got a good deal if you want to play around with 35mm film. The N2020 isn't a collectors item, but it's a solid camera. And the lens is not good at all, but you didn't pay much for it.

 

[sm4him]

Thanks, all for your comments! I did get some film and some new batteries for it, but so far, I've had no luck getting it to work. Everything LOOKS like it should work, but I'm getting no indication that it's "on"--shutter presses down but doesn't activitate and wind the film, and there is no information showing in the viewfinder.

I don't have any intention of shooting film much; those days are long since gone for me--I have no darkroom equipment anymore, and no desire to get back into that. I enjoy my digital processing more than I ever enjoyed chemical processing. But I WAS gonna shoot a few rolls for fun, and send them somewhere for developing.

I've downloaded a manual for it, so I'll keep troubleshooting what might be wrong. Might be a simple thing I'm doing wrong--or it might be a brick. Either way, I won't feel like I'm "out" $40 since it can always just get added to the decorative collection.

Oh, and davisphotos--my camera collection isn't really about real "collector's items." It's just something that started because I've kept every camera I've ever owned, with the sole exception of an Olympus SLR I had in the early 80s--hated that thing, because it was always breaking. Evidently, I hated it so much I actually got rid of it. I even still have a disc camera I used to use!

Anyway, since I had all these old cameras, and miscellaneous photo equipment, I decided to decorate a room of my house in photography items, aside from just photos. Old cameras, lenses, a projector, exposure meters--their actual "value" isn't what ultimately matters to me.

So, I guess even if the camera turns out to be a brick, and the lens isn't sharp (I haven't tried it out yet, since I'm still trying to get the camera to work)...I still won't feel like I'm "out" the money; I'll just decorate with it!

EDIT: Found the problem; corroded contact in the battery compartment. Got the corrosion off, and everything seems to work fine. Now to shoot a roll and get it developed!

 

[mdarnton]

The 2020 is a surprisingly OK camera, but you'll find that the focusing, which is Nikon's first AF effort, is very slow, and it thrashes for a while before it finds focus. I find it easier to use mine in manual focus. However, with the lens it seems like you got a deal. I bought mine for $40 with two lenses, sold one lens, covering the cost of the whole kit, kept the other lens to use, and hardly ever touch the camera. You won't be disappointed, I don't think.