What do you do with your older cameras when you upgrade?

[benhasajeep]

I am a hoarder. I got burned about 8 years ago when I tried to do a trade in on a new DSLR. Guy was a scammer and got me for a couple thousand in equipment (WAS a reputable dealer). I still have alot of film cameras that I should get rid of as well. But for what they are worth now, I am comfortable to just let them sit on a shelf as a trophy I guess.

Anyway in the past 2 weeks I have ordered 3 new DSLR's. Question is what to do with 3 older cameras? Just wondering what you do? Did you trade in the older stuff (too late for me to do). You sell it on ebay? Give it to a family member? Just keep it? I have a nephew that has shown interest in photography somewhat. I was thinking of giving him my Coolpix 8700 that I am replacing with a D40x. The problem is if I give him something valuable, I have to give his sister something as good (huge problems if I don't). So, I am hesitant to give him the camera. I was thinking of modifying either the D50 or 20D to a permanent IR camera. Any ideas on that?

Or should I just ebay them? And maybe some of the film stuff too? My problem is I know how much I paid when I first got them, and what they go for now. Just seems to be a waste? But then again sitting on a shelf not used is a waste as well. How do you look at it?

 

[Ls3D]

I'd love to give it away, how precious a gift... but usually I'm selling to finance the new purchase.

-Shea

 

[notelliot]

If you can get a decent dollar for them, sell them. If you need some stuff to keep your dust on, hang on to them. If you're curious, take them apart. Convert to IR. If you know someone that would benefit from having it more so than yourself, give it away.

I take mine apart. I'm going to build a super camera one day.

 

[Mike_E]

Tough call, I'm prone to keeping them. Except the N70 I gave a sister-in-law.

You could ebay one and buy another 8700 and give the kids one each.

 

[benhasajeep]

If you can get a decent dollar for them, sell them. If you need some stuff to keep your dust on, hang on to them. If you're curious, take them apart. Convert to IR. If you know someone that would benefit from having it more so than yourself, give it away.

I take mine apart. I'm going to build a super camera one day.

I actually intended to do the IR myself. I read a couple articles on it and feel that I could to it. But again if I crack the sensor while removing the filter. Then I just totally trashed something that I could have gotten at least a couple hundred for. Been on the fence for a while on that one.

As for letting them sit, I kinda though it was cool to have all the old cameras sitting there. Like trophys to my photography career. But when we moved to the new house. It just seemed like so much a waste since most are still very good working cameras. And as the trophy bit, I don't dust them enough to do them justice anyway. So, I think I am changing my ways in the hoarding of them.

 

[benhasajeep]

Tough call, I'm prone to keeping them. Except the N70 I gave a sister-in-law.

You could ebay one and buy another 8700 and give the kids one each.

I would but she shows no interest in cameras, and I firmly believe she would not take care of it. Her brother is 2 years older and he is just on the edge of starting to care for his own stuff (another reason I am still hesitant). So for her I would have to come up with something else.

I asked my mom if my step dad would use the D50 and she said probably not. I bought them a camera for x-mas about 9 years ago and he just uses it occasionally. No one else in my family shows any interest in photography. My mom wont use anything but a Polaroid .

 

[Joves]

I would but she shows no interest in cameras, and I firmly believe she would not take care of it. Her brother is 2 years older and he is just on the edge of starting to care for his own stuff (another reason I am still hesitant). So for her I would have to come up with something else.

I asked my mom if my step dad would use the D50 and she said probably not. I bought them a camera for x-mas about 9 years ago and he just uses it occasionally. No one else in my family shows any interest in photography. My mom wont use anything but a Polaroid .

Well you could give them to local schools for their papers. I have done that as well as to boyscout troops. They generally appreciate them.

 

[tenlientl]

I've never sold things.

There's a PS3 and a few games I havn't touched in months. I could probably sell it and buy me a good tripod AND CP filter, but I won't.

There's memories in that PS3.... So yea. That's my input.

 

[pete_6109]

I collect old film cameras and have regretted not keeping the ones I bought when I was in high school and college. They would probably be worth more today than I paid for them, just like the 1963 Chevy Impala convertible I sold in 1971 for $150.00 that only had 63K miles on it. Or the 1963 Thunderbird I sold for $100 to a friend who needed or car.
As far as digital SLR's go, you probably cannot recoup you investment by selling them on Ebay. Digital cameras are like PC's. They become obsolete very quickly because they are always replaced with something that is "supposedly better". I have a Canon G5 that cost my $700.00 a couple of years ago that is now only worth about $100.00.
My vote is to give your digital cameras to a family member who shows an interest in photography and sell the film cameras if you don't plan to collect or use them anymore.

 

[Patm1313]

I would give them to family members with an interest in photography. If only I had someone who had given me a camera...

 

[ksmattfish]

I kept one 20D as a beater, and back-up to my back-ups. I had the other 20D converted to IR. When I buy my next DSLR I will probably pass the regular 20D on to my brother.

I've kept most of my film cameras, and a few digitals as part of my camera collection, but I'm not very interested in collecting electronic cameras. I donated my electronic, AF 35mm SLRs to an organization that was teaching photography to kids in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. I sold my Hasselblad and Pentax medium format gear because it still held some value. Many of the mechanical film cameras I own hold more personal value to me than what they are worth on the market: Speed Graphics, 6x6 folders, Nikon FM2n's, Spotmatics and K1000's, etc.... The few that are valuable are also ones I don't want to part with: Widelux, Rolleiflex, etc...

I'm interested in exploring kite photography, which obviously needs an expendable camera. I'd love to get a 20D up in the air, but i've been told it's too heavy for a beginning kite photographer.

 

[mrodgers]

I have 4 digital cameras. I haven't sold any nor given them away.

I have a Casio QV-10. It was the first digital camera that I had ever seen in the store. It still works perfectly in it's 1/4 MP fantastic images (LOL). The only problem I have is, there are pictures on it (just had it turned on about 4 months ago) and I no longer have the serial cable for it. I don't even know if computers still have serial input anymore for me to get the pictures off.

I also have a Fuji FinePix 2650. The zoom broke, but it still works flawlessly other than that. I gave this to my 4 year old, though she always wants my new camera.

I have a Nikon CoolPix 880 that my wife's Aunt gave me for my oldest daughter (8). I am trying to get her into using it more. Any time we go anywhere I carry it in hopes that she will use it, but I end up just carrying it around in my pocket.

My current camera is the Fuji S5700. If I ever upgrade to dSLR (doubtful), I will give this one to my older daughter again in hopes that she will pick up a photography bug.

 

[bhop]

Now that i'm shooting for someone other than myself, i'm keeping my old camera as a backup. Otherwise, i'd probably sell it.

 

[Lyncca]

Well, I'm just getting my second DSLR and while I have several friends who want it (for free of course), I will either use it as a second body so I don't have to change lenses so much, or convert to IR. I'm still debating that one.

When I have the problem of 4 or more bodies, then I say sell if you can't get the value out of it, if not, give it to someone with a real interest (not someone that will never take it off AUTO).

 

[confused_in_the_darkroom]

I would consider converting it to IR if you have multiple ones to play with then just do it. If you're succesful it will increase the value of an outdated DSLR