Which should I sell?

[IvanMyring]

I recently bought three film cameras on eBay. It was one sale of the three cameras together , with no lenses. I have now got a Canon FTb QL, a Pentax ME Super, and a Praktica MTL3. I want to sell at least one, but probably two. Which would you recommend keeping.

Also, all three have some dust and/or a little bit of dirt on and around the mirror. I will clean them. The Pentax has a spec of dirt/fungus inside the viewfinder, the glass screen is scratched on the right side (though it is hard to notice, it may be distracting), and the leather is a bit tatty. The others are in better condition.

Currently, my preference is for the canon, but which is the best camera?

 

[minicoop1985]

I've played with/currently have sitting there/sold but buyer hasn't paid so it hasn't shipped a Pentax ME Super. Seems to be a pretty good camera. That being said, I'll ask this: what system do you use for digital? Do you use Pentax or something else? If you're using Pentax, keep the Pentax, since all Pentax bayonet mount lenses fit the current DSLRs (only the autofocus ones autofocus, obviously, and the manual apertures, blah blah blah). If not, the Pentax should fetch you some money. Mine sold for $45, but that was with a 50mm f2 lens.

 

[Derrel]

The Canon is probably the best-built, the Praktica is a clunky East German beast, and the ME Super is a very small, highly-automated camera which in my experience, had a rather fragile film winding system that was easily broken (two separate cameras, both with broken film advance systems, three years apart).

The Canon is older in feel, but is probably by some measure "the best" camera, in my opinion. But none of them are so valuable that selling them will bring huge financial rewards, and if they all function, well...I'd be tempted to keep them all and run some film through them now and again. Or, if you have a fondness or an appreciation for one or two, then certainly, let your heart be your guide.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Pentax seems to be popular and collectible; the condition would affect the value but someone could want to tinker and spiff it up and use it.

The Canon should be good and not too hard to find lenses for. The Praktica if it's a screw mount might be somewhat harder to find lenses for; I have some 42mm (aka Pentax and/or M42) screw mount and I don't see those as often as Canon FD mount.

Maybe once you clean them up just play around with them and see which you like the feel of/the way it handles best. The Praktica might take a little getting used to where the shutter release is located.

 

[vimwiz]

The canon will probably go for a decent price. The FTb is excellent. I sold an old F-1 in poor condition for ~£45. Good ones were ~£100.

 

[minicoop1985]

If anything, here's my thought. When I have to make a decision about what camera to sell, usually it's about what I enjoy more. I bought a Hasselblad 2000FC/M thinking I would make a comparison between it and my 500EL, and though the 2000FC/M would have sold for WAY more than the jammed up 500EL, I kept the 2000FC/M. Partly because FOCAL PLANE FTW and partly because it's black. And looks cooler.

 

[compur]

I would keep the FTb. Lots of great lenses available for it and it is built to last. The others were good cameras when produced but are prone to various problems and best to sell while they are still working.

 

[vimwiz]

I would keep the FTb. Lots of great lenses available for it and it is built to last. The others were good cameras when produced but are prone to various problems and best to sell while they are still working.

True. The FD lens system is amazing, and cheap.

 

[webestang64]

The Pentax ME would sell at my shop for around $75 for the body, ad a Pentax 50mm and it would sell for $125. The other 2....worth nothing in a retail shop, maybe $50 for the Canon (but I'm going by local tastes and passed sales.

 

[minicoop1985]

The Pentax is really worth that much? Well hot damn, since the buyer never paid... :mrgreen:

The Canon FD mount has an ungodly large amount of glass available from third party and from Canon. It's an oddball mounting system with that reversed bayonet, but it works.

Derrel, that advance system is really that fragile?