Cameras/What is my Nikon worth
Advertisement
Question
I have a Nikon Fm2, serial number N7403083 with a Zoom-Nikkor 35 - 105 mm 1:3.5 - 4.5 2016239 with a wide variety of Coken (? spelling) filters, camera case, flash...Also have a dark room set up for black and white that I've been told is one of the best darkroom set ups made. I've since moved on to digital and was just curious if this equipment is worth something. Can you help?
Hello,
In general, 35mm single-lens-reflex gear has suffered a severe drop in value the past two years due to the rampaging popularity of digital. Nikon has done better than most other brands, but it has suffered as well. The Nikon FM2 is one of the preferred models that has maintained a better percentage of its value. A truly excellent body should still sell in the $125-$150 range today. The Nikkor 35-105mm f3.4~4.5 zoom lens is a great item. Truly excellent examples are going for around $200 right now.
Darkroom equipment? Oh, boy...
Once again, digital has driven this market down. Waaaaaay down. Even many of the people who still shoot 35mm prefer to scan or in other ways digitize their images rather than work in a darkroom. Unless you have some VERY good equipment, I'm afraid most of that gear has fallen to "white elephant" status. It just feels like it MUST have some value, but nobody wants it.
Best wishes,
David Silver
Related Articles
David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.