Keep or Sell film Leicas

[CosmoM3]

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I recently bought a black paint MP, M3 DS and a IIIg in the past two months. I must be screwed.

Thinking of selling my new M10-D now.

[Guest BlackBarn]

On 1/25/2021 at 3:38 PM, PeterMM1 said:

Is it likely that they will increase in value

Yes they will probably increase  in value as the face value of money decreases over time. That’s not the point though.....

Three cameras you’re not using may buy you an interesting lens which may increase more in value and give you the pleasure of using. Three cameras may give you the cash you don’t need to buy a quality photo by a favorite photographer of yours ... and so on.......

The face value of money is overrated and doesn’t compare to using ‘value’ to acquire something which inspires, uplifts or opens up more creative opportunities for expressing the ‘you’. However, if they give you pleasure to hold, look at, admire and reminisce on occasions then they are really more than just unused film cameras.

[Guest]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb CosmoM3:

I recently bought a black paint MP, M3 DS and a IIIg in the past two months. I must be screwed.

Thinking of selling my new M10-D now.

It's good that there is an exchange according to the different interests.
I am delighted with my M10-P, for which I sold three Leicas, including two rarely used M3 and M6.85 non-TTL as well as five Leica lenses, in order to reduce the new price of the M10-P to a level that is bearable for my bank account.
And I would repeat that immediately for an M10-M or the upcoming M11, if there were more unused Leica treasures here.

[TheBestSLIsALeicaflex]

Analogs M's have really gone in demand over that last year or so.

If you're not using them, I'd sell at least one of them.  Let someone else enjoy it.  

[Guest]

On 1/26/2021 at 5:36 PM, Matlock said:

This has been covered so many times in recent months. My understanding is that Leica can still repair the M7, it is the M6TTL that is the problem. However only Leica can confirm this. I will still keep using both my M7 and my M6TTL.

I had my M7 fully serviced by Leica, ( Wetzlar ), in December 2020. It returned like a brand new camera with new shutter, improved VF, and fully checked out electronics amongst other small adjustments and repairs. I'm sure that it'll likely outlast me.

[Matlock]

1 minute ago, petermullett said:

I had my M7 fully serviced by Leica, ( Wetzlar ), in December 2020. It returned like a brand new camera with new shutter, improved VF, and fully checked out electronics amongst other small adjustments and repairs. I'm sure that it'll likely outlast me.

Good to hear that. I hope your M7 gives you as much pleasure as mine does.

[m410]

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Hi All,

Any suggestions for Leica Repairs on an early Leica M6 (Wetzlar issue).  Sticky shutter issue so I am thinking it is just a CLA and nothing is actually broken.

Hopefully someone in the Southern California area although this is not a requirement.

Thanks with appreciation for any help.

David

[logan2z]

1 minute ago, m410 said:

Hi All,

Any suggestions for Leica Repairs on an early Leica M6 (Wetzlar issue).  Sticky shutter issue so I am thinking it is just a CLA and nothing is actually broken.

Hopefully someone in the Southern California area although this is not a requirement.

Thanks with appreciation for any help.

David

Either YYE or DAG should be able to handle that repair.  I'd go with YYE if you want the camera back relatively quickly. 

[Herr Barnack]

On 1/24/2021 at 9:38 PM, PeterMM1 said:

I don't shoot film anymore. I love my original M Monochrom CCD and my M8 & M10. 
I don't need to sell anything but was wondering if I should just hold on the them. Is it likely that they will increase in value or is film dead?
 

Vintage film M cameras are going up in value right now.  The prices just keep climbing.

As for "film is dead," I had someone tell me that for the first time in July of 1997.  Here we are 24 years later and Freestyle Photo offers 125 different black and white film choices in 35mm format, 49 in 120 format, 36 in 4x5, 17 in 5x7 and 19 in 8x10 format.  They have 75 film choices in C-41 (color print) and 14 in 120 format.  They have 321 kinds of B&W printing paper and 14 RA-4 (color) papers.  They have 293 different B&W developing chemicals, 17 C-41 chemicals and 6 E-6 (slide) chemicals.

B&H photo also stocks a myriad of different films, printing papers and chemicals, though not quite as comprehensive a selection as Freestyle. 

I have lost track of how many small batch film makers there are:  FILM Ferrania, Agfa, Lomography, Fomopan, Kentmere, etc.  The giants - Kodak and Ilford - are still pumping out film by the trainload. Fujifilm has even deigned to continue to offer a few emulsions, including Acros II.

Bottom line:  film is far from dead; it doesn't appear to be going away any time soon.

As for your M2, M3 and M6 TTL, I say keep them - Leica isn't going to make any more of them.

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Herr Barnack

[SunnySixteen]

Obviously entirely your call, but I suggest you use them or sell them, cameras sitting on shelves are no good to anyone. I just picked up my third M film body yesterday. Now I am the proud owner of an M6, M2 and M4. I don't own any digital Leica equipment. 

If you are present and in the moment with your film equipment and not worrying about the distant future, there is absolutely no issue with the relevance of the format, it's alive and well today and that is what matters! I shot a roll of Cinestill 50D yesterday and trusty TRI-X today, so many fun film choices to choose from these days...

[nicci78]

Fun fact : M films camera are more expensive than oldest digital M bodies. 

When I started film photography 7 years ago. Analog Leicas were super cheap : 800-900€ for a CLAed M6 was common. 400-500€ CLAed M3 also. Film costs were acceptable. And make the film adventure economically reasonable against Digital Leicas. 
 

Fast forward. Today don’t start film. Everything (body, film, vintage lenses) is too expensive. Just grab a used digital M. It is way cheaper. With free cost of ownership.  Crazy right ? 

[nicci78]

Just to say. If you don’t use them. Sell them. Film bodies have to be used regularly just to stay in shape. 
So CLA them, then sell them at high prices. Somebody will be happy to buy and use them. 
And you’ll be happy to buy something else that you will actually use. 

[nicci78]

Kodak by increasing its prices every 6 months will kill the film market. 
Because it is pricing everybody out

[Helge]

Film is today not a lot more expensive (relatively) than it was, when I started taking photos about 55 years ago, if not even cheaper in some cases.

There might have been a time inbetween about 20 years ago, a ditch, when it might have been really cheap, considering all the effects of inflation and spending capacity.

And 35mm is definitely no real big cost part compared to the rest of the equipment costs.

So, start now!

[Ouroboros]

37 minutes ago, nicci78 said:

Kodak by increasing its prices every 6 months will kill the film market. 
Because it is pricing everybody out

You might not have noticed that Kodak isn't the only operational film manufacturer.

Ilford, Fujifilm, Foma & FILM Ferrania all manufacture equivalent or different types of films to those made by Kodak.  You also have numerous rebranded and repackaged offerings to choose from. 

You could help film sales out with your own nicci78 Pink Cat 400 brand like JCH has done!  

Kodak might ultimately kill itself if someone in the office isn't doing the maths properly, that remains to be seen, but it won't kill the film market.

[Helge]

vor 59 Minuten schrieb nicci78:

Kodak by increasing its prices every 6 months will kill the film market. 
Because it is pricing everybody out

If nobody would purchase the film anymore, and the sales price is still not really covering all costs, the production will end anyway at some point.

[EddieJ]

On 1/25/2021 at 1:38 PM, PeterMM1 said:

I have an M2, M3 both in excellent condition and a mint  Silver M6TTL with a black logo dot....:)
I just don't care for the the red dot and also replaced the red dot on my M8.
Unfortunately DAG said he has run out of black dot logos and can't get them anymore, but I digress....

I don't shoot film anymore. I love my original M Monochrom CCD and my M8 & M10. 
I don't need to sell anything but was wondering if I should just hold on the them. Is it likely that they will increase in value or is film dead?
 

Don't need to sell? Then simple - don't.

Hold onto them and your film M's and lenses will always go up in value and most likely you'll sell for what you paid if not more.

Film is not ded.

Film gives me (IMO) an opportunity to train my eye in exposure and processing skills. I teach vocational photography 1yr Certificate IV and 1yr Diploma in the higher education sector and some, not all of my students are into the mystic of capturing on film, processing and scanning. Like a rite of passage in their photographic journey. Personally I can't see why you would shoot film only to then scan and post to instagram. In todays photography market and I'm speaking of the commercial outcomes - its largely all digital.

Once upon a time we shot Polaroids to the check composition, exposure then commit to film. Today we shoot tethered to Capture One *or Lightroom. PhotoShop for us is Panel beating Shop.

What I tell my students.

You can still get a filmic experience with digital. Don't chimp - shoot to card, remove card, into card reader dump to desktop.

Better still limit yourself to 256/512 SD cards (or CF) and force yourself to re-think *re-train and look.

 

I still shoot film (and still look to buy film cameras) because I can and I want to. I too find myself in a position to not have to sell, but nevertheless we all have different horses for different courses.

 

 

[Danner]

18 hours ago, nicci78 said:

Kodak by increasing its prices every 6 months will kill the film market. 
Because it is pricing everybody out

Alaris is increasing the price.  Kodak® is a trademark Alaris acquired in the Eastman Kodak bankruptcy.  I don't believe Alaris has any real commitment to film photography (unlike Ilford, which is committed).  Alaris is milking the market for what it can.  

[nicci78]

Actually Alaris is the real Kodak ! It is not your typical licensing scheme. 

Alaris is a company setup by former Kodak employees pension funds. To get their money back after the Kodak bankruptcy ! 
So they share film manufacturing with the film for movies industry part of Kodak. 

 

 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Matlock]

1 hour ago, nicci78 said:

Actually Alaris is the real Kodak ! It is not your typical licensing scheme. 

Alaris is a company setup by former Kodak employees pension funds. To get their money back after the Kodak bankruptcy ! 
So they share film manufacturing with the film for movies industry part of Kodak. 

 

 

Kodak Alaris is a British manufacturer and marketer of traditional photographic supplies (including film, paper, and processing chemicals), hardware and software for digital imaging and information management, and retail printing kiosks. The company is headquartered in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The company shares ownership of the Kodak brand with the Eastman Kodak Company (usually known simply as Kodak).