Why Are Some Cameras Getting So Expensive?
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- I'm looking at real data to see how social influencers are increasing camera prices on the old digital cameras they review. Myself included in that. That's not a weird humble brag, I am seeing some data behind some comments on my channel saying that after I make a video about a cheap camera, that camera will jump up in price. It appears for cameras in low supply, even "micro influencers" can influence a shift in price.
I want this to be an open, honest conversation. Is this causing a problem? Should I be careful which cameras I highlight in videos, or the way I go about doing it? Or, is it not a real problem and I should just carry on? Let me know your thoughts.
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It seems to me if you can’t showcase interesting older cameras that you want to share with your viewers, then a big part of what Snappiness is disappears. But thank you for the honesty in realising that you may be part of a mechanism that probably does inflate prices. It is a dilemma for sure.
that price increase is temporary - keep making the videos that you make ::: if people are smart they realize that there are a lot of gems out there and dont have to buy that exact model and will search for other gems themselves 😎
Not really temporary, look at the olympus mju range, I could pick these up for £10-£20 all day long.
I had an mju II zoom 170 I paid £10 for, once it was hyped up online and on social media to cult status, they went up in value to crazy prices, everyone has their price and I sold mine for £180...😳
My mju zoom 105 I paid £20 including a period correct United Colours of Benetton case, the case alone was easily worth £10.
I sold it for £150...
The Olympus Trip 35 is a camera I pay close attention to, £25-£30 could have got a working example, now they are going for +£150 refurbished.
It mist be said there are still owners out there who sell cameras for more realistic prices, who are not swayed by social media trends but they are quickly snapped up by those shrewd buyers who are following the trends.....
It's about simple supply and demand economics, the price of an item is dictated by how much demand and how badly people want them.👍
It may also work the other way too. The Northrups sounded the death knell for Micro Four Thirds so many times that the prices dropped too much to ignore and I finally bought one 😂
How do you like it? And which one did you buy? I love my MFT AND my Nikon full frames (and all the other funky cameras in between 😭)
@@dedclownsRfunny I'm loving it - it's pretty amazing for a so-called dead camera system, and MFT is doing a pretty good impression of being a living, breathing and viable system for the next few years, at least. I have an E-M10 MkII, but there are so many great other options I could have gotten for the same money. The late great David Thorpe peaked my curiosity to try MFT (and the E-M10 MkII in particular), but at the time, I couldn't justify the expense of running two camera systems (Pentax APS-C, also pronounced dead multiple times, was my daily driver). By 2020 though, they'd become so affordable, I couldn't *not* give it a shot. So glad I did, and sooner or later, I'll add its big brother, the E-M1 MkII or maybe MkIII.
Did you choose MFT mainly for portability or did you have other reasons?
This is so true, and m43 is really the perfect example. Not just people saying the system was dead/dying, but people constantly pushing full frame or nothing... Really undervaluing a fantastic system.
@@snappiness and as long as they keep saying it, this will likely offset any price increases for specific models of cameras after x or y review. Like you said, if one specific model is no longer a bargain, it's not hard to find an equivalent that still is.
Thanks for the free guide, btw - I'm sure it'll come in handy!
The northrup's there to promote the latest technology & magic
People who like old, good audio appliances stopped to discuss them on forums, to not skyrock prices.
I think it's a shame younger photographers are so influenced by RUclips channels and don't have the gumption to research alternatives using different sources. Take the ridiculous situation around second hand Fuji cameras atm and the million and one RUclips videos on said cameras. I watched a great one today by one of your peers on the Olympus OMD as a Fuji alternative, something us older heads were already aware of but good to see a young RUclipsr break the Fuji bandwagon. This obsession with following trends is detracting from both the art and the fun of photography. BTW, when you get your haters you know you are starting to get noticed and are doing something right, not least generating engagement. Sod 'em, just keep doing what you do. It's always a joy to watch young photographers discover old gear and share the love.
Good heavens I feel like I am listening back to my own notes here! It naturally hits super close to home and like you, it really bothers me. At the same time, I feel like this is why I always try and drive home the #nobadcameras philosophy so people recognize and understand that just because a YTer talks about one camera, it doesn't mean there aren't hundreds of equally excellent cameras out there just waiting for someone to do some light homework to discover and try. It's also why I don't price my cameras when I do sell them and just let it be a no reserve open bidding item. I am loving that, so far at least, my sales have been net net with what I paid for the camera but someone else gets to enjoy it as well and we don't have an excess of continued new product cycle waste that the planet can't sustain. Anyway, a diatribe to say how much I appreciate this video. And don't stop talking about undervalued cameras because the upside of this rapid YT content cycle is that pricing may spike but people will forget about it in a couple weeks and unless supply is low, prices seem to stabilize.
#nobadcameras! I really do mean it when I say this has bothered me - not about other people, I don't really think about that, but myself. I would hate to make something that keeps someone from getting the camera they want. Most of us are here because we are now, or at one point in our lives, on a very tight budget.
That feels reassuring though, thank you. Focus on the philosophy of enjoying any and all cameras, embracing their quirks, getting out there and taking pictures with whatever camera you have. I am gathering some other thoughts and ideas too about how I can limit the possibility I mess this up for someone haha
@@snappiness 💜
Both of you are doing the good work. Honestly there are so many old cameras that are still amazing that it simply wouldn’t be possible for all of them to spike at once. It’s a trend, but we aren’t. The prices will come down and we will all still be here.
@@Screenshot1015 💕
@snappiness Maybe don't mention the price at all. Most of us are in this for the love of photography and want to hear what you have to say about these cameras and everything. But there are some who are in it just for profit. By leaving price out of it, the scalpers will probably have little interest in the videos. Love your channel. Keep on doing what you do.
I remember one one of your early videos that you mentioned that you don't raise camera prices like Mattias Burling. Congratulations on 20k James! The next 10k will be even faster and the more you will likely make us suffer with rising camera prices! 😅
You should continue what you do while you especially when you are having fun. You are doing us a favour informing us about cameras that deserve another shot to ne in the spotlight and thus actually making it better for us in a holistic view as these cameras then get a chance to be used once again.
Plus, there are loads of other cameras out there to be had which makes it even more fun.
Mattias Burlibg is a really really good camera reviewer. You can really tell, that the cameras he reviews, are cameras he uses - unlike 99% of the other youtube reviewers. i won’t comment on any other channels, as this is highly subjective, also dependent on how seasoned you are as a photographer…
Huge respect for acknowledging the general problem. I do think it exists and it’s enough to make someone feel like they’re going crazy. I don’t know if there’s really anything that can be done about it though.
For many years I used collect and use old camera gear, but between the vintage lens boom in popularity in recent years and the many channels highlighting cool older camera gear, I had to stop. It was just getting far too expensive as a hobby. One thing I always did if I was reselling something, was to only list it at the price I actually paid for them. Just a small attempt to fight the excessive inflation of some old gear that should be more accessible.
There are definitely channels built around rental houses that highlight “special old cameras” that I do think are trying to move stale inventory without explicitly stating it but that’s a whole other beast.
Love your channel by the way.
It sucks that I’ve bought all my digicams for around $80-$100 but to be fair they came with all of their original paperwork and were in mint condition practically so I don’t really mind. I joined this community because I love retro tech and I’m glad it’s getting the spotlight it deserves lately. It’s still a niche market overall so I’m not too bummed by this.
This is sort of happened with RUclipsrs reviewing vintage musical hardware. The problem is a large chunk of the resale of music instrument is owned by one company. Therefore, all they have to do is wait for somebody relatively popular to make a vid and then jack up the prices. There’s only works for the instruments that they sell and not the user listings however. Reverb/Chicago music exchange does this.
What gets to me is that there are so many people looking to get into digicams who don’t bother to look up information about different camera models. They just show up online and are like, “I don’t know anything about cameras. What’s a good model to buy for that vintage/film-like look?” Same question over and over again. They just want to be spoonfed a model to go out and buy. So when a RUclipsr hypes up a camera and gives them a definite answer to the question of “What camera should I buy?” I imagine all these kinds of people go and buy the camera without looking into whether it is a camera that they would truly like and use. If people did their research, they would find good, non-hyped cameras at fairly reasonable prices instead of making a beeline for the smaller set of hyped camera models
500% to this
@@OneMonthTwoCameras Your video on resources for information about older digital cameras was very helpful to me. Thank you so much for making it! I have shared it with others in the past but I should do so even more
@@skabadelic YT is definitely part of it but just like anything in the information age, diversifying your sources is key.
@@burendasan I’m so glad it was helpful!
Yes keep making videos about old cheap cameras! It really doesn't matter that much because there's just so many models. I saw the sd1000 was too expensive and bought two other canons that were better for less. People just need to spend some time researching before they buy :)
Yeah, I've been "accused" of that as well. I'm a strong advocate of keeping vintage and older gear prices low, I never buy anything expensive or inflated myself. At the end of the day it's not us content creators making gear more expensive, but the people willing to pay more for it.
Keep making the videos you love working on. It’s a tricky situation, but we love your content and won’t have it any other ways
Keep doing what you do James! It does more good than any perceived harm. Interesting cameras will get talked about whether by you or someone else. I say go the other way and completely saturate the world with reviews of as many cameras as possible. Who knows maybe you'll hit a tipping point and there will be more options than buyers ;)
Well said! And hey, I've been missing your photos in Discord. Hope you're doing well!
Good point!
Since 2020 everything "nostalgic" has shot up in price. It started with vinyl records, has spilled over to film an film cameras, lately cassettes (but not too much) and now a lot of old school CCD digital cameras.
yeah, pre 2020 ther were lots of cameras on the market for a steal. I'm rebuying my old gear for more than i sold it!! I sold them 8 years AGO!! this is crazy!!
I understand and even relate to the concern of price inflation due to reviews going viral, but personally, I find your videos and other like them incredibly inspiring and entertaining. I’m getting so inspired to use the “crappy” cameras already in my disposal, as well as pursuing EBay to see if any cameras that caught my eye are within my budget. Channels like yours and 1Month2Cameras are inspiring AND they are preserving these cameras in a way. The cameras won’t last forever, but these reviews/showcase videos likely will. I appreciate what you are doing. Your ebook and website are exciting to me and I can’t wait to check them out.
Thanks for the kind words!
Your ethos is encouraging so be encouraged to continue the way you’re headed. I personally have gained so much from your vids, especially Pentax oriented, I will continue to look to you for good advice
This doesn't just happen with cameras, iv'e seen everything from bicycles to watches be "influenced" up in prices. And being a smaller channel doesn't necessarily mean you won't have an effect because it's well known a channel's watchers dwarf it's actual subscribers, and that tens of thousands of viewers can easily overpower what is usually a very small supply of products.
I think a lot of people consuming this sort of content on RUclips have known this for a while even while not having the data to back it up. After observing this phenomenon so many times, it just becomes hard to deny. What's annoying to me is that some RUclipsrs will actually respond to these kinds of comments and tell them they're being lazy and that their video had nothing to do with the price increase. Thank you for looking at this issue with an open mind and not being weirdly offended. And please don't stop making videos on old digital cameras! I think people just need to accept this phenomenon as a part of the camera-buying landscape at this point. The value your videos provide is worth the occasional price increase for some cameras.
I bought my EX1 because of your video on it. Got it for 90€ ($95) on the local used marketplace, wasn't really looking for it, it just popped up randomly and I knew I had to get it.
Also found a couple of weeks later a deal for a Nikon Coolpix P7700 for 100€ ($107) or a gorgeous, immaculate red Olympus PEN E-P1 body for 70€ ($74), but unfortunately couldn't afford to spend money on another camera at the time...
For the rest of you, finding good, cheap cameras isn't something that shows up all the time. You either get incredibly lucky like I did or spend a lot of time wandering through all of the ads available online.
Please keep making the videos you like making! I watch your channel for entertainment purposes and suspect most of us watch your videos for that reason. Of course it's sad seeing the used camera market skyrocket (it happened when I first got into film cameras), but that is going to happen regardless from other channels on RUclips.
I reckon this is what has happened with the Nikon D700 Dslr. Owners were claiming it had magical colour reproduction and prices doubled. Especially when people started buying multiples as spare bodies as parts become hard to find.
Fairy dust is real 😂 unfortunately
Same with the Canon 5D!
Thank god people don't see to realize that the D610 sensor is nearly identical to the D750 sensor :)
@@benni1015 That’s very interesting to know. The specs are nearly identical.
@@milesian1 The D750 has better AF, burst, video etc, it is just a much more modern and feature rich camera. However if you like me only care about the sensor(I only shoot analog lenses), then this doesn't matter.
Yooooo James shoutout! I love James so much and been watching for a few years. Fun to see you mention him. He doesn't often plug a camera super hard based on his style of video, he often says that gear is much much less important than just shooting and improving so that might have something to do with it as you mentioned. Great video!
I think a lot of people are starting to see the images rendered from CCD sensors in particular that’s driving a large part of the older camera boom.
For good reason I reckon.
Keep doing what you love 👌
What is so good about CCD sensors???
No doubt your channel and the One Month Two Cameras channel have brought a positive awareness to older/vintage digital cameras. You and Alex showing the value in them should not be guilt inducing. I’d be proud if I were you, perfectly good cameras languishing on eBay for 10 or $20 when they could be out there being used? Take a bow. So what if people have to pay a bit more, those cameras are still a great value.
In my view this was bound to happen… Going back to perfectly good, sometimes great gear was inevitable with camera prices being what they are. AND all the cool kids who are into film are actually buying some of this vintage gear as back up and then showing it off on their channels. This is because the cost of a roll of Kodak film is astronomical (unjustifiably so but I’m not gonna go into my “Kodak are crooks” rant… I’ve done that before several times in comment sections).
Who's a cool kid? 😂
Thank you for bringing this topic up!!!!! It's not just cameras but everything and anything that a youtuber shows that you can get the item cheap! And the Thrift stores, Yard sales, Flea markets, Swap meets ,Flippers and Pawn shops ALL watch RUclips for the value of anything.
This happens in other hobbies as well. JHS Pedal Show channel did a direct comparison between a super cheap pedal (Bad Monkee) against the most expensive pedal (Klon Centaur) and it made the prices of the Bad Monkee skyrocket! I say keep showing us lost and forgotten cameras.
Congratulations again for the ebook..thanks to your channel I picked up an old digicam..using it taught me finally how to get better photos...
Keep up the good work keep on making content on the older gear ⚙️
Have a great day and stay snappy
I wonder if the rise in film prices has pushed more people into getting into older digital cams.
I follow price trends in video games and these are a demand driven economy and so if an influencer shares a fun game or camera then demand runs. Unfortunately people get upset, but hey, they didn't want to buy a camera until you mentioned it. Funny how that works.
Exactly.
Keep doing what ur doing. I think these videos are an asset to the community.
Keep up the good work!
Yeah, as a guitar player I'm watching the effects pedal world eat itself over the JHS Bad Monkey pedal drama. The lesson here is that these are bubbles, bubbles pop. Wait.
Such a good video, I have seen prices skyrocket on some canon powershot models too, and I think it was from similar viral content about them. Well done.
I made a comment on how you could use that to make money, when i should have just finished watching the whole video. Please Keep highlighting cool old cameras, you've offered great advice on how to find deals outside of what the internet hypes up and have contributed great and cool resources to the community!
You just keep up the great work/vids,as you always say,go out there with what you have and shoot👍
Please do not stop making videos on old, interesting cameras...! You and the other RUclipsrs that are reviewing these old cameras are keeping them alive in some ways... Your videos got me excited to dig through storage at my parents to find an old digicam and see if it still worked (it did!). And, yes, on a few models, got me curious to find my own deal amid the rekindled hype... That's super gracious of you to offer that e-book for free, but I don't think or really want you to change anything about what you're doing.
Yes keep making the videos of old good cameras. This is a good reference for anyone like me who often finds tons of cameras at yard sales and doesn’t know if they are any good.
TLDR: do not listen to anybody. your channel, videos and stories are great. please continue your work.
longread:
I strongly disagree. all what you are doing - is great job. showcasing these old cameras.
it is pleasure to watch your videos, really.
and it is completely legal and appreciated actions - to create new content, share ideas, share memories, etc.
the fact that something is changing somewhere after that - is not your problem.
it is actually an indicator that your work is meaningful, it was heard by community, by people.
and some of these people are just trying to make some money of it. have a quick and easy buck.
it is them who we need to shame, not you.
P.S.
thank you for your content!
Yes please keep doing this kind of videos it is what makes you channel special
I love these videos. It lets people know what to look out for rather than buying top of the line products. And let’s camera companies know what features are the most important to us.
Sorry to the ones that feel otherwise, but no I don’t think you or other RUclipsrs should stop making videos about these. Some of us just love consuming this type of content for entertainment, creative inspo, etc. without the desire to buy, and I would argue that many people getting upset over a camera shooting up in price after your video wouldn’t have discovered said camera without your video anyway. You can’t ever please everyone so I think you should continue making the content you enjoy. It’s your channel at the end of the day, and as harsh as it might be, if people are unhappy then they can move along 🫶🏼
Good thing flea markets here in Mexico aren't used to searching the things they sell on Ebay so I can still find a lot of cameras for dirt cheap, sometimes as low as $10 for good film camera. Digicams can go as low as cents per camera. I'm going through as much flea markets as I can and just buying every camera I can see
Hey that's really cool! Are you documenting your collection/findings anywhere? Sounds like a fun project.
Keep doing what you're doing. Let the chips fall where the may. Cheers!
The F717 makes me really sad because I got kinda excited seeing such a charming design and hearing that it was 35$ only to find that it now goes for ~150$ really bums me out. Seeing that those prices will stay high going on a year or more really sucks
Lots of things are driving price increases… the Contax TVS Digital has gone from under $200 to over $500 in a short period of time! I haven’t seen any particular videos on that one. And most things temporarily spike and come back down again. Folks need to get comfy with shopping around, setting alerts, and biding their time… I hate paying full price and have managed to get a lot of lenses and cameras 50% off or more by being patient and having broad search terms! Plus half the fun is searching a brand name, sorting by cheapest and looking up sample photos. Never stop ✨
People are going to troll you whatever you do. So keep having fun and doing what you enjoy. Don’t buy their drama.
It's not just RUclipsrs. It's also Facebook Groups like the 24,000 member Vintage Lenses group. The members get each other excited by a certain lens and BAM, it's suddenly scarce.
Pretty cool how you're putting together a database of cameras! Any plans in adding film cameras too? Would love to learn more about certain lines of cameras from different brands.. it's pretty hard to find info from cameras that date back before the internet was even invented..
Right now I am focused on digital only, just because something I was looking for digital didn't quite exist yet. I haven't finished adding some of the features I want to, but it's getting there.
It is tough to find info on some film cameras in particular. I've been lucky to only have film cameras that have loads of blog articles about so it hasn't been much of an issue for me xD
In a nutshell, yes. I've been observing it for years. Why is this? It's because the photographer, and more importantly, the image, are no longer the stars of the show. Instead it's the equipment. It's about selling an experience, not a final product produced by the equipment. It's the same with music gear, even software. The latter market is saturated with equipment and pretty much all of it does the same thing. Everyone then wants the next best thing but then that gets put on a shelf 6 months later, is forgotten for a while or sold until someone says, "this is a great box that makes a unique sound [or takes a unique image that *looks more like film*]', then a bunch of people who regularly scan RUclips (likely because that's what the YT algorithm does, pushes a load of gear geeks to viewers), and all the stuff then ends up for sale on eBay at inflated prices. There's also no such thing as a bargain any longer as eBay and this relentless cycle of eBay versus RUclips is constantly used to price speculate, especially during times where the cost of food and energy are also going up and up. The best way to end this cycle, is to walk away from RUclips, get out, take a load of pictures and make prints, zines, books, magazines, whatever and stop thinking you need something that will only ever give you the satisfaction you crave after you have purchased it. Use what you already have, and learn to master it, by just stepping away from the keyboard, getting out and taking more of the world outside, in.
I’ve noticed this. You aren’t the only one channel that brings up older cameras.
Just continue your excellent channel the way it is, no need to worry about what other people say. Yes, the price of digicams have risen quite a bit these past couple of years partly due to the internet 'hype', nostalgia, supply & demand and the price of film. As a collector/photographer I use to buy cameras at the fleamarket cheap and plentiful, now everyone is looking for them and the prices are bit outrageous even if you can find them. Next 'fad' coming I've been told are the CCD SLRs.
I'd say keep doing what you're doing and don't fret over the negativity or complaints. I think you and other RUclipsrs making videos on older digital cameras are giving the proper love and attention back to the cameras that led us to the high tech digital cameras that we have today.
It's content creators like you that rekindled the old flame of wanting (and finally purchasing) the old cameras I've always wanted way back in the early 00's. Even if I don't have to buy that old camera, it's good to see obscure cameras out of the dark after all these years. I see your videos not just entertainment, but it's a valuable resource of information. In way, it's basically like an online museum in video form.
Listen, prices on any camera come and go. Don't fret over it. There is always a digital camera for everyone at any price point. Besides, seeing my younger peers and friends gawk at whatever bizarre camera is on my hand when taking pics is just PRICELESS (and justifies why I love my hobby.).
Short answer, Yes. It is absurd the pricing that people are paying, I had 2 copies of SD1000 that I bought before the KJvapes video, I paid like 20 USD, I sold one for 150 USD and with that Money bought a very good M4/3 camera. It was fantastic trade basically paid 20 USD for it. As an advice for people buying cameras, just buy a camera that you think you'll like no matter the brand, no matter if KVapes or whatever youtuber didn't make a video of it . I initially bought the SD1000 for the only reason that I liked the body, it is a very nice cam, but paying over 100 usd for it is too much for me. I feel like at times you are at dilema, making videos about cameras knowing that their pricing is going to go up or not making videos about it, since it is almost inevitable, I would suggest you to just keep reviewing the cameras but without using words like "This 10$ usd camera" "The Camera that you must own" "the secret camera that no one knows". A good thing about you is that at least you acknowledge the issue. Finally I think part of the issue are the viewers, no body is telling them to buy the camera that is being reviewed and even if they tell them they don't have to buy it.
Fujifilm’s X line camera prices are absurd on used market
Keep doing you bro, most of the people watching these videos wouldn't even know about 99% of these great cameras you showcase. People need to not jump on the Hype train every time someone shows a cool old camera. It took me 10 years to get an Olympus e620 at a price under $100 bucks, it was worth every minute.
Very interesting video! I would not give up covering older cameras, had it not been for this channel and others, I would not have found some of best cameras I use to date. I seen just an increase of all digital cameras as well as film cameras in the last 4 years. As film prices skyrocket in 2023, photographers started to look for alternatives. The supply of old cameras is limited, demand whether it is due to popularity or other factors contribute to the rise in prices, 3 years ago, you could go into any thrift/charity shop and pick up a digital camera for less than $10, now I don't find as many and the prices are now $25.00 or more. Thanks for sharing!
Hi James, thanks for making an objective analysis of an issue we all see when digging in the crates for interesting cameras. Now you have done so, I think you should continue making videos on cameras that inspire you regardless of what it may do to short term pricing. There are 2500 cameras listed on DPReviews Camera Search, and probably the same number again if you include all of the compacts and earlier digital cameras that proable aren't included. Everytime I trawl through that website and your own CCD site, I find something new that might be interesting. I think we all like assuming we are ahead of the curve when spotting these gems, and it is frustrating when you feel have missed the boat on a camera that you would like to try, but don't want to spend X00 bucks doing so. However I do think things will change, and that the underlying problem has some positives:
1. Specific trends ebb and fade as quickly as they appear, particularly in our digital age.
2. This enthusiasm for photography in all its forms is good for everyone in the long term, whether its Digicams and their digital patina, CCD sensors, using film or seeking the 'filmlike' etc etc.
3. From my own experience of battling with an old camera and trying to get a decent image out of it, you definitely become more aware of the skills required to do that successfully and helps you build them.
4. A very positive realisation that you don't need to spend 2500 bucks plus to own the latest technology to make a decent photo just because people tell you that's what you need.
5. Manufacturers will hopefully be trying to respond to the trends we are seeing and return to making fairly priced, decent mid low / mid range enthusiast cameras rather than focussing purely on flagships because their focus groups tell them that most people just want a decent camera in their phones. Even if that's true, I think there's still a sizable global market for the next step up, because taking pictures with a dedicated device, (personally if you also have the choice of using a viewfinder rather than just a screen), says you're invested in the hobby, that you want to understand the mechanics and psychology of taking pictures, and ultimately you want to get better at it.
6. There will be a time when these cameras start trickling back to the market and we can all try them then.
Sorry for the overlong post, but it's clear from reading the posts below that most of your viewers don't feel you have to take responsibility for the way things just are. Looking forward to your next video on some weird ass camera...
These are really good thoughts! Thanks for the comment. It's giving me good ideas for how to frame future videos.
yes please keep making the vids ;) love seing them highlighted
Prices have skyrocketed a big deal for everything. In Mainland China some cameras that used to be sold for 200RMB 2 years ago is now 700RMB ish (12 16MP bodies).
Counterpoint: if people don’t think their old cameras have value, they’ll stop selling them and dump them instead. Which isn’t great for the photography community, nor for the environment. Keeping people interested is keeping these cameras in circulation.
I agree, but pushing far up the price make you want to buy something new, which is not very eco, just what happened with the rising prices of used cars close to a new car.
First off, I appreciate that you are able to come out and acknowledge the role that your own channel may play in this phenomenon. Most people would immediately go on the defensive and try to reason their way out of having any fault, so it’s refreshing to see the honesty. I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it, though. I’m sure that nobody who makes videos about good deals on tech wants to see those good deals suddenly disappear for their audience. After all, if all the good deals you highlight reliably become bad deals due to reactionary inflation, people will lose incentive to continue watching such videos.
It’s hard to know how to best proceed. One thing that comes to mind is to reframe the video titles and thumbnails so as to not be as clickbaity in regards to price and value. Unfortunately this will probably negatively impact the success of your video metrics. And maybe it won’t even have any impact on secondhand market prices. But it might be worth experimenting with to see if there’s a way to continue showcasing your passion without unintended and unwanted effects.
A lot of this is completely out of your hands, though. The world has gone crazy recently with speculative investing in every physical good imaginable. All hobbies have been impacted by this kind of hype and FOMO panic buying, and it’s all part of a much bigger collective consumerist attitude, fuelled by the anxieties of the recent pandemic.
I have gotten a lot of good ideas from here in the comments. Reframing the videos to focus less on the price is one of them, and something I'll do. Even with more vague terms, like this is a good deal, but not mentioning specifically the price and see how that goes.
Wasn't for you not even the "complainers" would have known about them. Pay this lot no mind and continue bringing these old cameras back to the limelight!keep up the great work!
great things go up in price :P
keep making the videos on old forgotten cameras i enjoy those
Yes, RUclipsrs are the reason for the skyrocketing prices for old rusty cameras. There was this youtuber from Sanfrancisco who posts a video about a $10 canon camera and in the end he says he bough all the cameras on ebay for himself leaving nothing for others and if any were 15 times the price. How can a $10 camera be sold for $150??
I was interested in one of the cameras you mentioned, but I realized a different model of it with the same CCD was plentiful and cheap. I took a chance on that one instead and couldn't be happier.
Hey James, great video and insight ❤
Can you look at “are RUclipsrs making society worse and causing all the problems we have today” after this one? Should be easy to find data on it, I see lots of reports online
Keep on talking about old digital cameras. It's interesting to know something about cameras I had never considered buying. Most of the time I made the right decision about which cameras to spend my money on.
I did buy a few older digital cameras because I was curious about their capabilities and they were not very expensive. I was disappointed in most of them and got rid of most of them. I'll be saving saving my pennies for new stuff from now on. 😁
You have to continue making video on forgotten camera. Even if the price goes up a little bit because the main message is : take the cheap camera next to where you live and enjoy. If we can’t find the same model we can buy others. That is the main point.
Exemple : you made a video on the Mx1 but I find a good deal with the Olympus Stylus 1S and I buy it.
Continue to make video since they inspire us shoot whatever camera we have and overall have fun with the one we can afford
The funny thing is that there are two almost identical Panasonic cameras, GM1 and GM5. The latter has an EVF, i.e. viewfinder instead of just a screen at the back to see the subject before snapping. Both are therefore system cameras that use m43 optics and then in principle anything else can be used as optics for the world's smallest digital system cameras. On eBay, the GM1 can be found for +/- $100 USD, while the GM5 is priced on eBay +/- $5-600 USD. Almost a new price for an eight-year-old camera.
Yes, you should keep showcasing these old and interesting cameras, saves me time from researching.
And thanks, I'm semi famous now...
I've had exactly the same thought , when hearing people talk highly about old cameras. But yes, people would do anything to make some extra money. So don't doubt many of those are purely commercial videos.
What you could do?
Well, i'd like to buy a Mamiya ZD in future but it is hard to find, so it would help if you could claim that this camera is junk in one of your very next videos. 😆
This is not a comment on your past video specifically, but I think one of the ways RUclipsrs can *maybe* reduce their impact on prices is if they don't emphasize the cost of them in their videos, thumbnails, or titles. I know that including prices can generate clicks, but I think it is probably a larger part of the issue than creators actually talking about the camera/lens/gear itself. To be clear, this is just an assumption, though.
I think the other way creators inadvertently boost prices of cameras is when they all seem to use the same camera at once. I know we've seen this with the Pentax 67, RZ67, RB67 and others. Sure, they were already well known, but I don't think having every prominent film channels boosting them helped. 😅
I have it to say, it is really awesome that you are even talking about this.
I think that's a fair assumption, and definitely something I want to try to be more cautious of in the future. Along with some other good ideas I've gotten here!
I tossed a Nikon and Olympus in the skip(point and shoot style ones), they closed my local photo lab. Now, I can't replace them.
bought my first dslr because of these channel recommendations, and bought myself a Pentax k200d. Because nikon and canon are more popular here, they are sold too expensive in the second hand market in my country. I am glad i bought mine for $110, totally worth every penny.
keep making the videos that you make - you shoed the Sony F828 and i love this thing, as a fun Camera, that takes good Photos.
Keep doing reviews. It’s less cameras in the landfills.
I think we need to keep some perspective on these prices. A $30 or $50 camera is probably very under priced to begin with. if the price goes up to $150 doesn't mean that it is over priced or not worth it.. It's still way cheaper than new cameras! You should keep making your reviews because other youtubers will continue anyway. Honest vid...respect
That's a good thought
I hope you keep making videos about cool old cameras. First, what good is a low price on a camera we’ll never hear about? Second, RUclips, eBay, collectors and shooters are all part of the classic camera ecosystem. Everyone has their role. Yours is to tell us about cool cameras. Third, your videos are entertaining and valuable in their own right. Even if a few folks who might be looking for a particular camera at a particular time might be inconvenienced by a temporary price spike, many, many more folks find value in your content.
i think the problem is mainly the consumerist approach we have right now about things. We got so accustomed to these cameras being thrown out and everything and when someone highlights that the thing isn't actually trash, it naturally drives the cost up. There is a fine distinction between actual value and hype though. I feel like if the digicam craze keeps continuing the prices will eventually stabilize midway what it once was and what the higher up prices are inflated to.
The GX1 is a solid option, but there is no shortage of compact Lumix m4/3 cameras, from the preceding GF series to the GX80/85. With Fuji's X100v attracting silly prices, people are looking for alternatives that give good image quality and can accept a high quality compact lens. Thinking outside the box, there's the tiny Canon 100D/ Rebel SL1/ Kiss X7 and it's successor SL2. With the 24mm pancake it's a palm size DSLR.
This happened to me in a positive way last year. I bought a lyrtro light field camera for $150 and sold it for $200 after some light use.
Its nice to see the recognition of this problem for an often cash strapped GAS enthusiast like myself, too many cool cameras that are too few!
This is simple economics. You and other RUclipsrs are driving demand for products in naturally limited supply. Price goes up!
I keep getting recommended videos titled “Is [camera X] still worth it in 2023?” I think it’s great that you all are showing that you don’t need the latest gear to produce good photos! Increasing prices or not, it _still_ saves people money. Keep doing you. 😊
Yes, keep making videos about anything you feel motivated to make videos about. Including under valued cameras. People are always going to take issue with something. Don't let that stop you from being you.
Keep going and dont even think about this "problem" - love your videos!
Random but I’ve been thinking about this a lot I remember watching a digi cam video where they made a video about a digi camera and using it around SF and in the video they said before the video they went and bought all of em up
The prices are going to go up with or without you and I would rather see someone like you give an honest opinion versus another channel screaming best ever, favorite camera used it for two whole days blew my mind, etc ,etc
I find that people are just complainers when it comes to this kind of thing. They didn't care for years, decades even, about old, used gear and now suddenly, because they've seen some videos and have felt inspired, they feel it's unfair when gear prices go up.
RUclipsrs like you bring new appreciation and inspiration for photography. Don't let the whiners that feel entitled stop you from making your great content!
I'm a small RUclips channel about film photography. Same thing happened to me with a Minolta SLR that was sold for around 50 bucks and 3k views later it was now at around $100. I don't think we are responsible. I think some sellers are price gouging these cameras. My suggestion is always not to buy and find an alternative.
There's definitely been a shift in camera prices. Just a couple of years ago (prior to the pandemic), I decided to get more lenses for my old Canon F1n which I've had for decades. Went to my local camera shop and asked them about FD lenses. At that time, there was no interest in old film cameras, so they just gave me the couple of lenses they had in the backroom - for free. Today? The interest in film cameras has skyrocketed along with the prices.
I agree with you that if someone wants a crazy deal on a camera then they need to do their own research and find a camera that interests them. Hopefully, they'll find one that doesn't have a lot of interest and get a great deal. And then decide if they want to make a video about it to increase its value! :)
What you've not taken into account is the main purchasing platform in each territory. For example, James Popsys is in the UK and we're more likely to buy something with a warranty from somewhere like MPB or CEX than ebay.
Very good point!
I've been shooting film with OM-2 and want to try digital. any suggestions?
Yes! Keep making videos about undervalued cameras.
After James Popsys GX1 video I really thought about buying it, yet in a few days time they were sold out in my country or priced much more expensive than before 🙂 I’ve got GX80 instead, but it was also already priced a bit too high…
I’ve never seen a camera put on blast go for the price that it was reviewed at.
I think this video can be used for teaching Economics 101 about demand and supply LOL, Just keep doing what you like. Even if you don't talk about undervalued cameras, other people will.
Hopefully these digicam users help contribute to some newer camera sales too. The prices of everything are up even film cams
This seems to be a trend for any channels that are shining a light on older gear that is still worth a look. The company JHS gets trashed online everytime they showcase older guitar pedals that used to be cheap and easy to come by on the second hand market. But the truth is people have had years (decades) to care about and collect these items and they didn't until someone made a video about it. My take away is if you really want to beat the new hype around older gear you have to do your own research and not wait for RUclipsrs to tell you what is and isn't a good purchase.