@@coreywolfenbarger8992 Either that or the cost of older film cameras will make camera manufacturers realize there's a market there and produce some new ones
Bought my Bronica ETR from a seller from Japan, the camera was in a better state than it was described and the shipping to Canada was not that expensive and faster than expected
One place that didn't get mentioned was brick and mortar local camera shops. They're knowledgeable about the cameras, will let you know upfront if the camera has problems and usually will have standard retail return policies. Bonus points if the camera shop is an older one run by a person old enough to have been a photographer pre-digital. The owner of my go-to shop is super knowledgeable and eager to share what he knows. Plus he gives me a deal on basically everything I buy.
Totally! I felt there would be a lot of people that did not have local shops worth going to, especially for cameras. A lot of times I love to support local shops by purchasing film and accessories but the camera prices can be marked up incredibly high to make their margins, which I totally understand. Just hard to justify if you aren't rolling in cash sometimes. But yes - local camera stores, if ran by kind and good owners are 100% worthy of supporting. For me it always comes down to the owners and employees. 9/10 times it's great but sometimes you get the old heads who are not kind and helpful ha.
I’ve been going through my grandpas old cameras and it’s so important to call and build a relationship with those people. I love hearing personal stories as well! I cannot say go to a camera store even if it’s once because the closes is an hour away (I’ve been there too)
I recently bought two SLR's off eBay from a Japanese vendor. Very helpful, quick to respond and the made me a great deal since I bought more than one item. The cameras showed up within a few days here in Sweden and they look brand new - like, seriously like they have never been used. Downside was that I had to pay almost twice the cost of the camera in import and customs fees, VAT and shipping. It was rather ridiculous! But, I regret nothing. Would buy from Japan again.
Finally, a good guide to buying film cameras. I have been shopping recently for a medium format camera but I don't know where to look for the best deals. So glad you made this video, thanks Corey!
In 5 years of hunting for cameras I've learned a few things and one of the most important things is to just get to know how cameras work. I know not all people are as interested in the technical aspects of a camera, it is insanely important for being comfortable when buying them but also when using different ones. People also seem to forget that there's tons of stuff to find locally everywhere. It might take a bit more time to find the thing you're looking for but it's probably out there. Over 100 years of photography worldwide and only a niche group still shooting it today makes a lot of gems available that still haven't been found. And one important thing that nobody ever seems to mention (probably because they don't even think about it when looking for or buying cameras) is the fact that prices on Ebay never really give a good indication of what it might actually go for locally. Just because that's what they're asking, doesn't mean it will sell for that (even ebay sold listings don't mean an actual person paid that for it). Getting to know your local market is so much more useful in determining what you should actually pay for an item. Especially for taking things like CLA and cosmetic condition into account. Obviously for people who are just looking for one camera, and have the money to spend Japanese sellers or reputable stores (highly recommend Kamerastore in Finland as they professionally test their gear with testing equipment etc so it's withing factory tolerance), that is the way to go. But for people who are either collecting or just want to try out everything, putting in the hard work to find stuff locally is still the best option. I rarely spend over half of the current market price on gear and I've met so many great people along the way. Which is a highly underrated part of camera hunting. Sure getting the gear is nice but being able to meet new people with a similar interest, being able to tell them more about their gear then they ever knew and fully understanding eachother even with over 60 years in between the both of you, 10/10 would recommend. Anyways, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk about hunting for film cameras.
My favorite way to buy film cameras is to go to estate sales. I find great deals on vintage gear. Most are in the $40 range. Some complete SLR kits for around $100. I love using the vintage gear I rescue !
Totally. I put estate sales in the high risk high reward category. Can come out with some killer steals if you are willing to put the time in. The hunt for the cameras is also just as fun sometimes if you enjoy going to the sales and grinding it out.
yes! You can never lose with Japanese ebay sellers, they take pride in great service and will always be respectful, and the shipping is mad fast, no import duties in in the US either
I don't. 2 of 2 cameras I bought from Japanese stores on eBay bricked within the first roll. Call it bad luck but not worth the hassle of not being able to check things, the shipping, and the customs.
my favorite way to buy a film camera is the classic way - buying small parts of the camera off of ebay and from flea markets (like screws, pieces of the circuit board) and slowly reassemble the camera. might need some tape or glue or something.
The paypal fee is paid by the seller, not the buyer. Which is even better honestly. What the buyer needs to make sure of is when they check out or send the money it's sent as goods & services over family and friends and the description of the goods is on there either via invoice or money request.
Excellent advice. Regarding EBay: EXAMINE the PHOTOS CLOSELY!!. I recent saw a Japense seller advertising a lens as MINT..only to discover upon closer inspection significant fungus growing on the rear element. This is an exception, not the rule with Japanese sellers. I am very satisfied with my purchases from Japan. ASK Questions with sellers. Communication is key, reputation is EVERYTHING on eBay. I have, as a buyer, decided not to buy from a seller with any negative feedback. But yes, all good advice on this video.
I’m Japanese and agree what you said. However, I’d personally do not buy at eBay because I can access dozens of local 2nd hand camera stores in Japan for better deal. That said, eBay would be 1st stop if you are not from Japan. Please be advised that the markup at eBay is, not all of the but some, unacceptably high for any of us living in Japan. Be a smart buyer, guys.
If there is a local camera club / photographic society in your area, it might be worth going down to a meeting, and mentioning that you are looking for a film camera, and see if anyone has one they aren't using anymore. You might get some tips on film photography whether you want them or not.
Right on! I learned the hard way & will only buy a camera from Japan. The bottom line is the Japanese respect their equipment & don't throw it in the trunk of the car for a week or the attic for years. Just picked up a Pentax 645 from 1985, it looks and functions like it just left the factory.
One fun option is to buy a broken camera. Then fix it up. That of course is often difficult as hell and sometimes impossible. When the camera is listed as broken from the start at least you dont have high expectations and prices are also low.
Bought my rb67 that was from Japan and it looked like it came out of a time machine other then a subtle dent on the top of pop-up view finder which I didn’t notice until like a month into using it.
If you are willing to pay that extra bit of money or save up until you can afford it I highly recommend going with a big Japanese seller on eBay. Hard to go wrong there!
Awesome tips about using eBay! I don’t shop there all that much, so your suggestions will be a huge help to me when buying anything on there. I did buy a lens from a large Japanese store through eBay, and I also had a positive experience. One more tip, though... Pay extra for FedEx or DHL shipping from anywhere outside the US. If you choose the cheapest option it might be the foreign post office, and you won’t get your item for months. I’ve had perfect results with both B&H and KEH, both selling and buying just as you say here. Thanks, Corey! ✌️
Ohhhhhh yes. That is a great little sneaky tip. I don't use shipping outside of US person to person a lot but DHL seems to be the move for that kind of stuff. Recently learned that trading basketball cards haha.
I wish I saw this video years ago. I've had the best luck on eBay. Bought an M6 from a woman who also provided me with a great conversation about the history of her Leica. Samy's Camera in L.A. is another great place I've bought cameras. I think eBay stopped working with PayPal recently because they want to do their own version of it. But God willing, their version will be just as good.
Thanks for the comment man. Yeah, eBay is pretty smooth if you have some common sense and vet the profiles. A bit more pricy but personally I think it's worth saving up to get that for the stress free experience of getting right to shooting when the camera arrives!
Good stuff! Product images with lens caps on, not showing the battery compartment, dirty viewfinder, janky shutter curtains, stores claiming ignorance and selling As-Is. Yup, bounce.
So if I’m only buying a fairly cheap $150 film camera, is it worth it to still buy from Japan? I get paying an extra couple hundred for an already expensive camera, but for a cheap $150 camera? How much extra would that cost me?
dunno if this has been covered underneath but re: eBay Buy It Now price - sometime I have won using Best Offer but it will display as selling as the original asking price in the sold section even if it sold for lower. this makes it seem like a lot of things are selling for higher than they are.
- If the eBay sellers accepts offer, the sold items price on eBay won’t displayed the agreed price. - Cameras mainly available in Japan on eBay are usually overpriced with Japanese sellers not afraid to wait for months if not years to sell. This being said, their price might be fair in 6 months given the current inflation. - Japanese sellers on eBay almost all present their cameras as mint or exc++++. One has to read all the details in description (a pain). Plenty have fungus, scratches, haze. The time of super clean cameras from Japan is gone except very specific sellers. - The best for new buyers is to buy at places with warranty like KEH IMHO. - In terms of price point, I think it’s better to define a range. At the top, an EXC camera from KEH with 6 months warranty, or a recently CLA camera (with receipt) should be the top price. At the very bottom it would be the price KEH pays to someone selling them the camera. Then one can add eBay prices within the range to get references.
I live in Tokyo...and everyone knows...dont buy at Physical Stores... buy at Mercari :D unfortunately its limited only within Japan...ppl sell soo many cameras since the markup that physcial camera stores Shinjuku Map Camera/ Camera Kitamura that pay you when selling is ridiculously low...here so ppl just sell online on Mercari for only 10% markup.. its fast easy to ship from any convience store on every block.. :p unfortunately the service in US is basically crap...but in Japan... its has like a Godlike presence here
@@cjbcarr1 Not ebay but something similar. I paid via bank transfer (which is stupid now that I think about it) and there‘s now way to get my money back.
All good, logical advice. Having bought many cameras thrugh ebay over many years, not so much lately, I think that ebay is becoming much more shady than it sued to be. Do not assume that ebay and paypal will insolate you from the scamming seller, because the amount of nonsense you have to go though in the event is far too much hassle to justify bitching about a low cost broken piece of trash sold as "like new". I've probably done close to 200 ebay deals over the years, and got hit on only a couple of very low cost items. My last major purchase was a GA645Zi from Japan which I got at a very below market price. I expected average use condition. I got a camera and everything by the box in "as new"; it has had no significant use at all. Big Win for me.
Doesn’t Lenny Kravitz have a secondhand Leica for sale? Failing that, can’t you get them at a Louis Vuitton store? Maybe pick up a scarf or bag at the same time.
![Ice On My Teeth - ATEEZ エイティーズ 에이티즈 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 241115](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c-n92OgbbwA/mqdefault.jpg)
Japanese eBay sellers: Exc Mint+++++++++++++....
...But has mushrooms literally growing inside of it.
Just saw a post for a camera where the paint was almost completely scratched off yet it said n. mint+++++
Lets be honest the best way is to buy 5 years back when they were 3 times cheaper
everything is cyclical. they will dip again one day....and then we strike
@@coreywolfenbarger8992 Either that or the cost of older film cameras will make camera manufacturers realize there's a market there and produce some new ones
Bought my Bronica ETR from a seller from Japan, the camera was in a better state than it was described and the shipping to Canada was not that expensive and faster than expected
One place that didn't get mentioned was brick and mortar local camera shops. They're knowledgeable about the cameras, will let you know upfront if the camera has problems and usually will have standard retail return policies. Bonus points if the camera shop is an older one run by a person old enough to have been a photographer pre-digital. The owner of my go-to shop is super knowledgeable and eager to share what he knows. Plus he gives me a deal on basically everything I buy.
Totally! I felt there would be a lot of people that did not have local shops worth going to, especially for cameras. A lot of times I love to support local shops by purchasing film and accessories but the camera prices can be marked up incredibly high to make their margins, which I totally understand. Just hard to justify if you aren't rolling in cash sometimes. But yes - local camera stores, if ran by kind and good owners are 100% worthy of supporting. For me it always comes down to the owners and employees. 9/10 times it's great but sometimes you get the old heads who are not kind and helpful ha.
I’ve been going through my grandpas old cameras and it’s so important to call and build a relationship with those people. I love hearing personal stories as well! I cannot say go to a camera store even if it’s once because the closes is an hour away (I’ve been there too)
I recently bought two SLR's off eBay from a Japanese vendor. Very helpful, quick to respond and the made me a great deal since I bought more than one item. The cameras showed up within a few days here in Sweden and they look brand new - like, seriously like they have never been used. Downside was that I had to pay almost twice the cost of the camera in import and customs fees, VAT and shipping. It was rather ridiculous! But, I regret nothing. Would buy from Japan again.
Finally, a good guide to buying film cameras. I have been shopping recently for a medium format camera but I don't know where to look for the best deals. So glad you made this video, thanks Corey!
Join some Facebook groups and tell them what you are looking for! Hope it helped man!
In 5 years of hunting for cameras I've learned a few things and one of the most important things is to just get to know how cameras work. I know not all people are as interested in the technical aspects of a camera, it is insanely important for being comfortable when buying them but also when using different ones. People also seem to forget that there's tons of stuff to find locally everywhere. It might take a bit more time to find the thing you're looking for but it's probably out there. Over 100 years of photography worldwide and only a niche group still shooting it today makes a lot of gems available that still haven't been found.
And one important thing that nobody ever seems to mention (probably because they don't even think about it when looking for or buying cameras) is the fact that prices on Ebay never really give a good indication of what it might actually go for locally. Just because that's what they're asking, doesn't mean it will sell for that (even ebay sold listings don't mean an actual person paid that for it). Getting to know your local market is so much more useful in determining what you should actually pay for an item. Especially for taking things like CLA and cosmetic condition into account.
Obviously for people who are just looking for one camera, and have the money to spend Japanese sellers or reputable stores (highly recommend Kamerastore in Finland as they professionally test their gear with testing equipment etc so it's withing factory tolerance), that is the way to go. But for people who are either collecting or just want to try out everything, putting in the hard work to find stuff locally is still the best option. I rarely spend over half of the current market price on gear and I've met so many great people along the way. Which is a highly underrated part of camera hunting. Sure getting the gear is nice but being able to meet new people with a similar interest, being able to tell them more about their gear then they ever knew and fully understanding eachother even with over 60 years in between the both of you, 10/10 would recommend.
Anyways, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk about hunting for film cameras.
My favorite way to buy film cameras is to go to estate sales.
I find great deals on vintage gear.
Most are in the $40 range.
Some complete SLR kits for around $100.
I love using the vintage gear I rescue !
Totally. I put estate sales in the high risk high reward category. Can come out with some killer steals if you are willing to put the time in. The hunt for the cameras is also just as fun sometimes if you enjoy going to the sales and grinding it out.
yes! You can never lose with Japanese ebay sellers, they take pride in great service and will always be respectful, and the shipping is mad fast, no import duties in in the US either
Corey preaching that Japanese ebay camera seller gospel- Wesley giving the Amen
Make sure to read the comments on the Japanese auctions on eBay. The exc+++++ usually has fungus etc
I have to agree when buying at well-reputed Japanese stores in ebay.
I don't. 2 of 2 cameras I bought from Japanese stores on eBay bricked within the first roll. Call it bad luck but not worth the hassle of not being able to check things, the shipping, and the customs.
@@_buttertigers oh too bad man. Sorry for that. I guess I just got lucky.
my favorite way to buy a film camera is the classic way - buying small parts of the camera off of ebay and from flea markets (like screws, pieces of the circuit board) and slowly reassemble the camera. might need some tape or glue or something.
sounds pretty good. will look into this
The paypal fee is paid by the seller, not the buyer. Which is even better honestly. What the buyer needs to make sure of is when they check out or send the money it's sent as goods & services over family and friends and the description of the goods is on there either via invoice or money request.
Excellent advice. Regarding EBay: EXAMINE the PHOTOS CLOSELY!!. I recent saw a Japense seller advertising a lens as MINT..only to discover upon closer inspection significant fungus growing on the rear element. This is an exception, not the rule with Japanese sellers. I am very satisfied with my purchases from Japan. ASK Questions with sellers. Communication is key, reputation is EVERYTHING on eBay. I have, as a buyer, decided not to buy from a seller with any negative feedback. But yes, all good advice on this video.
I’m Japanese and agree what you said. However, I’d personally do not buy at eBay because I can access dozens of local 2nd hand camera stores in Japan for better deal. That said, eBay would be 1st stop if you are not from Japan. Please be advised that the markup at eBay is, not all of the but some, unacceptably high for any of us living in Japan. Be a smart buyer, guys.
If there is a local camera club / photographic society in your area, it might be worth going down to a meeting, and mentioning that you are looking for a film camera, and see if anyone has one they aren't using anymore. You might get some tips on film photography whether you want them or not.
Or, you could hmu
think I’ll do just that!
Right on! I learned the hard way & will only buy a camera from Japan. The bottom line is the Japanese respect their equipment & don't throw it in the trunk of the car for a week or the attic for years. Just picked up a Pentax 645 from 1985, it looks and functions like it just left the factory.
One fun option is to buy a broken camera. Then fix it up. That of course is often difficult as hell and sometimes impossible. When the camera is listed as broken from the start at least you dont have high expectations and prices are also low.
Bought my rb67 that was from Japan and it looked like it came out of a time machine other then a subtle dent on the top of pop-up view finder which I didn’t notice until like a month into using it.
If you are willing to pay that extra bit of money or save up until you can afford it I highly recommend going with a big Japanese seller on eBay. Hard to go wrong there!
Awesome tips about using eBay! I don’t shop there all that much, so your suggestions will be a huge help to me when buying anything on there. I did buy a lens from a large Japanese store through eBay, and I also had a positive experience. One more tip, though... Pay extra for FedEx or DHL shipping from anywhere outside the US. If you choose the cheapest option it might be the foreign post office, and you won’t get your item for months. I’ve had perfect results with both B&H and KEH, both selling and buying just as you say here. Thanks, Corey! ✌️
Ohhhhhh yes. That is a great little sneaky tip. I don't use shipping outside of US person to person a lot but DHL seems to be the move for that kind of stuff. Recently learned that trading basketball cards haha.
Needed this been looking at 645 cameras for weeks now
Hope it helped!
@@coreywolfenbarger8992 sure did, thanks a lot!
I have a mamiya 645 pro for sale
Me too, I’ve been looking for a fuji ga645 but nobody has one here in Mexico.
@@stedalejandro i’m looking for one! do you have it listed yet?
Grabbed a Leica M6 for $300 back around ~2008... much better times then.
The Hasselblad H6d - 400c MC medium format DSLR at only $47,995! Good Lord how often do you change the tires on it? Lol. Solid advice Corey!
I wish I saw this video years ago. I've had the best luck on eBay. Bought an M6 from a woman who also provided me with a great conversation about the history of her Leica. Samy's Camera in L.A. is another great place I've bought cameras. I think eBay stopped working with PayPal recently because they want to do their own version of it. But God willing, their version will be just as good.
Thanks for the comment man. Yeah, eBay is pretty smooth if you have some common sense and vet the profiles. A bit more pricy but personally I think it's worth saving up to get that for the stress free experience of getting right to shooting when the camera arrives!
Good stuff! Product images with lens caps on, not showing the battery compartment, dirty viewfinder, janky shutter curtains, stores claiming ignorance and selling As-Is. Yup, bounce.
Great! Now how do I send this video back to two years ago me who made every eBay mistake.
Also, I need a video to help me stop buying cameras in 2021!
So if I’m only buying a fairly cheap $150 film camera, is it worth it to still buy from Japan? I get paying an extra couple hundred for an already expensive camera, but for a cheap $150 camera? How much extra would that cost me?
dunno if this has been covered underneath but re: eBay Buy It Now price - sometime I have won using Best Offer but it will display as selling as the original asking price in the sold section even if it sold for lower. this makes it seem like a lot of things are selling for higher than they are.
- If the eBay sellers accepts offer, the sold items price on eBay won’t displayed the agreed price.
- Cameras mainly available in Japan on eBay are usually overpriced with Japanese sellers not afraid to wait for months if not years to sell. This being said, their price might be fair in 6 months given the current inflation.
- Japanese sellers on eBay almost all present their cameras as mint or exc++++. One has to read all the details in description (a pain). Plenty have fungus, scratches, haze. The time of super clean cameras from Japan is gone except very specific sellers.
- The best for new buyers is to buy at places with warranty like KEH IMHO.
- In terms of price point, I think it’s better to define a range. At the top, an EXC camera from KEH with 6 months warranty, or a recently CLA camera (with receipt) should be the top price. At the very bottom it would be the price KEH pays to someone selling them the camera. Then one can add eBay prices within the range to get references.
How and who do you pay the taxes and import fees too. Was trying to buy from Japan and could not figure that out
This came out just as I was looking to start medium format THANK GOD
let's go!
same lol
I live in Tokyo...and everyone knows...dont buy at Physical Stores... buy at Mercari :D unfortunately its limited only within Japan...ppl sell soo many cameras since the markup that physcial camera stores Shinjuku Map Camera/ Camera Kitamura that pay you when selling is ridiculously low...here so ppl just sell online on Mercari for only 10% markup.. its fast easy to ship from any convience store on every block.. :p unfortunately the service in US is basically crap...but in Japan... its has like a Godlike presence here
KEH is the BEST place to buy a used film camera. 180 day warranty on TESTED gear.
Good job. Informative, excellent video.
What light meter app do you recommend?
Interesting video. I just got screwed over buying a Mamiya 7 (1800$)
Ouch. Sorry to hear that!
CLA’d? Cracked, lost, abandoned. I know that dealer!
@@visobs Long story short: I paid the money and never received a package.
@@gehmirausdersonne4791 eBay?
@@cjbcarr1 Not ebay but something similar. I paid via bank transfer (which is stupid now that I think about it) and there‘s now way to get my money back.
All good, logical advice. Having bought many cameras thrugh ebay over many years, not so much lately, I think that ebay is becoming much more shady than it sued to be. Do not assume that ebay and paypal will insolate you from the scamming seller, because the amount of nonsense you have to go though in the event is far too much hassle to justify bitching about a low cost broken piece of trash sold as "like new". I've probably done close to 200 ebay deals over the years, and got hit on only a couple of very low cost items. My last major purchase was a GA645Zi from Japan which I got at a very below market price. I expected average use condition. I got a camera and everything by the box in "as new"; it has had no significant use at all. Big Win for me.
``IT`S NOT MINT`` LOL
Doesn’t Lenny Kravitz have a secondhand Leica for sale? Failing that, can’t you get them at a Louis Vuitton store? Maybe pick up a scarf or bag at the same time.
Corey, Barney was a dinosaur
You're all that and a super-size bag of chips, want to be youtube friends?
Corey shouldnt we just buy from you
you gotta decorate that room bruh -- looking sad.
WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU BUY A FILM CAMERA? THIS KID IS LIVING IN THE STONE AGE!!!!! NOBODY EVRN DEVELOPS FILM ANYMORE
You are so mistaken. Lmao
The best part of shooting film is not being able to get it developed.