cleaning out some of my digital cameras (what should stay and what should go)

[niki]

I have a super 16mm film camera which is a camera I'm keeping because it's bringing me $$ work..but I also have a room full of digital cameras from the past five years and I"m wondering what should go and what should stay..?
what would you do ?

I have a...

red scarlet mx (pl and canon Mounts)
Canon C300 pl mount
5dm3
5dm2
t2i
gh2
Bmpcc..
Iphone 6s

thanks

[Cary Knoop]

red scarlet mx (pl and canon Mounts)

Oh that's pretty much scrap material, it only takes up space in your garage.
I'll help you and take this load away for free!

[jamedia.uk]

I have a super 16mm film camera which is a camera I'm keeping because it's bringing me $$ work..but I also have a room full of digital cameras from the past five years and I"m wondering what should go and what should stay..?
what would you do ?

I have a...

red scarlet mx (pl and canon Mounts)
Canon C300 pl mount
5dm3
5dm2
t2i
gh2
Bmpcc..
Iphone 6s

thanks

Scrap all of it. As it contains lead solder and other things that need specialist disposal I will send you my address for you to ship to and I will take care of the lot for free.

Seriously don't scrap any of the digital stuff, box it up and store it. Film is not going anywhere in the medium-long term.

Despite a resurgence of interest and the use of film has doubled(?) from where it was a year or two ago it is still less than 5% of where it was a decade ago. I recall that several places that used to stock film no longer do. Still or movie. No call for it and "we can order it if you pay in advance" sort of thing. And the costs are going up. It will get to the point where the niche market for film will get very very small as the costs escalate (and digital gets cheaper).

I think the big drop in film use was when movie distribution went digital. In the UK only the specialist art-house places still have projectors and run the old films. ALL the main stream cinemas are digital. The widespread use of computer projectors in business has brought costs down to the point where it costs less to do it digitally from entry level up to the main stream cinemas. AFAIK all the Cinema chains distribute digitally across their own networks. No need to ship hard drives let alone film.

I haven't seen a film projector outside a skip in a long while. So whilst you may shoot on film where can you show it? (without digitising it) Enjoy the 16mm film work whilst it lasts but I would not base a (long-medium term) business on it.

[niki]

from the digital cameras I have which ones do you think are worth keeping..?
(while I'll just sell the rest)

[JordanWright]

I would just keep the C300 if you rarely use your digital stuff, its still very popular despite its age . There no point keeping a load of cameras you dont use.

[Greg_E]

Actually the opposite, the cameras have little memory batteries in them. If the batteries go dead, some cameras will not function! The GH2 for example has a little rechargeable battery in it, when it goes below a certain voltage it will not recharge, and also will not power up.

Keep the c300 and 5dmk3 and Scarlet. Or sell them all and rent if you suddenly need one. The c300 has a newer model, as does the 5d, and the reds are ever changing. If you can't get the price you need, just hang on to those 3. Everything else I would test for function and sell while it is still working.

[Jim Feeley]

Personally, I'd keep the C300 since it can pretty much be tweaked to be a close-enough match with an Alexa. And maybe I'd keep one of of the DSLRs when you want to stick a camera into a dangerous situation where the camera might get destroyed but you also want more control than you'd get with a GoPro.

Then sell the rest as soon as you can...

Good mix of opinions here... Niki, let us know what you decide to sell and keep.

[niki]

nothing sold yet!

so busy with super 16mm commercial work..it's given me a competitive edge..(the digital equipment will go on sale soon I think..and I'll will keep what's not sold..probably the c300)

[niki]

Personally, I'd keep the C300 since it can pretty much be tweaked to be a close-enough match with an Alexa. And maybe I'd keep one of of the DSLRs when you want to stick a camera into a dangerous situation where the camera might get destroyed but you also want more control than you'd get with a GoPro.

Then sell the rest as soon as you can...

Good mix of opinions here... Niki, let us know what you decide to sell and keep.

Still haven’t sold anything! (year later update)

What should I do...?.?

[Guest]

Red just started showing off their speedbooster mount. Good revive the old MX sensor, plus it will give that FF35 look, so you can possibly not need the 5d bodies any more.


I have recently fallen in love with the Bmpcc by pairing it with an old 9.5-57mm zoom. An angenieux CP16. Seems great for emulating 90’s cameras, 8mm/VHS/minidv, but without all the stairstepping and weird artifacts.

Hard to say which cameras to keep. C300 is a great grab and go solution, and while i personally dislike the camera, i believe it still gets work, so it is valuable in that sense.

Initially, i was thinking you should keep just the 5d3 and get raw on it, then you have a wonderful personal camera, but Red is releasing the speed booster and that opens up the Red MX to near 1600 native iso and FF35 characteristics.

[Greg_E]

I'd test everything you don't think you need and dump it. If the GH2 doesn't work, I'd pay postage on all the parts you have. Might help me figure out a problem on another body. If it still works, might be able to get around $200 for it. Not sure of the value of the rest of the gear. Might be worth contacting a company that buys and sells used gear and see what kind of quick money you could get. Probably be about 50% of what you can sell it for, but it would be faster and easier.

[IronFilm]

Only YOU can answer this question

Which of them do you see yourself using in the next 6 months? 12 months? 18 months?

And how much would you use it? And what are the odds? Likely? Possible? Unlikely?

And what would you use it on, paid work? Personal projects?

These are just some of the factors you need to consider. And we don't know those answers for you.

[jamedia.uk]

I have a super 16mm film camera which is a camera I'm keeping because it's bringing me $$ work..

But for how long? These hipster/vintage fads come and go. In 12 months all your customers for film are just as likely to change their minds.
Keep enough digital kit to be able to swap back.

I see the same with still togs re glass plates and wet film. Every now and again there is a flurry of activity for both film and glass plate photography. It is normally short lived and certainly far to intermittent to base a living on.

Part of the problem is time and cost.

Cost: It's connected to supply and demand: as the use of film drops and fewer places stock it or make it. The prices go up. Film will get more expensive to use as the cost of digital sinks. Eventually your customers are not going to want to pay the difference. You are also going to have to carry a lot film stock as customers may want something shot quickly (and lead times for film are only going to increase) That is quite an investment. Quite apart from requiring developing and editing kit and room to use them. Spares for which are also going to disappear and get more expensive.


Time: Digital is instant. This is why the news media went to it ASAP. Also you know what you have in the can with digital. You know at the time if you need a reshoot.

The other problem is supply and demand. With fewer places holding stock of film you could find that supplies may take days or weeks. Digital does not have that problem. So if a customer calls the day after you finish a shoot that used your stock of film and says I need this once in a life time event/thing shot the day after tomorrow.... Unless you are always carrying a large amount of expensive film stock "just in case" you won't be able to do it and piss of the customer. So there is an expense of carrying a lot of film stock you may not use.


So whilst you are having a good time of it at the moment I don't think it is stable or has a future. You might be luck ant be the One place "everyone" goes to in NY for shooting on film, enough to give you a business longer term but the public are fickle. In the cold light of day (bottom line on time and money) film does to have any advantages over digitial.

[niki]

I have a super 16mm film camera which is a camera I'm keeping because it's bringing me $$ work..but I also have a room full of digital cameras from the past five years and I"m wondering what should go and what should stay..?
what would you do ?

I have a...

red scarlet mx (pl and canon Mounts)
Canon C300 pl mount
5dm3
5dm2
t2i
gh2
Bmpcc..
Iphone 6s

thanks

Here's an end of the year update


well it's almost 2022 and I haven't sold or updated any of my cameras (except for the iphone) and they are all being used...and still most work is coming from my super 16mm camera (which is the only camera that has gone up in value) and rents too..