Your favourite camera for under $50 bucks?!?!

[EDV]

Fast forward a few years, maybe even decades into the future... and you see the camera you're currently using ( lets say... the Panasonic AF-100 ) selling for next to nothing... what are your thoughts?

PS. this occurred to me as I walked into a pawn shop the other day and saw an old FILM photo camera, lens included, on sale for $10 dollars. Pretty good condition too.

 

[TheDingo]

With electronic gear it all depends on the tech getting better and cheaper.

It's possible that in 5 years you'll be able to buy a $200 pocket-camera that produces a better video image than the AF100.
( I am very curious to get my hands on the $995 Blackmagic Pocket Cine camera for this reason )

 

[EDV]

My point is, especially before the DSLR era, the HPXs , EX3s, and other similar cameras required a BIG initial investment ( $8000 easy, without many accessories ). That kinda outlay did mean a lot of sacrifices, and perhaps even had a detrimental impact in personal relationships, lifestyle choices, etc. Not the kind of thing you want to see go for $20 bucks at your local pawn shop, even a few years down the track...

 

[dreoftheblue]

As a poor amateur shooter, I've used whatever I could get my hands on.

Although you wouldn't call it "outdated," I've shot a ton with a Sanyo Xacti pistol grip monstrosity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xacti

I found a display model, cashed in a favor and got an employee discount, and picked one up for $50. (The 16GB SDHC card I bought with it cost almost as much as the camera itself!)

...Has a shocking amount of manual control for a cheap little doohickey, and the picture it produces really surprised me.

I've since won 2 amateur contests with it, and the cash prizes have paid for the camera many, many times over. For a pocket cam/bad weather/rough and tumble etc. shooter, the thing fits a purpose.

But, I'm ready to upgrade, so I made an account here to learn more before plopping money on a better kit.