Advice on 2nd hand gear

[bre]

Hello!

Hope everyone's morning is going great :)

Just wondering if anyone can possibly help me with some round-about pricing for some second hand photography gear i am potentially looking at buying. The seller has advised me to make an offer, and although the equipment is old, Its all in good condition as far as I am aware.

Devere 203 enlarger with cathomag head (brown and white) does not look like a lens is included
Nikon f5 camera
Fujifilm GA645 professional
Fujifilm GS645W professional
Bowens traveller lighting sets inc prolite 41 & 60
Bowens studio lighting setups (not sure of model numbers)


I believe all equipment is at least 15-20 years old or more as was owned by a prominent photographer who has since passed. Also any ideas on availability and cost of spare parts and service for these items would be much appreciated (particularly for the enlarger)


Sorry if I'm not giving you enough information...I'm new to photography and have no idea what this stuff is worth! Google searches aren't giving a great deal of accurate advice.

Many thanks for any advice!

bre

[ricktas]

As a beginner can I ask why you are looking at film gear rather than digital? When you consider film is now a niche aspect of photography and not only do you need to learn how to take good photos, but also learn how to develop the film, buy developer, fixer etc, are you sure you want to go that way? Do you have the time to dedicate to a dark room, etc?

Personally i would not recommend to any beginner photographer to look at film. I would say get digital. learn how to take photos etc, and if you are still interested in delving into film, do it once you have a couple of years experience, skill and knowledge on photography in general.

[bre]

Thanks for your response Rick

I already have digital equipment, but the opportunity has arisen to purchase this film gear which is why I'm looking into it. Obviously I have a lot to learn, but isn't that half the fun!

[ricktas]

so are you ready to setup a darkroom, play with chemicals and have you got the time for it? if so, buy it all! But based on you having already gotten digital gear, would suggest you are not a beginner photographer?

[fillum]

Welcome Bre.

The F5 is physically quite a large camera. I'm not familiar with the Fujis, but as they are medium format (use larger film) they are probably reasonably large as well. So the size of the cameras may be an issue for you. Additionally these are professional cameras (so will be well built and very capable) but might be complex to use for a beginner. The F5 was Nikon's professional 'flagship' film camera till around 2005 when it was replaced by the F6 (which is still, I think, the current model). I think typically they start around $250 for a well-used model and go up from there.

A roll of film typically costs $6-$8 and will probably cost upwards of $10 a roll to be developed (unless you do it yourself, which is another thing you'll need to learn). A roll of film will give you between 16 and 36 shots (depending on camera and film type). So the costs can add up pretty quickly, particularly while you are learning. Also with film you won't get the immediate feedback that you will get from digital (from the camera's LCD screen), so learning using digital can be a quicker process.

The enlarger is obviously only useful if you are going to produce 'analogue' prints from your film negatives. This also requires that you set up a darkroom. I did a quick google and found a replacement lamp for a cathomag head at almost $400 - I think this was for a bigger model but should give you an idea of the replacement cost. If you want to shoot film, you can scan the negs and then follow a digital workflow for printing. It's also possible in some areas to hire darkrooms.

(maybe a bit off your original question here, but hope it helps...)



Cheers.

[bre]

Thankyou both for your advice :) ...Rick I'm not a total beginner, but would still class myself as that as I'm not particularly technical and basically just point and shoot. In saying that though I'd love to learn more and saw this as an opportunity to perhaps do that, especially as I'm really into black and white and would love to try developing my own.

i knew the items were of professional grade considering who is selling them, however thought seeing as they are quite old perhaps I could obtain them at a more reasonable price than what you've ball parked above.

Thanks again for your help!

[Bennymiata]

I would offer him $100 for the lot, if you really think you'll use it.
Sure, he could get more going through the processes and waiting months and months for a buyer, but to be frank with you, you'll look at the stuff and play with it, MAYBE take a shot or 3, but it will end up being scrapped.
There's loads of this stuff out there, and especially with enlargers, they are a dime a dozen and without a lens, they're almost worthless.

[dannat]

Do you have someone in cairns to develop film, or r u looking to develop yourself

[jjphoto]

Being in Cairns, be careful that the equipment is free from fungus/mould. Humid climates are hard on photo gear.