Podcast: Cult Cameras and Why You Can’t Find a Hasselblad on the Used Camera Market
11/11/2015Five years ago, you could buy a quality 35mm film camera for the song playing in your head. Used medium format film cameras collected dust on store shelves. Today, if a Mamiya, Hasselblad, or Rolleiflex become available, they don’t last long before being snatched up by a zealous photographer. And those who regularly shoot digital SLRs know that buying older models does not diminish the quality of your work, and it can save you hundreds of dollars, especially if you use them as roughly as some professionals do. Whether film or digital, the used camera market is alive and well and we will talk with photographer and camera collector Jason Wallace, and member of the B&H Used Department, Chris Koentje on what is new in used gear. From the cameras that are hot in Argentina, to what to inspect when buying a used lens, and to just how important trust is between buyer and seller, we will touch on all aspects of the used camera market in this spirited conversation between industry veterans.
Guests: Jason Wallace and Chris Koentje
To listen to this week’s episode: Listen to or download on SoundCloud, or subscribe to the B&H Photography Podcast on iTunes; Stitcher; SoundCloud; or via RSS.
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Jason Wallace | Chris Koentje |
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Items from B&H Used Department Camera Museum |
Host: Allan Weitz
Producer: John Harris
Engineer: Jason Tables
Executive Producers: Bryan Formhals, Mark Zuppe
8 Comments
ABSOULUTELY LOVE this episode, great job! We need more classic photo talk, this is great.
Thanks Carl... We really appreciate the comment and I think you are right, we should address the used camera scene again soon.
Happy 100th podcast! I would have to say that this episode is my favorite #bhphotopodcast since I am a sucker for film cameras having owned a Canon A-1 since 1980 and a used Canon New F-1 since 2013. I now have a Canon EOS 5D III, but I enjoy photography. It doesn't matter if it's film or digital.
I want to get into medium format cameras and the Mamiya 645 and RZ67 are my two medium format cameras on my camera bucket list. Then there's 4x5...
Thank you so much Ralph and thanks for being with us since the beginning
Informative and entertaining podcast. I still shoot with my Canon A-1 that I bought new in 1980. I've bought used lenses from B&H, a Canon FD 28mm f2.8 which has become my favorite lens; for 31 years, I've never had a wide angle. Most recently, I bought a Canon Macrophoto 20mm f3.5 from B&H; that lens is rare to find and I snapped it up a few days after it went on sale. I added a used F-1N from KEH so I could share lenses. Both B&H and KEH, as mentioned in the podcast are reputable resellers of used equipment.
I want to get one of these days two medium format systems, a Mamiya 645 and an RZ67.
Thank you for listening and commenting Ralph. I like your set up, especially that 20mm.
True no long ago many great film cameras were a steal, like the near mint Nikon F6 and FM3a I picked up for a song. KEH has always had medium format cameras available. Right now there are 61 medium format bodies, 16 of those are Hasselblad bodies.
Thank you for the comment Paul. Congrats on that F6, a nice camera to have...at any price.