The short answer
Most old cameras are worth little. The basic compacts and snapshot cameras that fill family drawers were made in huge numbers and often sell for small amounts, if at all. A smaller group is worth real money: well-made film SLRs, rangefinders, medium format cameras, some premium compacts and many good lenses. To know which you have, identify the exact model, check whether it works and compare recent sales.
Find the exact make and model
Look in three places:
- Top plate and front: the brand and model name are often engraved or printed on the top, or on the front beside the lens.
- Lens markings: the ring around the front glass, or the lens barrel, normally shows the maker, the focal length in millimetres and the maximum aperture, written like 1:2 or f/2.8.
- Serial numbers: the body's number is usually on the top plate, the back or the base, and the lens has its own. For some makers, serial numbers help date a camera.
Write down the body and the lens as two separate items, and note which camera each lens came off, because the mount decides which bodies it fits. Photograph the name, the lens markings and the serial numbers clearly; our guide to photographing items for resale covers light and framing.
Camera types that tend to matter
Usually worth a careful check
- SLRs with interchangeable lenses, particularly higher-end models from established camera makers.
- Rangefinders, which you focus by lining up a small bright patch in the viewfinder rather than by looking through the lens.
- Medium format cameras, which take roll film wider than 35mm, including twin-lens reflex models, many folding cameras and larger system cameras.
- Premium compacts with a sharp, fast fixed lens. Some have a strong following, so do not dismiss a camera just because it is small.
Usually worth less
- Plastic point-and-shoot cameras with basic fixed lenses.
- Disposable cameras and most 110 and APS cameras.
- Many early consumer digital cameras, although some compact models have become popular again, so check the specific model before you dismiss one.
These are tendencies, not rules. Demand for particular models changes, so check recent sales rather than reputation.
A famous name is not proof
A collectible brand engraved on the top plate does not prove a camera is genuine. Copies and re-engraved cameras exist, and the best-known examples are Soviet-made rangefinders altered to look like Leicas. If a camera seems rare or valuable, check that its details and serial number fit the genuine model, and get an opinion from a specialist camera dealer or repairer before you rely on the markings or set a high price.
The lens can be worth as much as the body
With interchangeable-lens cameras, the lens is often a large part of the value, and sometimes the larger part. Fast lenses (a low f-number, such as f/1.4 or f/2), unusual focal lengths and lenses known for a particular look are often sought after, partly because many can be adapted to modern mirrorless cameras. A common kit lens may add little. Treat the lens as its own item.
Quick checks without film
Open the back with no film loaded, and do not touch the shutter curtains or the glass:
- Shutter: wind on, fire at several speeds and watch the shutter open. Slow speeds such as 1 second should sound clearly longer than fast ones, and apart from the B setting the shutter should close every time. Many electronic cameras will not fire without a working battery, and some automatic cameras behave differently with the back open, so a camera that will not fire is not necessarily broken.
- Aperture: on an SLR lens, set the smallest aperture (the largest number) and look into the front of the lens as you fire. The blades should snap closed and reopen. On rangefinders and other cameras with a manual aperture ring, the blades move as you turn the ring instead. Oil on the blades or slow, sticky movement is a fault.
- Meter: fit a fresh battery of the correct type, then point the camera at a bright window and a dark corner. The needle or display should change. Some older cameras were designed for mercury batteries that have not been sold for decades, and substitutes can read differently, so check what the model needs. Others use a selenium meter that needs no battery but often weakens with age.
- Light seals: look at the foam strips around the back door and, on an SLR, the small pad the mirror hits. Sticky, crumbling or missing foam means the seals need replacing.
- Haze and fungus: shine a small torch (flashlight) through the lens and look from the other side. Haze looks like a milky fog; fungus looks like threads or branching webs. A little internal dust is common and matters far less.
Also check the viewfinder, the film advance and the battery compartment for corrosion. Do not oil a sticky shutter or take a lens apart to clean it before selling; that is a job for a repairer, and an attempt can make things worse. Firing at every speed does not prove the speeds are accurate, and only a test roll proves a camera takes good pictures, so describe your checks as exactly what they are.
Describe condition honestly
- Tested: say what you tested and how, for example that the shutter fires at every speed, the meter responds and the lens is clear under a torch. If you shot a test roll, say so.
- Untested: use this only when you genuinely do not know, and say it plainly in the description. Buyers assume an untested camera may not work and price it that way. On eBay, the Used condition describes an item that is fully operational, so a camera you could not check usually fits For parts or not working better.
- For parts or not working: use this when you know of a fault that stops the camera working properly, such as a jammed shutter or a dead meter, and name the fault.
Whichever condition you choose, disclose haze, fungus, dents and lens marks, and show them in clear photos. Calling a camera untested when you know it has a problem can lead to returns and disputes.
Case, box, manual and flash
- Original box and manual: can add something, mainly for collectible models in very good condition. For an everyday user camera they add little.
- Leather case: the fitted cases sold with many cameras are common and add little.
- Flash: a dedicated flash made for that camera system can be worth listing on its own. Generic flashes usually add little.
- Caps, hood and strap: front and rear lens caps make a listing look complete. A matching hood or original strap helps a little; old filters rarely do.
- Extra lenses: research each one separately before you decide whether to bundle them.
Compare sold results, body and lens separately
Look at what buyers actually paid for the exact model, not what sellers are asking. Our guides to seeing sold listings on eBay and sold versus active listings explain how. For cameras, run three searches:
- The body alone, often listed as "body only".
- The lens alone, by maker, focal length, aperture and mount.
- The body and lens sold together.
Match condition as well as model: tested, working examples and untested or for-parts examples belong in separate piles. Then compare the realistic total for selling separately with selling as a kit. Selling separately means paying fees, and any postage you cover, on each sale; see what you keep after selling to work out your take-home amount.
Where WorthAI fits
WorthAI identifies a camera from a photo, estimates a value range and shows the marketplace listings behind that estimate, so you can check whether they match your model and condition. Photograph the body and the lens separately if you want to research each one, and tap Refine Result if the identity is wrong. WorthAI cannot test the shutter, look inside the lens or confirm that a camera is genuine, so the checks above are still yours to do. Confirm the result, then choose your price.
Frequently asked questions
Are old film cameras worth anything?
Some are. Many mass-produced compacts sell for little, while well-made SLRs, rangefinders, medium format cameras, some premium compacts and good lenses can be worth more. Check recent sold results for the exact model in the same condition.
How can I tell if an old camera works without film?
Open the back, fire the shutter at several speeds, watch the aperture blades, test the meter with a fresh battery of the correct type and inspect the lens with a torch. These checks show obvious faults, but only a test roll fully confirms it works.
Should I sell the camera body and lens together or separately?
Compare sold results for the body alone, the lens alone and both together. Choose whichever gives the better realistic total after fees and postage. Fixed-lens cameras are sold as one item.