All of these cameras (and more) are all over my step dad’s house. What are they worth?

r/vintagecameras is an excellent source.

What are his photography skills like?

There is easily many tens of thousands of dollars worth there, if sorted and properly listed on ebay, individually.

If selling faster, in bulk, pick a very reputable camera store in your area, you may need to travel, and talk to them.

Finally there are places like KEH camera, who will buy things like this, you go online and enter the info of each camera and they give you a price they'll pay.

This is an incredible, beautiful, deep collection.

Very sorry for the loss.

Anything that is Leica brand will be worth a decent amount. There’s a lot there though, so you will have to go through it on a camera-by-camera basis.

I'll speak as someone who recently sold off a decent sized camera collection and did a pile of research. A collection that size, you're better off going to an auction house or a professional appraiser. Collectible cameras are a minefield. What you think is gold might be junk. What you think might look simple and cheap might be the most valuable camera there. Condition is huge. One blemish or mechanical problem might turn an otherwise valuable camera to scrap. Old doesn't mean valuable. Certain brands or formats won't be worth much no matter how nice they are. And there's a big difference in the market when it comes to collectors and photographers.

It looks like there are also a bunch of more modern DSLRs, which can be quite valuable. Also lenses can be quite valuable, so you'll want to research those as well.

The Bolex 16mm cameras in the first two images can go from $300-2500 ea. depending on condition and lenses.

Not gonna try to zoom in on the rest of your images. But if you find the right collector they might be willing to take the whole deal. Otherwise finding a vintage camera dealer would be my best guess. See if they want to buy it or sell on consignment.

Try r/vintagecameras or r/16mm

Sell them one at a time. A few there should fetch a pretty good amount. You’ll find the most value in the lenses. I see a few in there I’d add to my collection.

Sorry for your loss.

If you aren't fairly familiar with both reselling and vintage cameras, your best bet is going to be to find a large, reputable auction house to consign them with. Identifying each and selling individually would provide the highest yield, but cameras can be tricky even for the experienced seller and photographer. I love that shelf of Nikons. You have thousands of dollars there, but determining how many lies in looking up each individual body and lens.

Are there any Leica’s in his collection? I wouldn’t know to price everything, but it seems like he kept everything in good shape. You would be able to sell them

Are... You're not planning on robbing your step-dad, are you?

There's a camera museum in va, I'm sure he could tell you everything https://www.cameraheritagemuseum.org/

I don’t anything about their value. But I do know it is a bittersweet kind of feeling getting rid of a loved ones left behind stuff. You know it would be worth something to someone, but you just don’t have the time to figure it out. If you end up letting go of some of it just for time, consider looking into a high school or even community college AV club or department as a donation. Offset the bitterness of losing what might be valuable with the idea that it might inspire young film makers or photographers. Best wishes to your family

No clue on values, but there are some possible gems/surprises in there. Bolexes are generally still wanted.

I saw a couple of cool things like what looks to be a Minox “spy” camera, and a stereo camera, in pic 6.

Did he have any 8mm or Super 8 projectors to go with the cameras?

Lots of Nikons, with a couple of more-valued ones like the Photomic F. Condition of the lenses/glass will definitely affect salability/value.

I see some AF cameras in amongst the Nikons also. Depending on the models, those are still wanted. Not sharp enough (to my eyes) to zoom in/see what they are though.

If she sells, I’d think individual sales will net more cash. If there’s a semi- or valuable thing, could always lump in some lesser-value things to move those also.

As a “lot” sale, that gets it all gone. But more I think as a don’t-want-to-deal-with/don’t-want-to-take-time/don’t-care-get-it-gone thing.

If appropriate, sorry for your mum’s (and yours?) loss.

I think you have at least one Kodak dcs 2000e (has a Nikon body, but it's Kodak image sensor) which is an interesting and landmark machine. If you have all the bits that go with it, can be $500. Those Bolex super 8mm cameras, $100-$150 each and more depending on model. Even the 8mm movie cameras have good value. If you have any 16mm movie cameras, they can be quite valuable, Bolex, Auricon, Beaulieu. Into the thousands. Even the early Kodak 16mm's can fetch good money. The late model Yashica super 8mm can fetch $75 to$150. The Cannon super 8s are highly sought after and can fetch$300 to$500 or more. The Cannon A, A1, AE1, AE1 program go for $100 to $300. The Nikon F film camera s can bring $500 to over 1000 and more. All value will be related to condition and function. Manny of the SLR cameras will need light seals and mirror bumpers. The top of the line DSLR cameras from any manufacturer will be valuable. Especially the newer ones. If there are any Nikon or Canon rangefinders, they are particularly valuable. Of course any Leica have people bringing out the big bucks. Especially the lenses. Also look for Leitz name on the lenses and equipment. Leica is a Leitz product. It's all expensive stuff. Kodak camera are mostly of low value, but Kodak retina rangefinders, the Extra, folding bakelite Bantum, early box cameras, the 35, the medallion, all fetch good money. Even the folding bellows pre WWII camera can be $200to$500 depending on lens. And all fast SLR prime lenses like f=1.2 are all highly sought after and experience independent of brand but dependent off condition. Learn how to evaluate lenses for dust, haze, and fungus, which is easy. The cleaner the lens, the higher the return. If any of the cameras have batteries, remove them. Especially the super 8 cameras. Old batteries leak and ruin delicate parts and electric components. If they are funky looking, like little flying saucers, they contain mercury and are toxic. I could go on, but that's all from the top of my head. All values are estimates based on experience, but still an educated guess. At the end of the day, the value is all about condition and functionality. And if you find any old rangefinders, don't wind it or turn any dials or snap the shutter until you read how to do it correctly. Some can be damaged.

I used to be a photographer. Most of it is kinda ehh. The Nikon on the very right of the mantel that says Kodak on the bottom, though. It was really the first useful DSLR for photojournalists. I’m not sure of the value, but it definitely holds a special place in photographic history.

You'd have to carefully identify each model and probably only a handful have any value (briefly scanning your pictures). Ebay 'sold listings' is probably the best gauge of values. You'll get the most money selling most individually on ebay auctions or fixed prices. I sold 40 yr accumulation of 35mm gear on ebay, starting most around 10 or 20 dollars fixed prices, and the more desirable pieces on auction with attractive starting prices. I'll donate the leftovers that didn't sell to a thrift or something

Careful going through those pictures and videos. You might see some images of your mom you don't want to see

Hello. Movie producer here myself. These are all super cool, and some definitely have value to collectors, especially the ones with the lenses.

I’m not an expert in old cameras, but most of these are fairly common and not in use anymore. A lot of them appear to be 16mm and 8mm. Some are photography camera bodies. Some are more modern tape video cameras. Looks like maybe beta.

I would start by trying to find out if any of them are rare. You would basically be selling to collectors. But most collectors would buy 1 or 2 or maybe 5 if you are lucky. Selling them all will be difficult. Or at least it would be hard to get full price for them all. Anyone else who buys them in bulk is going to give you a bad deal, because they will have to do all the legwork to find a buyer for each of them.

When my father passed away, we got an auction house to sell his belongings. But we seriously got about 20% of what everything was worth by the time the auction house took their cut. But placing each item on eBay and trying to get full price would be a ton of work. And you would have to store them all somewhere while you are doing that. And you need an eBay account with sales and food reviews.

If you do go to an auction house, make sure it is one that sells collectible cameras or movie memorabilia, so they know what this is worth, and know how to attract the right buyers to the auction.

Good luck and let me know if I can be of any other help.

Sorry for your loss and hope Mom is as okay as can be expected.

Build a list. Document the pieces individually. Dust them off with a New! soft paint brush. Shop the list around, including photos, to auction houses and anywhere else mentioned in this thread... some excellent ideas & advice here. Keep a few, especially any in pictures with your dad.

Pull the batteries from the camcorders and anything else bc a burst battery will trash any value.

Good source here:

https://collectiblend.com/Cameras/

I suggest you do an inventory by brand, model, and serial number. From what I can see, I believe you have some very collectible items. It could well be worth your time. Lay everything out by brand and get busy. Good luck.

Honestly I’d probably contact a local estate sale company or auction. If you’re low on interest and time it can be a good way to get it all moved

Provably not a-lot unless you see Hasselblad or Leica.

My bet is the lenses are worth a lot. Probably have some cinema lenses which can be pricey. People put them on digital cameras for Indy films.

Sadly I would say they are worth a lot less than you hope for… I spotted one Sony TV camera that was 40k new and now maybe worth 400 on eBay if you are lucky. Some of the older Nikons are cool but once again you need a very specific buyer. Sorry for your loss.

Find an auction house

yeah, definitely some heavy hitting cannons up in there

Anything that is a Leica is money. Sorry for your loss.

Most of the Nikons look really nice. No idea for the rest, though everything looks interesting in some way. Quite the collection.

Hire a reputable specialty auction company with the resources to hold an online auction. You’ll open your reach to collectors all over the world.

Weren’t the original light sabers made from a vintage flash/camera part? Super valuable and sought after nowadays

I'm just going to say it - that's way too many cameras...

This all looks very nice. Shouldn’t split up the collection and just ask a big price if you’re going to sell.

Certain lenses can fetch much more than the camera bodies. It would be worth inventorying them and consulting an expert to find out what you have. Leica, Hasselblad, Zeiss, Canon FD and other vintage SLR lenses are popular for rehousing for cinema cameras and can be worth many hundreds to thousands.

r/nikon would give some great advice on that particular part of the collection. Just make sure that the model numbers and lens information is included. You definitely have some money in that cabinet.

To the right collector? A fortune by many standards.

Looks in great shape, there’s a huge market for retro tech, especially if it works.

Make sure your home is insured to cover these so you can get a big pay out if the insurance company can’t get a duplicate

His name by chance wasn't Bob Crane was it.

Can I please buy one?

Bhphotovideo.com could be a good place to sell to.

My kidney if you want it.

Flashbacks to using the Bolex at film school! What a fun find.

Collectiblend (.com) has recent camera and lens sales results that are easily searchable. From there you can figure the approximate fair market value of each. If you can sell them all at once expect less.

Buy a copy mcewen's camera guide. It'll tell you the values of these things, and then subtract 10% and that's what you should sell it for. They always overestimate a little bit.

Also where you from? If you lived in me I could help you out.

I've bought a few old cameras from antique stores and eBay in the past. Your best bet would be to look at eBay. I thought I saw some Brownie Box cameras (the black boxed ones) in the collection and there are sites for identifying them. https://www.brownie-camera.com/ Sorry for your loss!

Lots of cool things ! Old bolex cameras are worth 50-150 usd a unit. Lots of good mechanical nikons, a couple hundred each. Medium format mech cameras in the 500usd. Digital cameras price will depend on age/captor resolution. Lots of lenses too, that’s where the money is. Great collection. Don’t let this go for nothing. Inventorize and sell on e-bay. It’s worth the effort

My dad, who died in 2003, would like to speak with you.

Answering your question: It will cost you lots of personal time spent trying to research/post/sell it and not much money earned. See supply on eBay for yourself.

Vintage Camera Seller here. You have some really cool Stuff there. Dont be fooled by ebay pricing. If you cant Test them you wont get market Price. I would recommend selling the lot to a Seller. If you Happen to be in Germany i might be able to help you. (Not buy the cameras, i have way too much rn.)

Thought of this after I typed all that rambling below… check reputable used camera sites that buy equipment. Off the top of my head, keh.com is a good one, but there’s a couple of others. They’ll actually give you fair prices, but first you’ll need to know what’s working and what’s not.

Can’t really make out any model numbers, but I do see a lot of digital mixed in with some very vintage and antique film stuff. I used to buy old lenses and film bodies, restore them, and resell them. I stopped because the damn things got too expensive. That was probably 10 years ago and companies like Pentax are now getting ready to release film bodies again, makes me think the demand is still high. Point is, I think they’d fetch a nice amount if they’re all in good working condition. If you try to get rid of the lot, camera dealers are going to give you absolutely as little as possible, if they even want to go through the hassle of checking them all and possibly repairing if needed.

If he had any refrigerated old film, especially Polaroid, auction that off too. As far as the equipment, I’d start with all of those nice Bolex & Nikon film cameras. Watch a few Youtube videos about how to properly clean a lens before you photograph them for eBay.

I think the lenses are probably worth quite a bit by themselves as many of them can probably still be used

A thousand words.

Tell me OP needs weed money without telling me he needs weed money ;)

Joke aside, that's quite the collection!

Get labels and models on each one and go through the internet.

If you find some film, DON'T WATCH ANY OF IT.

I would start by checking if he has any collections not currently on display or in storage. The items may hold value, but proper cataloging would be necessary.

Probably anywhere between $10k - $20 for everything. I see a lot of normal good quality cameras but nothing that jumps out as super nice or super expensive. It really depends on the condition. That’s the difference between a vintage camera costing $200 or it costing $500+. Everything has to work tho. Keep an eye out for accessories and lenses some of that stuff can be just as expensive as the cameras simply because they are not manufactured anymore.

If you are in the US, contact KEH Camera. I’ve sold and bought used camera equipment with them. In my experience, they’ve been very fair with their prices. They do virtual evaluations of your gear and let you know on the spot what they will pay for your equipment. It’s really easy - especially when you have so many cameras in your collection.

https://www.keh.com

Some of these are probably made by the thousands so not too rare. If they can be associated with a person of distinction then the value goes up. If they are pre-WWII vs. the photography boom of the late 50's and 60's they might have value. For example, I bought a camera that was the same model listed on Amelia Earhart's fated flight in 1937, the Duo Six-20 (http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak\_Duo\_Six-20).. it's a nice camera but I got it in Florida at a second hand shop for I think around 25-35 dollars in Dec 2023. If your step-dad has passed or just wanting to downsize then these should be listed as a lot not individually because some just will not be sold. I would of course, at the very least take a nice microfiber feather duster to them, NO CLEANING solutions (not even for electronic or photography equip).

Typically these are massed produced, but a good eBay search will give you an idea of resent(ish) past sales.

No, you shouldn’t get back at your stepdad and no, your stepdad is not extremely wealthy…

Are Leicas worth anything now? I know they used to be crazy expensive and revered but what about now, since film is barely used? Just curious…

What someone will pay for them.

Be sure to check the newer cameras that have memory cards.

One at a time, may seem daunting but search the Nikon P1000 Extreme Zoom and why it’s being discontinued. Look on Reddit for Space pics and maybe ask them about your collection. I would keep a Nikon P1000 Extreme Zoom 👀

Might try an auction house they would appraise and sell off the collection. But if that is not what you want to do, I suspect you would get more by selling off individually. You could do some on line searches for each camera by manufacturer and model, that could give you some idea of each ones worth but that is strictly for the newer ones. Wish I could see it in person, looks like he had some really nice stuff. Some camera stores also buy used equipment but I still would do research on its value, so you don’t get taken advantage of

I'd look for pro grade lenses. Those'll have the most value out of the newish stuff pictured. There is some decent stuff in the photos. He had a pretty extensive collection of early digital pro cameras from 1995-2005 by the looks of it. Some have decent collectors value. Not easy to ship but if you want a quote on anything in particular DM me. I deal in vintage photography equipment for a living. The first photos are 8mm Bolex cameras as opposed to 16mm but still pretty cool

Tough to say, you might have a gem or two, but most likely these are going to be worth less than $100 each. I have around 1000 film cameras, my kids are under the impression they are going to be rich when I kick the bucket. They are sorely mistaken. If they put in the effort, they might be able to afford a pair of tickets to Disney, airfare may or may not be covered. Honestly my collection of GI Joe action figures is worth more than my cameras.

The 8mm Bolexes are adorable. I had one for a long time.

I sold many used cameras as a side gig. Most of the movie cameras aren’t worth much. Many of the film cameras in picture #6 have value $100-400 apiece. Hard to tell, but some of the digital cameras in #7 may have value, but some of them appear older and probably under $100. Some of the older ones in other photos may have value, but often they don’t go for much or take a long time to sell. I’d sell many of the film cameras and the more valuable digitals. individually at a fixed price on eBay, you can check how much they go for under the sold/completed filter. Don’t just go by what people are listing them for. Also, look up the lenses separately, and sell them separately if the value is over $100

I can see one of my old cameras in there….. “Canon AE1+ Program”…..🧐 Someone decided to “relieve” me of it in the late 80’s…. Pricey piece of kit back then…

Idk about your specific cameras, but my nephew inherited a big collection of antique film cameras and most were worth less than $50. Two exceptions were a Leica, which is still in use today by many serious photographers, and a Minox spy camera with mini tripod and developing kit. Those two were worth $1000+.

Gonna start with the bad- Honestly there’s a lot of junk here, your stepdad was probably a cool dude but not exceptionally discerning. The bolexes look neat but they’re all 8mm and worth probably 200 tops especially without a CLA. The digital bodies (finepix/nikon digital) look pretty undesirable due to the vintage so call it on average 100 a piece? Yashica is probably an easy 500 smackers, mamiya 600 can do the same, the folding cameras on the shelf in the last picture are all medium format and might get you between 2 and 400 IF the bellows are good (shine a light inside and if you don’t see any pinhole sizes light leaks you’re gucci). The video cameras won’t be worth the cost of shipping even if the tape transports still work which is unlikely, I’d junk them or try to find a movie prop house to unload them to if you absolutely are dead set on nothing going to waste. The SLRs and lenses are going to be your bread and butter, expect around 200 a pop for something like an ae-1p or a Nikon f. The lenses are still super desirable for filmmakers so if you can get a whole prime set together of Nikon glass (nikkor AIS is your best bet) you’re looking at between one and two g’s for the glass. I’d estimate this lot anywhere between 3k and 6k and also physically fight the few commenters that said between 10 and 20 because are you on crack, guy. Best of luck and if you want to do it yourself just spreadsheet the fuck out of everything. Neat collection though, dude knew what he liked for sure. Also if you want to up the value of the bolexes try to find someone to convert them to ultrapan 8 and give them some of the bodies for trade. There’s only a couple dudes who do it but you’re bumping the value of the camera like 150%

I spent $5k on a cool Canon camera with all the different lens and zoom etc. back in the 80’s. Couldn’t sell it around 2010 because it didn’t have a flash drive. No one wants a camera you have to develop a roll of film - if you can find a store that even processes it any more.

Depending on the estate situation, you might be best off gifting them to a museum or higher education. You can negotiate the gift value (likely higher as a collection) and use it as a charitable donation. The collection would also likely benefit students and fans for a long time.

I’d love to get my hands on that Yashika twin lens reflex.

More Than you Paid for Them …lol

Would someplace like the Paley Center for Media or the Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania help appraise the collection in exchange for loaning them for display?

I work in film (camera crew). Bolex can be worth a couple hundred to thousand depending on condition and model. Other camera are mostly collectible. Not worth much.

If there are any 16mm film camera and super 8 camera definitely get them appraised or Google search the current worth. If you see any Arri or aanton 16mm cameras in there let me know

Put them in a camera auction.

Those cameras aren’t worth nearly as much as the films he has of your mom

Wow I want one

Not much.

YEAH! Over $1,500/$3,000 right they!

They’ve worth Jack Shit unfortunately, got left a pile of old cameras my self

Lots of money 💰

Have an estate sale and price them all Individually. They will sell. Estate sale companies will advertise your sale and camera enthusiasts will come out of the woodwork.

Damn, I’m unbelievably jealous. I’d love to get my hands on that Yashica tlr. Oh, how I wish I wasn’t poor, lol.

The Zapruder film was shot Bell & Howell. Not any of those though.

Asking for appraisals of a parent's stuff is pretty sus.

I'll let Goodwill determine their value

Nada. But cool.

They aren't worth much. I'll take them all off your hands for $200 😄😉

Did the family know of his collection bordering on obsession? He prob belonged to a camera or photography club I’d start there

Google???

Have you tried posting some pictures on reddit? Someone there might know what they’re worth.

Rehab, counseling to start. Worth more than those cameras.

Not much 30 to 100 each but will have guns a collector