I Bought 7 Film Cameras in 2023 for $26

Who in the right mind would buy film cameras today with the rising price of film? Well I did 🙂 On my previous blog I talked about how CCD sensor Digicams might be this generations film camera. But shooting the Kodak Easyshare CX7430 just made me want to shoot film again. Plus, I can’t pass up on a deal I saw on marketplace for 7 film cameras bundled for $26 (Php 1,500). Which comes out to about $4 (Php 250) per camera. Though it was a risk since it’s listed as untested, it was a risk I was willing to take seeing the good physical condition some of the cameras where in the photos. So how did I fair? Let’s find out.

Cannon BF-301

This camera got the least interest from me when I saw the bundle. And funny enough this one isn’t working and is beyond repair. I almost though this was a real Canon camera but it turns out (and is very obvious) this was an immitation. I had already accepted the fact that most cameras might end up as display units only, but I didn’t even like the design of this particular one. So this one is going straight to the “I’ll open it up later and maybe throw out afterwards” bin. Not a promising start.

Traveler APS camera

The smallest of the bunch and the only camera whose brand I’m not familiar with (considering I thought the Cannon was a Canon). The camera has a viewfinder, built-in flash and a 24mm-48mm zoom lens. I found out later that this camera was marketed by a giant German supermarket chain in the late 90’s. Surprisingly enough it was in mint physical condition and have some weight on it. I was hopefull about this one so popped in a cr2 battery and yes it’s working! Only to find out that it uses an APS film cartridge which has since been discontinued. For those who don’t know, APS film is a smaller version of the widely used 35mm film. Hence, the smaller camera. Good to see that this camera is still functioning perfectly and I know I can source expired APS film if I dug deep. So I’m keeping this one for now and maybe sell it in the future and get atleast $9 (Php 500) out of it.

Fujifilm 290 Zoom

This bulky beast of Fujifilm is a beauty, it also has one of the more interesting layout in a film camera I have seen. The zoom buttons are placed in front of the camera making it a 2 handed operation. I would imagine this would be a good family/vacation camera back in the day. This one is a bit 50/50. Aside from the rubber on the grip being completely faded, the camera did power on. Unfortunately, the lens didn’t extend and the shutter won’t release. But after a few troubleshoot, I found out that if I put enough pressure on the grip, the camera works flawlessly. I’ll have to put this one for repair but I think this will be an easy and inexpensive fix.

Olympus 35 ED

I’ve owned a few compact rangefinders before and they are my favorite, but for some reason I always end up selling them. There are a lot of options when it comes to compact rangefinders, there’s a full mechanical version which doesn’t need a battery to operate a semi electronic option or a fully electronic one. This Olympus 35 ED in particular needs power to operate. The origanal battery is already discountinued but you can use an lr44 battery with an adaptor as replacement. The self timer switch is also loose and the lens does need cleaning. So I won’t bother testing this camera and will in fact sell it “as is” for atleast 9$ (Php 500). Even if it doesn’t work, this camera is fixable and can be used as diplay. But I’m planning to get a functioning one in the future so I’m selling it for now.

Konica POP EF-7

This Konica POP EF-7 is a focus free, point and shoot, plastic fantastic camera. This is a good alternative to disposable cameras since you help lessen waste and is cheaper in the long run. To my surprise, I’m liking this camera a lot for its design and easy functionality. You just point and shoot with an option to have the flash turned on or not. This camera uses a widely available AAA battery and if it isn’t obvious yet, the one I have is fully functional. I’ve seen this camera listed from $18-$35 (Php1000-2000) here in the Philippines so selling this one could already make up for my entire purchase, YEY! Though I might need to finish a roll of film on it first before I consider selling it.

Olympus mju zoom

Now this is the reason why I purchased the bundle. The MJU line of camera has always been a popular model for Olympus. Some models are worth more than others. This model in particular, which is a Olympus mju zoom is kind of in the middle but still holds its value well. Sadly, this one has the same issue as the previous Fujifilm, it has power and all but the lens won’t extend and the flash is a little flimsy. I’m hoping that this could be an easy fix and a working condition camera like this would sell for $53-$71 (Php3,000-4000) here in the Philippines.

Minolta 110 zoom

Last but not the least, the Minolta 110 zoom. And I’ll just tell you right away that this one is working and in pristine condition. To be honest, I didn’t think too much about this camera when I first bought them, but holding it and seeing it in person made me fell in love instantly. It has a sleek, minimalist design and the silver color on it looks pretty good. It’s also a pocketable camera ready to bring with you wherever you are. Zoom lenses on film cameras are naturally noisy but this particular model is quieter than others. The only gripe about it if I had to choose is that it has a tiny viewfinder which is barely enough if you ask me. I won’t dwell to much about this camera here because I plan on creating a seperate post once I’ve shot a roll of film in it. Though I would say that I’ve seen a couple of sold listings for this camera for $53-$71 (Php3,000-4000). Which is pretty neat!

And that’s it! Though a few of the cameras did came out as a bust, I do think I did pretty good on this purchase. I might even make a healthy profit if I do decided to sell the cameras. But having able to write a blog and acquire new cameras to test for $26 dollars is already a win in my books.

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