Why Are Some Cameras Getting So Expensive?

I'm looking at real data to see how social influencers are increasing camera prices on the old digital cameras they review. Myself included in that. That's not a weird humble brag, I am seeing some data behind some comments on my channel saying that after I make a video about a cheap camera, that camera will jump up in price. It appears for cameras in low supply, even "micro influencers" can influence a shift in price.

I want this to be an open, honest conversation. Is this causing a problem? Should I be careful which cameras I highlight in videos, or the way I go about doing it? Or, is it not a real problem and I should just carry on? Let me know your thoughts.

This is where you should be buying used camera gear (to get great prices)

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[forewarnedfilm]

It seems to me if you can’t showcase interesting older cameras that you want to share with your viewers, then a big part of what Snappiness is disappears. But thank you for the honesty in realising that you may be part of a mechanism that probably does inflate prices. It is a dilemma for sure.

[followtheboat]

I think it's a shame younger photographers are so influenced by YouTube channels and don't have the gumption to research alternatives using different sources. Take the ridiculous situation around second hand Fuji cameras atm and the million and one YouTube videos on said cameras. I watched a great one today by one of your peers on the Olympus OMD as a Fuji alternative, something us older heads were already aware of but good to see a young YouTuber break the Fuji bandwagon. This obsession with following trends is detracting from both the art and the fun of photography. BTW, when you get your haters you know you are starting to get noticed and are doing something right, not least generating engagement. Sod 'em, just keep doing what you do. It's always a joy to watch young photographers discover old gear and share the love.

[DVSx]

TLDR: do not listen to anybody. your channel, videos and stories are great. please continue your work.

longread:
I strongly disagree. all what you are doing - is great job. showcasing these old cameras.
it is pleasure to watch your videos, really.
and it is completely legal and appreciated actions - to create new content, share ideas, share memories, etc.
the fact that something is changing somewhere after that - is not your problem.
it is actually an indicator that your work is meaningful, it was heard by community, by people.
and some of these people are just trying to make some money of it. have a quick and easy buck.
it is them who we need to shame, not you.

P.S.
thank you for your content!

[obedbrinkman]

that price increase is temporary - keep making the videos that you make ::: if people are smart they realize that there are a lot of gems out there and dont have to buy that exact model and will search for other gems themselves 😎

[AndrewSowerby]

It may also work the other way too. The Northrups sounded the death knell for Micro Four Thirds so many times that the prices dropped too much to ignore and I finally bought one 😂

[OneMonthTwoCameras]

Good heavens I feel like I am listening back to my own notes here! It naturally hits super close to home and like you, it really bothers me. At the same time, I feel like this is why I always try and drive home the #nobadcameras philosophy so people recognize and understand that just because a YTer talks about one camera, it doesn't mean there aren't hundreds of equally excellent cameras out there just waiting for someone to do some light homework to discover and try. It's also why I don't price my cameras when I do sell them and just let it be a no reserve open bidding item. I am loving that, so far at least, my sales have been net net with what I paid for the camera but someone else gets to enjoy it as well and we don't have an excess of continued new product cycle waste that the planet can't sustain. Anyway, a diatribe to say how much I appreciate this video. And don't stop talking about undervalued cameras because the upside of this rapid YT content cycle is that pricing may spike but people will forget about it in a couple weeks and unless supply is low, prices seem to stabilize.

[TheJ_G]

Huge respect for acknowledging the general problem. I do think it exists and it’s enough to make someone feel like they’re going crazy. I don’t know if there’s really anything that can be done about it though.

For many years I used collect and use old camera gear, but between the vintage lens boom in popularity in recent years and the many channels highlighting cool older camera gear, I had to stop. It was just getting far too expensive as a hobby. One thing I always did if I was reselling something, was to only list it at the price I actually paid for them. Just a small attempt to fight the excessive inflation of some old gear that should be more accessible.

There are definitely channels built around rental houses that highlight “special old cameras” that I do think are trying to move stale inventory without explicitly stating it but that’s a whole other beast.

Love your channel by the way.

[zbigniew]

People who like old, good audio appliances stopped to discuss them on forums, to not skyrock prices.

[hawaiifiles]

Since 2020 everything "nostalgic" has shot up in price. It started with vinyl records, has spilled over to film an film cameras, lately cassettes (but not too much) and now a lot of old school CCD digital cameras.

[ShutterKnack]

I remember one one of your early videos that you mentioned that you don't raise camera prices like Mattias Burling. Congratulations on 20k James! The next 10k will be even faster and the more you will likely make us suffer with rising camera prices! 😅


You should continue what you do while you especially when you are having fun. You are doing us a favour informing us about cameras that deserve another shot to ne in the spotlight and thus actually making it better for us in a holistic view as these cameras then get a chance to be used once again.

Plus, there are loads of other cameras out there to be had which makes it even more fun.

[rgarciamainou]

People are going to troll you whatever you do. So keep having fun and doing what you enjoy. Don’t buy their drama.

[norturko]

Keep making the videos you love working on. It’s a tricky situation, but we love your content and won’t have it any other ways

[lukenatewilson]

I understand and even relate to the concern of price inflation due to reviews going viral, but personally, I find your videos and other like them incredibly inspiring and entertaining. I’m getting so inspired to use the “crappy” cameras already in my disposal, as well as pursuing EBay to see if any cameras that caught my eye are within my budget. Channels like yours and 1Month2Cameras are inspiring AND they are preserving these cameras in a way. The cameras won’t last forever, but these reviews/showcase videos likely will. I appreciate what you are doing. Your ebook and website are exciting to me and I can’t wait to check them out.

[FrancisBrooks-obny]

Your ethos is encouraging so be encouraged to continue the way you’re headed. I personally have gained so much from your vids, especially Pentax oriented, I will continue to look to you for good advice

[neilgrover]

Keep doing what you do James! It does more good than any perceived harm. Interesting cameras will get talked about whether by you or someone else. I say go the other way and completely saturate the world with reviews of as many cameras as possible. Who knows maybe you'll hit a tipping point and there will be more options than buyers ;)

[jeffffff]

Yes keep making videos about old cheap cameras! It really doesn't matter that much because there's just so many models. I saw the sd1000 was too expensive and bought two other canons that were better for less. People just need to spend some time researching before they buy :)

[burendasan]

What gets to me is that there are so many people looking to get into digicams who don’t bother to look up information about different camera models. They just show up online and are like, “I don’t know anything about cameras. What’s a good model to buy for that vintage/film-like look?” Same question over and over again. They just want to be spoonfed a model to go out and buy. So when a YouTuber hypes up a camera and gives them a definite answer to the question of “What camera should I buy?” I imagine all these kinds of people go and buy the camera without looking into whether it is a camera that they would truly like and use. If people did their research, they would find good, non-hyped cameras at fairly reasonable prices instead of making a beeline for the smaller set of hyped camera models

[aarocka]

This is sort of happened with Youtubers reviewing vintage musical hardware. The problem is a large chunk of the resale of music instrument is owned by one company. Therefore, all they have to do is wait for somebody relatively popular to make a vid and then jack up the prices. There’s only works for the instruments that they sell and not the user listings however. Reverb/Chicago music exchange does this.

[RustyX]

Thank you for bringing this topic It's not just cameras but everything and anything that a youtuber shows that you can get the item cheap! And the Thrift stores, Yard sales, Flea markets, Swap meets, Flippers and Pawn shops ALL watch YouTube for the value of anything.

[DeSireeAlicea]

It sucks that I’ve bought all my digicams for around $80-$100 but to be fair they came with all of their original paperwork and were in mint condition practically so I don’t really mind. I joined this community because I love retro tech and I’m glad it’s getting the spotlight it deserves lately. It’s still a niche market overall so I’m not too bummed by this.