Buy a Dead Camera: Breathe New Life into an “As-Is” Steal

If it’s broke…don’t fix it! Yes, this flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but with regards to a vintage camera, following this bit of sage advice can save you both money and heartache. This “leave it alone” philosophy is made acutely valid in the case of most “as-is” used camera purchases. Case in point, please consider these two categories of a “broken” vintage camera. Specifically, once you come to grips with judging the merits of a used as-is camera, you can laugh all of the way to the bank with your financial savings. It’s time to steal an as-is deal.

Broadly speaking, used as-is cameras can be subdivided into two general classifications: “useable within expectations” and “stay as far away from it as you can get.” The latter subdivision is fairly easy to interpret. If you find a used camera that is visually missing parts/pieces, won’t operate (e.g., advance film, focus, set a shutter speed, etc.), or is generally, physically icky don’t buy it. No matter how tempting the price sounds, you’re on a oneway train ride bound to the outskirts of heartache and misery.

On the other hand, the “useable within expectations” category is a used camera where you’ll have to overlook a couple of warts, but it’s a solid buy at a steal price. Exactly what kind of “warts” will you have to overlook? Some wear marks, scratches, or other surface blemishes and dead electronics and a broken light metering system. “No, metering system,” you scream. Now take it easy, these are all very minor inconveniences for gaining new life from this vintage as-is camera. All you have to do is go all manual.

No Batteries, No Problems

One enticing benefit of a used camera with broken electronics and a dysfunctional light meter is that you won’t need any batteries…anymore…ever. That’s a terrific cost savings and environmental benefit. Furthermore, you shouldn’t try to fix or repair these non-operational electrical/electronic components, either. Why? You’ll just be wasting your money on an as-is camera. Typically, it isn’t necessary for most vintage cameras to have a functional light meter or operational system electronics in order to take photographs. “OK, how do  I know which cameras will work and which cameras won’t work,” you query. That’s easy, just read the manual.

And that manual is just a click away. For years, Mike Butkus has been assembling a massive vintage camera library of user guides, operating manuals, and other photographic support materials. Each of these items are in a universally-readable Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file that can be downloaded and read on your smartphone. There is one caveat: please pay Mike for his service. Paying for your “FREE” manual is neither painful nor extravagant. Simply drop $20 in an envelope and mail it to his address. Or, you can opt for a digital form of payment via PayPal. Regardless, once you’re armed with your as-is camera’s manual, you should look for an indication from the manufacturer that the camera can be operated without battery power support.

The three types of dead-battery cameras that you will find are:

1. An uncoupled light meter. These are the most common vintage cameras and they will all take photographs without a battery-powered light meter. The shutter speeds are manually set and triggered and your preferred lens will set the aperture. Simple and effective as-is cameras in this condition can be regularly found on the used market for $1 – $30.

2. An electronically driven camera. The ability to manually use this type of camera depends upon a little-used failsafe mechanism that is built into most of these cameras. Most of these cameras will have a fixed shutter speed that will work without any battery power. These speeds are usually: 1/30, 1/50, 1/60, or 1/100 of a second. Only one of these shutter speed selections will be available on a camera. Therefore, you are limited in film and subject matter flexibility with a manually operated vintage all-electronic camera. Expect to see used prices $5 – $60 for this type of camera.

3. A coupled light meter. This is the rarest find of “useable” as-is camera. Most won’t manually work without a functional light meter. Thankfully, there are some models that include a working aperture along with a fixed manual shutter speed. Unfortunately, some of these cameras only provide a Bulb (B) shutter speed. Others include both Bulb and 1/30 of a second fixed shutter speeds. Just add a tripod to this setup and you’ve converted your as-is camera into a photographic steal. Prices on the used market for this type of as-is camera range between $10 – $100.

Finally, you shouldn’t feel abandoned with a light-meter-less camera. By adding a modern light meter, like a KEKS shoe-mounted KM-Q meter, you can quickly sample light conditions and input those readings into your battery-less used as-is camera. And the world’s landfills will thank you.

Enjoy.

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