Whats a Nikon FM worth?

[ChristopherCoy]

I dropped it off at the camera repair shop at noon. Its going to cost $30 for them to give it a 'once over' and tell me what all needs to be repaired/replaced. So my $34 ebay bargain how now turned into a $64 venture. I'll see what they say in a few days and decide how I want to proceed.

[vpwphoto]

You are either lucky (no reserve auctions sometime don't go anywhere).... or everyone else on e-bay knows it's a scam.
I sold a working movie camera for .50 CENTS a while back on e-bay... took my lumps.
Also listed a working but well used/damaged Hasselblad 503cx, I didn't think it was worth more than $450 and it went for $800... and the winner complained it was damaged (first thing I said in the description). I held him to my no return policy... like I said the camera worked just fine.

[fstop]

Ebay is crap shoot, a pattern is developing from what I have seen, this may sound sexist but I've had more trouble with female sellers than male camera sellers.

[Colin Corneau]

You're doing well, with under $35. You'd be wise to budget in a once-over at a good repair shop, so it seems you're still ahead, here.

I wouldn't worry about a meter on this camera - fully manual. You can find and use an external one just as easily.

[ChristopherCoy]

Well the estimate from the repair shop is in. They are wanting to charge me $163 to make it 'minty' I guess. Everything from the gears, to the prism, to the seals, to the lubricant... about the only thing they DONT want to do is repaint the Nikon logo.

Now I may be naive in the ways of the film camera, but there wasn't that much on that camera that looked like it needed replacing. I guess now I have to decide what its worth to me...

Here is what they said.

DISASSEMBLE FOR OVERHAUL TO FOLLOWING:
FILM TRANSPORT GEAR SET
MIRROR HOUSING
SHUTTER ASSEMBLY
GENERAL CLEAN,
CORRODED BATTERY CONTACTS
OF SWITCH AND SWITCH BRUSHES
REMOVE OLD DRIED OUT LUBRICANT.
FRESH LUBRICANT,
ADJUST ALL TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.
CALIBRATE FOLLOWING:
SHUTTER SPEEDS,
LIGHT METER,

REPLACE FOLLOWING:
PARTS $ 2.00 PENTA PRISM LIGHT TIGHT SEALS
PARTS $ 2.00 MIRROR SHOCK ABSORBING FOAM
PARTS $ 11.00 LIGHT TIGHT FILM DOOR SEALS
PARTS $ 6.00 CHEMICALS, CLEANING SUPPLIES, LUBRICANTS, SOLDER.
LABOR $130.00
TAX $ 12.46

[benjiboy]

In you intend to keep and use the camera and not sell it and if you have the work done you will have an excellent and reliable camera to use for the next twenty or thirty years.

[ChristopherCoy]

Thats true. But I wouldn't know if I intend to use it for any length of time or not. I haven't shot or developed film in nearly 20 years, and I thought I'd give it a modest 'go' at it to see if i still enjoyed it, or if I even had the time TO enjoy it. At this point I have to decide whether to pay the $30 and pick up the camera, pay the $163 and pick up the camera, or just let them keep the thing for their boneyard.

[BobD]

I have a mint black FM (first version) which I don't think has ever been used. I
can't bring myself to use it myself (I have other FMs/FEs to use). I don't think
I'd ever get what I think it's really worth if I sold it.

Incidentally, I think few people know there were two versions (well, minor variations
anyway) of the FM -- and, no, I don't mean the FM2.

[ChristopherCoy]

Are you talking about the black and chrome versions, or that orange "Lapita" thing....

[Rol_Lei Nut]

Older(?) version had a shutter release lock.

When I realized mine didn't have one, I felt cheated at the time, though in my model the advance lever does that when flush with the body (and I assume that the one with the coaxial lock didn't).