What do you do with old bodies?

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QNeX

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#1
So, you bought a new shiny body.

What do you do with the old one?
- Sell it (even though its value has gone down a lot)
- Keep it as a spare body
- Still use it, together with the current main body
- Give it away to a "promising" relative/friend

How many bodies do you own, and why do you own them still?
 
#2
When I upgraded from a Rebel XT to the 5Dc, I kept the Rebel just as a backup. I didn't really feel I would get too much for it, and I kind of liked having a spare around.
When I upgraded from the 5Dc to the 5DII (kit) I traded it in to reduce the price some. Doing so allowed me to also get a new lens.

If (when?) I go to the 1D X, I'll likely keep the 5DII as a second body to reduce lens changings for events.
 
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#3
QNeX said:
How many bodies do you own, and why do you own them still?
Click to expand...

I have 5 at the moment + a couple of film camera (kept for nostalgic reasons)

The digitals are a mixture of APS-C (2 x 7D, 40D), ff (5DII) and APS-H (1D4).

40D is used when out walking, so I dont care if it gets broken. The 5DII and the 1D4 are used daily. The 2 7D's are idle and am waiting to decide whether to sell them or use them for macro or video.
 
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#5
When I upgraded my 350D to a 550D, I intended to sell it but never did, and in the end after about 2 years it became of so little worth that I eventually gave it away to a "promising" friend :-)

Side note: I gave it away with the 17-85 with which I'd originally purchased it, and the lens died within a week :-P
 
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#6
In the past I had been selling them, however I plan to get the 1DX when it launch and for now I will keep my 5D mkII to have a small form factor camera for certain occasion. Once a 5D mkIII come out I plan to sell my 5D mkII but still keep two bodies.
 
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#7
Sold the T1i after buying a 7D. Bought a 5DII, kept and still use the 7D when I'm focal length-limited (birds/wildlife). Getting a 1D X as soon as they're available. I'll sell the 5DII (more lenses!) but keep the 7D for the same purpose I use it for now.
 
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#9
I'm still on my first body, but when I upgrade in the near future, I plan on keeping my T1i as back-up/wife camera. I'm waiting to see what the 1D mk 4 goes for once the 1Dx comes out, otherwise I'll likely get the 7D.

There are countless people in my neck of the woods that try to sell their old XS, XT and XTi's for between $6-700. Newer Rebels are always on sale and I hope people are smarter than that. I'd feel bad if I sold my T1i for that much.
 
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#12
I traded in my Rebel XTi (plus grip) when I bought my 7D and am kicking myself for doing that. Would have loved to keep it as an "every day" casual second body for around the house shots.


Really did not get that much for it and would not do that again. Second body, no matter what, wold be very convenient.
 
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#14
Kept it.

Started with a 50D. Wanted a second body. After a while added a 7D and moved the 50D and a grip to the 500mm on a tripod. Found I didn't like changing from the 7D to the 50D and back so eventually got a second 7D amd gripped the first.

The 50D isn't really worth enough to sell it so I keep it as a backup and for folks that come down and visit. My wife's friend likes the 50D and 70-200 and borrows it every March when she visits for spring training baseball games.
 
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#15
I kept my Rebel 2000 just in case I get the urge to shoot 35mm or want to show my kids how.

I also kept my Rebel XT when I got my 7D. My son and my wife use it for their blogs and for general purpose shooting. They are now getting a handle on aperture and depth of field.
...and it's still a fantastic little camera!
 
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#16
I held onto my 450D for a while after getting a 7D as a bit of spare and thought I'd give my partner a try on it to see if she'd become more interested in photography. That didn't really happen so I thought I'd sell it while it still had a decent resale value, it was in good condition but I was surprised how much I got on E-bay, only about $100 less than a new grey market 550D that would have come with a 12-month reseller warranty versus none at all. I put that towards a 5D I just purchased.

My previous cameras were digital P&S. The first Kodak I gave to my dad, it was in 'very used' condition but thought he might like it because he had the same model and might have found a use for the accessories if nothing else. The other was a FinePix that died when the USB connector snapped off. I removed the broken connector to see if I could replace it but something must have shorted and it was entirely dead.

That last one must have been sitting on my desk about a month without batteries and I pulled it apart to scrounge some parts that might be useful (I work with electronics). Out of habit I shorted the flash capacitor before removing it and was amazed I got quite a big spark after that amount of time. It probably wouldn't be fatal but at 200V or more (it was rated for 320V) at the least it would cause a lot of pain and maybe pull your arm out of join in the reflex action. Anyway just a warning, it was only a P&S so I imagine something like a 580EX would have have a cap that would store more energy.

Other than being careful of that I'd recommend pulling everything apart that's broken or too old to be useful to see how it works ;D.
 
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#17
I still have my first 35mm film body: EOS 620. Paid a lot for it at the time, and now it isn't worth much, so I just keep it. I have not shot film for a long time, and have been thinking about it again.

My first digital was a Canon G2. I still have it for pretty much the same reasons as above. Having it converted to IR has crossed my mind. I replaced the G2 with an Olympus Stylus that is water, dust and shock proof.

I also have a Nikon EM that belongs to my mom with a 50mm f1.8 lens on it. This camera does not work, I tried a new battery. Not worth fixing (I think) and can't bring myself to toss it.

As far as the new DSLR, I'm not sure what I would do with it. Depending on the replacement product cycle, residual value and desire to upgrade, that would determine sell or keep. The 7D makes fine pictures as does the 5DII. It would take a lot to upgrade just to upgrade. Both current models do more than I know how to use. I could fill up 32GB flash cards and keep buying new ones for less money than getting film developed- even at maximum size RAW+JPEG.

At current projected prices, I would have to sell the 5DII and add about $4k for the 1Dx, which is the next step from a 5DII unless the 5DIII is something extraordinary. Same numbers to go from a 5DII to a 1DsIII, which in some ways is a downgrade. Out of my budget for a camera. I would rather spend the $4k on lenses.
 
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#18
I still have my old film cameras (F-1, AE-1P, Elan IIe) around, somewhere... I gave the XT to the neighbor's kid who was, at the time, taking pictures for his high school paper, and converted the 20D to infrared. The XS is our general purpose house camera. I'm not willing to part with the 40D. It still fits a niche for daytime sporting events with the higher fps rate. My T3i and new 5DII will now share the load on vacations and other events based on circumstances.
 
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