Most used film cameras on eBay sell at a fixed Buy It Now price, and most carry one of two condition labels, Used or For parts. Those labels were written for everything from phones to blenders. The real information about a 40-year-old camera is in the title, the description and the photos, and the words sellers use there don't all mean what they seem to. This guide goes through the common ones, which claims to trust, and what to ask for before you pay.
What eBay's condition box says
eBay defines Used as an item that was previously used and may show cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. For parts or not working means it doesn't function as intended and isn't fully operational. Seller refurbished means the seller or a third party restored it to working order, which eBay describes as inspected, cleaned and repaired.
So in theory, a camera listed as Used works. In practice, plenty of sellers pick Used for anything that isn't broken in an obvious way, then write "untested" in the description. When the condition box and the description disagree, believe the description, and if the description says nothing about function, ask.
The words you'll see
- "Film tested." The seller ran film through it and got pictures back. This is the strongest claim, but only count it when the title or description actually says so. The best proof is scans or sample shots from that roll in the listing. A clean roll tells you the shutter, the light seals and the film transport all worked recently.
- "Tested" or "works." On its own this tells you very little. Ask what was tested. Did the shutter fire at every speed? Did the meter respond? Was film loaded? A seller who checked those things is usually glad to say so.
- "Shutter fires." The shutter released at least once. It says nothing about the meter, the slow speeds or light leaks, and as you'll see below, it means different things on different cameras.
- "Untested." The seller doesn't know, or doesn't want to say. Some untested cameras are fine. Some are estate finds that haven't moved in decades. Price it in your head as a camera that may need work.
- "For parts" or "as is." Expect it not to work. These make sense when you want a lens off the front, or you repair cameras yourself.
- "Serviced" or "CLA'd." A clean, lube and adjust is a full service. It's a good sign when the seller says when it was done and what was replaced, like light seals or capacitors. A bare "CLA'd" with no details is a claim you can't check.
"Shutter fires" means different things on different cameras
This is where knowing the model helps. Old cameras split into a few groups by how much they need a battery, and a seller's test means something different in each.
A Pentax K1000 or Nikon FM2 has a mechanical shutter that runs with no battery at all. The battery only powers the meter. So a K1000 that fires tells you the shutter works and nothing about the meter.
A Canon AE-1 won't do anything without a battery, and a Minolta X-700 has no mechanical shutter speed even on Bulb. If one of those fires, a working battery was in it, so the electronics are at least alive. The X-700 has a catch, though. Its known capacitor fault makes the camera work for a while and then cut out, so a camera that fires a few times on a seller's desk can still quit halfway through your first roll.
A Yashica Electro 35 is the trickiest. Without a battery its shutter still fires, but only at its top speed of 1/500. A seller who clicks it with no battery hears a healthy-sounding shutter and writes "works", while the electronics that set every other speed haven't been tested at all.
Our battery guide sorts the common models into these groups.
What to ask for
A good seller can answer these with a phone and five minutes. If they won't, that's an answer too.
- A video of the shutter. Ask for the back open, the slowest speeds (1 second and 1/2) and then the fastest. Each speed should sound different from the one next to it, and the slow speeds should open and close cleanly without hanging.
- A photo with the back open. You want to see the light seals and the shutter curtain or blades. Foam seals should be intact, not sticky, crumbling or missing. Cloth curtains should be flat with no wrinkles or holes.
- The meter. Ask whether the needle or LEDs react when the lens is pointed at a lamp and then covered, with a fresh battery of the right type.
- The battery compartment. A clear photo with the cover off. Green or white crust means an old cell leaked, and the contacts may need cleaning or worse.
- Light through the lens. A photo or video shining a flashlight through the lens from behind. The glass should be clear, with no fog and no thread-like growth. Lens fungus is a real risk in lenses that weren't cared for.
- The model's own weak spot. On an AE-1, listen for the squeal. On an X-700, ask if the capacitors were replaced. Our common faults guide lists the known problem for each popular body.
Reading the photos
Stock photos and catalog shots tell you nothing about the camera you'll get, so look for listings with pictures of the actual item from several sides. Look for dents on the top plate and around the lens mount, and ask about any you find, since they can mean the camera was dropped. Wear on the edges and a little brassing are normal at this age and don't affect pictures. A camera that looks spotless is nice to have, but don't pay extra for looks if the description doesn't back them up with function.
Returns and the policy box
Read the return policy before you buy. A seller who accepts returns is telling you they'll stand behind what they wrote. Save a copy of the listing text and test the camera as soon as it arrives. Load a cheap roll, shoot it across every speed, and get it developed while the return window is still open.
What we'd buy
We'd pay more for a listing with film scans than one that only says "tested", and more for a seller who answers questions than one who doesn't. We'd skip "untested" on electronic bodies unless we wanted a project. On mechanical bodies like the K1000, an untested camera with a clear back-open photo and a smooth shutter video is often a fine buy, because what's left to go wrong is usually seals and the meter. Browse what's listed now on browse.
