AE 1 advice needed

[Tmohs]

My father passed away last year and left me his Canon AE 1 along with a multitude of lenses and accessories. I am overwhelmed. I have debated on selling it - but have no clue how to even begin to know it's value. I've researched converting it to digital, but have found that it's great for distance shots but you loose capability of close-up shots. Now I'm looking to purchase a new digital camera (Canon EOS Rebel T7) and considering an adapter to try to make use of the lenses from the AE 1. I mainly use my camera for vacation and family pictures. Any advice or thoughts would be welcome. 

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

Sorry about your father. I lost my father last year.

You can visit KEH, B&H or adorama.  I believe they all accept used equipment for trade in or cash.  While I'm sure he has a beautiful collection, that camera is way past its prime.

I owned that camera back in 1979.  It served me well.  You can also trade it in and use that to purchase new equipment for yourself.  Some retailers offer a higher value if you're going to use the trade-in to purchase other equipment from them.  

[Tmohs]

Thank you for the help. I considered KEH as an option but also read they try to low-ball you if have no idea the worth of the equipment, which was my hesitation. I swear, my dad has around 10 lenses for this camera plus other accessories. It was shipped in a camera bag as well as a camera "backpack" full of lenses and accessories. I've considered keeping it but film has gotten so expensive compared to when I was younger and all we had were film cameras lol not to mention the problem of where to get the film developed. I'm no professional photographer but I do enjoy taking pictures. 

[Tronhard]

 It's tempting to look at the gear one has and feel that it should be worth a lot, but the honest fact is that camera bodies become obsolete very quickly and while lenses are less prone to that, when one considers the issue of switching to different lens mounts, the issue is the same. 
Without doubt, there will be some folks out there who will admire and cherish your SLR and FD lenses, but you have to find them and that is the challenge: both for you and a reseller.  That is why they don't offer a high price - they take on the risk of the gear not moving fast, have to check and service it, and if necessary honour a warranty on the equipment.  If you sell privately, you have the issue of finding a buyer, paying any fees to list and sell (e.g. for eBay) and deal with trust issues from a purchaser.

Unless you are selling a very, very exclusive or unique camera, the gear itself is not an investment, the return is always what you use if for.  That is of cold comfort when one looks at equipment that has been cherished by a loved one and holds emotional value as well, but on a purely marketing basis, that's that nature of the beast.

[Tmohs]

Logically, you are absolutely right. My father was a retired Command Sgt Major of Special Forces US Army. That being said, you can imagine the meticulous care he took for this equipment. I guess that's my emotional pull in it's value. I imagine I'll be taking a road trip to Atlanta to see what kind of offer they make me. I can always say no, right? 

Thank you so much for your input. It's much appreciated.

Teresa

[Tronhard]

I understand.  I am from a military family myself and did my time, and I had drummed into me "look after your gear and it will look after you", and I still hold to that with my camera gear, which is always immaculate.  It's hard, I understand...  Yep, go and see what offers you get.  If you are not desperately needing to sell the gear to fund your DSLR equipment, then keep it.  You might be surprised that one day you or a family member may bless you for keeping it.  Film is making a comeback, and a lot of young folks are taking to it again, so if you have a relation who gets the bug, there is no better use you could make than to pass on your father's legacy.

[jrhoffman75]

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@Tmohs wrote:

Thank you for the help. I considered KEH as an option but also read they try to low-ball you if have no idea the worth of the equipment, which was my hesitation. I swear, my dad has around 10 lenses for this camera plus other accessories. It was shipped in a camera bag as well as a camera "backpack" full of lenses and accessories. I've considered keeping it but film has gotten so expensive compared to when I was younger and all we had were film cameras lol not to mention the problem of where to get the film developed. I'm no professional photographer but I do enjoy taking pictures. 

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Sorry for your loss.

Your observation: "film has gotten so expensive compared to when I was younger and all we had were film cameras lol not to mention the problem of where to get the film developed." is a prime factor in what value you might get for your equipment - they are a niche product now. Derrick Story runs an analog camera store called TheFilmCameraShop. You might try contacting him and see if he would be interested in any of your gear.

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome to the forum:
A friend of mine passed late last year and his widow was completely overwhelmed, as you are, by the task of disposing of his camera gear.  Really, the advice that Rick has given is much the same as the advice I gave the widow.  Engage with the places that Rick suggested, get the best deal and dispose of that gear.  Honestly, there is little point in trying to adapt the lenses from this vintage of film camera to modern DSLRs.
The lens mount of these old film cameras was an FD mount, but the DSLRs use a more sophisticated EF or EF-S mount with much more sophisticated electronic interface, and adapting old lenses just is not worth it.

I would treat the process of getting your own camera separately.  If you want a DSLR, get lenses for it that are designed for DSLRs and will perform well with it.  You will likely get some funds back from the sale of the AE-1 and associated gear and you can put that towards your new equipment - either via a trade-in with the company you send them to or with cash from them.

If you are looking for a lens to work with the T7 (I would suggest the much better T7i), then something like the EF-S 18-135 STM or USM lens.  It is a great general-purpose optic, has image stabilization and is a good match for your proposed camera.

[normadel]

Putting all the advice aside for a second....You have it backwards as far as converters for FD-mount lenses to digital autofocus EF and EF-S camera bodies.

The adapters you see a lot of provide close distances fine. What they DON'T do is focus to infinity. And, they use cheap lens elements to do what they do. These elements degrade image quality. So, forget about it. 

You can advertise the lenses and the AE-1 on Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace (if you Facebook...I don't). The used equipment dealers who deal with film gear, like KEH.com, UsedPhotoPro.com, may want what you have and they may not. 

[ebiggs1]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the gear just isn't worth a lot o money. I, too, have lots of old FD gear. I have not considering selling any of it as it means way much more to me that it does to anyone else. I suspect that is the same boat you are in. Keep it, remember him. Take it out once in a while and just look at it.  That way it is priceless.

It is not possible to do any adapting or converting that makes any logical sense to digital or being able to use the old lenses. The adapter are mostly junk. The exception to the very few that are not are very expensive.