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Overheard a young guy at the shop say digital cameras killed the need for repair techs
Was at a camera swap meet last Saturday and this kid, maybe 22, was telling his friend that camera repair is a dying trade because everything's digital now and people just toss their gear when it breaks. I didn't say anything but it got me thinking. I've got a customer who still brings in his Nikon F2 from the 70s every 6 months for a CLA and another who shoots a Hasselblad from the 60s. Meanwhile I've had three digital cameras this month with mirror box failures where the repair cost is more than a used replacement. The old mechanical stuff is what keeps me busy honestly. Anyone else seeing more film cameras on your bench than digital these days?
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grant5695mo ago
My neighbor laughed at me for fixing film cameras back in 2015, but now he's the one asking me to service his old Pentax Spotmatic. I never thought that analog stuff would stick around this long, but the reliability of old mechanical bodies is hard to beat. These digital cameras are basically disposable electronics with a lens on the front.
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veraramirez3mo ago
Oh man, absolutely! @grant569 hit the nail on the head. I've been seeing the exact same thing at my local camera shop. The old mechanical stuff just keeps coming in, and those customers are loyal as hell. I had a guy bring in a battered Canon AE-1 last month that his dad used in the 80s, and he wanted it cleaned up for his kid to learn on. Meanwhile, people email me asking if it's even worth fixing a digital camera that's two years old because a new one costs the same. It's wild how the "dead" trade is the one with the steady work. Film cameras might not be the mainstream thing, but they built stuff to last back then, and folks are still using them today.
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