Inherited a couple of old cameras, Advice?

[megatron]

Hey all,
I sometimes use Photography & Video to have a quick mooch at some decent pictures, but yesterday i picked up a few things from a house clearance and gained a couple of old cameras. One is a Praktica BMS and the other is a Cannon AV-1. They look 80s/90s ish to me, and i think i remember one of them being used as a child (im 18).
So im after a little advice, do i keep them and use them to get into photography or do i sell them on?? They have little sentimental value to anybody in the family as they were just the family snappers apparently. And does anybody know of their value?
Also there was a roll of 35mm in the Praktica, its about 15+ years old, does anybody know if it could be salvaged and developed after all that time sitting up in the loft? As the pictures may be of sentimental value.
Thanks in advance guys.

[IanMorewood]

At most £5 for the 35mil SLR’s (unless they have ‘special lenses’) as for the film take it to be processed but its unlikely to yield anything (there could be a keeper on there though).

[mythos]

The Praktica isn't likely to be worth much, but the Canon may be - not a whole lot, probably, perhaps £20-£30. It was one of the first cameras to have an aperture priority setting, and had some changes to the lens mount (can't remember what - will try to look in up later). Anyway, it's sort of an interesting camera and may be of interest to a collector. Being a Canon, it's likely to be working, so you could get good shots with it anyway.

As IanMorewood said, the lenses may well be worth more than the cameras. If there are manuals and original boxes, the value goes up. Possibly.

Old film can still have images (of course the film may not have been exposed). I'd see if you can get some advice on this rather than just bung it at Boots - try the local camera club?

[nellyleelephant]

Although not an earth shattering amount, it looks like you should get more than a fiver for the Canon

http://www.ffordes.com/category/Cameras/35mm_Film_...

[Simpo Two]

Get the film developed and then sell the kit on eBay in separate lots.

[tinman0]

If the bodies have a lens on them, then they are worth a bit of cash, probably about £10-15 each. Without a lens, they are worth £1-5 though. Plus £5 shipping on each one.

Students will want to buy with the lens, collectors couldn't care less about the lens. But the students will bid a little bit more as they will start using the camera straight away.

[LeoV8]

The Praktica BMS has very little value but the Cannon AV-1 might if in good order with a good lens. The Canon FD mount is uses has been dead for years but only have niche value unless something special, what is it? Ffordes may have one for sale but is it selling?
What sort of film is in the camera? B&W can survive many years, my record for getting reasonable results is well over 25 years (a 120 roll) using a high contrast dev'. Color may well also survive but the colour balance could be well off. Generally people only load film in order to take photos so there may well be some images.

[megatron]

Ive had another look at the cameras and there is something on the lens about the 1980 winter olympics so it may be worth something to someone, i think im gonna chuck it on ebay and just see if someone wants to give it a home.
As far as the other cheaper camera i think im just going to have a play with it and see what i can do. The films off for processing so i hope to see atleast a picture or 2 come out properly.

[RobDickinson]

Sounds like the winter Olympics thing was an FD 50mmf1.8, wont be worth that much I dont think.

[megatron]

I didnt expect them to be worth a fortune, i was more gauging if they would even be worth a little effort to get shut of them.
Cheers for all the advice guys, i didnt really have a clue what to do with them. Now its give me an excuse to have a play with the cameras and see what shots i can take.