What to Do With an Old Camera: Repurpose, Recycle, or Resell?

(Photo: Jamo Spingal/Wikipedia)

Got a fancy new camera for Christmas? Maybe a new smartphone with better photographic hardware than that old point-and-shoot? Whatever the reason, if you have a new camera, chances are you also now have an old one. So the next question is, What can you do with a camera you no longer need? Add it to the growing pile of other outmoded photo hardware in your closet? Toss it in the trash along with all that wrinkled wrapping paper?

I’d suggest you take a minute to consider some of the more creative — not to mention more environmentally responsible — things you can do with old cameras.

Repurpose it

It may be that your old camera still has some utility.

For one thing, you could adopt it for use as your “beater” camera — one you only use in hazardous environments (when you’re camping or boating, say). If the worst comes to pass and you drop the thing, you won’t sweat it quite as much as you would if you’d dropped that brand-new one.

If you’re feeling craftier, you could also repurpose that old camera for more specialized uses.

You could, for example, convert it into a wildlife camera: Embed it in a nature-proof case, connect it to some kind of motion-sensitive trigger, then install it somewhere outside — in your backyard, say, or next to the nearest wildlife watering hole, where it can automatically capture images of wild animals in their native habitat that you’d never be able to get in person.

There are several online tutorials that’ll show you how to make such conversions, including this one specifically pegged to converting an old DSLR; this one that explains how to build a wildlife cam combining an old camera (one that’s controllable via USB) and a cheap computer based on Raspberry Pi; or Camtraption’s collection of instructional videos.

(Photo: William Burrard-Lucas/Digital Photography School)

Or you could try converting your old camera for specialized types of photography. If you’re willing to risk destroying it, you can hack the hardware to make it do things it wasn’t designed to do, such as take infrared images (see tutorials here and here or do extremely close-up macro photography (as explained here). For more ideas, check out Photoventure’s “17 greatest camera hacks of all time" or the Instructables collection of user-submitted camera hacks.

Recycle it

If you aren’t up for hacking your camera, you could always recycle it. Again, there are several ways to do so.

There’s always the straightforward hand-it-over-to-someone-else-who-will-recycle-it-for-you approach. You can start by checking out E-cycling Central’s list of local — and responsible — electronics recyclers. If you want to do the environmentally correct thing, do your homework: According to the Electronics Takeback Coalition, “many recyclers simply export your old products, dumping them on developing nations.” Check out the e-Stewards program for ways to avoid that.

Some national retail chains — including Best Buy and Staples — will take your used camera (or other electronics) and make sure it’s recycled correctly. So will some camera vendors — including Canon and Nikon — but they tend to deal only in their own hardware.

Best Buy’s recycling options.

You could also recycle your old camera by donating it to somebody who isn’t as lucky as you are. Lots of charities will take old technology as fund-raising donations, much as they accept old cars; you could contact some of your local favorites to see if that’s an option, or you could check out Recycling for Charities.

You could also check with your local schools to see if they could use the hardware; tight education budgets often turn technology purchases into unaffordable luxuries. One charity — the Cameras for Kids Foundation — aims “to provide underprivileged teens living in foster care the opportunity to have a camera and learn basic concepts of art and photography.”

You might consider sending your old camera to a part of the world where a five-year-old point-and-shoot would be considered cutting-edge: Organizations like Asante Africa can help.

Another possibility: If you know anyone who’s headed to Cuba now that it’s opening up more to U.S. travelers, you could do a little surreptitious technology transfer. Your friend could pack your old camera, then manage to leave it behind when she leaves. Whoever finds it there will no doubt find a good use for it.

Resell it

If you’d rather see what you can get for your old camera on the open market, you could start by calling around to local camera stores — assuming there are any left where you live. They may be staying alive by dealing in used cameras in addition to new ones. (If they don’t want to buy, they might be willing to take it off your hands for free, for use as a source of repair parts.)

Some online camera stores — including B&H Photo and Adorama — buy used cameras. Interestingly, some sites that specialize in buying used electronics — including Gazelle, Glyde, and Nextworth — don’t.

B&H Photo buys all kinds of used photo gear.

You could also try trading it in at Amazon for a gift card. And, of course, you could always try your luck on Craigslist or eBay.

Prepare it

If you do decide to recycle or resell your camera, you’ll want to prepare it first. (Hat tip to Zealous Good’s guide to camera donation for these and other suggestions.)

If you’re selling it or donating it to someone who will reuse it, you’ll want to make sure it actually works: Turn it on, take a photo, try the flash, check the image to make sure it looks OK, and double-check that it saved successfully to the camera’s memory card.

Next, make sure you’ve downloaded all the photos that are on that card already, then erase it. Reset the camera’s settings to their factory defaults. Collect whatever accessories you have (power cords, chargers, lenses, and so on), clean those and the camera itself, then pack everything up carefully. If you don’t have the original packaging, use a sturdy box and some bubble wrap.

Dan Miller will no doubt be posting images from the camera he got for Christmas to Twitter.