What is the most important thing to test on a used film camera?

The shutter, because it is the most expensive and difficult thing to repair. Fire it at every speed and confirm the slow speeds sound genuinely slower than the fast ones and that nothing sticks or hangs open. Light seals and even a dead meter are cheap or easy to work around, but a faulty shutter can cost more than the camera is worth.

Are perished light seals a reason to walk away?

No. Foam light seals perish with age on almost every camera of a certain era, and replacing them is inexpensive and straightforward, often a DIY job. Treat them as a normal maintenance item and a small bargaining point rather than a serious fault. Reserve your concern for shutter, aperture blade and electronic problems.

How to Buy a Used Film Camera: Inspection Checklist

Every film camera on the market is secondhand, and most are decades old. Knowing how to inspect one before you pay is the difference between a bargain and a paperweight.

There is no such thing as a new film camera in any meaningful sense — the ones being made today are a tiny handful. Everything else is used, often forty or fifty years old, and its condition varies enormously. A careful inspection takes ten minutes and saves you from buying a camera that needs a repair costing more than the body. Work through this checklist whether you are buying in person or vetting an online listing.

Before you handle the camera

Ask the seller when it was last used and whether it has been serviced. Look at the photos or the body for corrosion in the battery compartment, dents, fungus in the lens, and a general sense of whether it was stored well. A camera that has been shooting recently is far more likely to work than one that sat in a damp attic for twenty years.

The inspection checklist

Shutter: fire it at every speed. Slow speeds like 1 second should sound audibly slower than fast ones; a shutter that fires at the same speed regardless is faulty. Watch for the shutter sticking, hanging open, or not firing at all. On leaf shutters listen for a clean, even sound.
Light seals: open the back and inspect the foam around the door channel and the mirror bumper. Old foam turns to sticky black goo or crumbles to dust. Perished seals cause light leaks but are cheap and easy to replace, so treat this as a bargaining point rather than a dealbreaker.
Meter: with a fresh battery, point the camera at an even surface and check the meter responds smoothly as you change aperture and shutter. Compare its reading to a phone app or another camera. A dead or wildly inaccurate meter is common on old bodies.
Lens: hold it up to a light and look through it. A little dust is harmless. Fungus (web-like filaments), haze, oil on the aperture blades, and scratches on the coating are the real concerns. Turn the focus and aperture rings — they should be smooth, not gritty or loose.
Aperture blades: stop the lens down and watch the blades snap open and closed. They must be dry and crisp; oily blades stick and ruin exposures.
Viewfinder and focus: check the viewfinder is clear and the focusing screen is bright. On a rangefinder, confirm the patch is visible and that focus aligns correctly at infinity.
Film advance and rewind: cock and fire several times, watching that the advance is smooth and the frame counter moves. Test the rewind mechanism too.
Battery and electronics: for electronic bodies, confirm all speeds and the self-timer work with a good battery, since electronic faults are often uneconomical to fix.

What faults are acceptable

Perished light seals, a bit of dust in the lens, and cosmetic brassing are all normal and fine. Sticky slow shutter speeds, oily aperture blades, lens fungus, and dead electronics on an electronic camera are the ones that turn a purchase into an expensive mistake. Mechanical cameras are generally more repairable than electronic ones.

Buying online safely

Ask for photos of the shutter open, the film chamber and the front element against light. Ask directly whether the shutter fires at all speeds and whether the meter works. Favour sellers who accept returns, and remember that a tested-and-serviced camera from a specialist costs more for a reason. If a deal looks too cheap for a working example of that model, assume it needs work.

The one test the checklist cannot replace

Every check above happens with the camera dry and empty, but the only complete test is a roll of film. If you can, run a cheap roll through before you fully commit, or buy from a seller who has already done so and can show you the results. Shoot a full roll covering a range of subjects and light: a bright even scene to reveal light leaks, a dark frame to catch a stuck shutter, and shots at every shutter speed to confirm consistent density. Developed negatives that are evenly exposed with no streaks, fogging or overlapping frames prove the shutter, seals and film transport all work together — something no bench inspection can fully guarantee.

What a fair price looks like

Prices for the same model vary wildly with condition and who is selling. A body sold as-is or untested from a general seller should be cheap, because you are accepting the risk of repair. A body described as tested and working from a private seller sits in the middle. A serviced, guaranteed body from a specialist costs the most and is worth it for a beginner who cannot yet judge condition. Factor in the cost of a CLA — often a significant fraction of the camera's value — when weighing a cheap untested body against a serviced one. The cheapest listing is rarely the cheapest camera once repairs are counted.

Kit and accessories

Finally, check what comes with the camera. A working battery door, the correct lens cap, a body cap and a strap are small things, but an original manual, a case, and a second lens or a light meter can add real value. A camera sold with its original box and paperwork has often been cared for, which is itself a good sign.

If you would rather skip the gamble entirely, Boston Camera inspects, services and tests every camera on this exact checklist before it goes on the shelf.