What to Do With Old Cameras: Donate Them, Working or Not

Donate them, working or not. Film and digital cameras, lenses, camcorders and projectors still get used by people who shoot, repair and teach with them, and none of it belongs in the trash. In the Albuquerque metro I take the whole photo shelf in any condition: leave cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, slides and film in the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, any hour; bring a car full 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week, when someone at the warehouse can help unload; or text 505-250-3804 for free pickup, scheduled by route.

Just need the Albuquerque drop-off and pickup details for camera gear? They’re on one page: donate cameras in Albuquerque.

Fastest way to clear them: the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, a covered box outside the gate, by the road, takes whatever fits, any hour, any condition. Too much for the box? Come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when someone is there to help unload, or get on a free pickup route. Directions.

Before you donate a camera

• Look for a forgotten roll. Check the frame counter and the rewind knob before opening the back. If there’s film inside, rewind it first and get it developed; it may hold the last family photos anyone took with that camera.
• Pull the memory card. Digital cameras and camcorders often still hold photos and video. Copy what you want, then keep or wipe the card.
• Take out old batteries. Leaking cells corrode the contacts; loose batteries can ride along in a bag.
• Save the footage and slides. Home movies, camcorder tapes and slide trays are worth digitizing before the gear goes; the home movies and slides guide covers it.
• Keep the bag together. Lenses, caps, manuals and chargers travel best exactly as they were packed.

The whole photo shelf, working or not

• Cameras: film SLRs and rangefinders, point-and-shoots, medium-format and twin-lens cameras, instant cameras, early digital cameras, DSLRs, camcorders and movie cameras.
• Lenses and accessories: lenses in any mount, with or without a body, plus flashes, filters, tripods, light meters, grips, straps and bags.
• Film and paper: unused or expired 35mm, 120/220, sheet and instant film, and sealed darkroom paper.
• Darkroom: enlargers and enlarger lenses, tanks and reels, trays, easels, timers and safelights. Darkroom chemistry, sealed or opened, can come along too, capped, with the gear on a pickup or 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (never in the drop box).
• Projection and viewing: slide and movie projectors, carousels, screens, viewers, light tables, splicers and film scanners, plus the slides and negatives themselves.
• Studio lighting: strobes, monolights, speedlights, continuous lights, softboxes, umbrellas, stands and backdrops.
• Manuals and photography books: camera manuals, repair guides, technique books and monographs. This is a book operation at heart, so the photo books are as welcome as the gear.

Where to donate old cameras in Albuquerque

The easiest route is the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE: cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, slides, film, negatives, manuals and photo books all go in with the books and media, any time. A padded camera bag, or a box with some newspaper around the bodies and glass, is all the packing it needs. For a car full, come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., any day of the week, with someone at the warehouse to help unload. A studio teardown or an estate’s worth of gear is easier as a free pickup anywhere in the metro, scheduled by route. Every piece is sorted by hand, and usable gear goes back out through resale, which is what keeps the pickup free. Donations aren’t tax-deductible.

Clearing a whole house? The same pickup can take the DVDs, CDs, records and tapes, plus tools, small electronics, household items, and TVs and monitors in working condition. Those extras ride on the pickup or come in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; they don’t go in the drop box. See everything I pick up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do with old cameras?

Donate them, working or not. Film and digital cameras, lenses and camcorders still get used, repaired and taught with, and electronics don't belong in the trash. Check for film and memory cards first. In the Albuquerque metro, leave them in the covered 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE or text 505-250-3804 for free pickup.

Where can I donate old cameras in Albuquerque?

In the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE: cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, slides and film go in with the books, any hour. Bag or pad anything fragile. For a big load, come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week, when someone can help unload, or text 505-250-3804 for free metro pickup, scheduled by route.

Do you take broken cameras?

Yes — working or not. The repair-and-parts community keeps old cameras alive, so a jammed or fogged body still has a place to go. Any condition, any era.

Do you take digital cameras and camcorders?

Yes: point-and-shoots, DSLRs, early-2000s digital cameras and camcorders of every format, working or not, with chargers, cables and cases. Take the memory card out first.

What about lenses, flashes, and camera bags?

Bring all of it. Lenses are welcome with or without a body, and a whole camera bag can go in the drop box exactly as it was packed; check the film door for an undeveloped roll first.

Do you take unused or expired film?

Yes: unexposed 35mm, 120/220, sheet film, slide film and instant packs, even decades expired, plus sealed darkroom paper. Film shooters use expired stock for its look.

What about darkroom chemicals?

Yes, sealed or opened, as long as the containers are capped: the chemistry comes along with the darkroom gear on a pickup or 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., never in the drop box. The hardware — enlargers, tanks, trays, timers, safelights — is all wanted.

Do you take slide projectors, movie projectors, and screens?

Yes — slide projectors with or without carousels, 8mm/Super 8/16mm movie projectors, screens, viewers, splicers, and film scanners. Orphaned carousels and projectors get reunited here.

Do you take studio lighting and backdrops?

Yes — strobes, monolights, speedlights, continuous lights, softboxes, umbrellas, stands, booms, backdrops, and meters. Retired studio and wedding kits are welcome whole.

Where can I donate a camera outside Albuquerque?

Ask a local camera shop, a school or college photography program, or a film-photography club whether they take working gear; some do, so call first. Whatever they pass on, a recycler that takes small electronics beats the trash.

Do you buy cameras?

No. NMLP doesn't buy cameras or pay for donations. The drop box and the pickup are free, and resale of donated gear is what keeps them free.