What To Do With Old Digital Camera?

Sell

• maybe just sell it? there are people out there who buy old digicams
• i guess that appears to be an option. didn't really think it was worth much of anything. i guess i can see if i can find someone local that might like to buy it.
• i'd probably think around 30-50$ is what you can accurately get for it.
• that was a neat camera back in the day. it has l glass which is unique for compact cameras. like putting a ferrari engine in a honda civic. i'd say sell it. there's bound to be some sort of collector looking for one. i think you could like $50-75 for it.
• if your digital camera is still working, consider selling it on craigslist or a similar site.
• there are also companies like keh camera and b&h camera video that buy digital cameras, lenses and other parts online.
• best thing to dispose of them is to sell them but i won’t.

Donate To Schools

• maybe donate or give to a local middle school/ high school student
• that's a good idea. maybe i should donate it to a high school art teacher and she could find a good student to give it to. i like this idea too.
• sell or donate. ive actually looked into getting a little collection of them and starting some kind of youth photography thing. not sure if it will ever happen, but i like the idea.
• that is a great idea. i'd love to donate it to support something like that.
• check with your local high school to see if they teach photography as part of their art program.
• likely, they would love to be able to give or loan your film camera gear to a student who might not have the financial means to acquire his or her own.
• in fact, any educational institution—from grade schools to community colleges to art schools—may accept your donated camera gear.
• a local nonprofit, school or day care center may appreciate a working digital camera to capture images of special events.
• check with them to see if they are interested in a donation.

Donate To Charities And Thrift Stores

• an old powershot, i'd just donate to a thrift shop.
• you can likely find a local charity or thrift store that would have no hesitation about taking gear off your hands, but dig a bit deeper and you might find some, arguably, more deserving outlets.
• there are several photography-related charities that accept used gear.
• film photography project donates film cameras to school and student programs around the world.
• recycling for charities recycles electronics and gives the value of what you send them to a charity of your choice.
• photovoice builds participatory photography and storytelling self-advocacy projects for socially excluded groups in the uk and internationally.
• the one shot project provides cameras to young disadvantaged children in iraq.
• josephine herrick project (formerly rehabilitation through photography) provides free photographic education programs to children, teens, adults, and seniors.
• non-profit organizations are sometimes very happy to have donated camera equipment at their disposal.
• and your donation will very likely be tax deductible.
• regardless of the value of your gear, you cannot put a price on the act of giving your photo equipment to a worthy cause.

Give It Away

• i gave mine to my kid and he loves it. he's been "making movies" and editing them on his tablet and my computer. maybe there's a kid in your life that would like it?
• if they’re working, either sell them or give them away.
• if you have any kids in your family who might be budding photographers, a basic (even old) camera is a great birthday present.
• i have too many lying around, even after giving away a couple.
• i prefer giving them away, as others have said, versus taking them to electronics recycling; however, i have one or two venerable point-and-shoots that are probably worth nothing to anyone at this stage and should just be recycled.
• it is also worth asking family members and friends if they are interested in your old digital camera.
• a younger brother or sister could want one to help them get started with photography.
• a grandparent who travels a lot and needs a compact camera that fits in a purse or fanny pack might be grateful for your gift.

Repurpose

• i often turn mine into project cameras.
• i have an old powershot a590 is that was my first camera with manual controls back in 2008 or so.
• 8 megapixels, fine lens but nothing to get excited about in terms of zoom range or aperture, and 100% perfectly capable of generating really nice timelapse frames these days using chdk.
• convert it into an ir camera.
• have you ever wanted to experiment with infrared photography?
• or, have you thought about making your own homemade lens mount to affix random old lenses to your camera?
• this might be a great time to try something outside of the box.
• what about converting your old film camera into a pinhole camera?
• that might be a fun thing to try.
• you can put your cool cameras on the living room shelf.

Use It

• i just keep using them as a kind of photographic challenge to keep things interesting.
• start a youtube channel shooting solely with outdated gear, like old digital cameras.
• i've been toying with this idea but the idea of producing content where i will see or hear myself scares me, haha. if someone else was to though i would definitely watch.
• i love using vintage lenses on digital bodies, i don't feel this is a million miles apart from that
• there are some older digital cameras that shoot very unique photos as per the sensor tech, lenses, and converters used in the a/d circuitry.
• the old powershots were a feat of technology that were meant to replace analog photography and shoot some surprisingly analog-feeling photos with the right settings.
• no pixel-peeping to be done, but you sometimes get surprised with how close to 35mm point-and-shoot feel you get.
• kinda cool to also pick up old gear that was 1,000's of dollars at the time and is now available for 30$.
• the old kodak ccds also render a very unique photograph.

Backup

• of course, an older, slower digital camera can be put into duty as a trusty backup for that new digital camera.
• electronics and mechanicals are not infallible, and your trusty new steed might not be so trusty one day.
• having a backup camera within reach might save the day, be it on a commercial shoot or remote vacation.
• or, on occasion, you might have the opportunity to do a photo shoot in which your camera could be subject to bodily harm—photographing on a boat, at the beach, against a rock wall, wing-suit flying, parasailing, etc.
• shoots of this type might be best reserved for your older gear, rather than putting your newer, more expensive gear at risk.

Recycle

• otherwise just recycle it.
• if not working look for anyone who scraps old electronics. they might give you a little money for it.
• there are more options than ever for responsibly disposing of old, unwanted digital cameras.
• major retailers with electronics recycling programs, including best buy and staples, will take them off your hands at no charge.
• check their websites for their specific policies.
• communities with electronic take-back programs should also be able to accept digital cameras.
• check with your local solid waste management district to determine if they have a permanent e-waste collection facility at their recycling center or if you need to wait for a special e-waste collection event.
• when you recycle your digital camera, make sure you include items like battery chargers and the cords to connect the camera to the computer.
• they also contain metals and plastic that can be recycled.

Recycle Digital Camera Batteries

• most entities that take your digital camera will take the entire thing, including the rechargeable battery.
• but if you purchased an extra battery, or have one that wears out and must be disposed of, that company may not want it.
• an organization called call2recycle partners with a number of businesses and government agencies to accept rechargeable batteries for recycling.
• visit their website to find a collection location near you.
• drop-offs are often co-located with cell phone stores, tool stores, big box retailers or your local recycling center.
• sites that partner with call2recycle should take your batteries for free.

Recycle SD Cards

• sd cards from digital cameras are very difficult to recycle.
• they are not accepted through manufacturer take-back initiatives, and no companies accept them in the mail or stores.
• your best option to recycle an sd card is to check with your local solid waste management district to see if they have an electronics recycling program that will take them.
• another option is to use your old sd card with another device.
• if you have four sd cards you can turn them into a solid state drive (ssd), a type of hard drive, using these instructions from gizmodo.