Donate Cameras in Albuquerque: Film, Digital, Lenses and Camcorders

Cameras and Photo Gear I Take

Working, broken or dusty, it all counts. If it takes pictures, projects them or holds film, it belongs here. Not sure? Text a photo to 505-250-3804 and I'll tell you whether it goes in the box or on a pickup.

Film cameras

35mm SLRs and rangefinders, drugstore point-and-shoots, medium-format and twin-lens bodies, box cameras and instant cameras of any generation. A sticky shutter or a hazy viewfinder doesn't rule anything out.

Digital cameras

Compact digital cameras from the early 2000s on, bridge cameras, DSLRs and mirrorless bodies. If the charger is already in the camera bag, leave it there; a box of loose cables goes on a pickup or comes in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. No charger? Donate the camera anyway.

Lenses and accessories

Lenses in any mount, with or without a body, plus flashes, light meters, filters, straps, tripods that fit the box, and the camera bag that holds it all, packed exactly as it is.

Studio lighting and viewing gear

Speedlights and on-camera flashes go in the box with the other accessories. Studio strobes, monolights, continuous lights, softboxes, umbrellas, light stands and backdrops, plus film scanners, light tables and slide viewers, come in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or ride along on a pickup.

Camcorders, projectors, slides and film

Tape camcorders (VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, MiniDV) and digital ones, Super 8 movie cameras, movie and slide projectors with their carousels, slides and negatives, and unopened or expired film in any format.

Darkroom gear

Enlarger lenses go in the box with the other lenses. The rest of the darkroom (enlarger, tanks and reels, trays, timers and safelights) comes in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or rides along on a pickup.

The photo books (my specialty)

Camera manuals, repair guides and photography books. Books are the core of what I do, in any condition, so that shelf comes along too. For the records and tapes from the same closet, see donating media.

Before You Drop It Off

1. Check for film before you open the back. Look at the frame counter or the little window on the film door. If a roll is inside, rewind it and take it out if you want those pictures developed.
2. Pull the memory card. A digital camera or camcorder can hold photos and video for years. Copy what you want, then keep the card or wipe it.
3. Eject the tape. A camcorder often still has its last cassette inside. Keep it if it holds family footage.
4. Take out leaking or swollen batteries. A crusty alkaline cell or a puffed-up lithium pack stays out of the box; the City's hazardous waste center (below) takes batteries.
5. Wrap the glass. Put lenses in a bag, a padded case or a few sheets of newspaper so they don't knock together on the way down.

The longer checklist, including saving footage and slides, is in what to do with old cameras.

How Drop-Off and Pickup Work

The drop box, any hour

The box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE in the North Valley sits outside the gate near the road, so there's no need to come through the gate or knock on a door; Unit A is only the mailing address. Free, no appointment, no paperwork. For an enlarger or a trunk full of projectors, come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead.

Free pickup across the metro

Text 505-250-3804 with a photo and your address, or use the form below. Pickups are scheduled by route and built around books and media, so camera gear usually rides along with the bookshelves and records. A camera-only load, like a whole darkroom? Tell me what you have and where, and I'll tell you how it fits a route.

Where the gear goes

Cameras and lenses that work are resold, and that keeps the box open and the pickup free. Gear that can't be resold is routed as responsibly as possible. Not every dead point-and-shoot finds a second owner, and I won't pretend otherwise.

Camera Donation Questions

Where can I donate cameras in Albuquerque?

In my covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, working or not: film and digital cameras, lenses, camcorders and projectors, any hour. Bring a bigger load 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. any day, or text 505-250-3804 to add it to a free Albuquerque-metro pickup, scheduled by route.

Where can I donate film cameras?

In Albuquerque, the 24/7 drop box takes film cameras working or not, any hour. From anywhere in the US, the Film Photography Project accepts working film cameras, lenses and film by mail, at your shipping cost, for school programs; a school photography class or community darkroom may also want them, so call first.

Can cameras go in the 24/7 drop box?

Yes. Film and digital cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, slides, film and camera bags all go in the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, any hour, no appointment. Bag or wrap the lenses.

Do the cameras need to work?

No. Jammed shutters, dead flashes, lost chargers and camcorders that won't power on are all fine. Working gear is resold, and the rest is routed as responsibly as possible.

What about camcorder tapes and home movies?

Look at them first: tapes, reels and slide trays are often the only copy of a family's footage. The home movies and slides guide covers copying them. After that, they can go in the box with the camcorder.

What can't go in the drop box?

Other electronics (computers, printers, stereos, players, consoles, cables), working TVs or monitors, studio lights and film scanners, and darkroom gear other than enlarger lenses: those ride along on a metro pickup or come in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. I can't take broken TVs or monitors, or opened or mixed darkroom chemicals.

Can you pick up a whole darkroom?

In the Albuquerque metro, text 505-250-3804 with a photo and your address. Pickups are built around books and media and scheduled by route, so I'll tell you how a darkroom fits one. You can also bring it 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when someone can help unload. Sealed chemistry can come with it; opened or mixed chemicals go to the City's hazardous waste center.

Do you pay for cameras?

No. I don't buy cameras or pay for donations. Resale of the working gear is what keeps the box and the pickup free.

Can I write off a camera donation on my taxes?

No. New Mexico Literacy Project is a for-profit business, not a 501(c)(3), so donations are not tax-deductible.

I live outside the Albuquerque metro. Can I still donate cameras?

Not by pickup. Use the drop box when you're in town, or mail the gear at your own cost; the donate-by-mail page explains how.

Service Area

Pickup covers the Albuquerque metro: Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, Placitas, Valencia County and the East Mountains, all scheduled by route.

Farther out there's no pickup. The drop box is open whenever you're in town, and the donate-by-mail page covers the rest of the country, shipping at your cost.

One Trip, Bring It All

Questions first? Contact me or text 505-250-3804.