Photography is one expensive hobby to venture into. You can get started with photography without spending too much money for a decent camera with a kit lens. But when you start buying some of the faster lenses, and high quality gear, the price quickly shoots up into the thousands of dollars and more.
But next time when you are thinking about buying a new lens or that next photography gadget, consider buying a used copy first. Buying used camera gear can save you a lot of money and help finance your next photography purchase.
There are some things you should watch out for when buying used photography gear. This guide will help you find the best deals on great new gear without getting scammed.
Where to Shop
You can either shop for used camera gear using local resources like Craigslist, a local Facebook group, or at a local camera store if you are fortunate to have one near you. When buying in person, you get to speak to the seller face to face, inspect the gear, and you get the gear now.
Or if you prefer to shop online, places like Adorama, B&H Photo, Keh, eBay, Photography forums, etc offer great prices and you can have it delivered right to your door. But you do not have opportunity to inspect the gear before buying, it can be damaged or stolen in transit, and you must wait for delivery.
Local Camera Stores
- You will likely pay the most for used gear here. But you can try haggling a bit for a lower price or something else thrown in.
- You get to check the gear out before buying.
- You are also supporting your local camera store.
You can find some really great things for cheap on Craigslist. It is better to not have any one specific thing in mind, and just see what there is for sale. You need to check Craigslist often because any good deals get snatched up quickly by somebody else.
- Check the gear in person.
- Its hit or miss if you will find what you are looking for.
- Meet someplace safe! Fast food restaurants, coffee shops, even police station lobbies.
- You may have a large sum of money when meeting a stranger.
- Largest selection
- Prices are often cheaper than eBay
- Fantastic customer service
- Lots of accessories
- Fast shipping
- Decent used gear selection
- Lots of accessories
- Great customer service
- Fair to high prices
- Great customer service
- Large Selection
- FREE Shipping
I usually avoid eBay unless it is something I can only find there. Make sure you look at the sellers feedback for any Negative and Neutral ratings. Make sure there is nothing sketchy going on there.
- Sketchy sellers
- Vague or misleading item descriptions
- You take the sellers word about the item description
- Lots of scams
- Its possible to get a good deal
- Prices can be easily get overbid
- No Customer protection against scams
You may not think of Amazon as a place to buy used camera gear, but nearly every product on Amazon has an option to buy a used copy instead of a new version saving you money.
- HUGE selection
- Great customer service
Stay Safe
When you are meeting a complete stranger and you have a large wad of cash in your pocket, you need to be extra cautions. Chances are everything will go smoothly, but the possibility remains where the person might want your money more than you do, and they might try to take it from you.
Meet the person someplace with lots of other people around. A coffee shop, a restaurant, or even at your local police station. Police stations around the country are starting to encourage people to use their lobbies to safely buy and sell things off of Craigslist.
Inspect the Gear for Damage
If you are meeting a person face to face, make sure to check the following things before you hand over the money. People tend to think their gear is in better condition than it really is.
- How does it look? Is it dirty? Does anything about the lens look wrong?
- Check for any dings or dents.
- Look for wear and tear on the edges, corners, the hot shoe.
- Check for scratches. The paint on a lens or camera body is usually pretty tough. It probably took a hard impact to cause big scratches.
- Inspect the glass on each end of any lenses for scratches or blemishes in the coating. Look for dust inside the lens.
- Look for any damage to the threads on the front of the lens.
- Look through the lens while pointing it into the sky. Look for anything inside like mold or fungus growing.
- Check the lens mount for any corrosion or damage. Check the electrical contacts for any damage.
- Put the lens on your camera and take some test shots. Check the focus and Aperture ring for smoothness. You don’t want to hear any grinding sounds when zooming the lens.
- Test the lens at all of the different aperture sizes, and at all focal lengths. It would be a bummer to find out later that the camera freaks out when you shooting at f11 and 24mm.
- Make sure to give the gear a sniff test. I wouldn’t want to have a funky smelling lens or camera up by my face all the time.
- Research the Ad. Does the description sound like it was written by a photographer? Have a conversation with the seller, do they know what they are talking about? If not, then it could be a scam.
- Do the images of the product look large and detailed, or are they tiny little thumbnails?
- How does the price compare to similar items for sale?
- Does it come with everything originally included? The box, lens hood, lens caps, body caps, instruction manuals, bags, straps, warranty card
Things to Ask
How many pictures has the camera taken?
Learn how to check your cameras shutter Actuation count
This is measured by reading a cameras Actuation Count. When you take a picture with a DSLR, the mirror inside the camera has to move up out of the way of the sensor to make an exposure. That moving mirror slaps out of the way and it is only guaranteed to last for so long. It can last 100,000 shots… 200,000… 300,000, or even longer. Older cameras have a better chance of the mirror breaking off inside the camera. When you buy a used camera, you want to be sure the camera actuation’s has not surpassed the guaranteed number of shots. The mirror may just break off the very first day you shoot with your new camera, and you will be out all that money you just spent.
Ask for sample photos shot with the Camera or Lens.
Any legitimate seller will gladly send you sample photos taken with the camera or lens you are thinking of buying so you can inspect the image quality. If they refuse, move on.
Read the EXIF data from the image to verify that it was shot with the correct camera or lens as stated.
Buy Refurbished
Another great option is to buy Refurbished camera gear. Refurbished is gear that has been returned or demo units. The manufacture takes that gear and refurbishes it into like NEW condition. Often times refurbished gear is in better condition than brand New gear. This is because every single refurbished unit is painstakingly taken apart, cleaned, and has parts replaced to “like new” condition. Brand new units are often only sample inspected, only a few units in the batch are inspected. Its possible a defect can make it into a final product, where a refurbished unit is fully inspected for any defects before shipping.
Refurbished gear is also significantly less expensive than new gear. Canon often has sales on their refurbished gear but the popular lenses sell out quickly.
Conclusion
Buying used or refurbished camera gear are great ways to save money on otherwise expensive gear. As long as you do your diligence and get as much information about the item as possible, you can get a great deal on a well used loved lens or camera. If you are meeting face to face with a seller, remember to inspect the gear thoroughly and to meet someplace safe.