We, as photographers, are very often gear geeks. There’s no shame in it. We drool over the latest and greatest the camera industry has to offer and dream of owning the ultimate gear setup that will, of course, undoubtedly help us ascend to new heights of photography. But we truly do not need to.
Modern-day camera equipment has—well, I wouldn’t say plateaued—but it has reached a threshold. Sure, there are improvements that rigorous R&D could achieve, like a complete lack of any noise whatsoever, the ability to capture 8K video at 360 frames per second in the form of lossless raw 16-bit files, or finally not firing the built-in flash in full auto mode when a tourist tries to take a night shot of a historical building through a bus window. However, a skilled photographer with a solid vision of what they want to capture can do so without issues using today’s available equipment.
And I don’t mean the equipment that has just come out in the recent days, weeks, or months. Pretty much anything from the last decade works. And that is where the title “Be efficient” comes in. It is no surprise that photography can be an expensive endeavor, but you can make it less so by utilizing gear that has already had one or more owners before you. They’ve used it, put it through its paces, and it came out perfectly fine on the other side. They’ve simply moved on to a new camera model, more powerful light, or faster lens, and their older but still very valid piece of equipment can move on to a new owner: you.
I’ve owned a solid number of cameras ever since I started photography—well into the double digits. Only three of those were bought brand new from the store. The vast majority of my camera bodies were bought from a previous owner or through a used gear reseller like MPB—the leading reseller of used digital camera gear in the U.S. The case is even stronger with lenses. All but one of the lenses I currently own are pre-loved. Even my most trusty old XF 56mm f/1.2 R was bought used back in 2015.
It had this small scratch on the side of the metal focus ring that I wasn’t too happy about, but it was half the price, so I soldiered on and bought it anyway. Well, here’s the state of it before I gave it away to a friend when I bought the newer version. After a quick and cheap CLA at the Fujifilm service center, it’s still working perfectly fine today.
The price difference between buying the latest, greatest, fastest, and megapixeliest and buying used, tried-and-tested, and, as many like to say, “pre-loved,” can be considerable. Instead of blowing your entire budget on a single camera body, you may be able to afford a single-generation older model with nearly identical imaging capabilities but still have enough money to get yourself a good lens, a solid backpack, a light, some memory cards, and batteries. You know, the other necessary stuff. Or, if your dream project is in a different location, saving money by buying the used option may allow you to actually use the camera in said location instead of just looking at it at home, unable to afford a trip anywhere.
There are a few things to consider when buying used. Is the seller a private person? Is it a used gear retailer? If it is a private person, you may have serious issues regarding warranty should any problems arise. Are you purchasing from the person over a longer distance instead of a local handover? You’d better hope the box you paid for has the actual item and not an old, decrepit book instead. Is it local, and have you agreed to meet face to face? The chances are slim but not zero that the person may just be ready to take your cash and leave you beaten up in the dirt. Buying from a time-tested and verified platform such as MPB is always the safe and logical option.
You have the assurance that the items have been fully tested, serviced, and are offered with a warranty as well as a return option. The items sold are not commissioned but bought from other customers, so the process is better for both people and the planet. Plus, every item is individually photographed so you know exactly what you’re getting before buying. That is how you know the boxes are checked, the “t”s are crossed, and the “i”s are dotted. All of the lenses are checked for damage or fungus, the sensors are tested to avoid dead pixels, and the bodies are priced according to their level of previous use and/or abuse. In fact, all gear is priced using MPB’s dynamic pricing engine that provides the most accurate and competitive prices among resellers.
You clearly see the state of what you’re buying and can always make an educated decision.
Do yourself a favor and skip the newest model every YouTuber and their grandma are raving about just as the embargoes drop. Wait a bit and look for the previous model to pop up on the used market. Your wallet might just stay a tad bit heavier for that.
Gallery
Here are some images I was able to capture with the help of only used and pre-owned cameras, none of which were the best available models at the time. They are already long past their retail period, and yet they can still, to this day, capture beautiful work. The photographs were taken using bodies such as Fujifilm X-T1, X-T2, X70, X-Pro3, X-T4, or Panasonic GX9. Chasing the latest and greatest is often irrelevant.
One of the basics when buying a used digital camera is to check the frame count, aka activations. Most cameras allow this if you know how, check the internet for specific models. A prolific shooter can wear a camera out even though it still looks good cosmetically.
Ever since I bought a used Sony a9 (first version) from MPB earlier this year, I lean towards buying used when possible.
Sometimes the used price is not far wary from the new price. For the X-T5 here in germany it's only 150€. I found the saving of 150€ is nto less to by a used one.
It's good in theory until you have sellers that completely overvalue their equipment because they paid X amount once upon a time and think depreciation isn't a thing. Have no idea what they've sold for recently on ebay or what trade in value is at MPB/KEH or what they sell for there as well. Then add in they have a chip on their folder as if they know better what their gear is worth and will let you know that in their description.
The funnier thing is when their gear just sits and sits, they finally lower their price and just change their "firm price" in the description as well. No really, "this" price is firm.