Like many of you, I started my photography with a small budget, but now having been emersed in the camera world, I realize that "used" is also an option. As usual, people often ask us what type of camera is the best, and I just remind them that it's about the person holding the camera, but we also know that's not what they want to hear. Here are a few tips.
Of course, people want an exact brand which stands above the rest always and forever. Usually, I still engage in the conversation and ask what budget they feel comfortable with.
In my experience, most people ask for a great camera under $500, and they want interchangeable lenses, HD video, and a few other goodies. Since $500 is an ambitious goal, I remind them that used cameras are an option and that they should take advantage of them.
To make the process easier, I asked the guys at a small camera store to help us. Fullerton Cameras is the same little shop that I bought my first camera from, and I wanted to go back to where it all started. My first camera was the Canon 40D. I bought not one, but three total memory cards. Each was a whopping 4 GB! Big things were about to happen with my 12 GB of storage!
If you've considered buying a used camera but have no idea what you should be looking for, watch this video. Fullerton Cameras does a great job explaining a number of things about buying a used camera:
- What are the general things to check on a used digital camera? Round One of inspections.
- What to bring with you on a private sale
- When to walk away from the deal
- What's the oldest that camera you should consider buying?
- Should you invest more in a lens or body?
- Other not-so-obvious inspection points
- Flash, Lens removal, mold, scratches, etc.
- How do I know if the camera I'm buying is stolen or not? What should you look for?
- Craigslist and eBay listings for camera sales
- What is shutter count and how to deal with it?
- Should you buy from a professional photographer? And more...
