Should You Consider Secondhand Photography Gear?

Back in the dim dark ages otherwise known as the 20th century, I bought a lot of second-hand camera gear. New gear was expensive and I preferred to spend my meager income on film and processing rather than equipment. I also convinced myself a camera was a dark box to hold film and a good lens was a good lens, regardless if someone had used it before me.

These days, I’m not so sure. I still buy the occasional piece of secondhand equipment, but generally I buy new these days. I shoot digital only, my images are often published, and I’m happy to pay a little extra for the inherent reliability and manufacturer’s warranty that comes with new gear. The latest technology can make a difference, too, especially in regard to focusing speed, lens coatings, sensor size and design, buffer sizes and so much more.

However, for some photographers I can still see some benefits of buying used. For example, a student would be far better off with a secondhand Canon EOS-1D Mark IIfor under $1500 than a new camera for the same money, especially if they have ambitions to shoot sport, reportage or wildlife, for the speed of a Canon (focussing and frame rate) 1-series will far eclipse the prosumer or amateur cameras.

And don’t for a moment think people don’t take you more seriously as a photographer if you turn up with a big camera! If you’re more into weddings and portrait work, the sensors in the 1Ds and Canon EOS-1D Mark IIwere both excellent and still produce great images, and a fraction of the price of the latest gear.

The same applies to the big Nikon cameras such as the Nikon D3that was and still is a legend.

If you’re a pro or aspiring pro photographer, a big, heavy secondhand camera is a great back-up to your EOS 5D MkII or D700. “Oh this old thing, why it’s provided years of faithful service,”—yes, to someone else!

I’d be less inclined to recommend secondhand prosumer or amateur cameras. Put simply, they go out of date so quickly, and their performance specs are so comprehensively trumped by the next model, it’s hard to see much value. That said, if you’re after a lightweight backup, you could do a lot worse than a 40D, D300 or Olympus E-3.

Lenses, flashguns, tripods and studio lights are a different ballgame though – there’s a lot of value in secondhand gear away from camera bodies. Brand new pro lenses are expensive and just occasionally they come onto the market at irresistible prices.

I bought a Canon 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift secondhand in 2009. TS lenses are rare, expensive and have a very limited range of uses. I had wanted one for years, but not enough to actually buy one. For around half the new price, I bought it.

The author bought the EF 16-35 f/2.8L for around half the price of the latest model, recently: the 24mm TS lens (left a couple of years ago, and the Gossen Lunasix F (in the background) many, many years ago.

The same applied to a 16-35mm f/2.8LI purchased just a few weeks ago. Good condition, old model, half price. I’m happy with that, for my old 17-35mm f/2.8 was getting so loose in the zoom and focus rings it wasn’t funny. It worked fine for years on my 1D MkIIN, but it was a lens designed for film and I certainly noticed the color fringing apparent in the old lens when shooting on the 5D MkII. The 16-35, while probably not as good as the latest MkII version, is still great: and it takes the same 77mm filters as my 24-105 and 70-200, whereas the 16-35mm f/2.8 MkII uses 82mm filters. There’s $300 I’d need to spend to get new versions of the filters I like to carry.

The downsides of buying secondhand are numerous: faulty, out of date gear won’t do your photography any favors. But for most of us, taking a punt on secondhand gear which is not going to get used day-to-day or which might be a back-up to your main equipment is often a bet worth taking.

Coming soon: How to inspect secondhand gear.

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Tagged as: buying, Cameras, gear, lenses, Photography, refurbished, secondhand, used

TheresaZphotography

I don’t think that I would buy second hand, like you mentioned, the warranty is key and you just can’t be sure what you are getting. I think refurbished is the way to go, from the manufacturer or a reputable seller, on some things if you are on a budget like I am.
- http://www.frankkendralla.com Frank
  
  I buy and sell second hand gear often. Normally, my cameras are bought new but lenses and at times speed lights are bought second hand for a savings of 30% or more off retail price. In addition, many older lenses are a tremendous bargain to fill a small need. e.g. Nikon 105 non VR macro lens. I only use it for detail work at weddings. It is crazy to buy the new version for 3 x the cost. ps great article!
Pingback: Should You Consider Secondhand Photography Gear? – The Phoblographer (blog) | The Photo Bargains

Gevon Servo

I have been buying second hand lenses since I got into photography. It is a great way to keep cost down.

Christie

Not to mention that second-hand equipment can also be stolen equipment. I had my whole camera bag stolen in Sept of 2009 and they got 2 bodies and 12 lenses. The guy who ended up selling my equipment sold it on craigslist for only $800…. it was over $5000 in equipment. By the time we found it listed online, it was already too late and the guy had already sold it and the police couldn’t do anything, but something of all that is bound to turn up at a pawn shop eventually. Ask for original boxes and receipts, and make sure you keep your serial numbers of each piece of equipment in a safe place goodness forbid anything happens to it.
- http://thephoblographer.wordpress.com Chris Gampat
  
  Great advice from the great Christie thanks for the comment and popping by.
joey

I love buying used gear. A used Nikon F100 cost me $200. A used 80-200 push-pull cost me $350 (both are discontinued). All my equipment has retained at least 90% of its value.

The only piece of gear that lost 50% of its value since I bought it last year is the D3000.

Five year warranty is great and all, but in the digital age where you constantly out-grow your camera (or at least, you think you do), I’m not sure it makes economical sense to buy everything new.
James

I picked up a used Fujifilm S5100 for chump change. The original owner didn’t want it because it is “only” a 4 megapix. He bought a new one with something like 12 megapix and is now happy. The Fujifilm works perfectly and has many great features. It s not my only camera but it is the one I take with me for for strolls around town. Nope, I wouldn’t look down my nose at the used items. The people getting rid of them are mostly ignorant about digital cameras.
- Kari
  
  Dont forget that for people like me (the unemployed) second hand is a life saver. Also i use a 3.1 megapixel compact when im not using my 8 year old dslr :p both are only good outdoors due to lens “shortage” and flash “shortage”
Sander Martijn

I buy second-hand gear occasionally, but only when I’m just too tight to buy new and need it now. When I do buy used I only do it from a reliable source like the B&H used department. That said I have sold several items on ebay that I didn’t need any more or had replaced and I only sell items that are in perfect working order – I’ve never had a complaint.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=608479000 Mark Kalan

I recently purchased a Minolta Flash Meter 4 on eBay. I had the 3 back when it was new and hated buying the 6 MS76 batteries that ran it – the 4 uses one AA. Back in the 80s I bought the 3 for over $300 and bought the 4 last year for $110 – and it works fine while a new multi use meter would be over $700.
Vadim Gordin

Another benefit to buying used is resale value. I got the Olympus 12-60 and 50-200 for about half of what they retail for. Now, if I decide to jump ship to Nikon or Canon I can get back almost exactly what I paid… even after 2 years of very satisfied use.

-Vadim
Ryan

Every piece of gear I own has been bought secondhand off of Craigslist. Two Canon 5D Mark II’s, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 35 1.4, 580ex flash, alien bees gear. It has all been immaculate and much, much cheaper than new prices. But then again, Toronto has a great photog community and a great Craigslist community too…
Kari

I am unemployed. I can only buy the cheapest second hand. So second hand is the answer for me. Im saving up for a used 28mm 2.8 and got a long list for future purchases. After 2 years i might get a dslr that is NOT older than 2 years. My current is 8 years old
http://twitter.com/webslog Web Webster

Great post. I’ve never bought a lens new which is made easier by the fact that Nikon’s F-type mount goes back so may years. My first long lens purchase was an 80-210 f4 when I had a D40. The autofocus didn’t work, but I was willing to make the trade for the length of the lens. I think I got that lens as VG from KEH for 100 bux. It’s actually the reason I chose Nikon over Canon, because I saw a lot of lenses that were circa 1990 something that were more in line with my checkbook and whose build quality -metal body versus plastic, etc. – was better than the lenses that followed. I’m not familiar with Canon’s mount evolution, but I have to believe most of the same dynamics apply.