Last Updated on 02/25/2018 by Chris Gampat
Your secondhand gear can still rake up some cash in the used market.
Today’s generation of photographers enjoy a wide variety of options for their gear, fueled by the quick turnover of camera and lens models. However, these gear choices also often come with costs, whether you’re getting your first camera or upgrading into a newer model after a couple of years. How can you make the expenses more manageable? The answer is by using the used market to your advantage. To start, check out the most popular secondhand cameras and lenses in the market today, as reported by the folks of Photofocus.
Before we continue, you must be wondering, how exactly do you make the most out of the used market? If you’re just starting out with photography as a hobby (or learning the ropes with the goal of going pro someday), you don’t have to get the latest gear right away. Instead, you can look for cameras and lenses that were released a few years back. Their features aren’t too far behind the newer ones, and they won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Likewise, photographers may no longer have any use for their old cameras once they upgrade. They can put their old gear up for sale on secondhand markets to help make up for the cost of their new cameras or lenses.
With the help of MPB.com, a marketplace for buying, selling, and trading used photography gear, Photofocus rounded up the used cameras and lenses that were most popular in the secondhand market in 2017. If any of these are just gathering dust on your shelves you might want to consider selling or trading them on sites like MPB. Or, there’s always good ol’ ebay.
Let’s take a look at what made it to the list and why they’re still good options to some photographers today:
Canon 5D Mk II
- 21.1 MP full frame CMOS sensor
- 9 focus points
- The first Canon EOS to have video recording capabilities
- Records 1080p videos at 30 frames per second
Canon 5D Mk III
- Three times more AF points than the 5D Mk II
- SD and CF card slots
- Faster JPG/RAW shooting
- Video recording at 60 frames per second
- Improved low-light performance
Canon 7D
- Direct competitor to Nikon’s crop sensor cameras
- 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- 8 frames per second continuous shooting
Nikon D810
- Still a great and cheaper alternative to the newer Nikon D850
- 36 MP full frame sensor
- 1920 x 1080 video resolution
- 5 frames per second continuous shooting
- Weather-sealed body
- Built-in flash
- Sensitivity range of 64 – 12800 ISO (expandable to 32 – 51200)
Nikon D750
- Touted by some as a hybrid of the D610 and the D810
- 24 MP sensor
- 51-point Multi-CAM 3500 FX II autofocus system
- 6.5 fps continuous shooting speed
- Lightweight design and weather sealing
- Impressive low-light performance
- Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
Canon EF 24 – 105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
- Remains a popular option for its versatility
- Suitable for various kinds of photography and scenes
- Shoot at 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm all in one lens
- Fixed f/4 aperture
- Built-in image stabilization
Canon 70 – 200mm F2.8 L IS II USM Lens
- A popular telephoto range
- Removable tripod mount ring
- Easy to reach controls
- F/2.8 fixed aperture
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
- One of the most popular 35mm lens
- Lighter, quieter, and more versatile compared to previous Nikon 35mm lenses
- Compatible with Nikon’s famous DX Series cameras
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
- 50mm lenses never go missing in every photographer’s lens arsenal
- Better build quality, quieter motor, very fast auto-focus speed
Canon and Nikon 18-55mm Kit Lenses
- These kit lenses remain a popular choice for beginners
- The focal length range is great for experimenting with various shooting conditions
- Affordable price