Did You Get Scammed? A Photographer’s Guide to Buying Used Cameras

Fact: brands like KEH, MPB, and others tend to flood the internet with a ton of ads to get people to come to them to buy used cameras. But are they always honest? Luckily, I’ve been buying used cameras for around 20 years. The used camera market is also really hot. And inspired by a post on Reddit asking how much of a scam Cute Camera is, I decided to round up a ton of articles and tips that I and others have written in the past as well as talk about some of the best places to buy used camera gear.

Before I go on, you probably really want to know: is Cute Camera much of a scammer? I started research in February 2026 and ended it in April of 2026. And it depends on the item. They’re surely selling the S95 for a higher price, but for something like the Contax T2, they’re not too bad. For the K1000, they’re surely higher. So generally speaking, yes Cute Camera can be considered higher than normal. Research I did with Claude and fact-checked myself proved that this is really true.

Whether or not you call that a scam is up to you. But I wouldn’t buy from them.

Want to know tips? Well, thankfully, we’ve written lots of articles over the years. So before naming some of our favorite spots to buy used cameras, I’ll pull sections from each article.

Buy Refurbished

Here’s a quote from an article giving you insights on buying refurbished products:

I want to talk about my favorite option first: refurbished. In my eyes, one should always buy refurbished. The problem is the same it’s always been–people don’t know what refurbished means. Think of it this way – what does it mean when you refurbish a house? Now apply that to lenses and cameras, sort of. Basically, refurbished cameras (like this one) and lenses spent time on a trade show floor, on the road with the marketing team, or on a display of some sort. That unit comes back to the manufacturer and gets completely reconditioned. Then it goes through extra layers of quality control checks before being sold. Sometimes refurbished gear is better than brand new gear. And it costs less. Cool, right?

I don’t see why I wouldn’t buy a refurbished product. Apple users have experienced the same thing for a while. Want a new MacBook Pro? You can get it brand new or go for a refurbished one. There’s a very low risk that you’ll get a bad product or one you don’t like. To me, it’s a win-win situation.

Old Reviews are Still Best

Here’s a quote from an article that I wrote a while back. Honestly, the people who have been reviewing cameras for over 10 years are the best folks to ask about this stuff.

When you’re reading publications, look at the author bio, research the author online, look at where they’ve written before, and search for the publication’s about page to find out more. You can then understand how legitimate a source is or not.

There also can be several issues like mirror lockup, faulty shutters, etc. This guide will tell you more.

Authenticity

Here’s a checklist from an article I wrote a while ago. The big thing: show us the actual camera being sold!

• If you’re buying online, make sure that the images reflect the camera that you’re purchasing.
• Check the seller’s reputation Make sure you’re buying the exact model you’re interested in.
• If you’re buying in-person, make sure that the camera actually works and turns off. Otherwise, ask for something less than $75 as the final price
• Check to see if the memory cards are easily able to be purchased
• Look at the screen
• Check the lens: is it working and does it zoom in and out?
• Ensure that the battery inside the camera actually comes out and hasn’t corroded the inside of the camera
• Check for cracks in the camera body Is there a flash? Does it work?
• Check is the sensor is working perfectly fine. If it isn’t, then you’re out of luck.

All Mechanical Cameras Will Last the Longest

This article states nothing but facts. Here’s a quote from it:

THIS IS A BIG ONE!!! Cameras with electronics are prone to failure. Some cameras are a combo of both mechanical and electronic. For example, look at the Leica M6 or Leica CL. They’re mechanical cameras but the meter uses electronics. If anything, your Leica M6 will just become a Leica M4! Mechanical cameras will also mean that they’ll keep working pretty much no matter what. If your camera needs a battery to power the shutter, buy with caution.

Best Places to Buy Used Cameras

Here are my favorite places to buy cameras from that I’ve done business with in the past 10 years.

Blue Moon Camera and Machine

Blue Moon Camera is not only the Phoblographer’s most trusted place with film development, but they sell great camera gear too. Often it’s reconditioned and refurbished or reskinned by the store’s employees. Then it’s resold.

Used Photo Pro

Used Photo Pro is the sister company of Robert’s Camera. And something that’s very unique about them is that they actually photograph the product that’s being sold. You’re not getting generic images, what you see is what you get.

Lensrentals

Lensrentals can often be the most expensive option here, but they do indeed sell cameras and lenses. They don’t show the product off, but they literally recondition every camera and lens that comes back to them before they send it back out for loan.

Map Camera

Map Camera is where I got my Nikon Zf from in Japan. They’re consistently highly rated, fast, reliable, and honest. Plus they show off the actual product that you’re going to get in the eBay listing — or at least that’s what I’ve always seen.