Why do we buy second-hand gear?
What to watch out for?
How to sell?
Buying second-hand photography equipment is a very cost-effective way to expand your the amount of photography and videography gear that you own. We often do it to make an upgrade or to buy more items that help us do new jobs. We will go through examples from my work to make points a bit clearer. There are, however, also several important considerations to bear in mind to ensure that we are making smart purchases:
1. Research the seller:
Ebay and Facebook marketplace are very popular for finding "bargains" because there's a small middleman fee. The issue is eBay won't back the seller in most times out of ten so it discourages sellers from listing items. Facebook is direct to the person selling which is convenient but also lacks a reliable review-based system to see how credible the seller is. I often ask questions to get an insight of what the person is like e.g. reason for selling, how often they list items for sale, etc. as it can often reveal any poor intentions or red flags. Meeting in a safe location is always ideal when handling money or carrying out a transaction in person that's worth a sizeable sum.
Often times, second-hand items listed brick-and-mortar camera shops aren't seen as "good deals" because they add a mark-up to their pricing. This is actually because they have professional camera specialists who check the gear thoroughly and grade it accordingly. They also (usually) offer a 6-month warranty. I have purchased all my second-hand gear through either a brick-and-mortar shop such as London Camera Exchange, Park Cameras or Camera World (all in Central London), or from a friend that I know looks after their kit. I will write an article on how to look after your kit on a separate blog post - please stay tuned. I love the ability to go into a store and test the equipment or take my time with a decision without the pressure of having to buy upfront, test it out, then go through the hassle of a refund/return.
MPB.com is a popular site that I'm yet to purchase from. Several credible creatives that I am friends with/have worked with use that site and have expressed how pleasantly surprised they were with the ease of using their services and quality of products on offer. One thing that I've noticed and I really like is that they have something for everyone and they take photos of the actual product listed so you can get a visual idea of what to expect when you receive it.
2. Testing the Equipment:
There are basic rules for how to test specific equipment. I cannot go into detail on everything but I will share tips for high-value and important items that I use most frequently. One general rule I stick to is to try and get the original casing, lens hoods, documentations, etc. as it could come in handy for future resales, professional gigs and checking any information that you might not know from memory.
Lenses: Check the exterior for blemishes and scratches. The glass itself shouldn't be scratched and if it is the value should be amended accordingly. Bring a laptop to check the images you take. A good idea that someone once advised me to do is to also take a photo of the sky using a a small aperture like f8 to show any dust spots in the lens. Also make sure it focuses well at different zoom values and check for any excessive chromatic aberration which is the purple and green fringing you get on high contrast edges. For example, if you take a photo of a black circle on a white background the edges will have a bit of colourful fringing if you zoom in on some lenses.
Flash: check the flash can actually hold charge and that all the buttons perform the functions they're supposed to. Sometimes a poorly maintained flash won't have a great battery life, won't charge or the buttons are sticky/worn out. This won't be of much use to you.
Camera Body: Same as the above except you have more aspects to watch out for due to the complexity of how the camera body is built. The sensor is the most important part if we're being honest. This needs to be checked for damage and poor maintenance. Dust, scratches and stains are all red flags in my opinion. Test the body thoroughly at different settings and in different conditions if possible to stress test it as it will reveal any major weakness such as poor autofocus or image stabilisation. Again, having a laptop to inspect the images is the best way to do it. Take care to check the viewfinder and LCD screen for dust and damage too. This includes touchscreen functionalities. The buttons need to work reliably and be fully responsive, in particular the focus, selection and gallery buttons. The same goes for HDMI, microphone and other ports. The battery compartment should be free of any corrosion and you can test with a fully charged battery and also check it holds charge and can be charged. It might seem excessive but I would also check the body can read and write on various memory cards I use. It's worth jotting down the camera's serial number to check if it's been reported as stolen or if there are any known issues associated with that specific unit. You can usually do this online. I always ask about warranty and history e.g. any work that's been done to it. Shutter count is probably the most unspoken about aspect of the camera body that needs to be checked. It's like a mileage on a car and you should research how to check this in case the seller doesn't know how to or just doesn't check it for a valid reason.
3. Buying to sell:
Sometimes we see opportunity to "flip" products in a marketplace for profit. There are some vintage or newer camera models which are in limited stock such as the Fujifilm cameras. This results in them being in very high demand and can hike up the price. Prudent buyers who know the marketplace inside-out will see this as an opportunity to make profit (legitimately) so it's worth doing your research if this sounds like a bit of you. Reading online articles, subscribing to newsletters, following key influencers in this space and just being curious will help you a lot in this department.
In conclusion, if something feels off or too good to be true, consider walking away from the deal. Remember that while buying second-hand equipment can save you money, it also carries some risks. Hopefully this mini guide will help you make the best purchases possible.
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