Why you should buy USED camera gear!
Before you whip out the credit card and click the “purchase” button on your next B&H order, hear me out.
Breaking news!! Purchasing new camera gear is very expensive. Half of the gear in the photo above was purchased slightly used, saving a total of $1,100 on one body and three lenses. When I say slightly used I mean that the gear looked and behaved completely as if it were brand new and came shipped in the original box. There’s always someone out there who buys new camera gear, plays with it for 3 days, keeps it on a shelf for 6 months, and then the gear finds its way back to the seller. That’s where you come in.
Buy used camera gear from reputable retailers
Purchasing used gear from reputable online retailers such as B&H Photo and Adorama ensures that you are buying used gear that has been checked by experts for functionality, cosmetic damages, etc, prior to it being sold to you. Both B&H and Adorama have used gear rating systems:
B&H Used Equipment Rating System
OB Like new with open box and full manufacturer’s warranty or 1-year B&H warranty
DEMO Never owned; Used for demonstration purposes only
10 Preowned equipment that looks good as new; no signs of wear
9+ Preowned equipment that shows little to no signs of wear
9 Shows some signs of use; may exhibit minor scuffs or surface marks but overall looks very clean
8+ Shows moderate wear, scuffing or marks to finish
8 Well used-may exhibit “dings” or noticeable marks to finish
7 Shows considerable wear and above-average signs of use
Adorama Used Equipment Rating System
For B&H gear, I wouldn’t recommend buying anything rated less than “9”. For the Adorama rating system, I wouldn’t suggest buying anything rated less than “E”, Excellent. When you buy used gear from these retailers – assuming the original manufacturer produces quality gear – you will receive like-new gear that will last you years, at around a 25% discount. In my opinion, the only good reason to buy brand new camera gear is if you can’t find a used version of the desired product.
Used Warranties
Both B&H and Adorama offer 30-day warranties on all of the used gear that they sell. If your camera or lens malfunctions or doesn’t meet your standards in any way, you can return the gear for a full refund.
What gear NOT to buy used
Don’t buy used SD cards, filters, or tripods. This gear is relatively affordable to buy new and wears quicker than camera bodies or lenses.
I also don’t recommend going out on things like Craigslist to find used camera gear. It’s not worth the potential headache. There are other options like the Fred Miranda Buy & Sell Forum that allows you to buy and sell gear with strangers on the internet, but you have to pay something like $20 to use the forum to buy or sell, which cuts down on the number of scammers. I successfully sold a macro lens on that forum to someone in Hawaii.
For all of those photographers out there with so much money you just don’t know what to do with it, buy new camera gear. For the other 99.9% of photographers, buy used.
We love helping people decide which camera gear is right for you. Feel free to contact us for a consultation!
