How to Save a Fortune in Photography
Spoiler – if you want to save a lot of money, never, ever buy new camera equipment. It’s that simple.
Earlier this year, I sold all my modern mirrorless cameras (as the marketing will have you believe) and lenses. My equipment was losing value daily, as it was no longer earning its keep.
In contrast, older secondhand DSLRs and lenses are significantly cheaper (I’ve noticed prices increasing recently). Not as cheap as chips cost, but a bargain in comparison to mirrorless cameras.
The world is full of well-heeled people who buy the best equipment, take a few pictures, then never use the camera again when the images don’t look like how they think they would. This equipment is then sold on.
You can buy from a shop or privately. In my experience, buying privately is the wrong way to go. Owners generally overprice the value of what they are selling.
Secondly, you’ll have no guarantee if you encounter any problems.
My Two Simple Rules
- Buy only from reputable camera shops. In the UK, I can recommend WEX or MPB. They have a great returns policy and offer a 12-month guarantee on their secondhand equipment. There are others, but these are the two I stick to. WEX is only a ten-minute drive away.
- Both have a rating system for their secondhand gear. I only buy their top-rated equipment. For MPB, that is “Like New,” and for WEX, it is “9+.” MPB also sells extended warranties; I recommend you get one for peace of mind.
If you’re starting photography, my advice is this: buy one camera and one lens. Use both for at least a year and take as many photographs as possible.
What to Buy
Up to you. But I’ll share what I bought and why.
- Canon 5D – MPB rated “Like New” £169
- Canon 5D Mk3 – MPB rated “Like New” £519
- Canon 50mm f1.8 STM – WEX rated “9+” £77
- Canon 17-40 f4 – WEX rated “9+” £251
- Canon 70-200 f4 IS – WEX rated “9+” £349
Total Cost = £1365.
I decided to use Canon because I know they’re robust and the batteries last forever in DSLRs! That and the fact that they’re cheaper!
I use Canon DPP4 for my RAW conversions (free to download) to get those Canon colours.
However, if I did the same thing again, I wouldn’t buy the Canon 5D for practical reasons.
I would buy a 5D Mk2 or a 6D.
Why? The 5D Mk3 would share the same batteries as the 5D Mk2 and the 6D. I wouldn’t need two different types.
The Downside
There are three main negatives: size and weight, firstly! The Canon 5Ds are bigger and heavier to carry around. Lastly, I wish the rear LCD screen tilted!
You can buy smaller and lighter cropped-sized or micro four-thirds sensor cameras. Both are great. Don’t get hung up on sensor size. A professional photographer colleague of mine has been using micro-four-thirds for over ten years!
DSLR cameras take great photographs. Professionals are using these cameras today. Don’t be a victim of marketing. Save yourself a lot of money and buy a secondhand bargain.
I mentioned professional photography earlier. The fact is, if I wanted to do some more paid work, I could easily buy another Canon 5D Mk3. They’re very capable. I don’t know what I was thinking!
Future Blog Posts
This is my first blog post on my new website. I intend every post to have photographs taken with the Canon cameras and lenses I bought. These photographs will be edited as much as possible using Canon DPP4.