Second-Hand Photo Equipment

Photography is a much-loved hobby worldwide.

- Rohinton Mehta

To many, it is a profession. Our tools are the camera bodies, lenses, flash-guns, and literally, hundreds (or probably, thousands) of accessories. As technology improves, manufacturers introduce newer and fancier equipment. And just like everything else in life, equipment costs go up time and again. The reasons for increasing costs of photo goods could be the takeover of the compact camera market by smartphones; the manufacturers had no choice but to increase the prices of other equipment to make up for that loss.

If you are a professional, you could offset the costs against the profits you make. But if you are not earning enough out of your profession, or if you are a non-professional for whom photography is only a hobby, one way out is to buy second-hand equipment.

There are dealers who mainly deal in second-hand goods. They even buy your old equipment or part-exchange it for another used item. A disadvantage of buying second-hand equipment is that, generally, you don’t get any warranty.

Here’s another hitch. Modern equipment (especially camera bodies) are complex machines and not everyone is in a position to know whether the item he/she is trying to purchase is in good working order. With that in view, here are some guidelines to help you steer away from possibly buying a lemon.

Check the item for scratches or dents or other signs of abuse. A scratched or dented camera body/ lens could mean that the user was not careful with his equipment. Use a magnifying glass to check the externals for dirt. Some dirt is likely to be present (unless the owner has never used the item), but this little check also gives us a general idea about how careful the owner was.