Digital cameras aren't new anymore. There was a time when this was a fresh technology and everyone traded their used cameras in just like they do their used cars. But this may no longer make sense anymore.
In 2001 I saw my first professional digital camera. It was a Canon 1D and I was in Edinburgh, Scotland. I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Being an avid photographer but not pro yet, there was no need for me to have such an advanced machine, but I longed for one. And four years after it came out I bought one for a fraction of the price when new.
After using it for a while I realized that although it was an exceptional camera, it lacked quite a few features that I figured might be coming in future releases. So when the Canon 1D Mark II N came out I sold the 1D for a small loss and traded up.
Looking back on it now the 1D Mark II N was an phenomenal camera. It was quick, took great images and if the camera manufacturers turned around the next day and said we're never making another upgrade to a camera again, I would probably have been ok with that. But they didn't. They just kept coming out with new and updated cameras. About one every two years.
Digital cameras are in essence disposable cameras. We buy them for huge amounts of money, take however many photos we need and sell them. Usually for a substantial loss. I have literally lost thousands dollars on buying and selling my used camera equipment.
But it's my belief that we have reached a time in this still infant technology that we no longer need to trade up every two years. That to do so is just a waste of money.
In 2005 the top of the line camera (not including medium format backs, which cost about the same as a new Audi A4) was the Canon 1DS Mark II. It had 16.7 megapixels, more than most lenses could handle in 2005, a 2 inch screen and was hailed by most professionals and camera junkies as the single greatest thing to happen to cameras since the Kodak Brownie.
Seven years later and nobody talks about the Canon 1DS Mark II anymore, but they want the 21.1 megapixel, 3 inch screen of the Canon 1DS Mark III or the uber-cool, ultra luxurious Canon 1DX. I'm not trying to exclude Nikon, Sony, Leica or any other camera manufacturer, but being a Canon guy this is what I know best. It makes no difference as each manufacturer makes about the same product, but changes the body and slaps their own sticker on it. The point is the same throughout.
Just think about it, if you looked through the portfolio of some of the best photographers in the world in 2005 they would be shooting with what is now, a throwaway camera. But these cameras are perfectly capable of producing images that most of us will never even make in our entire lives. We don't need anything else.
Which is why I believe it's better to buy a used professional grade digital camera than any new consumer grade model. Here's why:
• Price - buying a used digital camera on an auction or classified site can save you thousands. Take the Canon 1DS Mark II for example. Currently they are selling on eBay for about $1,000-$1,800, depending on the shutter actuations (how many times the shutter has clicked) a fraction of the $8,000 it was new just seven years ago.
• Performance - how many of us really need 20+ megapixels? Why, when most of us only view our images on the computer, or TV screen and 72dpi is good enough? If you are one of those few that makes giant prints, there's no reason why you can't make giant prints from a 16.7 megapixel file. Remember, they were doing it in 2005 when the Canon 1DS Mark II was brand new. Many of the worlds best photographers used that camera. Annie Leibovitz for one. And I haven't ever heard her complaining that it just didn't make large enough prints.
• Reliability - you get a lot more camera for your money when you buy a professional DSLR. This is true whether it's new or used. The weather sealing is often much better, the shutter lasts longer and the body is a lot stronger and more solid. Why not buy one that is five to seven years old and save yourself a boat load of money?
What you must remember is that when we shot film we didn't have 3 inch LCD screens. We didn't have anything, really. If you shot film at any point just remember what you would have given to have a 1 inch preview of your image. All you wanted to check was if you got the exposure correct or not.
There's definitely something to be said for the new technology. I own and shoot professionally with a Canon 5D Mark II. One of the best cameras ever made. And when it came time to buy a second body as a back up I looked really hard at what it was I really needed in a camera. And weighing up all my options I saved myself a ton of money and went with a used Canon 1DS Mark II. And besides missing a larger, sharper LCD screen and the built-in sensor cleaner, the only way in which the 5D Mark II beats the 1DS Mark II is when high ISOs are needed. This doesn't really concern me as I shoot with fast glass and have a steady hand.
So why not give the older top of the range DSLRs a chance? You just might find that you saved yourself a lot of money and are taking better photos. If not, you can always sell it and you won't take nearly the loss the first owner took on it. Which is kind of a nice feeling too.
For more information, please visit my website: Passport Foodie and Taylor Young Photography
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