Gear losing value?

harpistic

harpistic

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I upgraded my camera gear last year but now I want to switch to mirrorless, so I've been looking into selling my cameras and lenses, and looking what they're selling for, and I'm shocked that they've dropped in value by so much in such a short space of time! Is it normal for camera equipment to lose their value fairly quickly? I bought the cameras and lenses in 9+ condition, and they've stayed that way, plus they've both been fully serviced a short while ago. I'm wanting to get as much as I can from each of them, so I've been checking ads and sold items on eBay, Gumtree and Facebook to check their prices. I don't want to go anywhere near Wex or MPB as they both sold me broken equipment last year.

The gear I'm wanting to sell is a Nikon D5, a D6, 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8. I had upgraded from the D800 which I've had for 10 years; I felt crushed that it is now virtually worthless!
 
The advance of mirrorless, has had a massive impact, on the value of dslr equipment.
 
Chantal said:
I felt crushed that it is now virtually worthless!
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The only way to approach this sort of thing is to ask yourself why you want to sell things after just a year. The sort of kit you've got now will last for many years, so your best plan is to get on and use it as you originally intended.
 
I calculate I have 'lost' £800 on my kit when considering today's second hand values, but this is less than the cost of a nice holiday or anything else fancy so I am still very happy indeed, and I am looking to spend a bit more too !!!
 
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Thank you so so much to all of you for your input, and ARGH! I was also counting on being able to sell them for a similar value to cover rent and bills if needed - my last day job ended nearly two months ago, and there's no photography work for me here for now.

Nikons are mandatory for shooting dance, but the Z9 isn't good enough at low light handling, so it never occurred to me to switch to mirrorless until a good friend recently recommended the Canon R6 - I've been looking at either getting two R6 IIs, or an R6 and a R6 II.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
The only way to approach this sort of thing is to ask yourself why you want to sell things after just a year. The sort of kit you've got now will last for many years, so your best plan is to get on and use it as you originally intended.
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Aye, that was the intention - I purposely bought both cameras in excellent condition with very low actuations, intending them to be keepers. Especially the D6 - I justified it only because of all the overtime I was having to put in at my then day job, and what it would have cost me to go to a family funeral overseas which I had to miss.

It's MPB's and Wex's fault - the D5 was from MPB, which I bought in March, while the D6 was from Wex, which I bought at the end of October (the price dropped by £530 one day, so instead of feeling suspicious, I instead felt obliged to buy it). Both cameras had massive problems with focussing and simply taking photos, but as I'm a dance photographer, I had to wait till I could actually get into a theatre for friends' shows before I could test them out, so there went the 14 days thing for each camera. I have had so much hassle with these cameras that, even though I've had them fixed - £450 to get the two cameras and the 70-200 (also MPB) repaired; I did take the D6 back to Wex and they said nothing was wrong with it, might have helped if they'd checked the mirror before saying that - I've had such a horrible time with both of them, it would be a huge relief if I can replace them.

And also, the whole lot weighs so damn much!
 
Buying used is a much better bet financially. All my kit is used and for pretty good prices except the 35GM and Tamron 70-180 from Panamoz. Which were also good prices at the time!

I don't know what any of it is worth right now. But it doesn't really matter because I can't change what it's worth and what someone is willing to pay for it.

I always value my photo gear on usage ayway. The 35GM was about £1300 iirc but if I use it regular and I've taken 2600 images with it that's 50p a shot :) If I've taken special images with it that I couldn't have without it, that's priceless. If it's spent most of its time sat on a shelf being used 4 times a year, that's a waste...... ;)
 
I have this with my gear, I get terrible G.A.S. sometimes and I shudder to think of the money I've lost on camera and guitar gear over the years. One way of looking at it is that the money you've lost is like a rental fee - and if you divide it into the time you've had them you might find it's only a small amount per day. I know it's kind of wrong-thinking, but it does make it a little easier to deal with.

EDIT: Also, like a gambler, I always remember the really good deals first - the guitars that I sold for a profit (or in one case, bought back for less than I sold it for), and the one camera where I got back more for it than I paid (that was a very good deal, even the cashier in John Lewis gasped when she scanned the box and saw the price!).
 
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I've lost thousands over the years with dslr gear, but more recently within the last 2 years. My trouble is, if I want something, I'll save and spare no expense on the best equipment, then realise I don't need it
 
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To be honest I buy most kit 2nd User, but do have some expensive lens purchased new. When I look at residue values I try to factor in use and enjoyment into the equation and compare with other hobbies. Motorcycling for example was very expensive in comparison, bike insurance dwarfed Camera Kit insurance.

I understand that at some point I will make a move to mirrorless but not in the near future as I am taking advantage of the cheaper DSLR and lenses as others make the move !

I do suffer from the dreaded GAS and have probably (definitely) spent more than I should have, however, I do enjoy my hobby !
 
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Mark-Anthony said:
I've lost thousands over the years with dslr gear, but more recently within the last 2 years.
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Out of the many cameras I've bought since the 1960s, only three were new.

I've always looked for the cameras with a slight dent in them or the lenses with a bit of metal showing through the paint. They seldom cost more than half their new price and often much less. When I sold them on, I often recovered their cost but even when I lost a bit it was still less than if I'd bought them new.

I'm not boasting, by the way, I'm grateful to all the people who bought those cameras new, hopefully got a great deal from them and then recycled them to me.

Film Cameras.jpg
 
I have faffed about a lot over the last year or so.
Sold up all my m4/3 stuff, body and 3 zooms.
Bought an a7, 2 zooms and a prime.
Sold that up and got the x-t5, 1 zoom and 1 prime so far and half way saved up for the last zoom I want.
Doing all this with second hand kit, had let me do this with minimal loss and extra cost outlay.
 
I bought a few lenses second hand. I was often somewhat disappointed and sold them off quickly again. Perhaps I think more carefully and take more time to evaluate when I buy new. I never buy quickly when new models come out (not even considering pre-order) and then buy new when the prices started to go down and/or sales.
 
ashishtamhane said:
Conversely for a person with photography as a hobby this is one of the best times to get a used professional DSLR and lenses.
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Ive spent a fair bit over the last year most of it on secondhand gear. I tend not to worry about value drop I buy it cos I want/need it Ive spent next to nowt over the last 15 years on gear but have upgraded in the last 12 months with gear I lusted after for years. Its now within budget on the second had market. Im not interested in going mirrorless although a young photography student told me I would have to eventually. He looked somewhat bemused when I told him if these cameras and lenses last as long as my last lot (which I still have and they still work fine) I would be in my 80s and would count myself lucky if I could still lug camera gear around. Just buy what you need/want and enjoy it. Most things lose value over time as tech moves on. Most people expect to lose money on a car etc.
Just my thoughts.
 
The depreciation, in value, is just the cost you pay for using the equipment. As long as, I believe that cost is reasonable, I'm content.
 
Used equipment has dropped significantly over the last year or so especially when selling direct to trade.

It wasn’t that long ago selling to trade would give you around 60% of new price. Now it’s more likely to be around 40%. For private sales general rule of thumb used to be two thirds of new price where as now it’s more like 50%.

In this case though the big drop is more likely due to how old the equipment is. Not as many people want DSLRS.
 
If you have to factor in what your likely to lose then don’t buy ,it’s pretty rare to make a profit or even break even unless you spot a mega bargain .and yes they are still to be found .. but rarely happens ..
the only reason to move to mirrorless should be weight..health.. or the need for excessive shutter speeds .. if it’s value for money forget it the ML market is changing at faster than light speeds with every manufacturer coming out with new gimmicks on a monthly basis .
 
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the black fox said:
the only reason to move to mirrorless should be weight..health.. or the need for excessive shutter speeds .. if it’s value for money forget it the ML market is changing at faster than light speeds with every manufacturer coming out with new gimmicks on a monthly basis .
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There are other reasons - shutter noise, chimping without having to move camera away from face. I'm sure there are more!
 
harpistic said:
Aye, that was the intention - I purposely bought both cameras in excellent condition with very low actuations, intending them to be keepers. Especially the D6 - I justified it only because of all the overtime I was having to put in at my then day job, and what it would have cost me to go to a family funeral overseas which I had to miss.

It's MPB's and Wex's fault - the D5 was from MPB, which I bought in March, while the D6 was from Wex, which I bought at the end of October (the price dropped by £530 one day, so instead of feeling suspicious, I instead felt obliged to buy it). Both cameras had massive problems with focussing and simply taking photos, but as I'm a dance photographer, I had to wait till I could actually get into a theatre for friends' shows before I could test them out, so there went the 14 days thing for each camera. I have had so much hassle with these cameras that, even though I've had them fixed - £450 to get the two cameras and the 70-200 (also MPB) repaired; I did take the D6 back to Wex and they said nothing was wrong with it, might have helped if they'd checked the mirror before saying that - I've had such a horrible time with both of them, it would be a huge relief if I can replace them.

And also, the whole lot weighs so damn much!
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How did photographer's take dance photo's before mirrorless?
 
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harpistic said:
Aye, that was the intention - I purposely bought both cameras in excellent condition with very low actuations, intending them to be keepers. Especially the D6 - I justified it only because of all the overtime I was having to put in at my then day job, and what it would have cost me to go to a family funeral overseas which I had to miss.

It's MPB's and Wex's fault - the D5 was from MPB, which I bought in March, while the D6 was from Wex, which I bought at the end of October (the price dropped by £530 one day, so instead of feeling suspicious, I instead felt obliged to buy it). Both cameras had massive problems with focussing and simply taking photos, but as I'm a dance photographer, I had to wait till I could actually get into a theatre for friends' shows before I could test them out, so there went the 14 days thing for each camera. I have had so much hassle with these cameras that, even though I've had them fixed - £450 to get the two cameras and the 70-200 (also MPB) repaired; I did take the D6 back to Wex and they said nothing was wrong with it, might have helped if they'd checked the mirror before saying that - I've had such a horrible time with both of them, it would be a huge relief if I can replace them.

And also, the whole lot weighs so damn much!
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Your used items from MPB etc have at least a 6 month warranty, why did you pay for repairs ?
 
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AndrewFlannigan said:
Out of the many cameras I've bought since the 1960s, only three were new.

I've always looked for the cameras with a slight dent in them or the lenses with a bit of metal showing through the paint. They seldom cost more than half their new price and often much less. When I sold them on, I often recovered their cost but even when I lost a bit it was still less than if I'd bought them new.

I'm not boasting, by the way, I'm grateful to all the people who bought those cameras new, hopefully got a great deal from them and then recycled them to me.

View attachment 415089
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But was that film gear?
Has film gear depreciated as badly as digital? To me it seems that analogue equipment holds value better than digital.
Digital is more high tech and inevitably more prone to failure.
A modern mirrorless beats in many aspects a DSLR camera. But for someone who’s not a professional photographer (like me) a dslr camera provides a lot more than what i need as a tool for my needs.
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maybe it’s best to just swap bodies to a less heavier Nikon dslr?
 
johnnypanic said:
The advance of mirrorless, has had a massive impact, on the value of dslr equipment.
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Well the biggest hit I'm taking right now is actually Canon R6, their fancy new mirrorless wonder. From £1900 down to like £1k in a space of 14 or so months :headbang: . And I thought their overpriced new gear isn't going to move anywehere any time soon. Within 2 months R6II comes, R6 crashes. The most minor update but nonetheless the old model crashes. A*holes! I completely gave up on idea of ever selling it to upgrade. Should have bought A7IV that same day.

My original idea was to buy bodies when they are approaching EOL, huge discounts and then they stay at that level for a while. Sometimes you need a feature or two, for example 10bit 4K video. So you make compromises. The jobs I bought it for I could have basically just rejected and be in the same position. In other terms I should have charged a lot more for services rendered. Probably that is the real takeaway message.
 
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Mr Perceptive said:
@harpistic dont expect mirrorless bodies to hold value either, the rapid technology advancements and quick new model turnaround has seen to that.

An R6 second user can be had for just about half its original RRP and as a trade-in will be worth even less! An R6ii will no doubt have similar levels of depreciation.
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Yes, basically, the next day a 28MP single layer sensor, still no internal RAW video, same EVF and LCD R6III hits the market this will happen. Probably in early 2025 because why not. This is Canon
 
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Pound Coin said:
There are other reasons - shutter noise, chimping without having to move camera away from face. I'm sure there are more!
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Eye AF is one of the main reasons, being able to track a bride walking down the aisle at f1.4 is amazing. Also eye AF is a game changer for bird and wildlife. The other main reason for me as you say is silent shooting, with stacked sensors. I get so many shots I would not be able to get due to being silent.
 
Marino said:
But was that film gear?
Has film gear depreciated as badly as digital? To me it seems that analogue equipment holds value better than digital.
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My experience is that by (roughly) 2010, film gear hit rock bottom.

At that time I was able to buy this kit, piece by piece, for something like £50 in total. Each body cost around £10, the 135mm lens was something like £8 and the 24mm a whopping £25, if I remember correctly.

Cameras Canon FTQL and AE1 DSC01793.JPG

Now the prices have climbed back up again and you could be looking at a great deal more for the cameras and probably double for the lenses. Obviously, second hand prices depend on the demand and there seem to be a lot of good film cameras that are still cheap, because they don't have the "right" name on the front plate.

There are some great bargains in DSLRs at the moment. I just noticed a "ready to use" Canon 350D body for £19 from a dealer I would trust. It may be "only" 8MB but it would be fine for many things I want to do.
 
I think it's all about did your gear serve you well and did you get lots of enjoyment out of your cameras and lenses, if the answer is yes then surely you can't think about the loss just except the hit and move on, carry on enjoying the hobby you love.
 
I used to buy and sell used camera gear often, several digital cameras in a year, losing very little money. i frequently get eBay final fee deals to minimise fees and sometimes even made a profit.

Now I’ve started to settle down on some specific camera models I bought all their latest versions new. four digital cameras which I currently own and use.

I can’t afford to be fickle with these, I’ll keep them and get good use of them.
 
drb52 said:
I think it's all about did your gear serve you well and did you get lots of enjoyment out of your cameras and lenses, if the answer is yes then surely you can't think about the loss just except the hit and move on, carry on enjoying the hobby you love.
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this exactly, if you love getting out and taking pictures then the cost of the gear is just part of it
I am not familiar with Nikon but all my Canon lenses from years ago will work on the mirrorless bodies with a simple adapter I'm sure Nikon is the same
lenses will last a long time , I’ve gone through quite a few camera bodies over the years but still have the same 3 lenses that do all I need that I’ve had for years
 
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