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Used camera buying/borrowing advice

Information for ERS 318 Students

On this page I offer some basic advice, and some options, for used cameras and lenses. To understand what you need for the course, make sure to first read the information contained in What kind of camera will you need?. There’s a lot of detailed information in this handout. At the end, I offer some summary advice on how to choose.

My goal here is to give you the least expensive options that will still work very well for the course, and perhaps afterwards.

Where to Find Used Camera Equipment

Used cameras are available from many different sources.

  • Family, friends and neighbours may be willing to loan or sell you a camera.
  • There are still a few good used camera stores in existence. In Canada, Henry’s sells used cameras online and in selected stores; it's a good option if you'd prefer to buy from a store in Canada. Burlington Camera (in Burlington), the Camera Trading Company in Ottawa, and Camera Traders in Victoria are also reputable.
  • Used cameras also are available on Facebook marketplace, Kijiji, Craigslist, and photography club buy-and-sell pages.
  • eBay has a huge inventories of used camera equipment. If you use eBay, try to buy from a seller in Canada so that returns will be easy if there’s a problem.
  • In the United States, B&H Photo in New York City is very reliable and makes it extremely easy for Canadians to buy goods online and return them if necessary.

To get a sense for what a camera you are thinking of buying is worth, you can search eBay to see what examples have sold for recently.

Of course, with used gear you have to know what you’re doing to get a good deal. You can find solid buying tips and advice all over the Internet. Here are a few good sources:

If you're unsure, then always buy from a reputable seller who will take the camera back if you have any concerns. Look for "no questions asked" return policies.

Cameras in the “Value-for-Money” Zone

If you’re trying to save money, then you want to be in the “value-for-money” zone for this course. As a rough guide, excellent cameras made five years ago will be appropriate for the course.

In this section, I’ve identified some examples that can be purchased for prices starting around $250-$300 on the used market. Of course, you can spend a lot more if you want. I’ve divided the list up into three main kinds of cameras to consider:

  1. Compact enthusiast cameras
  2. Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras
  3. Mirrorless cameras

In each category I’ve identified a few options. All meet the requirements I outlined in the handout, What kind of camera will you need? For example, they all allow you to shoot in RAW, and they all allow considerable control over exposure, focus, etc.

Keep in mind that I have not owned or used most of these cameras. The advice I’m giving here is based on my experience and review sites that I’ve come to trust. Also, for every camera I’ve identified, there are lots of alternatives that may be just as good. You need to do your own research.

In this handout I’m assuming that you want to spend as little possible on a camera. Therefore, I’ve focused on options that start around $200-$300. If you have a bigger budget, then you also have many more choices (including a lot of cameras that you'll continue to use for years after the course).

I’ve confirmed that the cameras I discuss in this handout create RAW files that can be read by Adobe Lightroom. Not all camera RAW formats are compatible with Lightroom, so make sure to check Adobe’s support site.

Digital Singe Lens Reflex Cameras

Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras tend to be bigger, and have many more features, than compact enthusiast cameras. A key strength is the ability to use different lenses. They come in lines designed for professionals, enthusiasts and “consumers”. These cameras are designed to take a huge range of lenses and accessories.

These cameras typically were sold with a “kit” lens – a basic zoom lens that covered the wide to short telephoto range. Sometimes the kit lenses were quite decent, but in almost all cases more expensive prime and zoom lenses sold separately from the camera bodies were much better. Excellent deals are available in DSLRs that were considered good choices for “enthusiasts” in their day.

If you’re going to invest in a DSLR system, you should buy the best lens(es) you can afford. You can always start with a body that gets the job done, and then upgrade the body later. Excellent lenses can be used for many years with better bodies in the same line. Not all lenses are excellent, so if you’re going to buy the lens separately from the camera body, check the ratings on the lens before you buy. Similarly, not all kit lenses that came with these cameras were good.

DSLR camera bodies are often sold separately from lenses. If you get a great deal on a used body, then you can buy a good lens separately. Third part lenses were made for these cameras by manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron. Many of these third party lenses are excellent, and often quite a bit cheaper than the versions made by the camera manufacturers.

I’ve listed some Canon and Nikon cameras here that are almost universally thought to be good choices. There are excellent choices from other brands (e.g., Sony, Pentax), but you can’t go wrong with Canon and Nikon in DSLRs.

Canon

The Canon EOS 40D is an excellent 10.1 MP camera with an APS-C sensor. It has a good-sized LCD monitor and offers "live view", which is an extremely useful feature. The 40D is widely available on the used market with body only for under $200. If you're looking for an inexpensive used DSLR from Canon this is my top recommendation.

Other Canon DSLRs that would be good choices include earlier and later models in the lineup (e.g., the earlier 20D and 30D, and the later 50D and 60D). Remember that earlier ones won't have live view. Some bodies from the "Rebel" lineup can be good choices too (e.g., Rebel XSi, also known as 450D in some markets; Rebel T1i and T2i, also known as EOS 500D and EOS 550D)

Nikon

The Nikon D40X is a highly rated 10 MP camera that takes a huge number of high quality lenses designed for the Nikon DX format. This is a great option in a DSLR, with very reasonable prices on the used market. Note that the D40 is only 6 MP (not quite enough for our purposes); don’t confuse it with the D40X.

Other potentially good options from Nikon include the D80, D90, D200, D300.

Both Canon and Nikon built completely separate lenses for their small sensor (APS-C and DX, respectively) and “full frame” sensor cameras. Lenses designed to work on Canon cameras with APS-C sensors will not work on full frame Canon cameras; the same is true for Nikon.

Compact Enthusiast Cameras

These are all-in-one solutions. The lens is not removable, so it’s normally a zoom lens. They tend to be smaller and lighter than the other kinds described here, which means you are more likely to have it with you compared to a bigger, bulkier camera. This is a real advantage for this course.

Note, these are called compact enthusiast camera because they are designed for people who want to have lots of control over their cameras. Many “compact” cameras do everything for you, and don’t allow you to focus manually, set the aperture, etc. These kinds of compact cameras are not appropriate for this course.

The following are good examples of this category of camera.

Canon PowerShot G9/G10, G11/G12

The 14.7 MP Canon G10, with its 28mm-140mm equivalent lens, was rated very well on DPReview. This site recommended it for people who wanted a compact camera that had good image quality and enough camera controls to satisfy someone who wanted to be in the driver’s seat. That a good fit for what you’d need in the course.

If you want to spend as little as possible, the Canon G9 could be a good option. It’s a 12 MP camera that was also highly rated by reviewers. However, its image quality at ISO speeds much above the base was a concern.

The G11 and G12 are a different design relative to the G9/G10 series. Where the G9 and G10 had a fixed screen, the G11 and G12 have a tilt and swivel LCD (definitely on the "nice but not essential" list). The sensor resolution is also reduced on the G11 (to a perfectly usable 10 MP). The G12 has some usability improvements over the G11, but image quality was considered almost identical. One thing the G12 offers is a lot more aspect ratios than the G11, e.g., 1:1 (square) – so if you think you’ll use this feature, get a G12.

Panasonic Lumix LX3, LX5 and LX7

This 10.1 MP camera is another highly rated “enthusiast” compact camera. The lens was considered particularly strong by reviewers because of its image quality, relatively fast maximum aperture and built-in image stabilization. The lens was criticized for being a bit short at the long end; however, for this course the 24-60mm equivalent lens is actually fine.

Note that the LX3 was considered a major improvement over the earlier LX2, which you should avoid; the later LX5 was also considered a very good camera, and isn’t necessarily much more expensive than the LX3. Panasonic also released the LX7 (in 2012) and it received very good ratings too.

Mirrorless Cameras

These are relative newcomers to the market. They are interchangeable lens cameras that take their own specialized lenses, but can also (via adapters) use a vast number of lenses from other manufacturers that were designed for DSLRs (and even for rangefinder cameras). Unlike DSLR cameras, there is no mirror (hence the name!) This makes them both smaller than typical DSLR cameras, and also more flexible in terms of the lenses they can use via adapters. One potential problem with mirrorless cameras is that the sensor is not protected by the mirror, so easier to damage and prone to getting dirty.

Mirrorless cameras with smaller sensors (e.g., M43, APS-C) tend to be smaller and less expensive than their “full frame” counterparts, which have a sensor the same size as the film frame of a 35mm film camera. Full frame cameras (e.g., Sony A7, A7R, etc.) are excellent, but tend to be much more expensive than their smaller format siblings.

Here I’ve identified some affordable mirrorless cameras that were very well rated when they were new, and which are very well suited to this course.

  • Panasonic and Olympus collaborated on the M43 sensor (also known as the “micro-four-thirds” sensor). The aspect ratio is 4:3. An advantage of the M43 system is that lenses made by Panasonic and Olympus for their own cameras can be used on each others' bodies. These cameras can also use lenses designed for DSLRs, with an adapter.
  • Sony NEX cameras use the conventional 3:2 format, and an APS-C sensor. They are designed to use Sony’s lenses, but can also use DSLR lenses with adapters.

As in the case of DSLRs, if you buy into an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera system, you should buy the best lens(es) you can afford. If you stick with photography, you can upgrade the camera body to take advantage of new features, but keep your excellent lenses. You can also use an enormous range of vintage and modern DSLR lenses (with an adapter).

Panasonic DMC-GX1

This M43 camera from Panasonic was well rated in 2011. It has a large 16 MP M43 sensor and can use a wide variety of lenses from Panasonic and Olympus, along with vintage lenses from other manufacturers (with an adapter). Image quality was considered very good, and the camera offered a wide range of well-positioned manual controls.

Olympus PEN E-P3

This M43 camera from Olympus was also well-rated in 2011 (but not as well as the Panasonic GX1). Reviewers appreciated the enormous customizability of the Olympus E-P3, but thought the 12 MP sensor was a bit small. (It’s just fine for this course!) Many controls are external (which is good). The camera has in-body stabilization, which means even adapted vintage lenses can be stabilized. Reviewers thought the image quality was not quite as good as some competitors (but, again, camera review sites can be extremely picky!)

Sony Alpha NEX Series

The Sony NEX lineup of APS-C sensor cameras gets progressively better with each newer version (but also more expensive). The NEX 3 and NEX 5 are 16 MP cameras. Both were considered quite innovative, if somewhat flawed, cameras (with the NEX 5 the better choice if you can afford it). The cameras were targeted to consumers who wanted to move away from strictly point-and-shoot cameras.

The NEX 7 was a considerable step up in features (and price) from its earlier siblings. Its sensor size (24 MP) far exceeds what you’d need for this class (and could be more than enough for years to come). Where the NEX-3 and NEX-5 were targeted more at the point-and-shoot audience, the NEX-7 was designed for “enthusiasts” (e.g., it has many more camera controls on the body).

Lenses designed for Sony’s NEX series camera bodies will not work properly on Sony’s full frame E-mount (like the A7) camera bodies. They can be mounted, but they won’t cover the entire area of the senor.

How to Choose

I've provided a lot of information here, which can be overwhelming if you're just getting started. In the end, the choice you make will reflect your budget and your personal preferences. What can you afford? How sure are you that you'll enjoy photography enough to keep using the skills you learn in the course? How does the camera feel in your hand? Do you find the layout of controls intuitive? Do the menus make sense?

I can’t decide for you, so take the advice I’m giving you here as a starting point only. With that caveat, I've tried to simplify your decision below.

You want to keep it simple

  • You tend to be happy with what you have and you’re not constantly trying to upgrade.
  • You’re looking for the smallest, lightest option.
  • You don’t want to spend a lot of money.
  • You’re going to be happy with the focal lengths that one fixed zoom lens can provide.
  • You’re not going to be doing a lot of sports and action photography (so it won't matter that the lens can be a bit slow to acquire focus).

If this is you, get an all-in-one, compact enthusiast camera

You want flexibility and proven equipment

  • Size and weight are not a major concern.
  • You want a lot of flexibility and expandability, and access to a huge range of accessories.
  • You’re in it for the long haul, so you’re willing to spend some money to start building a well-stocked camera bag.
  • You like taking pictures of things in motion (people, animals, vehicles).
  • You’re happy using only lenses designed specifically for your camera body, and you don’t want to mess around with adapters.

If this is you, get a DSLR camera

You want flexibility and you like to experiment

  • You don’t mind carrying a bit of weight, but smaller is better.
  • You want the option of being able to use lenses from the camera manufacturer, but also other lenses (e.g., different zooms, primes).
  • You’re not going to be doing a lot of sports and action photography, so a camera that doesn't auto-focus manually, or which can use fully manual lenses, is perfect.
  • The idea of experimenting with vintage lenses designed for other camera systems is attractive.

If this is you, get a mirrorless camera

Conclusion

Don’t get too hung up on which camera you're going to use in the course. Choose one that meets the basic requirements I spelled out in What kind of camera will you need?, then get to know it really well, and then use it a lot -- every day if you can. You can always sell it to someone else later once you gain experience and a better understanding of what you want from a camera. This approach – rather than worrying whether or not you have enough mega pixels or the newest camera – is what will make you a better photographer.