How hard was it for you to sell your old cameras?

[Cheekysascha]

With the 1DX Mk2 being out and everyone starting to sell their 1dx's and 5d3's I decided it was time to to sell my 5D Mark 3 with a battery grip as I have two and barely use them now since I upgraded to the 1DX and start saving for the new 1DXMK2 instead and was really curious how hard selling off old gear was for you guys? also after selling it did you have any regrets?



Also I hope it's alright of me to post this in here, I didn't know which category it would fit into :/

 

[Loswr]

Easy, no emotional attachment... Expect to take a significant loss from what you paid if you bought new near the beginning of the life cycle (bodies are very different from lenses there).

 

[tron]

The upgrade from my 1st DSLR (40D) to full frame (5D2) was a decision which was made very easy by having my 40D .... stolen and the fact that I had many FF lenses from the analog era. So I ordered the 5D2 kit (with 24-105) and I gave 2 lenses I did not want. I saved 900 euros in the process.

Seven months after 5D3 was introduced I bought one. And one and a half year later I sold my 5D2 and bought a 2nd 5D3.

No regrets at all. I also sold the lenses I did not want anymore and saved a lot.

I will upgrade to 5D4 the same way (either with part-exchange or selling before I get one .... or two).
No emotional attachment too. I only regret for the items I didn't sell in the past (my analog cameras and a Tokina 28-70 which cannot cooperate with modern Canon cameras...)

 

[zim]

Impossible
I have every one I've ever bought I'm a sentimental idiot ;D

 

[Click]

Easy, no emotional attachment...

+1 ...No regrets at all.

 

[unfocused]

Are you asking financially? or emotionally?

As Neuro said, financially you can expect to take a big hit on a camera; less on a lens (although I try to buy refurbished lenses, so when it comes time to sell them, I'm starting from a lower price).

Emotionally, the only camera I have a strong attachment to is my old F1, which was my first Canon and which I purchased in the 1970s.

I kept my 7D around too long after I got a 5DIII (thinking I needed a second body as an emergency). So, when I finally bought a 7DII, I sold it on eBay and got what I expected.

Financially, it's important to be realistic. I sell on eBay because the convenience and security are worth the costs to me. Others will no doubt disagree. I take pictures before I list it, then send it to Canon CPS for a clean and check and then take a picture of it wrapped up from Canon, along with the packing slip. I think it helps raise people's comfort level.

Regardless of where you sell it, I'd suggest going to eBay and looking at the listings of "sold" items to get a sense of what the market is. It's a good reality check. And, if the going price is too low, you can always keep it or give it to a relative or friend.

 

[eml58]

"Unfocused" gives good advice, E Bay is a great reality check, most people have an emotional attachment to their Gear, best to view Cameras as Tools, wonderful Tools, but ultimately just Tools.

Currently the 5DMK III is about a $1000 2nd hand Tool, 1Dx around $2500, if you want to get rid of them quickly to make the purchase of the new & not be so hard on the finances, if your willing to hang on for a better price then your in the Market with a load of others, it's all about incentive to seii, as the Buyer has a rich field to choose from.

I recently sold my 2 x 5DMK III & 2 x 1Dx Bodies for $12k total, but it was a deal on a new Hasselblad H6D 100c plus 8 Leaf Shutter lenses, so the incentive for the Dealer was high to give me a reasonable price and my incentive was simple, I had an instant 12k value for my old gear on new gear, under normal circumstances you will be hard pressed to have a Dealer take anything as a Trade, so E Bay and similar sites are your outlet.

Good luck, don't expect too much, look forward to the new addition and be grateful the old one gave some great memories.

 

[nc0b]

I have not had particularly good luck with Craigslist locally. The fees on eBay are relatively high, so for the most part I have been giving older items to relatives. I only got 50% of what I paid for a Zeiss 18mm f/3.5 lens when I decided to buy the 16-35mm f/4 Canon offering. I doubt I'll ever get 50% of what I paid for a 300mm f/4 IS. Not shooting much with my crop bodies these days, even though they did well for me for several years. My daughter-in-law now has my 5D Classic. Why sell it for a few hundred.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I find it easy to sell my old cameras. I do my research looking at similar cameras and their completed auction values on ebay. I have 10's of thousands of sales due to my business, so I know how to get the best price. I always have the box and all original accessories, good photos of the items, a shutter count, and something extra to throw in like a bag, memory, etc.

The camera usually sells in less than a week. I occasionally sell something on Craigslist, but its generally not worth while. I get a better price and sell faster on ebay. I sell at a fixed price, the fees for auctions run much higher. For a bare camera, the actual prices of completed ebay auctions bring from a low of $1500 but average closer to $1900. That's pretty good. Take the fees away, and I'd net about $1700 or more. I paid $2750 from Adorama in 2012, so I would be happy selling for that price.

If you sell on Craigslist, expect lowballers trying to get it for $500!

Fred Miranda is another good place, price it right and it will sell quickly. Research asking prices there. You cannot see actual sales prices which may be less. I think you could get around $1900 with your grip as long as it has low shutter count. The selling fees for FM are almost nothing, you pay paypal fees, so you will get a few dollars less than ebay.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

I have sold only one camera and to be truthful, I regret it. The amount of money I got for it was tiny and now that it is (almost 40 years later) a camera that is not made any more, I wish I still had it... just to have on a shelf.

But then, I don't upgrade my cameras very often. In 40 years of hobbyist photography, I have owned 5 cameras (not counting cheap P&Ss). 3 film and 2 DSLR.

The camera I sold was a Pentax auto 110. A 110 SLR! Working with 110 negatives in the darkroom was not exactly high on the fun list. ;D

 

[Maiaibing]

With the 1DX Mk2 being out and everyone starting to sell their 1dx's and 5d3's I decided it was time to to sell my 5D Mark 3 with a battery grip as I have two and barely use them now since I upgraded to the 1DX and start saving for the new 1DXMK2 instead and was really curious how hard selling off old gear was for you guys? also after selling it did you have any regrets?

Also I hope it's alright of me to post this in here, I didn't know which category it would fit into :/

Have sold a few by now. The trick is buy cheap - sell expensive : - joking aside I do make an effort to get a good deal before buying any new camera body - if possible with a lens combo etc. that makes for a bargain once you sell the brand new lens. Also, opening price is the only part you can fully control.

Generally I have gotten very good resale values for my APS camera's (which I tend to use very little as they are my "spares"). My 70D was not even a 100$ expense (with a lens combo) after more than two years of use. My 5DII's recently went for ~25% of their new price after over 7 years of intense use (I had hoped for more but shutter count was a killer for many potential buyers).

For my 6D from last year (originally bought as a "bridge" to 5DIV) I got myself a "skin" to keep up the resale value. I'll see if it was worth the expense.

 

[Hannes]

All the gear I've sold I've either broken even or made a small profit. Well apart from the 1d3 with 24-105 that I quite literally dropped off a cliff. I still got £170 for the snagged pieces and that is despite the charger going for a third of what it should have. Because of this I haven't had problems to let go of gear

 

[pwp]

.....and was really curious how hard selling off old gear was for you guys? also after selling it did you have any regrets?

Regrets? You've got to be kidding. I'm about as emotionally bonded to my camera gear as I am to my dishwasher. I just expect everything to work perfectly and barely notice its existence, then sell or trade it without a whimper when either something better comes along that suits the budget at the time or it's showing signs of wear and tear.

Sometimes I give items to an assistant and more often sell on Gumtree. My stuff sells fast. Good photos and well written copy are your best friend, not to mention a realistic price.

-pw

 

[digital paradise]

I don't ever regret selling a body. I have regretted every lens I have sold to finance a new body or a new lens. I wish I had the cash to have kept them all in a glass case collection even if I use one once a year. Kinda like Jay Leno and his cars.

 

[GuyF]

...a new Hasselblad H6D 100c plus 8 Leaf Shutter lenses...

We'll not have that sort of talk around here. This is a site for discussion of Canon's woeful DR and nothing else. Move along, nothing to see here (especially in the shadow noise).

(Seriously though, good work my friend )

 

[Ryananthony]

I buy and sell a lot of gear of craigslist. I have yet to meet anyone ''sketchy'' while buying or selling. Generally, I feel like everyone wants the same as you, a fair price on quality gear. I check my local craigslist probably 5 times a day, if not more, so I have a fair idea of what the local market is like, and current items for sale. If you provide decent photos, a realistic ad(not specs copied off bh) and a fair price, your gear should sell. Granted I'm from a big city so there are a lot of buyers. If your from a smaller town, I could see it being difficult to sell items for the market price. Then, I figure your left selling on eBay for a larger market or dropping your price in hopes of interest. If your unwilling to sell on eBay, and are selling an item kind of unique like a 180mmL or a 5d3, 1dx etc. just because it is listed for x,xxx on keh or where ever your price is coming from does not mean thats the going rate for your local market. If no one wants to spend 2000 on a camera body, your not selling your gear at that price.

This is only my opinion.

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

I never regret selling cameras, but to buy them.

I regret buying a second body SLR film camera shortly before digital dominate the market.

I regret buying a CF 1giga card for $ 100, which was not worth $ 10 when sold. :-[

I regret buying a second digital camera body (Rebel XTi) when he was to be released the T1i. :

 

[RustyTheGeek]

I have to admit I can get a bit attached to some of my cameras, but not every one. I have sold several though. It's funny... some I grow attached to and others I sell without a thought. There's already plenty of good advice above on how and where to sell.

Think of it like a used car... at some point depending on condition and mileage it will command a decent selling price. Trade it in at the camera store and lose the most. Sell it to a private individual, get more. Wait too long and it's not worth much.

I have a 5D and a 30D that I really hate to part with for some reason. The 5D I might get a decent enough amount for but the 30D isn't really worth selling. Probably better to donate it to a school or give it to a young relative that's into photography. One thing that keeps me from selling my older bodies is the fact that I teach the occasional photography class to scouts and so I might want to use some of the older Rebel / XXD bodies for them to ooh! and aah! over.

 

[slclick]

It's very easy if it's a Canon product with all accompanying documentation and box or if it's a hot 3rd party item like when I sold my Art 35. Usually I can get what I paid for if not more. I prefer Amazon as it attracts far fewer loonies than Ebay or CL yet the problem is with a set shipping price that must be accounted for with the selling price in order to be attractive. The thing I have learned is that quality photos of the item are paramount to moving them quickly.

 

[eml58]

...a new Hasselblad H6D 100c plus 8 Leaf Shutter lenses...

We'll not have that sort of talk around here. This is a site for discussion of Canon's woeful DR and nothing else. Move along, nothing to see here (especially in the shadow noise).

(Seriously though, good work my friend )

;D A decision long in the making, still waiting for delivery, unfortunately the earthquake recently in Japan has impacted the production of the Hasselblad 100c Sensor, but Hasselblad being the company they are have decided to send all those people having ordered the the 100c, a 50c while we wait for the 100c, pretty amazing after sales service.