Image quality in cameras hasn’t meaningfully improve since ~2008. DSLRs are and will always be fun to use.
Good quality 4k30p video has been widely available since 2015, thanks to mirrorless cameras.
The shift in tech has resulted in a selloff of Canon EOS EF and Nikon F cameras and lenses. It is possible to get absolutely obscene price to performance value on used gear. Lens adapters make it possible to use these lenses on mirrorless cameras.
Used Camera Gear Shopping
My two recommendations for camera shopping are:
Smaller and lighter is better.
Lenses matter more than cameras. Don’t buy an expensive body only to use a kit lens.
All lenses aren’t equal, especially when it comes to vintage and early digital camera lenses. Modern lenses will give you images that are razor sharp corner to corner. Vintage lenses can set themselves apart by how they render, the color you can get with them, interesting bokeh, or other characteristics not valued by current photographers.
On the other hand, many vintage lenses are not good. Their performance may not be good enough to set them apart from other lenses. Worse, as time has gone on some lenses have defects such as haze, fungus, balsam separation, or degraded grease, that will render them worthless because of the difficulty in repair.
I’m somewhat indiscriminate in my purchasing of gear, so I get a mix of good, bad, and average. The lens reviews will help you find a lens worth owning. These are popular film cameras that recieve frequent lens questions.
Have you ever been paranoid about the capacity of a battery? Especially if it was from a third party? I was.
I have figured out how ANYONE can inexpensively capacity test camera batteries. I have written a guide on how to capacity test camera batteries. It is a simple DIY project that only requires a screwdriver and pair of wire strippers.
Two options. Neither has video.
Model Year MSRP MP Weight Sensor Video Hasselblad X2D 100C 2022 $8,199 100.0 895 MF None Leica M11-P 2022 $9,195 60.3 640g FF None Affiliate LinksOutside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The first appearance of a medium format camera with the Pentax 645D.
Keep lens needs and costs in mind. That can often be the tie breaker between models.
Most Expensive: Pentax 645D ($9,300) Cheapest: Sony A6700 ($1,300) Oldest: Pentax 645D (2010) Newest: Sony A6700 (2023) Model Year MSRP MP Weight Sensor Video Pentax 645D 2010 $9,300 40.0 1480g MF No Canon EOS-1 DX Mark II 2016 $5,999 20.2 1340g FF 4k60 Nikon D780 2020 $2,299 24.
Here are Canon EF macro lenses I found on the used market.
Noteworthy lenses have sections below.
Price Brand Focal Length Aperture Acronyms $100 Sigma 90mm f/2.8 AF Macro $150 Canon 50mm f/2.5 AF Compact Macro $200 Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro USD SP (F017) $250 Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro $250 Tamron 60mm f/2 AF Di II SP $300 Laowa 25mm f/2.8 $350 Tokina 100mm f/2.8 ATX-i $400 Laowa 100mm f/2.
Photo, video, or hybrid use, there are a variety of cameras to choose from under $750. That’s for the body only. This makes it possible to compare kits between systems.
The Lenses Under $Y will have options broken down by price and focal length.
Most Expensive: Nikon D3X ($7,999) Cheapest: Canon 90D, Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III ($1,199) Oldest: Nikon D3X, Sony A900 (2008) Newest: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III (2020) Model Year MSRP MP Weight Sensor Video Canon EOS RP 2019 $1,299 26.
There are camera bodies that are perfect for professional work and other’s that would be an enthusiasts dream.
Most of these cameras need SD cards with high sustained write speeds for best performance. A V30 or V60 card might be needed.
Most Expensive: Nikon D4S ($6,499) Cheapest: Olympus PEN-F Digital ($1,199) Oldest: Nikon Df (2013) Newest: Canon R8 (2023) Model Year MSRP MP Weight Sensor Video Pentax K-1 2016 $1,799 36.
Most Sony A-mount cameras can use two types of memory cards, SD and Sony PRO Duo. Four older models use CompactFlash or PRO Duo cards.
SD cards are fast, inexpensive, and easy to find. There are 4 specifications, but only SDHC and SDXC matter for compatibility. SD card standards are based on storage capacity. SDHC has a max of 32GB, which is the only cutoff you need to know.
Sony PRO Duo cards were a proprietary memory card format that was slow and expensive.
