I shared in the post that one way I'm seeking to improve my mental health is to get out and create… “I need to create in order to feel whole. Photography isn't just a job I do, it's a calling. Behind the camera is a place where I express my feelings, experience inspiration and healing, and commune with God. It's an act of passion and worship.”
So if your answer to “How are you?" is anything like mine, I hope this post encourages you and helps you feel less alone right now. ❤️
Best Places to Buy and Sell Used Gear
I'm a bit of a gear head. I love buying new tools to put in my photography toolbox! But this can be an expensive addictio way to run a business, so knowing where you can find used gear can help ease the cost! Plus, these can also be good places to SELL gear if you're into that kind of thing. 😂
Here are some of my favorite places to buy and sell used gear:
Fred Miranda Buy & Sell Photo-Gear Forum. This one has been around for as long as I've been a photographer and I've probably bought and sold more gear here than anywhere else. What I like is sellers and buyers have ratings and reviews, so you can get a good idea if someone is a legitimate user and not a scammer. It's also very active, so you can almost always find what you're looking for and the competition keeps prices low.
Facebook Buy & Sell Groups. Two kinds of groups fall under this category. The first is groups for your brand of gear. I belong to both Canon and Fuji buy and sell groups. Marketplace can sometimes be a good place too, but I mostly find cheap gear for sale there whereas the groups tend to have more professional gear.
Local Camera Shops. Local camera shops almost always sell used gear and are also a good place to trade in old gear you no longer want. When I switched to mirrorless, I tried to sell my 1Dx mk II online by just posting on my pages and in a local FB buy and sell group and had no takers. So when I decided to get a second R5 body, I traded my 1Dx plus accessories in for it. This is probably the least profitable way to trade in gear and you may pay more to buy used gear at a local store, but you aren't having to waste time haggling with people online.
Websites. There are a lot of great websites for buying and selling used gear.
MPB - I list this first because it's the only one of these I've used personally. I recently purchased a Canon EF 28-300 lens and had a great experience with them. The price was fair and the service was excellent!
KEH - probably the most well-known and reputable online photography gear marketplace. They will even do a video chat with you to evaluate your used gear. They have a huge inventory too!
Adorama and B&H - also reputable companies with big used gear inventories.
Your camera manufacturer may also have a shopping page for refurbished gear. Here's the one for Canon.
Don't buy or sell gear using Venmo or the PayPal “Friends and Family” payment. There is no protection if the deal goes badly.
Check the seller's ratings. If you aren't using a site with a rating system, see if you can find out anything about the buyer/seller. For instance, on Facebook, I will go to their profile and see if they have a photography page or website.
If buying a camera, ask for the Shutter Count. Anything over 100,000 that hasn't been recently serviced, is risky. Most cameras are rated for 150,000-300,000 before the shutter needs replacement or other things go wrong.
If buying a lens from an individual, ask to see photos of the lens, including closeups of the front and back glass. Also ask to see some images recently taken with the lens.
There's a new photography podcast from Chris Dickinson and Bruce Dorn called “The Megapickles." These guys are legends and I enjoy their funny banter and also the wisdom that comes from many years in the industry.
How I Built This is one of my all-time favorite podcasts. Famed filmmaker Ken Burns was recently interviewed and I found it very inspiring.
Learn How to Make Beautiful Videos!
Do you feel intimidated or overwhelmed by video?
You’ve seen other photographers use video, and you think it looks beautiful. But, where do you even start?
I know the feeling! Over the years, I tried and failed at video many times, but I didn't give up. Now, my clients love my video work, and I feel confident pressing the red button. That’s why I created this online course - so you can skip the trial and error and go straight to making great videos!
Through this course, you’ll get up and running quickly so you can offer video to your portrait clients right away. I will guide you step-by-step through the process, from setting up your camera to filming to editing to a beautiful, heartfelt finished product you can sell to your clients.
I sincerely hope you are enjoying the Pegasus Journal. If you know of another photographer you think might benefit from these emails, would you consider sharing it email with them? Thank you!
And, as always, if there's anything I can do to help you grow as a photographer, please reach out by hitting reply to this email. 😊
