The release of a covetable new Leica camera is always of interest. Yes, these are luxury products. But even so, I drew an intake of breath on learning of the Leica SL3-P’s $6,690 / £5,150 AU$10,500 body-only price.
Ah, here’s another exciting development in Sony’s first new bridge camera for almost a decade. But if wanting the Sony RX10 V, that’ll be a princely £ 2,300 / $2,200 / AU$3,499 for its 1-inch sensor and monster zoom, please.
At one time, bridges were affordable alternatives to a DSLR or mirrorless camera – a one-lens-covers-everything solution if photography enthusiasts didn’t want to have to swap the optic in use. But Sony clearly didn’t get that memo.
It would be different if such prices were isolated occurrences, but I’ve watched in increasing horror in recent years as they’ve become the norm. Our major camera manufacturers have stealthily stopped offering a breadth of product for a range of budgets and skillsets, as they once did.
That’s because fewer people are buying cameras, for sure. But if there are less affordable cameras to buy, then that has its own impact on sales.
That same lack of affordability is driving more people to seek out secondhand options, with the result that the global value of used cameras across all categories is surging.
And if even the ‘cheapest’ current compact cameras from the major manufacturers are the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III or Panasonic TZ300 / SZ300, both retailing at around $899 / £869 / AU$1,599 new, there are clearly bargains to be had when hunting ‘pre-loved’ alternatives.
Obvious online destinations include eBay, KEH and MPB. But there are a host of bricks-and-mortar photo specialists selling secondhand, too. That makes sense, as they can make a bigger profit margin when selling used, as opposed to brand new.
And that secondhand strategy is even more sensible for retailers and consumers alike when the latest must-have camera is regularly out of stock, because its manufacturer has underestimated demand.
If I don’t want to chance used options, then alternatively I can find affordable entry-level cameras via the current licensees of Yashica and Kodak cameras. Additionally, there are growing number of ‘toy’ camera options at near pocket money prices from the likes of Camp Snap, or Chuzhao, if wanting a distinctly retro camera fix.
Even so, for me the more sensible option remains exploring the used market before buying new. A much more fully featured camera with a bigger sensor can be found for a similar price to the latest tiny chip-incorporating snapper.
Sometimes by simply spending less, believe me, you really can buy better.
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