Buying a used camera? Here are my four hacks for getting a great deal

When I bought my used Fujifilm X-T1 from used camera specialist MPB in November 2023 it cost £284 (about $380). Today (July 2025) the same camera in the same condition will cost £409 (about $547). What happened to make it go up in value?

The Fujifilm X100VI happened and Fujifilm hit a purple patch. Everyone wanted one, nobody could get one, so they started looking for the next best thing on the used market. This might be an X100V or an earlier version, an X-E4, an X-Pro or anything remotely associated with this iconic design. The good news is that you can buy a used X100VI quite easily now; the bad news is that it will cost almost as much as a new one. So here’s tip no. 1:

1. Don’t buy what’s trending.
When demand meets scarcity, the price goes up. The used market is not subject to the same managed pricing of new cameras – it’s a free-market economy. Before the launch of the Fujifilm X-E5, a used X-E4 would cost you as much as the camera did when new, but now the X-E5 has replaced it, and the X-M5 has joined the clan, the pressure’s off and used X-E4 values have returned to a sensible level. 

It’s not just Fujifilm, but right now this is where you will see this effect most clearly because Fujifilm is at the forefront of influencer appeal.

2. Beware last year’s model.
When a new version of a camera comes out, this can drive down the prices of the previous model on the used market. But watch out, because camera makers will often discount that model and keep selling it. You can often find that a used example is only a little cheaper than a new, discounted camera. 

I’ve been looking at the Nikon Z6 II, which I can find in excellent condition at $1,239 / £1,109 at MPB, but I can buy one new from Wex (UK) for £1,379, and B&H is selling them for $1,497. Always check discounted new prices first.

3. Buy a DSLR.
This will be very boring to hear if you are a mirrorless fan or a hybrid shooter, but the numbers really do stack up. If all you want is a cheap camera to get started with that still delivers great image quality via a wide choice of lenses, then this is the cheapest way in. 

What would you pay for a 20MP full-frame Canon DSLR? How about $414 / £344 for an EOS 6D with just a few thousand shutter actuations (at MPB)? Some of the best DSLRs of yesteryear are some of today's best used bargains.

4. Don’t be ageist!
It’s tempting to assume that the older the camera the more useless it will be. Well, don’t be so hasty. Look at the specs, and what you want the camera to do. If you don’t need 4K video, don’t need AF tracking and don’t need 10fps+ burst modes, you can go back a LONG way and still get a very decent camera. 

24MP sensors, raw files, stabilized lenses, high-res LCDs and weather sealing are not new. They’ve been around for years, and are a solid base for high-quality stills photography.

I’ve quoted prices from MPB (who operate in the US, the UK and in Europe), but other used retailers are available! Many new camera retailers also sell used cameras, and this can give you some very direct (and thought-provoking) comparisons too.