The video camera world is changing quickly. We have drone companies like dji releasing new models several times a year. Camera companies like Gopro, Canon, Sony, and Panasonic are releasing new camera’s every year as well. Some of these camera’s are super expensive and require expensive lenses to actually shoot with the camera. You may end up spending a lot of money on camera gear only to find that your expensive purchase may be outdated in a year or two. Despite this there is still demand for camera video gear on the used market. Almost all freelance video clients still request HD video and not 4K video.
Camera models loose value with each new model release
Companies like Apple and Dji have great marketing and fast product release cycles and have created a demand for the latest and greatest. I used to have a Canon 7D that I purchased in 2011 for about $1500US. Canon began releasing the 6d, 5d mark 3 & 4, and 7d mark 2. I kept using my Canon 6d and barely touched my 7D since 2013. Each year my 7d was loosing value to newer model releases. Finally in 2018 I decided to sell it for $400 US 7 years later.
The same thing happened with my Phantom 3 Pro drone that I bought for $1000 US in 2015. In 2017 DJI had released the Phantom 4, DJI Mavic, and the spark reducing the value of my drone rapidly.
I sold both my dji osmo and phantom 3 pro drone last year
Why sell your camera gear
You might want to purchase a newer camera with game changing technology like 4K high data rate resolution with 5 axis stabilization in the Panasonic GH5. You can get some extra cash by selling your camera to subsidize part of your new purchase. I ended up with 3 camera’s after this purchase. Who needs 3 cameras? I sold my phantom 3 pro drone in 2017 because I had already filmed most of the world with it and as a travel it was an extra backpack everywhere I went. The drone still had decent value after 2 years and I was in Vancouver, where the used market is strong. In 2017 I also sold my DJI osmo. It served me well I filmed stabilized 4K all throughout Vancouver and Asia but I had outgrown it’s needs. I wanted a camera with high bit rate 4K and an interchangeable lens. It made sense for me to sell my DJI osmo because the technology was no longer useful for my needs. The camera is still very relevant and useful for someone else. In fact I’m getting a lot of stock footage sales with my DJI osmo footage lately. If you have gear that you haven’t used for a year that may be a good candidate to sell.
sold my Canon 7d in 2018
Where to sell your camera gear
This will vary depending on where you are trying to sell the gear. I’ve sold the Phantom 3 Pro drone and DJI osmo on craigslist.org in Vancouver. There is a strong used market here.
In Thailand you may have to join used camera groups on facebook in the area that you live. If you want to go old school and hit up the camera shops in Bangkok you can check out Fortune city near central plaza at phra ram 9 or MBK mall on the 5th floor. I found luck selling my Canon 7d on Thaivisa.com of all places.
What else you can sell?
It’s also worth it to sell other electronics that have decent value. I’ve sold my underwater camera diving light, blue yeti, and lenses before. You can sell laptops, earphones, and even camera backpacks.
How much to sell it for?
You have to look at things like how long has your product being on the market, it’s condition, and how much is it available for sale in your local market. If your product is still in stores you can look at the retail price plus taxes to the consumer. As a used product it is a cash sale and no taxes, so an advantage to sell used. Look at prices for similar products on facebook, craigslist, and lazada if you’re in Asia. I sold my Phantom 3 Pro drone for about $580 us in 2017 and purchased it for about $1000 Us in 2015 so expect to loose some value.
Some Final Tips
As a travel videographer that practices slow travel the real estate in your camera bag is precious. You have to ask yourself do I really need this? Sexy technologies like drones and action cameras have fast product release cycles so you need to stay on top of the news and technology trends. The best time to sell is just before or soon after a new release. You will have people that don’t need the latest model, but still want new technology at better value. Camera lenses don’t change as fast and retain their value better camera bodies. You may want to sell your camera gear as a package because it’s harder to sell accessories alone. For example I sold my drone backpack and nd filters along with the drone as a package.
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