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3:02 Tony is chill confirmed

One of the most important things I learned from the video is that Tony is cool & chill. Dang, I wish I was chill.

Another option often overlooked is purchasing legacy gems. I have a 5d classic, an early model L lens, and a several vintage primes. My total cost for the lot was less than $400, probably less than 10% of the cost new. While newer versions would offer better performance and features, certainly in the specs, the combo is capable of beautiful photography. After 3 years of heavy use the 5d continues to work flawlessly. Getting it fixed? I spent $250 on the 5d..when it dies its life is over and I will consider the investment more than worth the return. The character of the 5d and my combo of lenses gives me an outcome I really like and, even if I had the money, I don't think I'd be motivated to upgrade.

Craig's list. "They can just be a waiting for you with a knife!" Hahaha. You're great Tony.

Thank you for this video, Tony! Here is my experience: I have bought 80% of my lenses used and I get that it is/can be risky. On the other hand, I now have a selection of lenses that I could not have afforded otherwise and I have no bad experiences with second hand gear (so far). Most of the lenses have added something positive to my photography. Sure, there are pros and cons, but if you're critical and do a bit of research there are good deals to be made. I think you covered the topics of this video in a great way! Thank you :-)

"Hi I'm Tony and I'm chill" Haha classic Tony.

Love the book Tony, you really cover a lot of stuff in it. I consider myself a skilled amateur and there is still a lot to learn in it. Beginning photographers will learn everything they need. It's very well put together and I love the QR codes that bring you to a video on the subject. Thanks 🙏🏻

Thanks Tony & Chelsea, I'm new to DSLR cameras , after a month or 2 of looking here, there and yonder, and spending a good deal of time reading reviews, How to's, watching videos and watching your videos, (great work). After doing my homework I took a page from your book and bought a used Canon T6 off ebay, and haven't had an issue. I really like your videos because you explain things in a way that make since, and why it works the way it does. Thanks again.

Thanks Tony, this is really great info that I haven't been able to find so concisely presented anywhere before - and very thorough as always.

Every time I search for anything to do with Cameras you seem to have me covered!! Fantastic channel for anamateur photographer. Thank you so much for helping me take better shots.

Insanely useful and comprehensive guide! Thank you Tony!

Really good episode, Tony. Great info. I enjoy getting your perspective and hearing your experience.

Love your channel- straight forward and not any pomp. Great job guys. I ordered one of your books as well. 😊

This was really helpful and perfect timing! I just broke my camera a few days ago and have been trying to decide if I want to buy new or used. Thanks.

I am surprised about how thorough this video is. Wow. Thanks Tony.

All your videos are incredibly in-depth and helpful. Thank you!

What a great lot of important information. These tips are invaluable when buying photography gear. Thank you Tony for the effort you put into your videos. I really appreciate it. You're my go to person when I want to know anything about photography.

One thing about eBay is you can get really good deals with "kits" which aren't advertised as such because the person either doesn't realize that the stuff is extra to the advertised item or they forgot to mention it. Example. I recently wanted to step up to a medium format film camera and I came across a Mamiya 645E with 3 lenses for ~$325. Seemed really reasonable, but by taking a good look at the photos I realized it was a super good deal. -It came with a 4th lens because the guy didn't count the lens which was on the camera. :) -Came in a ~$200 Pelican TSA approved camera case -In the photos there was a Yashica Mat-124G (just like Tony's) which wasn't mentioned. -Tons of adapters for the Yashica, teleconverter/extension tubes for the Mamiya. So for the decent deal I ended up with hundreds of bucks of extras because he only mentioned the Mamiya with "everything included". If you're looking at what looks like a lot sale from an estate take a really good look because you might see a lot more in the same auction.

eBay is actually cheaper most of the time. The example you showed for the D810 confirms (new are cheaper than Amazon). I browse a looooooooot for various types of gear (photography, ebikes, computers, other things) just out of curiosity. There are very few instances where I find a slightly cheaper price on Amazon compared to eBay. Another good option is to find the sellers on ebay, check their websites and see price differences. Research is key and always comparing several sources.

"Because I'm chill like that" Lol thanks Tony. Always informative and funny

I have your book and watch probably every video you guys make.. (including the live show every week)...My photography is pretty good and I still love doing it but the old cameras are as much a part of my passion as a portfolio... I have close to 20 DSLR and SLR bodies. All of them bought second hand, most from KEH. Sometimes I will take my old 5D classic or my D300 off the shelf and just go take pictures, and they always work perfect.... Thanks for all the great shows Tony... You and Chelsea are the best!!

Very helpful and informative. Thanks Tony and Chelsea.

Great video Tony. I have bought some excellent used kit over the years, from ebay as well as specialist dealers. Saved a lot of money on equipment I could not otherwise possibly afford to buy new.

My favorite line from the video "I'm happy with it because I'm chill"

Thank you for sharing this Tony, very helpful.

I bought a year membership from Gixen and couldn't be happier with the results so far over the last four months. Thank you Tony!

I learned things I didn't know about remanufactured, sellers, etc. Thank youTony. Nice video.

Hey, guys! I just bought a used 20mm 1.7 panasonic lens based on your review of the E-M10 and just wanted to say...what a fantastic little lens this is! Keep the good stuff coming!

I took your advice and even tho I was a little nervous, I bought a used Nikon D810 from Amazon (only place I would do so), and I am soooo pleased I did. I saved over $700 and was able to buy some other accessories for it. I am absolutely in love with my new camera. Today I also purchased a used Tamron 70-200 lens also from Amazon. I can't wait to get it! Thank you so much Tony and Chelsea for all the information and advice. You are my go-to people for advice and tips. P.S. I wish I could go to Thailand with you, but not this trip!

Tony's brain works likes my brain... Only channel that a person can trust for the details and real deal info.

Thanks man! i love watching your videos. helps me make better decision every time

Thanks for the information Tony. Great advice as always.

I have purchased & sold to KEH because I trust them. also they can repair cameras, which is a vanishing skill today

When I was in college I lived off ebay. A used pro body trumped a current consumer one. Also my first "pro" lens a 80-200mm f/2.8 which are hard to find on many of the other sites. Now that I make money at photography, the time isn't worth it. I have had many problems with Amazon so I prefer Adaroma or my local store. One trick with craigslist is to have the owner bring the receipt and have the gear in it's original box. It isn't foolproof but most stolen gear isn't stolen with a receipt.

Great video Tony! I'm in the market for an upgrade in camera gear and this video perfectly stated what I needed to hear.

This was helpful Tony & Team. I appreciated the specific examples. Thanks for taking the time to put those together. I love remanufactured gear. I have never had an issue. Open-box items are great too, as you mentioned. Amazon has a sub-title for open box items. Great walk through on Amazon used too. Many manufactures also have a remanufactured link toward the bottom of their home pages. Also, if you do meet someone off Craigslist, don't go to anyone's home. You can meet at local coffee shop or a public place. Be safe and use common sense. Whomever you are going to meet, they know you are going to have cash on your persons. :-)

Great point about grey market repairs. I imported a laptop during early pandemic when stuff was hard to get, had battery issues but I couldn't even return it to the country of origin as it originally came from a store and the warranty was non transferable! So it gets plugged in a lot!

Thank you so much for all the great content, I do it all the time

Tony this is a great post! People need to know about the used market. I recently tried out Nikon with used equipment, didn't like it, and sold it for more than I paid for it. I actually ended up being paid to try stuff out.

Great honest up front discussion.

I wish more people are chill like Tony.

Huge shout out to Chill Dad Tony for these really useful tips. I may not always agree with Photography Dad, but he's always looking out for my best interest.

LOL! That 5d Mark 3 Ebay bundle is the reason I watched this video in the first place.

Just got my D810 $1400 used (40,000 clicks). Thank you Nikon for releasing that D850!

Thanks for this! I just bought a used Nikkor 35mm 1.8 dx lens from Amazon for $59 shipped. Score!

Much more info given than I thought, thanks for the nice video.

Canon guy, recently added Fuji, with digital only my 40D was purchased new along with a 70-200 f4LIS and 100 macro. All other gear was used or a refurb and I've had ZERO failures. Even a 1D Mark 2N from 2013 is still going strong and it cost me $500. I'm waiting for the 5D4 announcement and the price drop on the 5D3 or 6D; one will join my 7D when the 'price is right' :) I just bought Fuji X-E1 with an FD to X mount adapter and both have brought my old canon manual film lenses back to life. Photography is a blast, find what will give you joy and go shoot something :D

Craigslist "It's a little bit scary" should be their tag line.

I bought a used Canon Rebel T3i DSLR camera back in January and it's been working good for me.

thank you, did not know about seeing what an item had sold for on ebay. great info!

Used for sure. I just got a canon 7D, 70-200 2.8L and 16-35 2.8L for $500 with a couple of new flashes. And a think tank photo bag. Great content, guys.

very comprehensive! cheers chill guy

3:22 "Because you would get alot more out from warranty. Then someone CHILL like me would" hahahha :D Cracked me up! Love your videos. Keep them coming!

Hi Tony, thanks for sharing your knowledge in this truly fascinating and informative video.

Below is an explanation of why gray market products are usually not supported. I'm writing this from the point-of-view of the importers to explain why they don't like the gray market, but in the age of the Internet I think this business model is outdated. The most important thing to know is that the importer of a particular brand of equipment is almost never the manufacturer. Many people think they are dealing with the manufacturer when they're really dealing with an importer. The OFFICIAL importer buys products directly from a manufacturer in another country and sells those products to its authorized dealers in its own country (note that these are the importer's authorized dealers, not the manufacturer's). The importer is responsible for everything conntected with the products they import; they do warranty service, advertising, maintain a separate website, sell replacement parts, hold free workshops and seminars, deal with recalls, field a staff of representatives, have a network of repair facilites, do phone support and internet chat, loan out products for review, whatever. All of this support stuff is paid for by the importer, out of profits from selling the product to their dealers. Much of the time the manufacturer has nothing to do with any of this; all they did was make products and sell them to a bunch of importers in other countries. If you read the fine print on the warranty card, it is usually the importer, not the manufacturer, who issues the warranty (although this varies a lot). Even if it's the manufacturer who issues the warranty, it is the importer who ends up honoring it. When you buy a camera from an authorized dealer, the importer cosiders you their customer and will support you. People who buy gray market bypass the official importer. You bought the camera or lens from someone else, so the official importer feels no obligation to help you. Your warranty was issued by somebody else in some other country. Go away! Taking a gray market product to the official importer and demanding warranty service is like trying to return an item to a store you didn't buy it from. Even when the manufacturer owns the importer, the importer is usually a separate business. Nikon USA is a subsidiary company that imports and supports Nikon products in the United States, so Nikon USA won't support gray market products that you bought somewhere else. They're a separate business and you're a non-customer. (As I said above, I'm taking the importer's point-of-view to explain their position. I actually think manufacturers need to take a more global view instead of sticking with what made sense in the 20th century). If you go to a large manufacturer's main website, the first thing they usually do is ask you where you're located, often giving you a world map to click on. What they're doing is sending you to your official importer's website, so you see information about available products, warranties, firmware updates, manuals or whatever that apply in your country. In some cases, a large importer will carry several brands, and in other cases one manufacturer may have several importers in different markets in the same country - one for camera equipment, one for copiers, one for medical equipment, another for military opitcs, etc. Sometimes different importers have a superficial change made to what they import (such as putting a different model number on the nameplate) to make it extra-easy to spot gray market imports. The TL:DR summary: when dealing with warranties and repairs, you are actually dealing with the importer in your country and not the camera or lens manufacturer.

Great real life info! Interesting about the shutter count.

Bought 3 used Nikkor lenses. Saved allot, and they work great. Bought my Refurbed Nikon D5500 with great results too.

Every single piece of gear I have is Used. And do you know why? My first dslr was used because a new one was very expensive and I just wanted to try. I learnt then that used stuff is okay. I bought my primary lens used because they don't make it anymore! Bought a 50-135mm f2.8 lens that is 1200€ new for around 400€ because it had an issue i know how to fix it. And i fixed it! New is great, indeed! But used if you know how to look after that gear, is the same. My newer camera had around 7.000pics done when i bought it (in a store so it has warranty) and costed me 330€ with a lens i sold for 230€. So yeah used is good!

This is such a valuable video. Great post!

Excellent stuff. A lot of good advice.

Hi Tony. Thx for this. Good tips

"I'm happy with it cause I'm chill"😂😂 Tony's inner dad just showed it's true colours.

excellent video sir. content applies to any purchase navigating online and offline 2nd markets

Great presentation in the style of a late night talk show host. Very well done!

I agree Tony. I’ve gotten some great gear on ebay and Amazon.

"I'm chill"

I bought my Zeiss 100mm F2 macro lens used from B&H. It was rated a #9 on their used scale and I really could not even tell it was a used lens. Who ever had this took great care of it or didn't use it much at all. Got a HUGE savings over the NEW version.

I found this super interesting and useful. Wanting to upgrade to FX, has been totally confounding, trying to find the best value, WITH..the features I want. I can't find that other video you did with different price and value combinations. I'd definitely like to see more of that.

Your channel is fantastic. I wish I had found it sooner. Just spent 30 minutes watching this video and it has saved me 25% on a Canon 200d bundle. Thank you.

I’m glad I found this video. I was about to buy a Sony A7rii on eBay for the cheapest buy now. Hearing about amazon and there used market I would save a couple hundred dollars. Thanks you my man.

"I want to buy your knife" "Okay, meet me there. I will be waiting there for you with my knife"

I’ve purchased a 6D, 17-40 mm, 50 mm, 85 mm, 30 mm all working perfectly well. Mostly thru eBay. Knock on wood. The only camera I bought new was my 7D which has lost nearly all its value thanks to the rise of full frame cameras’ popularity. Plus you can sometimes add a square trade warranty to your purchase if you are that concerned about it. If you’re not wealthy, or just starting out buy used or refurbished. So long as your savings is at least 50% off or more than the retail price. I would never buy anything used if I’m only getting 25% off, that’s just a rip off.

I sometimes use old, manual olympus OM lenses with an adapter on my canon - a wonderful experience! I will soon get an adapter for vintage M42 glass.

we purchased two lenses while away on a cruise and when in st martin, the curuise pole recommended a camera place that turned out to be a night mare. my l series 24 - 105 and 7 to 200 mm ism, when we returned to the ship we were rushed and noticed when we returned home that they switched the lenses and we couldn't do anything. Thank god the credit card company got us our money back and we learned to only buy inside the USA and Canada, Amazon still make me a bit nervous, I was looking for the f.2 Tameron 70 to 200 as canon was high, and because as a professional amateur I thought the cost was better. Always love your and Chelsea's insight, love the first book.

excellent.. i've been using eBay for years and never noticed the "show only sold listings" filter! Thank you :)

I was shocked to hear you're chill knowing how good you are at being super technical about photos and cameras! Then I realized that's how I am too =]

That's a pretty chill video.

I have bought several refurbished Nikon items with happy results.

Great video Tony. Thank You,

Just joined your site, you guys are amazing, i've pick up great some tips from your video, I'm using a GH5. Many thanks...

I’m with you on remanufactured. It’s mostly open box returns. I scored a A7ii with a 50 1.8 for $1300 open box from Best Buy.

"Because I'm chill" Yes!

great video, super informative. Thanks!

Useful video, thanks, Tony. I got your Digital Photography, but at some point, it stop opening on amazon kindle on my android phone. Any suggestion? Sergio

Very useful video. Please do one on selling used gear.

Tony is like your favorite uncle giving you good advice.

Thanks Tony, sound advice. Hoping that you will be doing a show on Canon 5D Mark IV which I believe will be announced tomorrow? :-)

I've bought my last two cameras new on sale and open box. Didn't pay the regular price for either. I've been buying my lenses used.

Hi Tony, please advise if in addition to Nikon, you have links for used Fuji, Olympus, Pentax and Sony? Really informative commentary, I look forward to your response, thanks and regards, Joe.

Love your videos Tony 😊

hi. love your videos...I'm a new guy only six months in of shooting. I purchased a d3300 and have been using the kit lens. I've been looking at the Nikon 80-200 2.8 and a 180 prime 2.8. will these lenses work with my camera? I was also trying to get my head around the conversion of 2,8 when used on a crop censer. I realize that both lens will increase my overall reach. I shoot mostly outdoor sports like football and baseball. thank you for any advice and consideration on this subject. thanks again

Great tips. I use most of these myself. I too, have found Amazon to have often thees lowest price for used items plus the advantage of it being really quick and easy to find vs eBay. I also have good luck using a Craigslist app to search for me for a specific item. When it proud pops up, I can be the first or one of the first people to inquire about it. Like you mentioned eventually someone will put up the item you want for a below market value. You need to be really quick when that happens. I have purchased many items this way and saved thousands of dollars. However, sometimes I have looked for months or even a year and a half recently to get a phenomenal price on something.

I bought the sony rx100 used on ebay. The seller had a really good rating, and I've heard ebay takes pretty good care of buyers. It was so worth it. Got the rx100 plus 2 batteries and a sd card for $180 shipped. Granted the flash doesn't work, but i didn't play on using the flash anyway. Good luck to everyone who's thinking about buying used gears.

I was fortunate finding my t7i. Been looking for a bit. Found one at a pawn shop that was a photographers backup. Came with the camera, 18-55 kit, 75-300, a $130 Polarpro bag, and a UV Filter. Got all for $695 after tax. New, the body and 18-55 is $799 alone before tax. Only thing that is a thing with my t7i, there’s some dust on the mirror. I’ll probably end up having it professionally cleaned.

Thanks for all the buying tips. Where do you stand on the topic of extended warranties offered by bricks and mortar camera shops on Nikon and Canon lenses?

I've bought several items from B&H with an instant rebate that brought the price down to almost what it sells for used. I've always been good at finding good deals on new gear. And always been terrible at finding good deals on used gear.

Outstanding information. all 100% relevant. the only thing i would add would be that if you do end up buying a gray market camera body or lens, you can get it serviced by a non Nikon/Canon servicer.

excellent techniques. thank you for the video

The time factor on repairs isn't exclusive to used gear. If your camera breaks (new or used), you have to have it repaired. The only camera I have ever had to have repaired was a new one (Nikon D750 shutter recall). Craigslist is easy. Meet in a nice public space as safe as can be. Restaurants and Starbucks works. You can meet at your bank for a large purchase and not even have cash on you. Just work it out with the buyer. Someone selling a D810 will drive across town to get their $2100. Now if you want to pay $1800, you might need to be a bit more flexible.