ACADEMY
BUYING USED
CASH-FLOW CURE
With ever-rising costs, it makes total business sense to buy your equipment used COP CHEAP KIT!
W hen digital cameras used as they were almost instantly out of date. Recently, the tech hasn’t seen massive milestone changes, so used gear is a sensible way to get your hands on top kit. By looking second-hand, you can also get hold of current-model gear at a discount. We’d all love the latest 12K, 240fps mega-camera, but it’s vital to buy what you actually need for your business. An older-generation model might be ideal, and you avoid the huge depreciation the original owners will have been hit by. were massively updated with every generation, nobody wanted them Where to buy used Checking out private sales on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or social media can be tempting, but you are gambling with your reputation and could be left with a lemon. Paying by Paypal or credit card means there is safety in case your buy doesn’t turn up, is faulty or has been stolen. But if it fails on a shoot, it’s hardly been a bargain. There are several reputable dealers who offer some form of guarantee and will have checked the kit for faults. Most will take in your old kit as part-exchange. For used gear owned and babied by amateur stills shooters, such as DSLRs and mirrorless cameras and lenses, the big retail groups often have stocks of as-new condition bodies. They often come with the original boxes, manuals, chargers and straps. Park Cameras, Wilkinson, Clifton Cameras and Camera World are places to look. For pro video equipment, go for retailers like CVP and Wex. They often have lots of used
video cameras, lenses and video accessories. For an even better choice and a fantastic customer service experience, try a specialist dealer like the leader in used video and stills kit, MPB. The company has bases in the UK, Germany and the US, with a great website where you can look at listings for loads of used kit for sale, or sell old gear to help fund your purchase. There is an easy online valuation tool, too. Try an auction An alternative venue for a pre-loved bargain is a specialist auction. These are often great places to get your hands on high-end cinema lenses from Cooke, Arri or Angénieux – often in matched sets. But lots of auction houses sell recent kit for private sellers or businesses that have gone into liquidation, so there are always opportunities to pick up surprisingly fresh equipment. Buying at auction is not the same as buying from a dealer, though, as most likely the equipment will not come with any sort of warranty. It’ll likely be unserviced and with only minor checks. Sometimes you can get hands on with lots before the event, with a more specific condition report available from the auctioneers. It could be best to buy from a specialist photographic auctioneer like Special Auction Services as kit is graded for cosmetic and optical condition, with basic checks like testing the shutter. You can request condition reports undertaken by the company’s specialists. However you choose to do it, going used is a great way to save money and make a tangible difference to the bottom-line profit of your filmmaking business.
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
BIG BRANDS The Canon C300 Mark II (above) and Panasonic Lumix S1 (below) offer great value bought second-hand
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