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BUYING USED
TIME TO GO LARGE Is the handling of a professional-level cinema camera a must for your shooting? Well, there are several on the market that make a great used buy. These models tend to stick around longer before upgrades, so they can be a better supply and a wider range to choose from. As most have hour meters inside, you can see how much work they’ve done. Sony’s full-frame FX9 is a 6K camera, and the workhorse of many high-end productions. Originally incredibly hard to find, it’s becoming far more available
If it’s professional video kit you want, look at retailers that sell it, such as CVP and Wex. The biggest choice usually comes from a specialist used dealer such as MPB, which has bases in the UK, Europe and US. If it’s something very specific you want, or are happy to snap up a bargain from a business that might have gone into liquidation, specialist auctions could be for you. You’ll often find exotic or vintage lenses from Cooke, Arri or Zeiss, sometimes in matched sets. Buying at auction is not the same as buying from a specialist dealer, as it usually won’t come with any sort of warranty and will be unserviced with only minor checks. If you can, try to get a hands-on look before the auction. Sometimes, there might be a condition report put out by the auction house. Specialist photographic auctioneers like Special Auction Services can be a safer bet as the kit is graded for condition. “Sony’s FX9 is the workhorse of many high-end productions” products, they are now going for a song although are still great cameras. Based on the original Ursa Mini, which was disliked for its minimalist design, the Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K has more external control buttons rather than the large touchscreen. It’s a great used buy that records 60fps in 4.6K Raw internally, 120fps slow motion in Full HD and has 15 stops of dynamic range.
on the used market and will serve you for decades. With phase detection AF and broadcast-standard performance, it is still very much a current model. If you can find one used, its little brother is the FX6, which is smaller and cheaper but in massive demand. Snap one up if you can, as it has a full-frame sensor and performance not far behind the FX9. Alternatively, for Sony users, there is a wide choice of the FS5 and FS5 Mark II, as well as FS7 and FS7 Mark II Super 35 cinema cameras. Once the flagship
WHERE AND HOW TO BUY USED If you really want to save every penny, there are private sales on Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or social media groups, but you must face the fact you are potentially gambling with your business reputation. You could be left with a duff camera or end up being swindled out of your cash. If you do decide the risk is worth it, paying by Paypal or credit card means there is some safety. But if the camera fails on a shoot in front of clients, the pounds you may have saved suddenly don’t seem like such a bargain.
It makes lots of sense to buy from reputable dealers who offer some sort of guarantee and will have checked the kit for faults, and to be sure it is legit and not stolen. Many will also take your old kit as part-exchange. For used DSLR or mirrorless, the big retailers often have stock in the original box alongside the manual, chargers and straps. These have often been used by careful amateur photographers rather than enduring the hard life of a pro.
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