Buying used isn’t just for cars, you can buy great car-shooting camera gear, too

As a car nerd I spend a lot of time on sites like Craigslist, eBay and Bring a Trailer, searching for my next set of wheels (I think I’ve narrowed it down to a Lexus GX 460 but in the past year I’ve looked at everything from Subaru Baja Turbos to Land Cruisers). The same can be said of camera gear. There’s always something out there I want to try that’s bigger and better than what is currently in my arsenal.

Getting into filmmaking and photography can have a high barrier of entry. Unless you’re shooting everything on your phone, a photo and video shoot at Autoblog can include gear that’s worth as much as the GDP of a small country. That’s why, I’ve bought used/refurbished gear for my personal use in the past. If you know what you’re looking for it can be a great way to save some money and get out there shooting sooner.

In the past I’ve used sites like B&H and Adorama to buy used lenses and other equipment, but one that I was recently introduced to, and am interested to try out, is BackMarket. While they have everything from webcams to TV and stereo systems, I am more interested in DSLRs, drones and computers, of which there are plenty (or at least there can be, depending on the day). 

There is a limited amount of gear on BackMarket, so something you’ve been lusting over may not be there tomorrow (they’re currently sold out of all of their DSLRs) but there also may be something there tomorrow better than what’s around today, much like used car shopping. And instead of buying used, the items at BackMarket are considered refurbished, which includes a 25 point inspection. You can check it out here.

The iMac I spent all of my money on while still at university recently bit the dust, so that’s immediately what I started looking for. This Mac Pro is enough to handle 4K video and photo editing, and the lineup of DJI drones has me excited as well. (Other options are this DJI Mavic 2 Pro for $1,654.80 and Mac Pro for $2,299.99 from Back Market.

The best part is that there is a 30-day money back guarantee as well as at least a year warranty, so if your iMac arrives with a cracked screen or it’s not what you wanted in terms of editing performance, all you’re out is time and not money. Because you should be worrying about getting that perfect shot of your car and not about whether or not your gear will work.

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