Second Hand Camera Bargains
Derek Smith • 9 September 2020
With a Budget of £500
Second-hand Camera Bargains
No, this isn’t an article on Sony cameras specifically, but more an article on the piece that Amateur Photographer ran on the 22nd August about buying a second-hand camera for £500 which I found to be very interesting.
Firstly a couple of thoughts on this from my own experience, look at the new camera market in the first instance, many camera manufacturers continue to sell an older version of the latest updated camera, so you may well find a mark II version at a cheaper price than a mark III flagship model, and lots of camera manufacturers run discounted promotions, cashback, £200 pounds off, or free accessories. Also, bundling, where a camera manufacturer offers a two lens and camera body bundle, this can really get you quickly started into photography.
The second point is when buying an interchangeable lens camera is that you will be buying into a camera system, there’s no point in paying £300 for a camera body, then finding that the lenses are twice that price.
Right, so in the order that AP published:
Canon EOS 70D – An APS-C DSLR, 20.2MP sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, with phase detect AF in Live View, single SD card slot, the body is dust, and moisture resistant - £370
The lens choice, and prices impressed me with the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM - £209
Fujifilm X-T2 – An APS-C mirrorless 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III sensor, hybrid AF, dual SD card slots, very good ergonomics and analogue setting dials - £459
A good range of lenses are available, but the Fuji lenses do tend to be a little pricier, the Fujifilm XF 18-55 F2.8-4R LM OIS, standard zoom range - £249
Nikon D7200 – An APS-C DSLR, 24.2MP CMOS sensor, dual card slots, long battery life, and Wi-Fi connectivity, large buffer for continuous shooting, autofocus is 51-point phase detect. - £479
Second-hand DX-format lenses are plentiful, and inexpensive, a Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G - £109. Nikon AF-S 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR - £129
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II – A Micro Four Thirds mirrorless 16MP CMOS sensor, autofocus is 81-point contrast detect, single card SD slot, weather sealed, and 5 axis IBIS. - £319
An interesting choice this one, in choosing the mid-range camera, personally if I could do without the weather sealing, I would choose the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, second-hand price £199, or new, Olympus were recently offering this camera at only £499, with the 14-42mm kit lens. If I could push the budget the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, fully weather sealed, with dual card slots, and the 20.4MP Live MOS phase detect sensor, autofocus is 121-point phase detect. - £679
Lenses are plentiful for the long-established Micro Four Thirds system, prices seem to polarise a little, dubbed the “plastic fantastic” Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R can be obtained new online for £99. For a dedicated prime portrait lens the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 is amazing value at £139. However, if the PRO line-up of lenses takes your fancy, full weather sealing, and metal construction, look to pay £500 - £1000.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 – Another Micro Four Thirds mirrorless system camera, styled as a DSLR, with 16MP CMOS sensor, weather sealed, IBIS working in conjunction with certain Panasonic stabilised lenses Dual IS, 4K video, autofocus is 49-point contrast detect (Depth from Defocus) - £369
If you would prefer a smaller range finder style of camera, then consider the Panasonic DC GX7 16MP sensor, 3 axis IBIS – under £200, or the GX8 / GX9 with the 20.3MP sensor, and improved IBIS. – up to £400
Lens choices, simply spoilt for choice, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH “pancake” lens - £159. Panasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS (that’s a full frame reach of 200-600mm weighing 520g) dust, and splashproof with Dual IS stabilisation - £359
Sony Alpha 7 – This was the very first full frame mirrorless camera launched in 2013, 24MP CMOS sensor, autofocus 117-point hybrid, and 25-point contrast detect focus points. - £409
Another interesting choice from AP, this camera is for someone who has to have a full frame camera on a budget, and can live with the cameras many quirks, for the rest of us don’t even think about it, save your money and go for the Sony Alpha 7II, much more polished, with full 5 axis IBIS - £754. Personally, at this price point, I wouldn’t even consider a full frame camera, the hobbyist photographer would be better served by buying a crop sensor mirrorless camera such as the Fujifilm X-T2, or one of the Sony A6000 series APS-C cameras.
So, how about a brand new Sony A6000? Widely available at only £499, with the 16-50mm kit lens. This APS-C camera has a 24MP CMOS sensor, autofocus is 179-point hybrid AF, the camera body is un-stabilised, but Sony lenses for APS-C cameras have built-in Optical Steady Shot (OSS) stabilisation, this option is an excellent beginner camera, with several advanced features, and great image quality.
Sony lenses can be quite expensive to buy, third party lens manufacturers such as Tamron, Sigma, and Samyang produce excellent optics for the Sony system with realistic pricing. A word about the Sony system, both full frame, and APS-C lenses use the same Sony E-mount. Lenses designed for the full frame cameras are designated as FE lenses and can be used on the APS-C cameras without any issues. As an example I used the Samyang AF 24mm F2.8 FE lens on my Sony A7II, and it was an excellent lens providing a 24mm field of view on the full frame camera, and the lens worked extremely well on the Sony APS-C A6300, with the only change being the field of view with a crop factor of 1.5x the 24mm lens becomes a 36mm equivalent lens. Working the other way around the Sony 35mm F1.8 OSS lens performs very well as a 50mm equivalent lens on the A6000 APS-C series cameras, but with the lens mounted on the A7 full frame camera the lens will only illuminate the smaller APS-C part of the full frame sensor, the camera defaults to “crop sensor” mode, and the benefit of the full frame sensor is lost.
Lots of choice then for not very much money, relatively.
Camera choices from Amateur Photographer magazine, with my own thoughts, and observations, photo of the Sony A6000, A6300 APS-C cameras, and lenses.
Derek Smith
No, this isn’t an article on Sony cameras specifically, but more an article on the piece that Amateur Photographer ran on the 22nd August about buying a second-hand camera for £500 which I found to be very interesting.
Firstly a couple of thoughts on this from my own experience, look at the new camera market in the first instance, many camera manufacturers continue to sell an older version of the latest updated camera, so you may well find a mark II version at a cheaper price than a mark III flagship model, and lots of camera manufacturers run discounted promotions, cashback, £200 pounds off, or free accessories. Also, bundling, where a camera manufacturer offers a two lens and camera body bundle, this can really get you quickly started into photography.
The second point is when buying an interchangeable lens camera is that you will be buying into a camera system, there’s no point in paying £300 for a camera body, then finding that the lenses are twice that price.
Right, so in the order that AP published:
Canon EOS 70D – An APS-C DSLR, 20.2MP sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, with phase detect AF in Live View, single SD card slot, the body is dust, and moisture resistant - £370
The lens choice, and prices impressed me with the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM - £209
Fujifilm X-T2 – An APS-C mirrorless 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III sensor, hybrid AF, dual SD card slots, very good ergonomics and analogue setting dials - £459
A good range of lenses are available, but the Fuji lenses do tend to be a little pricier, the Fujifilm XF 18-55 F2.8-4R LM OIS, standard zoom range - £249
Nikon D7200 – An APS-C DSLR, 24.2MP CMOS sensor, dual card slots, long battery life, and Wi-Fi connectivity, large buffer for continuous shooting, autofocus is 51-point phase detect. - £479
Second-hand DX-format lenses are plentiful, and inexpensive, a Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G - £109. Nikon AF-S 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR - £129
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II – A Micro Four Thirds mirrorless 16MP CMOS sensor, autofocus is 81-point contrast detect, single card SD slot, weather sealed, and 5 axis IBIS. - £319
An interesting choice this one, in choosing the mid-range camera, personally if I could do without the weather sealing, I would choose the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, second-hand price £199, or new, Olympus were recently offering this camera at only £499, with the 14-42mm kit lens. If I could push the budget the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, fully weather sealed, with dual card slots, and the 20.4MP Live MOS phase detect sensor, autofocus is 121-point phase detect. - £679
Lenses are plentiful for the long-established Micro Four Thirds system, prices seem to polarise a little, dubbed the “plastic fantastic” Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R can be obtained new online for £99. For a dedicated prime portrait lens the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 is amazing value at £139. However, if the PRO line-up of lenses takes your fancy, full weather sealing, and metal construction, look to pay £500 - £1000.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 – Another Micro Four Thirds mirrorless system camera, styled as a DSLR, with 16MP CMOS sensor, weather sealed, IBIS working in conjunction with certain Panasonic stabilised lenses Dual IS, 4K video, autofocus is 49-point contrast detect (Depth from Defocus) - £369
If you would prefer a smaller range finder style of camera, then consider the Panasonic DC GX7 16MP sensor, 3 axis IBIS – under £200, or the GX8 / GX9 with the 20.3MP sensor, and improved IBIS. – up to £400
Lens choices, simply spoilt for choice, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH “pancake” lens - £159. Panasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS (that’s a full frame reach of 200-600mm weighing 520g) dust, and splashproof with Dual IS stabilisation - £359
Sony Alpha 7 – This was the very first full frame mirrorless camera launched in 2013, 24MP CMOS sensor, autofocus 117-point hybrid, and 25-point contrast detect focus points. - £409
Another interesting choice from AP, this camera is for someone who has to have a full frame camera on a budget, and can live with the cameras many quirks, for the rest of us don’t even think about it, save your money and go for the Sony Alpha 7II, much more polished, with full 5 axis IBIS - £754. Personally, at this price point, I wouldn’t even consider a full frame camera, the hobbyist photographer would be better served by buying a crop sensor mirrorless camera such as the Fujifilm X-T2, or one of the Sony A6000 series APS-C cameras.
So, how about a brand new Sony A6000? Widely available at only £499, with the 16-50mm kit lens. This APS-C camera has a 24MP CMOS sensor, autofocus is 179-point hybrid AF, the camera body is un-stabilised, but Sony lenses for APS-C cameras have built-in Optical Steady Shot (OSS) stabilisation, this option is an excellent beginner camera, with several advanced features, and great image quality.
Sony lenses can be quite expensive to buy, third party lens manufacturers such as Tamron, Sigma, and Samyang produce excellent optics for the Sony system with realistic pricing. A word about the Sony system, both full frame, and APS-C lenses use the same Sony E-mount. Lenses designed for the full frame cameras are designated as FE lenses and can be used on the APS-C cameras without any issues. As an example I used the Samyang AF 24mm F2.8 FE lens on my Sony A7II, and it was an excellent lens providing a 24mm field of view on the full frame camera, and the lens worked extremely well on the Sony APS-C A6300, with the only change being the field of view with a crop factor of 1.5x the 24mm lens becomes a 36mm equivalent lens. Working the other way around the Sony 35mm F1.8 OSS lens performs very well as a 50mm equivalent lens on the A6000 APS-C series cameras, but with the lens mounted on the A7 full frame camera the lens will only illuminate the smaller APS-C part of the full frame sensor, the camera defaults to “crop sensor” mode, and the benefit of the full frame sensor is lost.
Lots of choice then for not very much money, relatively.
Camera choices from Amateur Photographer magazine, with my own thoughts, and observations, photo of the Sony A6000, A6300 APS-C cameras, and lenses.
Derek Smith
Louth Photographic Society
Yesterday evening the 17th April 2026 was the opening night for the Louth Photographic Society’s 70 Year Celebration Exhibition at the Louth Museum. The Mayor of Louth, Darren Hobson attended and was very impressed with the exhibition, who by the way is interested in photography. Some relatives of previous members, who are no longer with us, also came along. Julie Gough (Milli) and Bob Maddams represented the Museum. From the club we had 10 members, some with their partners. In all 20 people attended. A buffet and drinks were provided by the club which were prepared by Harry and his wife Karen for the night. Graham Harrison the President of the club gave the opening speech followed by Chris Birchmore, who was the member who first put the idea together. Members mingled, discussed the photographs and generally had a good time. Many thanks for all who attended and made it a night to remember.
Two female models were booked for our "Studio Night", which was held last night, and members were able to practice photographing the models in various poses, on the portrait set, or the fashion set. Our models Ginny, and Dina were very different in character, and appearance, but both were excellent models, and they posed easily in front of the cameras. The portrait set was lit with a flash speed light in a soft box, the fashion set was lit with constant LED lighting, the models changed outfits, and sets during the break. Both models are pictured here on the fashion set, Ginny in the red top, and large Doc Martin boots, and Dina in a softer fashion outfit. Members seemed to enjoy the evening, and for some glamour photography was outside their comfort zone, but it does give the opportunity to try something different.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Louth during Sunday's Fosters Challenge. One by one our submitted prints were dismissed, Graham Harrison's "Hairy Shield Bug", was too dark, "Trusthorpe Outfall" by Tony Gaskins had wind turbines on the horizon, and Tony's other print "Dawn Light Outfall Hornsea" was dismissed as the outfall was too close to the bottom of the frame. "Rudbeckia" by Harry Kerman fell as the judge felt that the third flower in the background was unnecessary. "Morning Sun Whitby" by Dave Turner was dismissed as the rising sun "caught his eye". Oh well, there's always next year. The winning print was a stunning portrait, "Maria" from Scunthorpe, which I felt had vibes of the Vogue magazine.
Good Morning All We had a really good week away last week in the Peak District, the good weather helped and we visited many places including Salford Quays and climbed to the top of Kinder Scout and Mam Tor. Last week at the club it looks like you were treated to some excellent coastal photography from member Tony Gaskins, Tony does a lot of long exposure photography producing stunning photographs. There is a report on our blog page with photographs from the evening. This week, Wednesday 15th April, is Derek's studio evening where we are invited to come along with our cameras, there is a £5 charge on the night to help pay towards the two models. The following week is a print competition, with the categories of "Circles" and "Open", you can send Dave Turner a list of your entries and bring your prints in next week. Today is the Foster Challenge at Nettleham village Hall, 1.30pm for 2pm, Louth has entered the competition as usual so it would be good to see a few members attending. Regards Graham
Our speaker last night was our very own member Tony Gaskins, who gave an excellent presentation "Coast 3" with some stunning visual images. Tony specialises in capturing long exposure coastal scenes, he related how beginning several years ago with a long exposure view of Whitby Pier he got the "bug" for long exposure photography. Much of his photography takes place along the Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire east coast, often arising in the early hours to catch a sunrise. Weather conditions dictate a lot of how the final image looks, and the long exposure style often creates a sense of calmness, and serenity, with pastel coloured skies, and milky seas. When the weather turns wild, the long exposure image presents a very dramatic scene with foreboding clouds. He recently travelled to Lewis & Harris island in the Outer Hebrides and took many images there, sometimes at sunny white sand beaches, and at other times moody bleak images as the weather closed in. Tony's technique requires a lot of patience, often spending hours at a location, with the camera mounted on a study tripod, and the ND filters on the camera permitting an exposure time of several minutes. Many thanks Tony for a very informative talk, well presented, and with some beautiful imagery.
Good Morning All Last week at the club we held a Local Nature and Open PDI competition, members Dave Turner and Steve Chapman kindly offered to judge the competition, thank you to you both, it was a good night and the entries were of a high standard giving you both quite a task. The results are on our website, but the two winners on the night were, Local Nature Tony Gaskins and Open Harry Kerman. This week, Wednesday 8th April, Tony Gaskins, one of our members is showing us Coast 3, a PDI presentation. Tony is an excellent photographer and spends many hours photographing our coastline. Aprils Print competition, Circles and Open is fast approaching, you can send your titles to Dave Turner when your ready and bring your prints in the week before the competition. Regards Graham
It was no April fools, when we held our PDI (Projected Digital Image) competition last night. The images submitted into this competition were off the highest quality. Dave Turner judged the Open category, which I think is always one of the hardest categories to judge, pitting landscapes, against nature, and still life, but Dave did a magnificent job, offering well founded critique of the images submitted. After the break, Steve Chapman judged the Local Nature category, (nature images taken within a 25 mile radius of St. James' church, Louth) Steve "held back" 10 out of the 18 submitted images, and gave those 10 images very careful consideration until he finally arrived at the 3 highest placed images. Steve commented that the submitted images were indeed of high quality, and he took his time to evaluate the submitted images and offered useful critique on each one. The competition made for a very interesting evening, and all members deserve praise for the quality of the submitted images. The website Competition page has been updated with the full results, and the top three images from each category. On this post is 1st placed Sedge Warbler, Cleethorpes by Tony Gaskins, in the Local Nature category, and 1st placed Hudson Bay Wolf, (Lincoln Zoo) by Harry Kerman, in the Open category.
Good Morning, All, Last week at the club member Chris Birchmore gave a presentation on MPP cameras which included some of Chris's collection of cameras and prints taken. There is a report on the evening on our blog page. Thank you Chris for an interesting evening. This week, Wednesday 1st April, we are holding a local and open PDI competition the local subject being nature, please if you haven't already, send your entries to Harry before midnight tonight. Members Steve Chapman and Dave Turner have volunteered to judge. Also on the Wednesday 1st April our Louth Photographic Society 70th anniversary exhibition will be open to view at the Louth Museum. Regards Graham
Chris Birchmore gave an informative, and interesting talk and demonstration of his medium format film cameras. at the beginning of the evening Chris gave a potted history of the origins of the MPP cameras he was showing us. The cameras take a 5 x 4" film stock, and looking at the cameras it seems incredible that photographers in the recent past could take excellent photographs with these. The MPP cameras were often used by the British Armed Forcies during the Second World War, and throughout the 1950s, and 60s, and some of these medium format were still being manufactured in the 1970s. The prints that Chris showed taken with these cameras were of excellent quality, with an amazing depth of field. Many thanks Chris for a fascinating evening.
Good Morning All Last week at the club we held a committee meeting, which was very productive, we made the final arrangements for the exhibition, charity night, and studio evening as well as other items on the agenda. We are holding an Exhibition opening night at Louth Museum on Friday 17th April celebrating 70 years of Louth Photographic Society. There will be a small buffet and cold drinks available, if any member would like to donate a bottle of wine to the occasion please hand it to Harry at one of our club nights. This week, Wednesday 25th March, member Chris Birchmore will be giving us a presentation. The following week is a local competition, with the categoriess of "Local Nature" (up to 25 miles radius from St James church) and "Open" (unlimited mileage) please send your entries to Harry before midnight, Sunday 29th March. Members Steve Chapman will judge the Nature category, and Dave Turner the Open category. Regards Graham
