Howdy! I haven't been around for awhile. It was easy to post during my college years, but teaching is super busy! I'm home because our teacher inservice got cancelled due to ice, so I decided to take the opportunity to post.
In the year and couple months since my last post, I have upgraded my camera again. This time, I have upgraded to a Canon EOS 70D, and I've been very pleased with it these past few months. Mostly, I just appreciate the fact that I can can play with exposure much more with this camera. My f-stop can go lower, my shutter speed can be faster, my ISO can go lower/higher, etc. I really do feel that it has improved the quality of my shots.
Anyway, enough about the camera itself (that is perhaps for a different post). My main reason for writing is to let others know how I handle camera upgrades and the cost of a different camera.
Do I?....
1) Save up money in a special account until I have enough for that awesome camera? NO
2) Do I watch sales around stores in the area? NO...though this isn't a bad idea, it's just not what I do.
3) Do I splurge randomly on a brand new camera that I really want? NO
4) Do I ask for a camera for my birthday or Christmas so it's free for me and my family shoulders the cost? NO
To sum it up, there are three things I have done every single time I've upgraded a dSLR and will continue to do.
1. Research cameras like crazy before you decide which model you want.
This time, I was trying to decide between a nicer crop sensor camera and a full frame camera. I went through exhaustive internet searches, talked to an expert at a camera store, and did some soul-searching about what I really needed. I ultimately decided on a crop sensor (maybe more about why in a different post--though cost was definitely a factor).
THEN, once I had narrowed down to the camera type, I had to find the right model. I am already deep into Canon and wasn't interested a brand switch (why bother?), so that brought me to the Canon EOS 80D. Now, here's the real trick if money is a concern for you.
If you type in Canon EOS 80D into Google, you can get a sense of the price. Depending on where you buy it and the accessories included, it can run you anywhere from $1,200 to $1,800. The lowest I could find was $1,100 with body only and zero accessories. Now, my goal was to lower that cost.
At this point, I researched the differences between the 80D and the 70D, which was the model that was slightly older. The only huge difference was in the video capabilities of the 80D. I am not a videography person, so this particular feature was of zero importance to me. With that, I settled on the older model of Canon 70D. Type that camera into Google, and your average price is about $850 including a kit lens. Right off the top we've shaved $400 to $1000 (depending on store and bundle).
My personal advice to you is: ALWAYS check out older models. They are always cheaper and they are always virtually identical to the new model. You're paying hundreds of dollars more for minute changes and the fact that it has a different model name. There might be some cases in which those small adjustments do matter to you (do your research), but most of the time you are not going to notice much. I don't feel like one feature is worth $500.
2. Don't be so afraid to buy used or refurbished gear.
After deciding on a model and checking out prices for cameras, I always turn to my old standby...eBay. I prefer eBay over Amazon simply because I can usually find a better price there.
I searched for a used/refurbished Canon 70D and perused the many options. A lot of people are scared to buy anything off of eBay for fear of buying a lemon, but it's really just a matter of using the safety features that eBay has built in for you.
Always pay attention to:
1) Seller location: I like to buy cameras only from U.S. sellers. I worry that I won't get what I think I'm getting from the sometimes-shady Chinese ebay accounts.
2) Seller ratings: Make sure the person has a high percentage of positive feedback and has (hopefully) made a lot of sales so that the percentage means more.
3) Quality of the seller description: READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY. Look at pictures, read descriptions, etc. with a close eye before you decide it's a good-to-go used or refurbished item.
Using those precautions, I have NEVER had an issue with any kind of purchase on eBay, nevermind the cameras I have bought. Ultimately, I found a refurbished Canon 70D for $700, which shaved another $150 off of the average price.
3. Sell your old camera to partially pay for your new camera.
The last step I've always taken to soften the blow of buying a fairly expensive item is to sell the old camera on eBay. I always make sure that the new purchase is in good working condition for a few weeks, then post my own listing and sell my old camera. You'll never get what you paid for it, but you can usually get a few hundred dollars on auction. I sold mine for about $350, which cut off about half the price of my new camera.
I don't have a lot of advice for how to sell your camera other than to provide lots of pictures of the item and a thorough description. Also...don't get greedy and overprice. Remember, your camera is an old model now, too.
Final thoughts...
If I sound like a cheapskate throughout this post...it's because I am. I prefer to call myself "thrifty" or "frugal", though.... I am not in a shaky financial situation, especially now that I am out of college and have been working full-time consistently for over a year. I could buy a full-frame camera brand new from the store, but I am not a professional photographer and I don't make money from my photography.
If you are not worried about cost, this post will not apply to you. To fellow frugal hobbyists, however, I hope that you found something useful that can help you upgrade in a way that doesn't break the bank.
