Moving from Canon 6D MkII to the Sony a7R III

[Cmaier]

Different subject, but since everyone is here ...

Anybody here have experiences, good or bad, selling used gear to B&H?

I have a couple of bodies and lenses that go back 10 years that I can't see using again. Time to clean up my drawer.

Years ago, when I lived in NY, I traded in some Canon gear to B&H, and it went ok. That said, I probably wouldn’t have done it if I couldn’t go in and haggle with them directly. On the other hand, they have a much better reputation now than back then. I’ve also done stuff by mail with keh.com (both buy and sell) and they seem pretty trustworthy.

 

[Citysnaps]

Years ago, when I lived in NY, I traded in some Canon gear to B&H, and it went ok. That said, I probably wouldn’t have done it if I couldn’t go in and haggle with them directly. On the other hand, they have a much better reputation now than back then. I’ve also done stuff by mail with keh.com (both buy and sell) and they seem pretty trustworthy.

I've been buying almost all of my tech-related stuff from B&H for the last 20 years and the experience has always been excellent, and the shipping fast. That the 10% SF Bay Area sales tax is picked up on all purchases (using their store card) is icing.

But have never sold or traded any used gear. I went to their website where you can get an instant valuation, based on condition, and that seemed reasonable considering the age of the gear I have. A hassle-free experience is more important to me than snagging a few extra dollars.

Speaking of B&H... 10 years ago I had a manager-lead private tour of their operation in NY with a dozen other photographers. What an amazing place; especially with their conveyor belt system moving merchandise to the area where you pay.

 

[Clix Pix]

I've only bought new gear from B&H, never traded in anything there or bought anything used from them, but I've always been very pleased with my purchases and the transactions in general.

When I was ready to buy my Sony gear, I went through all my Nikon gear and spent some time preparing a list with descriptions of the camera bodies and lenses that I wanted to trade in, and took that list to a local camera shop, District Camera. I've bought a lot from them through the years and had traded other items in from time to time, but with so many this time I knew I needed to give them some time to review the list and give me a ballpark figure rather than just walking in "cold" with all this stuff. Once I heard from them, I then packed up everything and headed over to the store. They still needed to look at each item, too, of course, and in the end everybody was happy.

It might be good to go to a local camera dealer if there is one near you and see if they take trade-ins or even purchase used gear outright. A lot of camera shops have used gear departments for just this reason. It might be that you would get little less, but it could be worth it as you wouldn't have to worry about packaging and shipping off the used gear to B&H or some other place.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanx for the heads up on that. Looks like I'm going with the A7RV.

Regarding 80 GB CF Express Type A cards, how many full RAW shots can you typically get on a card?

I think it is around 560 or so, give or take a few..... I rarely fill up the card since the A7R V is the one I use mostly for macros and closeups, scenics, etc. I still keep a card in each slot just to cover my bases anyway.

 

[Citysnaps]

It might be good to go to a local camera dealer if there is one near you and see if they take trade-ins or even purchase used gear outright.

Enthusiast/professional camera shops used to be plentiful in the SF Bay Area. It's pretty pitiful now.

 

[Cmaier]

Enthusiast/professional camera shops used to be plentiful in the SF Bay Area. It's pretty pitiful now.

For sure. The one Palo Alto (they had two locations across the street from each other on california ave) was the only place i trusted, and they’ve been gone for several years now.

 

[Eric]

Different subject, but since everyone is here ...

Anybody here have experiences, good or bad, selling used gear to B&H?

I have a couple of bodies and lenses that go back 10 years that I can't see using again. Time to clean up my drawer.

I buy from them fairly regularly and have found them to be excellent to buy from and deal with.

 

[Citysnaps]

For sure. The one Palo Alto (they had two locations across the street from each other on california ave) was the only place i trusted, and they’ve been gone for several years now.

Keeble and Schuchat on California Ave. Camera gear and accessories in one store. Printers, paper, professional lighting, etc in the store across the street. Knowledgeable staff, too.

It was a great place to do business as they had a wide range of camera options. At the time I worked a block away (at the end of California Ave.) from their stores, making it super convenient to visit. I'm guessing the rise of Amazon and B&H ultimately did them in.

I think San Jose Camera might be still around - they were OK. Was just kind of a long drive. Sammy's Camera in SF was pretty good and probably still around. Just inconvenient.

 

[Cmaier]

Keeble and Schuchat on California Ave. Camera gear and accessories in one store. Printers, paper, professional lighting, etc in the store across the street. Knowledgeable staff, too.

It was a great place to do business as they had a wide range of camera options. At the time I worked a block away (at the end of California Ave.) from their stores, making it super convenient to visit. I'm guessing the rise of Amazon and B&H ultimately did them in.

I think San Jose Camera might be still around - they were OK. Was just kind of a long drive. Sammy's Camera in SF was pretty good and probably still around. Just inconvenient.

I worked a few blocks away from California Ave, and I live in Campbell (where San Jose Camera is). I’ve heard bad things about that place. I’ve been in there once or twice and didn’t dig it.

 

[Citysnaps]

I worked a few blocks away from California Ave, and I live in Campbell (where San Jose Camera is). I’ve heard bad things about that place. I’ve been in there once or twice and didn’t dig it.

I've only been to SJ Camera a couple times and never purchased anything. IIRC, they appeared to be a cut above smallish point-n-shoot consumer camera stores.

Speaking of NY... while you were there, did you ever run across a photographer named Louis Mendes? From what I understand he's been shooting in NY for decades making portraits of people on the street and at different events, and is apparently kind of a legend there.

I ran into him twice - at the front of B&H and at the Javits Center, and made a couple photos of him. A really nice guy.

 

[Clix Pix]

That's a real shame that so many good camera stores have now disappeared. We're really lucky here in Northern Virginia that we've got a couple of excellent ones which have managed to flourish through thick and thin and are still going strong. (Knock on wood!) I make a habit of shopping at one or the other most of the time; the only items I've ordered from B&H were unavailable around here at all. My Voigtlander lenses have come from B&H and something else I can't recall I had to order online because it wasn't in stock locally.

 

[mollyc]

Thanx for the heads up on that. Looks like I'm going with the A7RV.

Regarding 80 GB CF Express Type A cards, how many full RAW shots can you typically get on a card?

Please keep us posted! I'm excited to see new work from you with a big camera. You do magic with your phone, but I am sure you will be on cloud nine with a new Sony.

 

[Citysnaps]

Please keep us posted! I'm excited to see new work from you with a big camera. You do magic with your phone, but I am sure you will be on cloud nine with a new Sony.

Thanks! Something I've been noodling (going on 15 years now) is doing some solo photojournalism-ish interviews, hitting up strangers in San Francisco about their thoughts/views on some of the issues/problems SF has been facing.

 

[Clix Pix]

That sounds like an intriguing project, but please do be careful! Apparently these days some areas of SF are more dangerous than in the past....

I think you will love the A7R V and the 35mm f/1.4. Such a terrific combination! Have you thought about accessories such as camera strap, camera bag, etc.? How will you carry the camera?

 

[Citysnaps]

That sounds like an intriguing project, but please do be careful! Apparently these days some areas of SF are more dangerous than in the past....

I think you will love the A7R V and the 35mm f/1.4. Such a terrific combination! Have you thought about accessories such as camera strap, camera bag, etc.? How will you carry the camera?

Yeah... I need to suss out today's SF street dynamics; for sure it's different than 10-12 years ago.

FedEx willing I should be getting the A7RV and 35mm/1.4 on Tuesday. In the meantime I've been going over the Canon stuff I've accumulated. I found lenses I've totally forgotten about after settling on the 35mm/1.4 years ago.

At the moment I've decided to go with KEH for selling my gear. Best prices and a good/long reputation. I'll first do a trial run of a couple items and see how that works out. And then do another.

Camera bags.... I've got a bunch I'll be holding onto. After trying a handful way back I settled on Maxpedition Fat Boy Versipack and other Maxpedition bags (it looks like they're being closed-out). They're not really made for cameras, but they work really well for my needs.

Straps... Have tried a bunch and settled on a tethered wrist strap - perfect for how I like to shoot with my cameras always in hand. And it's super easy to disengage if I want the camera in my bag. It's in the photo below.

 

[Clix Pix]

KEH should work out just fine for selling your gear -- they do have an excellent reputation and have been around for a long time.

That Maxipedition Fat Boy Versipack looks really neat and very functional for camera gear as well as one's cell phone, keys and other necessities. I can see how one of those would work very well for your purposes! There's also the advantage that with the different styling and the non-photographic brand name it does not scream "Camera Gear Inside!"

I use a Peak Design wrist strap on my cameras when shooting at home but when I go outdoors for walks and such I prefer to have a shoulder strap, which I often wear cross-body. If the lens is a small and light one, I use the PD Slide Lite, but with my longer, heavier lenses the thicker, somewhat bulkier and sturdier Slide does the job. Most of the time I also hold the camera and lens, too, I don't like walking around with a camera just dangling.

 

[Citysnaps]

That Maxipedition Fat Boy Versipack looks really neat and very functional for camera gear as well as one's cell phone, keys and other necessities.

I have a couple different Maxpedition sizes. I like to carry notebooks and an envelope of 4x6 prints that I've made of people in the past. If I ever again see a subject I've photographed in the past, I like to give them a photo. It always puts a smile on their face and is a nice icebreaker for making more photos, or having a deeper conversation.

 

[Eric]

Yeah... I need to suss out today's SF street dynamics; for sure it's different than 10-12 years ago.

Not sure the last time you've been to North Beach but it's really bustling with all walks of life these days, also felt pretty safe walking around there at night snapping shots FWIW. If anyone can handle the tenderloin it's you with your disarming approach and ease of conversation, but it's gotten scarier than normal over the last couple of years with the fentanyl problem. Using a prime lens will help as it doesn't stand out but even then I would be careful with showing the camera too much down there.

 

[Citysnaps]

Not sure the last time you've been to North Beach but it's really bustling with all walks of life these days, also felt pretty safe walking around there at night snapping shots FWIW. If anyone can handle the tenderloin it's you with your disarming approach and ease of conversation, but it's gotten scarier than normal over the last couple of years with the fentanyl problem. Using a prime lens will help as it doesn't stand out but even then I would be careful with showing the camera too much down there.

Thanx for the heads-up about North Beach. I've always loved that neighborhood and I remember it being very vibrant - night and day. I'll give that a whirl along with the downtown.

For now I'm not going into the Tenderloin. Perhaps just around the edges just to see what's up. An SFPD cop friend of mine, who's also a photographer, said recently that I could never do what I did in that neighborhood today. Which is very likely true. OTOH, that's something I've already done, and really want to do something new and different; with perhaps more narrative/storytelling.

Ten years ago my cop friend said something very prescient. And that was with Fentanyl starting to become a far cheaper and more powerful/plentiful substitute for heroin, that was going to make the Tenderloin far more sketchier than it was, and become a massive problem for the city. He was certainly spot-on about that from what I see/hear on the news.

 

[Clix Pix]

For Citysnaps: something which you'll soon be seeing and working with in your own eager hands. My A7R V and 35mm f/1.4 GM combo send greetings!

Obviously not meant to be professional-level product shots, but I was fooling around with something else this afternoon and thought, hey, wouldn't it be fun to shoot a few images of the A7R V and the 35mm f/1.4 GM together to share with Cityscapes?! The shots were all shot on my deck with not-great natural light and the A1 did the honors with the 35mm f/1.8mm..... Enjoy!