# How hard was it for you to sell your old cameras?



## Cheekysascha (May 12, 2016)

With the 1DX Mk2 being out and everyone starting to sell their 1dx's and 5d3's I decided it was time to to sell my 5D Mark 3 with a battery grip as I have two and barely use them now since I upgraded to the 1DX and start saving for the new 1DXMK2 instead and was really curious how hard selling off old gear was for you guys? also after selling it did you have any regrets? 



Also I hope it's alright of me to post this in here, I didn't know which category it would fit into :/


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## neuroanatomist (May 12, 2016)

Easy, no emotional attachment... Expect to take a significant loss from what you paid if you bought new near the beginning of the life cycle (bodies are very different from lenses there).


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## tron (May 12, 2016)

The upgrade from my 1st DSLR (40D) to full frame (5D2) was a decision which was made very easy by having my 40D .... stolen and the fact that I had many FF lenses from the analog era. So I ordered the 5D2 kit (with 24-105) and I gave 2 lenses I did not want. I saved 900 euros in the process.

Seven months after 5D3 was introduced I bought one. And one and a half year later I sold my 5D2 and bought a 2nd 5D3.

No regrets at all. I also sold the lenses I did not want anymore and saved a lot.

I will upgrade to 5D4 the same way (either with part-exchange or selling before I get one .... or two).
No emotional attachment too. I only regret for the items I didn't sell in the past (my analog cameras and a Tokina 28-70 which cannot cooperate with modern Canon cameras...)


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## zim (May 12, 2016)

Impossible 
I have every one I've ever bought I'm a sentimental idiot ;D


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## Click (May 12, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> Easy, no emotional attachment...




+1 ...No regrets at all.


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## unfocused (May 12, 2016)

Are you asking financially? or emotionally?

As Neuro said, financially you can expect to take a big hit on a camera; less on a lens (although I try to buy refurbished lenses, so when it comes time to sell them, I'm starting from a lower price).

Emotionally, the only camera I have a strong attachment to is my old F1, which was my first Canon and which I purchased in the 1970s. 

I kept my 7D around too long after I got a 5DIII (thinking I needed a second body as an emergency). So, when I finally bought a 7DII, I sold it on eBay and got what I expected.

Financially, it's important to be realistic. I sell on eBay because the convenience and security are worth the costs to me. Others will no doubt disagree. I take pictures before I list it, then send it to Canon CPS for a clean and check and then take a picture of it wrapped up from Canon, along with the packing slip. I think it helps raise people's comfort level. 

Regardless of where you sell it, I'd suggest going to eBay and looking at the listings of "sold" items to get a sense of what the market is. It's a good reality check. And, if the going price is too low, you can always keep it or give it to a relative or friend.


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## eml58 (May 12, 2016)

"Unfocused" gives good advice, E Bay is a great reality check, most people have an emotional attachment to their Gear, best to view Cameras as Tools, wonderful Tools, but ultimately just Tools.

Currently the 5DMK III is about a $1000 2nd hand Tool, 1Dx around $2500, if you want to get rid of them quickly to make the purchase of the new & not be so hard on the finances, if your willing to hang on for a better price then your in the Market with a load of others, it's all about incentive to seii, as the Buyer has a rich field to choose from.

I recently sold my 2 x 5DMK III & 2 x 1Dx Bodies for $12k total, but it was a deal on a new Hasselblad H6D 100c plus 8 Leaf Shutter lenses, so the incentive for the Dealer was high to give me a reasonable price and my incentive was simple, I had an instant 12k value for my old gear on new gear, under normal circumstances you will be hard pressed to have a Dealer take anything as a Trade, so E Bay and similar sites are your outlet.

Good luck, don't expect too much, look forward to the new addition and be grateful the old one gave some great memories.


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## nc0b (May 13, 2016)

I have not had particularly good luck with Craigslist locally. The fees on eBay are relatively high, so for the most part I have been giving older items to relatives. I only got 50% of what I paid for a Zeiss 18mm f/3.5 lens when I decided to buy the 16-35mm f/4 Canon offering. I doubt I'll ever get 50% of what I paid for a 300mm f/4 IS. Not shooting much with my crop bodies these days, even though they did well for me for several years. My daughter-in-law now has my 5D Classic. Why sell it for a few hundred.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 13, 2016)

I find it easy to sell my old cameras. I do my research looking at similar cameras and their completed auction values on ebay. I have 10's of thousands of sales due to my business, so I know how to get the best price. I always have the box and all original accessories, good photos of the items, a shutter count, and something extra to throw in like a bag, memory, etc. 

The camera usually sells in less than a week. I occasionally sell something on Craigslist, but its generally not worth while. I get a better price and sell faster on ebay. I sell at a fixed price, the fees for auctions run much higher. For a bare camera, the actual prices of completed ebay auctions bring from a low of $1500 but average closer to $1900. That's pretty good. Take the fees away, and I'd net about $1700 or more. I paid $2750 from Adorama in 2012, so I would be happy selling for that price.

If you sell on Craigslist, expect lowballers trying to get it for $500!

Fred Miranda is another good place, price it right and it will sell quickly. Research asking prices there. You cannot see actual sales prices which may be less. I think you could get around $1900 with your grip as long as it has low shutter count. The selling fees for FM are almost nothing, you pay paypal fees, so you will get a few dollars less than ebay.


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## AcutancePhotography (May 13, 2016)

I have sold only one camera and to be truthful, I regret it. The amount of money I got for it was tiny and now that it is (almost 40 years later) a camera that is not made any more, I wish I still had it... just to have on a shelf. 

But then, I don't upgrade my cameras very often. In 40 years of hobbyist photography, I have owned 5 cameras (not counting cheap P&Ss). 3 film and 2 DSLR.

The camera I sold was a Pentax auto 110. A 110 SLR! Working with 110 negatives in the darkroom was not exactly high on the fun list. ;D


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## Maiaibing (May 13, 2016)

Cheekysascha said:


> With the 1DX Mk2 being out and everyone starting to sell their 1dx's and 5d3's I decided it was time to to sell my 5D Mark 3 with a battery grip as I have two and barely use them now since I upgraded to the 1DX and start saving for the new 1DXMK2 instead and was really curious how hard selling off old gear was for you guys? also after selling it did you have any regrets?
> 
> Also I hope it's alright of me to post this in here, I didn't know which category it would fit into :/



Have sold a few by now. The trick is buy cheap - sell expensive : - joking aside I do make an effort to get a good deal before buying any new camera body - if possible with a lens combo etc. that makes for a bargain once you sell the brand new lens. Also, opening price is the only part you can fully control. 

Generally I have gotten very good resale values for my APS camera's (which I tend to use very little as they are my "spares"). My 70D was not even a 100$ expense (with a lens combo) after more than two years of use. My 5DII's recently went for ~25% of their new price after over 7 years of intense use (I had hoped for more but shutter count was a killer for many potential buyers).

For my 6D from last year (originally bought as a "bridge" to 5DIV) I got myself a "skin" to keep up the resale value. I'll see if it was worth the expense.


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## Hannes (May 13, 2016)

All the gear I've sold I've either broken even or made a small profit. Well apart from the 1d3 with 24-105 that I quite literally dropped off a cliff. I still got £170 for the snagged pieces and that is despite the charger going for a third of what it should have. Because of this I haven't had problems to let go of gear


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## pwp (May 13, 2016)

Cheekysascha said:


> .....and was really curious how hard selling off old gear was for you guys? also after selling it did you have any regrets?


Regrets? You've got to be kidding. I'm about as emotionally bonded to my camera gear as I am to my dishwasher. I just expect everything to work perfectly and barely notice its existence, then sell or trade it without a whimper when either something better comes along that suits the budget at the time or it's showing signs of wear and tear.

Sometimes I give items to an assistant and more often sell on Gumtree. My stuff sells fast. Good photos and well written copy are your best friend, not to mention a realistic price. 

-pw


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## digital paradise (May 13, 2016)

I don't ever regret selling a body. I have regretted every lens I have sold to finance a new body or a new lens. I wish I had the cash to have kept them all in a glass case collection even if I use one once a year. Kinda like Jay Leno and his cars.


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## GuyF (May 13, 2016)

eml58 said:


> ...a new Hasselblad H6D 100c plus 8 Leaf Shutter lenses...



We'll not have that sort of talk around here. This is a site for discussion of Canon's woeful DR and nothing else. Move along, nothing to see here (especially in the shadow noise).

(Seriously though, good work my friend  )


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## Ryananthony (May 13, 2016)

I buy and sell a lot of gear of craigslist. I have yet to meet anyone ''sketchy'' while buying or selling. Generally, I feel like everyone wants the same as you, a fair price on quality gear. I check my local craigslist probably 5 times a day, if not more, so I have a fair idea of what the local market is like, and current items for sale. If you provide decent photos, a realistic ad(not specs copied off bh) and a fair price, your gear should sell. Granted I'm from a big city so there are a lot of buyers. If your from a smaller town, I could see it being difficult to sell items for the market price. Then, I figure your left selling on eBay for a larger market or dropping your price in hopes of interest. If your unwilling to sell on eBay, and are selling an item kind of unique like a 180mmL or a 5d3, 1dx etc. just because it is listed for x,xxx on keh or where ever your price is coming from does not mean thats the going rate for your local market. If no one wants to spend 2000 on a camera body, your not selling your gear at that price.

This is only my opinion.


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## ajfotofilmagem (May 13, 2016)

I never regret selling cameras, but to buy them.

I regret buying a second body SLR film camera shortly before digital dominate the market. 

I regret buying a CF 1giga card for $ 100, which was not worth $ 10 when sold. :-[

I regret buying a second digital camera body (Rebel XTi) when he was to be released the T1i. :


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## RustyTheGeek (May 23, 2016)

I have to admit I can get a bit attached to some of my cameras, but not every one. I have sold several though. It's funny... some I grow attached to and others I sell without a thought. There's already plenty of good advice above on how and where to sell.

Think of it like a used car... at some point depending on condition and mileage it will command a decent selling price. Trade it in at the camera store and lose the most. Sell it to a private individual, get more. Wait too long and it's not worth much.

I have a 5D and a 30D that I really hate to part with for some reason. The 5D I might get a decent enough amount for but the 30D isn't really worth selling. Probably better to donate it to a school or give it to a young relative that's into photography. One thing that keeps me from selling my older bodies is the fact that I teach the occasional photography class to scouts and so I might want to use some of the older Rebel / XXD bodies for them to _ooh!_ and _aah!_ over.


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## slclick (May 23, 2016)

It's very easy if it's a Canon product with all accompanying documentation and box or if it's a hot 3rd party item like when I sold my Art 35. Usually I can get what I paid for if not more. I prefer Amazon as it attracts far fewer loonies than Ebay or CL yet the problem is with a set shipping price that must be accounted for with the selling price in order to be attractive. The thing I have learned is that quality photos of the item are paramount to moving them quickly.


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## eml58 (May 23, 2016)

GuyF said:


> eml58 said:
> 
> 
> > ...a new Hasselblad H6D 100c plus 8 Leaf Shutter lenses...
> ...



;D A decision long in the making, still waiting for delivery, unfortunately the earthquake recently in Japan has impacted the production of the Hasselblad 100c Sensor, but Hasselblad being the company they are have decided to send all those people having ordered the the 100c, a 50c while we wait for the 100c, pretty amazing after sales service.


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## j-nord (May 23, 2016)

It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 24, 2016)

j-nord said:


> It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.



Learn more about ebay fees. 

A camera will have a 10% selling fee for a person who is a occasional seller. 

This means a $200 fee for a $2000 camera sale including shipping charged, if any.

Sign up for a basic ebay store (free the first month) and the fee drops to $120. If you are a top rated seller like me, you get 20% off, so the selling fee is $96.

Add PayPal fees on top of that, or Credit card fees if you accept credit cards.

You can cut the fees by a huge amount.

http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feecalculator

Now, take your camera to a local auction house. Their fees usually start at 25% and they usually charge the buyer another 10%. If the buyers check bounces, you lose it all. Paypal covers the loss if you follow a few simple rules. They covered my $2500 when someone with a stolen Paypal account bought a camera from me. I had my fees refunded too, so I came out ahead. (they have stopped doing that).


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## j-nord (May 24, 2016)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> j-nord said:
> 
> 
> > It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.
> ...


Thanks for the insite. Im used to peer to peer transactions with other hobbies so at worst you pay the paypal fee but a lot of people are willing to circumvent this and 'gift' with a net zero fee on the trasaction.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 24, 2016)

j-nord said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > j-nord said:
> ...



I only send a payment as a gift if its to someone I know. Even then I have been bit. I sent a 2K payment this winter to a guy I've been doing business with for 16 years in China, and he disappeared with the $$. No way of finding him or what happened. Chinese manufacturers do not take PayPal, they want cash, (A wire Transfer). I tried retrieving the payment, but no luck there.


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## Aglet (May 24, 2016)

Hmmm... I've only sold Canon gear, or canon-compatible 3rd party stuff.
I keep everything else from other brands.
I've had no difficulty parting with most of it, emotionally or otherwise. Some I was glad to be rid of (5d2)
The used market is very active in my area and well maintained Canon gear sells easily.

i will likely keep my old 40D for nostalgia... My first and one of my favorite Canon DSLRs.


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## RustyTheGeek (May 24, 2016)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> j-nord said:
> 
> 
> > It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.
> ...



Not to be a fear monger here but what about the low-life buyers on eBay that use Buyer Protection to challenge the transaction by lying after they receive the item and then eBay/PayPal take their side and refund all the money including shipping? The seller is left with no item and no money while the thief gets it all and eBay/PayPal provide the means and the muscle. (eBay and PayPal freeze your accounts, pulls the money right out of your bank or threatens to ruin your credit if they can't get the money.) This has happened to people I know, I didn't just read about it online.


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## privatebydesign (May 24, 2016)

Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.

Also with eBay, practically every bidder makes an offer 'outside eBay', I recently listed 8 very good condition lenses, I also listed them on CraigsList. 6 sold off CL within a week, 1 sold through eBay officially and one sold via eBay but 'outside' it. Two days ago my listing for a tripod head finished, I was offered $225 'outside' eBay and another offer of $300 inside eBay, it sold via the listing for $337 to neither of those bidders.


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## bdunbar79 (May 24, 2016)

Absolutely hate eBay. I only sell on Amazon now.


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## GuyF (May 24, 2016)

eml58 said:


> ...they are have decided to send all those people having ordered the the 100c, a 50c while we wait for the 100c, pretty amazing after sales service.



Yup, if you're paying big bucks you should get excellent aftercare (or even, precare!).


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 24, 2016)

privatebydesign said:


> Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.
> 
> Also with eBay, practically every bidder makes an offer 'outside eBay', I recently listed 8 very good condition lenses, I also listed them on CraigsList. 6 sold off CL within a week, 1 sold through eBay officially and one sold via eBay but 'outside' it. Two days ago my listing for a tripod head finished, I was offered $225 'outside' eBay and another offer of $300 inside eBay, it sold via the listing for $337 to neither of those bidders.



Ebay charges a flat 10% for the Camera/Lens category, but reduces it for various things like having a store. PayPal adds on to that, but they are a separate company now.

I use the feature that requires payment immediately, or no sale. It only works for fixed price listings, not auctions.

Bottom feeders are a much bigger problem on Craigslist than ebay, I always get people offering lowball prices when I list on CL. On ebay, there is a report buyer link at the bottom of the email. Report a out of ebay offer, and they will suspend or terminate the buyer.(They take losing their fee very seriously)

I do get emails making offers. Most of them I ignore, but if one is polite and I have padded my price, I make a counter offer thru the ebay system for a few bucks off my asking price. Its usually accepted.

My photography stuff sells so fast one ebay that its often sold in a hour or two. I set the price fairly, and a 10,000 100% positive feedback really helps to get a better price.

You do have to detach yourself from your gear, evaluate it fairly, research selling prices, and do not ask too much. I usually net more from ebay than a cash sale on Craigslist. I have about 30 photography items offered very reasonably on Craigslist, but only 25% have sold in three weeks. I get dozens of questions, people who want it but no shows, offers to ship to North Africa for $1000 extra, etc. I find it to be less than pleasant.


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## RustyTheGeek (May 24, 2016)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> privatebydesign said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.
> ...



In my personal experience buying and selling on CL, Amazon and eBay I would agree with pretty much everything Mt. Spokane has said. The bottom line is that selling stuff is a pain but like anything, if you take the time to do it well, it tends to work in your favor most of the time.


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## privatebydesign (May 24, 2016)

RustyTheGeek said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > privatebydesign said:
> ...



I'm not disagreeing, just adding my personal experiences.

As for eBay fees, yes for cameras as a non trader/'store' holder I am charged 10%, but not of the selling fee, of the selling fee plus the shipping, though they give you a 'discount' on it! PayPal takes it's 2.5% off everything.

So I sell something for $100, shipping is $12. Paypal gets $112 from the buyer, shipping cost $12 minus discount (which is the same you get from USPS online) so $10.80, eBay take $12 as their 10% commission. Paypal take $2.80 (often plus $0.50 for something or other).

So costs are $14.80 commission and $10.80 postage, total of $25.60 from $112. Seller gets $86.40, which is why I said I am getting around 13.5% fees.


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## bholliman (May 25, 2016)

I buy and sell on Fred Miranda with excellent results. The buyers in my experience are great to work with, generally other enthusiasts or pros and prices very reasonable. For me, the seller experience is much, much better than with other options. The Paypal fees are modest.

I've sold a lot of used gear over the past 5 years. I've used CL and eBay in the past, with mixed sucess. We live in a lightly populated area, so local buyers for higher end photography equipment are very limited, making CL a poor outlet generally. eBay fees are getting too high for my taste and scammers are a persistent problem there.

I've also tried Adorama used, sending two L lenses there for evaluation and a quote. They offered roughly 60% of what I eventually sold the lenses for on fredmiranda.com. Yeah, FM was a little more work, but certainly worth it.


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## TheDrift- (May 25, 2016)

AcutancePhotography said:


> I have sold only one camera and to be truthful, I regret it. The amount of money I got for it was tiny and now that it is (almost 40 years later) a camera that is not made any more, I wish I still had it... just to have on a shelf.
> 
> But then, I don't upgrade my cameras very often. In 40 years of hobbyist photography, I have owned 5 cameras (not counting cheap P&Ss). 3 film and 2 DSLR.
> 
> The camera I sold was a Pentax auto 110. A 110 SLR! Working with 110 negatives in the darkroom was not exactly high on the fun list. ;D



I am sorry for your loss! I bought a used one last year Its a wonderful *little* camera


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## AcutancePhotography (May 25, 2016)

TheDrift- said:


> I am sorry for your loss! I bought a used one last year Its a wonderful *little* camera



It is an awesome little camera. What are they selling for these days?


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## Hannes (May 26, 2016)

I don't know about the US ebay but I get offers on a regular basis to sell for either £1 fees or 75% off fees. Maybe because I don't sell all that much?


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## J.R. (May 26, 2016)

I've successfully sold a few cameras and lenses using facebook. All I did was post in the local photography club group and buyers came up pretty quick. Met the buyers in person, they tried the camera, paid in cash ... all good.


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## Act444 (Jun 5, 2016)

After a 1.5 year love/hate relationship with my 7D2, I parted with it a couple of weeks ago. It was not a simple decision though. But - ultimately, what I was getting out of my 5D3 in comparison IQ-wise and performance-wise combined with my looking to (eventually?) step up to a 1DX II convinced me it was time. 

I also parted with my SL1 - while it has served me well the past 2-3 years, its niche has since been recently filled by other stuff.


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## ajbeefde (Jun 29, 2016)

After trading in my 700d body for a new 70D body i still had my old 400D laying around.

Placed a ad on local market site and sold in one day ! 

Person was just starting so sold two old lenses as wel


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## Ozarker (Jun 29, 2016)

zim said:


> Impossible
> I have every one I've ever bought I'm a sentimental idiot ;D



For what I got for them... I sort of wish I still had all the old camera bodies. I don't think I'll ever sell another.


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