Looking for cameras can be stressful if you don’t know where to look. After all, there are many of them on the market. It gets especially bad when looking for specific gear as there are even more things to keep in mind.
To help with this hunt, we ran through the easiest ways you can get what you need while saving the most. So, why don’t you read ahead?
Have A Budget In Mind
Camera gear can be expensive if you’re not careful. One of the best ways to stay in the clear is having a budget in mind. This will tell you how much you can spend, making you avoid things that would really dent your wallet.
As you have a budget, you’ll start to shop smarter as well. You’d have to look around town and online, letting you see a range of brands and cameras you normally wouldn’t have noticed.
What’s more, the budget may force you to wait. You may not be able to find anything for what you’re willing to spend, so waiting for sales will be your only option. The fact is, the discounts offered in sales can be insane. For example, if you’re lucky enough, you can get up to 70% off on Cyber Monday.
Shop Online
Shopping online is an easy way to save money on camera gear. Not only is it easy, but it’s also commonplace as many people buy things online anyway, without knowing they’re saving cash.
If you weren’t aware, online stores offer goods for a lesser price. This is as they don’t have as many overhead costs as their physical store counterparts. For example, the online store wouldn’t have to worry about rent or as many employees.
Not just this, but the internet lets you work with sellers from around the world. In your city, the cost of a DSLR may be through the roof. When looking online, you’ll find that sellers from a specific country offer the cameras for a fraction of the cost.
Reviews Are Your Best Friends
As the internet is a treasure stove of information, you’ll find many gear reviews that have a collection of camera and camera-related gears that won’t hurt your wallet. This is as they round up the best of the best cheap devices for what you want. So, all the leg work is done for you.
Buy Second-hand
Another way to save money is by getting the gear second-hand. This allows you to get them at a fraction of a cost. Depending on how used it is, the cost will differ.
Of course:
You shouldn’t be too cheap and get beat up gear. This will save you money, but you’re not getting your money’s worth as what you just bought could fall apart in a week or two.
Brands Matter
When it comes to price, brand matters as people love paying more for names. Let’s say you want to get a new point and shoot camera. You’ll notice that the ones from Sony are more expensive than a brand like Lumix.
The price difference is strange considering the models have almost the same specs. They’re different in price due to the big names. Sony is a more significant brand in the electronics industry, so you’re paying for the bragging rights you get from owning a device.
This is not very feasible. So, you should do your research, finding the many brands that offer the gear you want. This will show you more affordable gear fit for your budget.
Where Are You Buying It From?
Like the brand name, which store you’re buying the pieces from is very important. Retailers would charge differently for the exact same product. If you compare a high-end store, they charge more as you get a more premium ‘shopping experience’.
Borrow The Gear
Let’s say you own a DSLR camera. You can change its lens whenever you want, so you don’t have to buy one. Instead, you could get hold of a lens from a family member or friend.
This is a great way to save money while using a pretty expensive lens as you’ll be giving it back to them once you’re done.
If you’re lucky, your friend has a set of them lying around. This will let you pick and choose as you want, whenever you want.
While on the topic, you could buy it off them too. They’ll not sell at a high price so you’re getting one hell of a steal.
Maybe You Don’t Need A Warranty?
As cameras are high tech, there are a number of things that could go wrong with them. When this happens, warranties come into play.
However, you can choose to not pay for the warranty, or an extended one. This will save you money because when buying the gear, a substantial amount of its price would be for the warranty.
Depending on what type of warranty this is, the amount you’ll have to pay differs.
Invest In The Long Run
You may need to get new gear as the one you’re currently using stopped working. They didn’t break due to you mishandling them, but due to their build quality.
You would have gotten a cheap camera thinking it would save money, but if you were to buy a more expensive, high-quality one, you’d be saving more in the long run. This is as they’re less likely to give you any trouble.
What’s more, buying expensive gear will help as you won’t need to upgrade them that often. It probably has some high-end specs, so you’re good to go for a while.
Do You Even Need It?
To save more when looking for camera gear, you need to ask yourself if you even need what you’re looking for.
For example, you may be going on vacation to the Maldives. As you’ll be snorkeling a lot, you’ll need a waterproof lens for your DSLR. The fact is, these lenses are more expensive than regular ones.
And the unfortunate truth is that you may not use the lens after your trip. This means it would be a waste of money, so you would have been better off not getting it in the first place.
