Luca lives in Bari, works at an architecture studio and for years had a DSLR permanently hanging from his neck. Then, little by little, his smartphone took its place. The Nikon D7500 with its 18-140 lens ended up in its bag in the hallway cupboard, coming out a couple of times a year at most. In June his friend Davide asked him to take some photos at his wedding, in September at a farmhouse near Monopoli. Not as the official photographer, just to get a few different, more candid shots. That was the moment Luca decided to sell his used DSLR and get back into it with something lighter.
Luca's is an illustrative story, but it brings together three things you can do on Lendmates with the same account, selling, buying and renting.
How much a used DSLR is worth
The first thing Luca did was look at listings for cameras like his. DSLRs have lost a fair bit of value in recent years, as many photographers have moved to mirrorless, but a good body with a low shutter count and a versatile lens still sells well. A D7500 with the 18-140 in good condition usually changes hands for €450 to €550, depending on the shutter count and what's in the box.
Luca had the original box, two batteries, the charger, an unused strap and a UV filter on the lens. The shutter counter said about 18,000 shots, low for a camera in that class. He decided to ask €520, a little above average, because the kit was complete.
For a DSLR, the shutter count is what mileage is for a car. If you know it, put it in the listing. Anyone buying a used camera almost always asks about it first.
The listing and the sale
One evening at the kitchen table, Luca cleaned the body with a blower and a microfibre cloth and photographed everything in the light from the window. The body front and back, the control dial, the lens with clean glass, the contents of the box. On Lendmates he uploaded the photos and the listing more or less filled itself in with the model and the main details. He added the shutter count and why he was selling, then published.
Over the next few days a few questions came in through the chat. A guy from Verona wanted to know if the sensor had any dust spots, and Luca sent him a photo of a clear sky taken at a narrow aperture, where a dirty sensor shows up straight away. It was clean. The buyer took the camera for €500 after a little haggling and paid in the app.
Luca packed the camera in its box, inside a bigger carton with bubble wrap, and sent it by courier. A few days later the buyer confirmed everything was as listed, the purchase went through and the money reached Luca. No bank transfer to check, no meeting in a car park to swap cash. Knowing the payment was protected until delivery also reassured the buyer, who didn't know Luca and lived nine hundred kilometres away.
Buying a used mirrorless camera
With the €500 from the DSLR, Luca went looking for a compact mirrorless, something he could carry around without feeling like a pack mule. On Lendmates he found a Sony a6400 with the kit lens, sold for €560 by a woman in Florence who had moved up to a full frame model. Before buying he asked her in the chat for the shutter count and a photo of the screen switched on. She replied within half an hour, with the photos and a tip on which memory card to use.
He paid in the app and the camera arrived by courier three days later, well packed. Luca checked everything worked, confirmed the purchase and left her a review. In practice he had swapped cameras for an extra €60 out of his own pocket.
Renting a lens for the wedding
For the wedding photos one thing was missing. The kit lens is fine for everyday use, but for portraits and the sunset light at the farmhouse Luca wanted a fast lens. Buying one for a single day made no sense. So he looked on Lendmates for someone renting out a compatible lens near Bari, and found one in Mola, twenty minutes from home, offered by an amateur photographer.
The availability calendar showed the wedding weekend was free, so he booked it from Friday to Sunday at €20 a day. On top of the rental he paid a deposit, which comes back when the lens is returned in good order. He picked it up on Friday evening, and at handover they used the app's QR code to confirm the lens had changed hands. On Sunday afternoon he brought it back and another QR code confirmed the return. The deposit came back to Luca shortly after.
For a one-day event, renting a lens costs a fraction of the purchase price. If you only need it for a wedding, a trip or a shoot, it's worth checking first who rents one out near you.
If you want to dig deeper, we've written a guide to renting photography gear peer to peer and an article on how the deposit and QR code work.
How it all turned out
Davide and his wife liked Luca's photos so much that they put one of them, the two of them under the olive trees at sunset, on the thank-you card for their guests. Luca has a camera that's new to him, lighter, and one that actually leaves the house now. And the fast lens went back to its owner, ready for someone else's next weekend.
Throughout the whole story Luca used a single account, and for each item he chose the option that made most sense. He sold what he no longer used, bought second hand what he really needed, and rented what he needed for one day.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a used DSLR worth?
It depends on the model, the shutter count and the lenses included. A mid-range APS-C DSLR with a zoom lens in good condition often sells for €400 to €550.
How do you check the sensor on a used DSLR?
Ask for a photo of a clear sky or a white wall taken at a very narrow aperture. Any dust spots show up straight away.
Is it worth renting a lens for a single event?
Almost always. For a day or a weekend, renting costs a small part of the purchase price, and the deposit comes back when you return it.
Can I sell and rent with the same account?
Yes. On Lendmates the same account lets you sell, buy, rent out and rent.
Illustrative story. People and figures are fictional, but they reflect a typical way to use Lendmates.
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