Beware! Buying used camera gear is addictive. Photography can be an expensive hobby and finding out how easy it is to get great gear at a reasonable price only leads to buying even more gear at a "reasonable" price. Trust me, I've done it a lot. Finding the lens or camera you want at a lower price is great, but even better is finding older, discontinued models that can give that retro look with no editing required.
While eBay is the obvious answer for finding anything used, that's only one option and, for a variety of reasons, not the best. Specialized resellers of camera gear might have higher prices but offer peace of mind that random internet sellers do not. So here's where to look for used camera gear and what to consider when you've found the model you were looking for.
Where to get used camera gear
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Let me start with that initial obvious answer. The issue with eBay is that you have no real idea about the condition of the camera you're buying. Sure, the better sellers will have detailed photos of (allegedly) the camera you're buying, but a photo can never tell you the whole story. It might seem like it's in good shape, but does the shutter actually work, is there dirt or worse in the lens? I've bought camera gear on eBay, and generally it was fine. But in one case I got a different camera than what the ad claimed to be selling.
Specialty resellers
CNET
The two biggest names in camera gear reselling are KEH and MPB. These sites specialize in buying and selling everything from lenses to cameras to flashes and tripods. The gear they buy gets inspected, the condition rated and it's put up for sale with a price based on that condition. I've bought a lot of gear from KEH over the years, and CNET Managing Editor Josh Goldman has bought a bunch from MPB. While prices and selection are often fairly similar, at least for bigger-name and more popular cameras and lenses, one big advantage that MPB has over other resellers is that they photograph each item. So you can see the condition of the actual item you want to buy.
Other options include retailers that also offer used gear. Adorama, for instance, has a ratings system for its used gear. B&H Photo has a similar ratings system for its used department. In both cases, there's a short description to go with the rating -- like "Condition: 9 Minor surface marks," for example -- but no images of the actual item you're buying. I've bought new gear from both but haven't tried any of Adorama's used gear.
Depending on where you live, there might still be an actual, physical camera store. Many of these will offer a selection of used gear as well. These stores likely won't have anything close to the selection of the online options, but you'll at least be able to hold and potentially try out any of the gear you're considering. Or maybe you'll find something you weren't considering and buy that too. Now you have two new lenses. Ask me how I know.
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