Digital Photographer - UK (2019-12)

GEAR ADVICE

BUYING & SELLING

GoPro HERO7 Black

Condition ratings in

second-hand gear

Q

I have been looking into

buying a used GoPro HERO7

Black at MPB, and have seen

several options (with varied prices).

Could you explain what the different

conditions of used cameras mean?

Jason Wills

U

sed camera gear from MPB has a condition

rating to suit every budget, from ‘Like new’

to ‘Heavily used’. Our specialists test, check

and individually photograph every single item, so you

know exactly what you’re getting. They test for more

than 40 criteria per product. This means you can get

picture-perfect performance at a fraction of the price.

Plus, MPB offer a free six-month warranty for peace of

mind. Because each item is individually priced, it’s easy

to find your ideal setup from MPB’s vast range.

MPB’s CONDITION RATINGS

Like new: unboxed, unused or lightly used

Excellent: minimal signs of wear, otherwise pristine

Good: fair amount of use, but well kept

Well used: significant use, with some signs of normal

wear and tear

Heavily used: clear signs of wear and tear, but still

works a treat

RELEASED: September 2018

PRICE NEW: £319

PRICE AT MPB.COM TODAY: From £274

Sponsored by

MPB

What are the main

advantages of using

a battery grip with my

camera, and should I

have one?

Tom Whiteman

As cameras are getting smaller,

adding a battery grip that increases

weight and bulk does seem a bit

counterintuitive. But battery grips

do have advantages.

Obviously, they increase the time

you have to go before changing a

bat ter y, but more impor tantly, I

think, they change the way the

camera handles when shooting

in portrait format. With a second

shutter button and control pad on

the side, it’s so much easier to

shoot in portrait mode

• something
  I do a lot.
  Whether
  the extra
  cost of a
  battery grip is
  worth it is down to
  how likely you are to
  use your camera this way
  for prolonged periods. Finding and
  purchasing a second-hand grip
  could be a good way to offset the
  initial expenditure.

ADVANTAGES

Longer power supply

Extra controls for vertical shooting

Better balance with heavier lenses

DISADVANTAGES

Bulkier setup

Extra investment

Buying: Battery grip

Do you need one?

I’ve started shooting 4K

video on my DSLR. Do I

need to buy a bigger

memory card?

Sarah Twells

Although 4K video files inherently take

up a lot of memory space due to their

high resolution, card capacity isn’t

the only consideration to

think about when recording

footage. It’s important to

use a card that saves (and

transfers) large amounts of

data quickly. A ‘fast’ card will

easily help to speed up your

workflow this way.

Your camera’s manual

should detail the best write

speed to cope with volumes

of video data. I don’t know

what type of card your DSLR

takes, but I’d recommend

investing in a pro-grade card

such as the Lexar 256GB 3500x Pro

(or max out at 512GB), which has a

read transfer speed up to 525MB/s.

Advanced cameras often have a

dual memory card slot that can be

configured in different ways, so you

could set up a second card as an

overflow for when the first card is full.

Shooting with smaller capacity cards

isn’t necessarily a problem – they’ll

just need to be emptied more often.

Buying: 4K memory card

Lexar 256GB Professional

3500x CFast 2.0 Card

GoPro HERO7 Black

Condition ratings in

Sponsored by

MPB

Pro

s a

/s.

a

be

ou

s full.

ards

y’ll

MPB

offers a next day

delivery service

& six-month

warranty on all

used equipment

Right

Action hero

The GoPro HERO7 Black

is waterproof, shoots 4K

video and super-slow-

motion video. Still images

can be captured in 12MP

resolution in bursts of up

to 30 images per second

second-hand gear

Q

I havebeenlookinginto

buyinga usedGoProHERO7

BlackatMPB,andhaveseen

severaloptions(withvariedprices).

Couldyouexplainwhatthedifferent

conditionsofusedcamerasmean?

JasonWills

U

sedcameragearfromMPBhasa condition

ratingtosuiteverybudget,from‘Likenew’

to‘Heavilyused’.Ourspecialiststest,check

andindividuallyphotographeverysingleitem,soyou

knowexactlywhatyou’regetting.Theytestformore

than 40 criteriaperproduct.Thismeansyoucanget

picture-perfectperformanceata fractionoftheprice.

Plus,MPBoffera freesix-monthwarrantyforpeaceof

mind.Becauseeachitemisindividuallypriced,it’seasy

tofindyouridealsetupfromMPB’svastrange.

MPB’sCONDITIONRATINGS

Likenew:unboxed,unusedorlightlyused

Excellent:minimalsignsofwear,otherwisepristine

Good:fairamountofuse,butwellkept

Wellused:significantuse,withsomesignsofnormal

wearandtear

Heavilyused:clearsignsofwearandtear,butstill

worksa treat

RELEASED:September 2018

PRICENEW:£319

PRICEATMPB.COMTODAY:From£274

Whatarethemain

advantagesofusing

a batterygripwithmy

camera,andshouldI

haveone?

TomWhiteman

Ascamerasaregettingsmaller,

addinga batterygripthatincreases

weightandbulkdoesseema bit

counterintuitive.Butbatterygrips

dohaveadvantages.

Obviously,theyincreasethetime

youhavetogobeforechanginga

bat ter y,butmoreimpor tantly,I

think,theychangethewaythe

camerahandleswhenshooting

inportraitformat.Witha second

shutterbuttonandcontrolpadon

theside,it’ssomucheasierto

shootinportraitmode

• something
  I doa lot.
  Whether
  theextra
  costofa
  batterygripis
  worthit isdownto
  howlikelyyouareto
  useyourcamerathisway
  forprolongedperiods.Findingand
  purchasinga second-handgrip
  couldbea goodwaytooffsetthe
  initialexpenditure.

ADVANTAGES

Longerpowersupply

Extracontrolsforverticalshooting

Betterbalancewithheavierlenses

DISADVANTAGES

Bulkiersetup

Extra investment

Buying: Battery grip

I’ve started shooting 4K

video on my DSLR. Do I

need to buy a bigger

memory card?

Sarah Twells

Although 4K video files inherently take

up a lot of memory space due to their

high resolution, card capacity isn’t

the only consideration to

think about when recording

footage. It’s important to

use a card that saves (and

transfers) large amounts of

data quickly. A ‘fast’ card will

easily help to speed up your

workflow this way.

Your camera’s manual

should detail the best write

speed to cope with volumes

of video data. I don’t know

what type of card your DSLR

takes, but I’d recommend

investing in a pro-grade card

such as the Lexar 256GB 3500x

(or max out at 512GB), whichhas

read transfer speed up to 525MB

Advanced cameras often have

dual memory card slot that canb

configured in different ways,soyo

could set up a second card asan

overflow for when the first cardis

Shooting with smaller capacityca

isn’t necessarily a problem –they

just need to be emptied moreoften.

GoPro HERO7 Black

Condition ratings in

Sponsoredby

MPB

Pro

sa

/s.

a

be

ou

sfull.

ards

y’ll

MPB

offers a next day

delivery service

& six-month

warranty on all

used equipment

Right

Action hero

The GoPro HERO7 Black

is waterproof, shoots 4K

video and super-slow-

motion video. Still images

can be captured in 12MP

resolution in bursts of up

to 30 images per second