Amateur Photographer – 30 August 2019

subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 24 August 2019 47

SECOND-HAND BARGAINS Testbench

Bag a bargain

AndyWestlakeandMichaelTophamidentify

somegreatsecond-handoptionsfordifferent

genresthatdon’tbreakthebankatunder£500

O

neof thegreatthingsabout

photographyis thatit is sucha

diverseandpersonalrecreation

noteveryonesharesthesame

interestin photographingthesamesubject.If

youpicked 100 photographersat randomand

askedthemwhattheyenjoyedphotographing

themost,you’dsureenoughgeta widerangeof

answersfromthepopularto themoreobscure.

Theimportantthingto rememberis that

whateveryoumighthaveaninterestin

photographing,it’simperativethatthecamera

andset-upyouuseis a fitting match to your

chosen subject.

Whilemanyof usmightaspiretobethe

ownerof a brandnewNikonZ 7 orSonyA7R

IVtoshoothigh-resolutionlandscapeimages,

ormaybea newLeicaif yourloveliesin street

ordocumentaryphotography,notallof us

havethousandsof poundstobuythelatest

state-of-the-artcameras.Desirableasthey

mightbe,top-of-the-linepremiummodelsare

beyondthebudgetconstraintsof manyof us,

whichcanleadtoustolookelsewhereorat

whatmightbeavailableonthesecond-hand

market.Thisgotusthinking.Whichcameras

andlensescanbepickedupcheaplyforthe

most popular genres in photography?

Firstthingsfirst,wehadtodecideonwhich

genrestocover.Afteragreeingtotrytofind

somebargainsforlandscape,portraiture,

streetandsportphotography,webeganour

hunttoseewhatcanbepickedupin good

second-handconditionforlessthan£500.

Trawlingthesecond-handcameramarket

resultedin someinterestingfinds,someof

whichmightnotimmediatelyspringtomind

asyourfirstchoice.Aswellastakingdifferent

criteriaintoconsiderationforeachcamera

suchasbuildquality,features,imagequality

andhowtheyperformedwhentheywere

tested,we’vealsomadea fewalternative

suggestionsforeachgenre,includinglenses

thatcanbepickedupcheaply.

Note:Thepriceandavailabilityof the

productsmentionedin thisarticlewerecorrect

at thetimeof writing,butmay be subject

to change at any time.

Thereareexcellentdeals

tobehadwhenbuying

usedcameras.These

fouraffordableoptions

each cost under £500

Great for

portraits

G rea t

for action

Great for

landscapes

Great for

st reet