Gear you want to try out before buying : buy used or rent?

Wondering what most of you do. Usually if I want to try something out, even assuming a demo is available at a store it's difficult to really get a good feel for something in just a matter of minutes. I'd say I need at least 5 days with gear before I am sure if it's going to be a keeper or not.

I'm wondering if you guys have had this issue, and whether you usually just buy used (benefit being if you like it you just keep it, if not you can sell it for maybe what you paid) OR do you prefer to rent the gear?

I'm not a fan of buying and returning.

Och Elo said:

Wondering what most of you do. Usually if I want to try something out, even assuming a demo is available at a store it's difficult to really get a good feel for something in just a matter of minutes. I'd say I need at least 5 days with gear before I am sure if it's going to be a keeper or not.

I'm wondering if you guys have had this issue, and whether you usually just buy used (benefit being if you like it you just keep it, if not you can sell it for maybe what you paid) OR do you prefer to rent the gear?

I'm not a fan of buying and returning.

Click to expand...

I wanted to try out a D610 and a D800 to make up my mind which I wanted but that was not possible. So I read as much as I could about people's experiences with them, and then also heard stories from locals who owned the cameras, after ruminating a little more I bought a used D800 (from a distant store so no hands on testing) and I am and have been very happy with it.

I wanted a 28-70 2.8 zoom but the Nikon was quite expensive and very large, I found a Sigma which was smaller and found some good reviews so I bought that used also and have been very happy with it. I couldn't test before purchase.

I had the same experience with a Nikon 20mm f2.8 and a Nikon 85mm f1.8 I bought both used from Jessops and was happy because they both performed according to expectations. Again had to rely on sellers statements on condition.

I found an ageing Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF in a camera shop looking a bit sorry for itself, shot some images with it in the shop and then paid the princely sum of £40.00 for it. This one was my best value lens so far!

Mark_A

1) Read about it

2) Try it in store

3) Rent for a few days or as long as possible if unsure

I have a pretty good idea by then if it's going to be suitable for me or not and buy it new, but if I'm not completely sure:

A) Buy used / Refurbished, sell again if I don't like it

onlyfreeman said:

1) Read about it

2) Try it in store

3) Rent for a few days or as long as possible if unsure

I have a pretty good idea by then if it's going to be suitable for me or not and buy it new, but if I'm not completely sure:

A) Buy used / Refurbished, sell again if I don't like it

Click to expand...

I like this a lot. I've always rented in the past, but I'm wondering if the item in question is fairly inexpensive, I might want to just skip the renting and just buy used. I figure even if I take a loss it wouldn't be much more than renting.

Och Elo said:

onlyfreeman said:

1) Read about it

2) Try it in store

3) Rent for a few days or as long as possible if unsure

I have a pretty good idea by then if it's going to be suitable for me or not and buy it new, but if I'm not completely sure:

A) Buy used / Refurbished, sell again if I don't like it

Click to expand...

I like this a lot. I've always rented in the past, but I'm wondering if the item in question is fairly inexpensive, I might want to just skip the renting and just buy used. I figure even if I take a loss it wouldn't be much more than renting.

Click to expand...

I agree, I would only rent if I was still quite unsure.

Sometimes it's a little trickier though, for example when buying a lens or fixed-lens camera the variation in quality could mean you end up with a slightly different quality than you experienced or read about. In that case there is an advantage to buying used as you can more easily learn about any flaws.

In my city there is generally no return policy (except faulty product in the first 7~14 days).

No place to rent.

If I buy from gray matket, I even have to face the risk of a valueless dealer's warranty.

Therefore I insist to buy from a brick shop that I can test before buy.

I'll conduct my research, handle the gear physically a few times in showrooms to see would the known cons of a model is really not acceptable to me. When I buy, shall also test/ examine on every general aspects: take a few test shots to check the responsiveness, feeling of the buttons/dials, smoothness of rings on lens, scratches on body, lens coating, dust etc are standard on my checking list.

No money will be exchanged hand until I am 100% satisfied.

A simple word, 80% of work on per purchase (find a target model, read the spec and manual, reviews, user's real life opinion, tested in showroom), and 20% on the moment of purchase (test and inspect the one to be purchased and see will quit or not. Plan to buy a Panasonic GM5 as back up cam is a good example that for last minute decision I left the shop empty hand.).

I prefer to buy new ones.

...I've bought pretty much everything except Leica from a single B&M for years (and I always buy a Leica from a Leica Store), as a result they send me invites for looking at new stuff and also generally speaking will let me take anything out for a few hours - and they also have a training area and studio that I can borrow when it's not in use.

I then have a shortlist of what I want, and I buy the shortlist. Then I spend anything up to a couple of months with it, and after that anything I don't want to keep for any reason I sell. I only buy used when it's impossible to buy new.

I've never actually done it, but I always assumed that if I ever was in a position to buy something really grand and expensive new in the box, I would rent before I pulled the final trigger.

As it stands, I most often buy used. Not as a tryout, but because I can't afford anything else.

Och Elo said:

Wondering what most of you do. Usually if I want to try something out, even assuming a demo is available at a store it's difficult to really get a good feel for something in just a matter of minutes. I'd say I need at least 5 days with gear before I am sure if it's going to be a keeper or not.

I'm wondering if you guys have had this issue, and whether you usually just buy used (benefit being if you like it you just keep it, if not you can sell it for maybe what you paid) OR do you prefer to rent the gear?

I'm not a fan of buying and returning.

Click to expand...

I agree, test drives are hard in the parking lot. But there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for the new car. Read up on it. Look at the YT videos of reviews, tutorials, and samples, to see what you need to know about before you touch the camera.


A new system will have different menu layouts and function buttons and dials. And they will have key selling points, that you'll want to learn about and how to use them. All this will save you time, and give you knowledge of what the new camera can do. And will be essential to get the most out of your short test run with it.

Changing camera systems require a full test run. Thus renting or borrowing a camera body, and top quality lens or lenses is the way to go. Why? Because it's at least a 5 grand investment for the next few years. Much like buying a car you'll want to test drive it to see how it feels and handles.


In this modern online world, there is a lot of hype. And a lot of misinformation that goes around because of marketeers and fan boys create propaganda to sucker the uninformed. And like anything BS, if it's repeated over and over, the more people will buy into it.

Thus, having knowledge ahead of time, and having the targeted camera and lenses in your hands, will give you the best 1st experience with a new system. No other opinion matters more than your own. And only your knowledge and experience will give you the facts and truth about a new camera system.

Good luck on your new camera system. Whatever you choose, it will be the right choice as long as it's your opinion that counts.

My process is usually to obsessively research gear I'm on the fence about. Read up on it. Read up on the competitor's similar gear. Skim through forums. Ask friends for advice. Then sit on the decision and repeat later. Finally, pulling the trigger when I've convinced myself it's the right gear.

In the past I have also rented gear I wanted before buying (through KitSplit.com , who I work for now, but didn't at the time) when I had a specific project I wanted to try out some gear for. I then bought that particular piece of gear off the guy I rented from, which was a pretty solid deal, because he was also willing to include a bunch of other items with it (case and a battery) I might not have gotten with it right away anyway. Sort of doing both in that instance. Rented and the bought it used.