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Best Used Camera Gear For Popular Genres

In this guide we highlight some of the best used camera gear for the most popular photography genres including portraits, wildlife and landscape photography. All three of these popular genres are accessible to everyone regardless of skill level, however the right camera and lens combination can make a real difference to your results.

We divide the used gear for each genre into high-value, mid-value and budget equipment in order for you to pick and choose according to your own budget. Buying used camera gear will save you money compared to the cost of buying new, providing the opportunity to pursue your passion without missing out on specific equipment you need for different subjects.

• The best used gear for portraits
• The best used gear for wildlife photography
• The best used gear for landscape photography

Best used gear for portraits

Portrait photography has been one of the most popular styles of photography since photography was invented. Whether you shooting with natural or artificial lighting the most advantageous features you can have for portraiture include:

• A wide aperture lens, ideally somewhere between f/1.2 to f/2
• A high quality camera sensor, which renders fine detail and a wide dynamic range
• Great autofocus to help nail focus on the eyes

All three of these used systems is capable of delivering amazing results when shooting portraits and caters for any budget. The Panasonic and Nikon are both full-frame bodies which will give you beautiful shallow depth of field, while the Olympus sports a micro four thirds sensor and a 90mm equivalent lens. Each lens features a wide maximum aperture with the Panasonic providing a classic standard 50mm focal width, while the other two are at the equally popular short telephoto range for greater compression.

Sony Europe Imaging Ambassador Hannah Couzens offers 5 Ways To Improve Your Portrait Photography with great sample portraits here.

Best used gear for wildlife photography

Wildlife photography is one of the more challenging subjects, which requires often expensive long telephoto lenses along with a huge amount of patience waiting for the perfect moment. While previously accessible only for the lucky few, our selection of the best used gear for wildlife photography demonstrates how virtually everyone can enjoy this fulfilling genre nowadays.

For the best chance of capturing epic wildlife photos, your camera and lens combination should have impeccable focus abilities and your lens should be as bright as possible, with the longest reach for more distant wildlife and birds. The ability to manually override focus on the lens is also an advantage when your subject is partly obscured.

It’s pretty incredible that the flagship Canon DSLR can be found second-hand in great condition for a saving of more than £3000 over the price when new. Combine the body with the mark II 100-400mm lens and you have a formidable pair suitable for virtually any wildlife subject.

The mirrorless EOS RP provides a good entry-point into Canon’s acclaimed mirrorless range and is a user-friendly, full-frame camera with huge creative potential when paired with RF lenses. The RF 100-400mm lens is equally impressive as it’s DSLR stablemate and capable of capturing extremely sharp results.

Last but not least, Nikon’s DX format D3200 is a 24MP body aimed at beginners and intermediate photographers, offering a great combination of features verses budget. When you mount the 55-300mm lens you’ll enjoy an equivalent 82.5mm-450mm focal width zoom, making for the longest reach of these three lenses.

Danny Green shares his tips and gorgeous bird and wildlife photos captured when Photographing Local Wildlife.

Best used gear for landscape photography

Landscape photography is popular as a hobby and passion for a huge number of photographers around the world. It’s one of the most rewarding genres for those who enjoy getting out into nature and exploring new locations.

When capturing landscapes choose a camera which has a high resolution sensor and wide dynamic range, in order to capture the broad contrast and colours in any scene. The best lenses for landscape photography will be pin sharp at around f/8 for a greater depth of field with good contrast and colour rendition.

The Sony A7R IV needs no introduction as the world’s highest resolution full-frame camera, which has been the goto choice for landscape photographers shooting with Sony cameras. Sony’s sensor is not only high resolution but delivers excellent dynamic range, which is particularly noticeable when using a lens such as the ultra wide angle 16-35mm G Master.

Fujifilm APS-C cameras deliver beautiful colours and the X-T2 was one of the first models to be widely recognised as a great option for landscape photography. Combine this compact body with the highly proficient 10-24mm lens and you’ll enjoy excellent results with equipment which also benefits from being extremely lightweight.

The Canon EOS 60D is a great budget option to enjoy landscape photography and also includes an APS-C sensor, albeit with an 18MP resolution, whereas the X-T2 has 24MP. The DSLR is outstanding in low light and includes basic auto modes together with manual modes for complete control. Pair the camera with the Sigma lens and you’ll be able to shoot beautiful images to impress your social followers and refine your skills.

If you’re heading out during warmer months you can pick up some Summer Landscape Photography Tips here. You might also be interested in whether the Canon EOS 80D is the best used DSLR for beginners, which offers insights into the popular compact model from Canon for newcomers.

Whichever style of photography you enjoy shooting a used camera and lens is available to suit any budget and skill level. Buying second-hand gear from Park Cameras is stress-free with complete peace of mind from our standard six-month warranty. You can also trade-in any unwanted gear you may have and save on the cost by part-exchanging.

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By Nick Dautlich on 26/07/2022