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Camera gear is one of the best second-hand categories, because bodies and lenses last for years and lose value fast in the first two. Check the shutter count on bodies, shine a torch through every lens for fungus and haze, and make sure the mount fits what you already own.
A lens only fits bodies with the same mount, so decide on the system before you buy anything. The common ones: Canon EF (DSLR) and RF (mirrorless), Nikon F (DSLR) and Z (mirrorless), Sony E, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds (Olympus/OM System and Panasonic). Canon EF lenses work on RF bodies with Canon's adapter, and Nikon F lenses on Z bodies with the FTZ adapter. Sony E bodies can take many lenses via adapters, but autofocus quality varies.
Older DSLR lenses are cheap now because so many people moved to mirrorless. That makes an EF or F lens plus adapter a good way to save money.
The shutter is a mechanical part with a rated life. Entry-level DSLRs are often rated around 100,000 actuations, higher-end bodies at 150,000-300,000. A body at 20,000 clicks has lots of life left; one near its rating may need a shutter replacement soon, which can cost more than the body is worth.
For Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Fuji, the count is often in the photo file data and online shutter count readers can show it from an unedited JPEG. For Canon it usually needs a tool that connects to the camera. Ask the seller to send an original JPEG straight from the card. Someone who refuses is a warning sign.
Open the aperture (on modern lenses, mount it and hold the depth-of-field button, or look through a lens set to its widest aperture) and shine your phone torch through from the back. Fungus (schimmel) looks like thin threads or spider webs. Haze is a milky fog. A few dust specks are normal and don't show in photos. Fungus and heavy haze are a reason to walk away: cleaning means taking the lens apart, and fungus can etch the glass.
Bring your own memory card and take test shots. Shoot a plain wall or sky at f/16 to reveal sensor dust, and at the widest aperture to check focus. Look at the rubber grip (peeling is cosmetic but shows heavy use), the battery door and the card door, and check every button and dial.
Look at the sensor with the lens off (mirrorless) for scratches. Ask why they're selling: upgrading to a new body is a good answer.
Fake cameras are rare, but fake batteries and chargers are common and can swell. Grey-import bodies (meant for another market) work fine but may not get service from the Dutch importer. Very cheap 'like new' bodies with no photos of the actual camera, or sellers who only want to ship, deserve suspicion.
A searchable description helps here: on vindje.com you can ask for something like a Sony A7 III body under 20,000 clicks, no fungus, under 950 euro, and the listings that don't mention it get filtered.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Canon EOS 80D or Nikon D7200 body | EUR 300-400 |
| Sony A7 III body | EUR 800-1000 |
| Fujifilm X-T3 body | EUR 550-700 |
| Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM | EUR 70-100 |
| Kit zoom lens (18-55mm) | EUR 40-70 |
| Nikon D750 body | EUR 500-650 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Sony A7 III body with low shutter count and original battery, under 950 euro, within 30 km of RotterdamSearch Marktplaats like this
It depends on the rated life. Under a quarter of the rating is low use, under half is fine, near the rating means you may need a repair soon.
Sometimes, by a repair shop that takes the lens apart. It costs money and can leave etching, so don't pay normal prices for a lens with fungus.
Mirrorless is where new lenses are going. DSLRs are cheaper and still take great photos, and their lenses can be adapted to mirrorless later.
Ask the seller for an unedited JPEG and use an online shutter count reader, or connect the camera to a manufacturer-specific tool for Canon bodies.