Those interested in tracking camera prices might want to check out this article on Digital Camera World. Using data and graphs from a site called MPB (Used Camera Gear Price Index), the author investigates various trends across camera markets including DSLR and mirrorless used pricing, and reveals which camera may be plummeting in value.
Not to anyone’s shock, prices drop over time (in general).
For instance: “Over the last 36 months, the price of used mirrorless cameras has dropped by about 17% in the US while DSLRs fell by about 35%.”
Meantime, in the shorter term — over the last 12 months — there’s more stability showing, at least according to MPB. In that case compact camera prices are up by around 6%, mirrorless down by 6% and DSLRs down by 17% in the US.
One interesting point regarding specific models. Out of the top 10 most popular cameras sold in the last three years in the US only two didn’t drop in price. That would be the Sony a6000 and the Fujifilm X-T5. Both of those models tend to have passionate fan bases and value seekers are obviously scanning the secondary market for deals, yet inflation may have increased the prices for new ones leading to the same pressure across used models. In any case, the Sony a6000 remains one of my all time favorite camera bodies, no doubt.
In terms of brands, from what I can tell over the last 36 months according to MPB data has only Fujifilm net positive in terms of pricing (+ 9%). Other major camera manufacturers over that same time period land in the red as you might expect: Nikon (-20%); Canon (-16%); Sony (-14%).
Depreciation Better than Cars?
One surprise here is that the depreciation for the cameras and markets cited in the article are actually not that bad.
Compared to the used car market, for instance, and you can expect many cars to lose about 50% of their value in just three years. With EVs behaving closer to iPhones than traditional automobiles, and the results could be even worse.
So to lose, say about 17% over three years for a mirrorless camera doesn’t seem to bad after all. Keeping in mind that most of the tech or “the brains” of a camera is contained within the body where the processor and various circuit boards are found. Meantime, lenses are mostly (but typically not entirely) devoid of sophisticated electronics and are really all about the quality of the glass used in the manufacturing process.
There’s a reason why the saying goes:
Marry your lenses and date your camera bodies.
