How to Get New Gear For Less
First post of the New Year! As you start lining up your gigs for the new year, you might have your eyes on some new equipment to help make your work easier and you might be thinking “How am I going to afford this gear?”
There are a few notable ways to do this. Popular ones are looking at the used market at megastores like B&H and Adorama, or local outlets like Glazer’s Camera and Bedford’s camera (having travelled around the US and getting to shop at all of these, you’ll get excellent help from each of these places). This is a great way to save a ton of money and get some excellent gear in the process.
There’s another way to get gear for less, and new gear at that. That way, is open-box. I’ve been using this method personally to save money and find gear at a reduced cost that I couldn’t find for a good price used, if at all. Stores like Best Buy (depending on the size of their camera department) can have a few open-box times. This also applies for the previous mentioned stores as well.
For instance, I’ve been trying to pick up a Sony FE 70-200 f/2.8 GM lens for the past few months. It’s an amazing lens that commands a high price, even as a working professional. After looking around for a few months, I ended up finding an open-box copy for several hundred dollars less than a “new” copy.
Keep an eye out for the gear you need as open-box items and you might be able to snag a deal on some equipment you need.