Tech Tuesday - Craigslist

Camera gear is expensive. That's not big news. You can find anything on the internet. That's not big news either. Combine camera gear with the internet, add a dash of patience and you've got some great deals just waiting to happen. And where, you might ask, is this magical land where these deals come together? A little place called Craigslist.

If you've never used Craigslist, it's essentially online classified ads that are free to use. Anyone can list anything they want to sell in the hopes that someone who wants to buy that thing will see the ad. The transactions occur on a local level, which makes it easy to view and test products before purchasing them. Plus, there's no shipping involved, so it's usually cheaper than eBay.

Does it seem a little risky to buy used camera gear? It might be. If you need absolute reliability from your gear, it's probably worth it to spend the extra money to buy it new. If cash is a little tight, though, and you come across a good deal on a piece of gear that you've had your eye on, this might be a great opportunity to pick it up and save some money!

I've worked checking Craigslist into my daily routine. It takes about 2 minutes to scan the listings for Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs and see what's been listed recently. I've found some great deals on lenses, studio lighting, camera batteries and even photography books! I've seen some really good deals on camera bags, backgrounds, light stands and many other miscellaneous camera accessories. When you find that deal, you've got to act quickly! If you don't send an email about an item as soon as you see it, you're already too late. It's pretty competitive out there.

Is Craigslist for everyone? No. Some people prefer to buy items new. Some people would rather buy used equipment from a camera shop instead of an individual. If you're willing to put in a little time, have some patience and take a risk here and there, Craigslist can hold hidden treasure for those of use who know where to look.