I’ve had a few readers inquire about buying or selling Nikon 1 gear. I thought it may be useful to publish a short article on this subject so readers can share their experiences and ideas about the best ways to buy or sell Nikon 1 gear.
Over the past couple of years I’ve been adding to my Nikon 1 kit. Most of the gear that I’ve bought has been a result of consistently doing internet searches in Canada and specifically looking for camera stores blowing out inventory.
At this point it will likely be difficult to find retail outlets that still have new Nikon 1 gear to sell, but it is still worth some time checking out this avenue.
You can also check online to see if your local Nikon Corporate entity still has any Nikon 1 gear to sell. For example, I recently purchased a 6.7-13 mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom and a 10-100 mm f/4-5.6 zoom directly from Nikon Canada. Their website is still showing 7 models of Nikon 1 lenses available, as well as a few accessories. All of the camera bodies and flashes show no listings on its website, so it is safe to assume that Nikon Canada has depleted its inventory on those items.
Another approach is to look at some camera store websites to see what they have listed under their used equipment. For example, I went on the B&H website this morning and looked under used mirrorless cameras. B&H had 133 cameras listed, 4 of which were Nikon 1 J5s with the 1 Nikkor 10-100 mm f/4-5.6 zoom. Amazon.ca was also showing some new and used Nikon 1 gear for sale.
Although I’ve never used them, there are dedicated used camera websites that specialize in selling used gear. A quick internet search revealed quite a few items for sale on these types of sites. On a personal basis I’ve had some luck finding good, used Nikon 1 gear on Kijiji.ca.
Camera clubs can be good avenues to buy or sell used camera gear. Some have sections on their websites dedicated to buy/sell activities. By attending meetings and getting to know other area photographers you can develop a network that can be helpful when looking to buy or sell camera gear.
Some websites have dedicated areas where readers can post gear they are wanting to sell, as well as items they are looking to purchase. Sometimes folks will advise other readers of what they have to buy or sell when posting comments on various websites they frequent.
When it comes to selling your Nikon 1 camera gear you will likely get a better price for it if you can connect with buyers directly. Going the camera trade-in route through a camera store will enable you to get something for your used Nikon 1 gear, but probably not as much if you were able to sell it directly to an interested buyer.
I’ve never tried to sell any camera gear on eBay, but perhaps other readers can share their experiences in this regard. Any camera gear that I’ve ever sold has been as a result of promoting it on Kijiji.ca or through personal connections.
When selling some of my camera gear, I have always done this face-to-face with potential buyers, and have only accepted cash payments. I have used this approach when buying used camera gear from other people as I always want to inspect and try out what I’m buying. I’ve always insisted on getting a current shutter count when buying a camera body.
What approaches have you used to buy and/or sell your Nikon 1 camera gear? What would you suggest to other readers?
If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about the Nikon 1 system, you may want to have a look at our eBook, The Little Camera That Could. It illustrates the capability of the Nikon 1 system through hundreds of original photographs. There is also commentary and tips about the Nikon 1 system. The cost is $9.99 Canadian.
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I have used usedphotopro.com – an offshoot of Robert’s Camera in the US. They have several J1s and a V3 right now plus some lenses. I recently bought 2 10-30 non PD lenses as backups for my underatwer gear. Still lookinf for a spare J3 body though. I stay away from ebay in general but see most items there are from Japan. Trying to keep myself in gear with my 2 J3s and 1 J5.
Thanks for adding to the discussion Joe!
Tom
Hi Tom,
my strategy is “no panic”. I’d estimate the EU market of used N1 gear has shrunk by 20% over the last year. Bargains will continue to happen. Bodies are not rare. The V2 and the Sony NEX-7 were both expensive cameras. Today a used NEX-7 costs twice what a V2 costs, in similar condition. I also see many FT1 adapters on offer. Today a V1 + 10-30 + FT1 was sold for Euro 150. Both flashes are cheap, I bought an SB-N7 for Euro 35. Yesterday a SB-N5 was sold for Euro 22.
Lenses like the CX 70-300 are a different matter, prices are more or less stable, supply and demand almost in balance.
There must still be lots of N1 gear in Japan. I hope for the EU’s trade pact with Japan. If the tariffs come down, our N1 access could improve. And Canadians may profit from CETA. But my own needs are modest. With two CX 70-300 and four bodies to play with, any cheap CX 32mm lens or other gear will only be a nice extra. My longtime fun with the N1 is guaranteed.
Thanks for your inspiring work.
Stefan
Hi Stefan,
Thanks for adding to the discussion and sharing your experiences! The uptake rate of mirrorless cameras in North America lagged behind Europe significantly (and still does), which could be one reason why new and used Nikon 1 gear here seems to be harder to find…especially bodies like the V2 and V3.
In terms of the 1 Nikkor 32mm f/1.2, I would suggest using some caution before buying a used copy of this lens I had mine recently repaired under warranty and I was lucky that Nikon Canada still had the parts available to do so. I’ve been hearing from a number of 32mm owners who have been unable to get their lens repaired as the parts needed are no longer available in their areas. I have only used my 32mm f/1.2 sparingly, mainly just for video work and the aperture got stuck in the stopped down position. My copy of the lens was a retail display unit that I bought at a discount so it is hard to tell how much use it may have gotten in-store before I bought it.
I appreciate your supportive words about my work!
Tom
Tom, I have been trying to make a donation with my US Visa credit card and it seems that it is only accepting cards from Canada. Woud you look into this and get back to me?
Thanks.
Hi Pam,
If you go in on the PayPal site, you should find where you can use a credit card. We haven’t had any issues with people using credit cards from various parts of the world. You will need to go in through the PayPal.ca portal that is on the photography blog as we do not have a separate VISA merchant account.
Tom
In my part of the world (Switzerland), market for used Nikon 1 is still(?) very small. Sad, although I have nearly everything, a second 70-300 would be fine, just in case… 😉
Thanks for the Miranda-link Patrick!
Tom, as you might remember, I mostly use FF. Right now, my wife and me are on the road again, with friends (two experienced ladies) and I have to accompany them on their walks. They do not wait for one (I think they do not notice they should, immersed in their talks as they are.), so one has to be quick, no lens changing etc. Three Nikon 1 bodies with the Holy Trinity (according to you) are Always with me! With FF, this would amount to at least 9-10Kg, plus a tripod…
Take care and keep your work. High speed photography was interesting to read, tried some seagulls, but no cigar as yet.
Thanks for adding to the discussion Robert! In terms of experimenting with 60 frames per second with seagulls – getting them in flight is tough as they are erratic flyers. Using a fast frame rate when they are landing or taking off can yield some beautiful images – perhaps worth a try…
Tom
I have always found buying and selling camera gear on fredmiranda.com a very pleasant experience. It can be a little tough starting out with no feedback though.
There is also a very good N1 forum on fredmiranda and contributing to that may help until you have some feedback. There is a modest annual fee to use the Buy and Sell forum for selling but no commission.
Ebay of course charges a significant commission but I feel this is often justified by the enormous market you can reach through ebay. I tend to use “Buy it Now or best offer” rather than an auction format – I guess it is a risk averse strategy. You may do better with an auction especially if you start the bidding very low, however there is always the risk of the item selling for way under typical the market value. Having good feedback and a track record of selling similar items is critically important. That is exactly what I look for if I am the buyer – that the sellers understands what they are selling and how to fairly and honestly describe the condition.
In the last month I have sold all my N1 gear to fund my Z7 – concluding with my second V3 which I shipped yesterday. All the sales were made on ebay.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Patrick!
Tom