How I Upgraded My Camera Gear Through MPB

Oct 29, 2025

Jeremy Gray

Various digital cameras and camera lenses from brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm are arranged on a colorful background with blue, red, and yellow sections.

From clearing out cameras to upgrading lenses, MPB supports photographers and videographers at every stage of their creative journey. It offers a trusted hub for buying and selling high-quality used gear. It is a safe, reliable, and straightforward way to sell gear you don’t want and score great deals on the gear you do.

Full disclosure: This article is brought to you by MPB.

Sustainability, accessibility, and convenience are central to how people shop, and MPB has emerged as a leading destination for used photo and video equipment.

Founded in 2011 by Matt Barker, MPB enables photographers and videographers of all experience levels to buy, sell, and trade gear with confidence. From aspiring hobbyists to seasoned professionals, MPB is a trusted platform for all photographers. I’ve used it myself many times to sell gear, trade up, and buy something without breaking the bank.

Keeping Cameras in Circulation, Not in Landfills

With three locations worldwide in Brighton, Brooklyn, and Berlin, MPB employs trained camera experts and seasoned visual storytellers. Every item listed undergoes meticulous inspection by product specialists and comes with a six-month warranty, ensuring that buying used gear does not mean compromising on reliability.

MPB recirculates over 570,000 pieces of photo and video equipment annually, extending the life and creative potential of cameras, lenses, and accessories for creators worldwide.

“This milestone reflects not only our growth but also the broader shift toward more sustainable consumer behavior,” says Matt Barker, Founder and CEO. “We’re excited to build on this momentum as we continue to lead in the circular economy space, delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to visual storytellers worldwide.”

The used-gear market was once fragmented, often leaving photographers and videographers to navigate online auctions, peer-to-peer sales, and uncertain secondhand shops. MPB streamlines this process through its centralized, trusted platform where quality is assured, pricing is transparent, and sustainability is built into every transaction.

A person in a red knit hat and green jacket uses a large camera lens to photograph a tranquil body of water. The backdrop features a cloudy sky, calm water, and distant trees. — I was able to easily and quickly sell my Sony 200-600mm lens to MPB and upgrade to the new Sony 400-800mm telephoto zoom earlier this year.

By employing in-house experts to inspect each piece of equipment, MPB removes the guesswork and risk that traditionally accompanied buying used gear. This approach ensures buyers receive reliable, accurately graded items, while sellers benefit from fair market valuations and quick payouts. Even better, shipping is free, both when sending your gear to MPB and buying used from the online retailer.

Equally important is the platform’s role in promoting a circular economy. Instead of old cameras and lenses gathering dust, or worse, ending up in landfills, MPB reintroduces them into the creative community. This not only reduces waste but also makes professional-quality gear more affordable and accessible to a broader audience.

Person in a red beanie and brown jacket using a large camera with a telephoto lens to take a photo of a distant landscape over water. The scene appears cold and overcast.

Buying and Selling Used Gear Through MPB

Selling Old Gear to Make Upgrading From DSLR to Mirrorless Easier and More Affordable

When I wanted to upgrade from DSLR to mirrorless, I considered all my options for selling or trading my current Nikon DSLR equipment, which comprised numerous camera bodies, many lenses, and even some accessories like flashes.

Having had good experiences buying used lenses from MPB before, I wanted to see if it would be a good fit for selling my own gear. The process was straightforward: I just had to search for my equipment, select its condition, and add it to the quote. The entire process took only a few minutes, even though I was selling over a dozen different pieces of gear.

A search is being performed for "Nikon D500" on a sales platform, displaying autocomplete suggestions including "Nikon D500," "Nikon D500 IR Converted," and related options.

A screenshot of a computer.

Screenshot of a list of Nikon camera equipment for sale with prices, item names, and cosmetic conditions ranging from "Excellent" to "Heavily used." Items include lenses, a battery grip, and a teleconverter. — Just some of the equipment I sold to MPB to fund my DSLR to mirrorless upgrade

While I loved my Nikon DSLR gear and took many good photos with it over the years — and made great memories, too — I wanted to switch to mirrorless. Selling my gear made a lot of sense: it would give me money to spend on new gear, and, just as importantly, give other photographers a chance to use the cameras, lenses, and accessories I had loved so much. They still had a lot left to give to someone, and should not sit unused in a cupboard somewhere or, worse yet, end up in a landfill.

However, selling everything one piece at a time to strangers online is risky and very time-consuming. I didn’t want to do that; I wanted to sell everything at once and get a fair price. Ultimately, MPB paid me $5,793 for two cameras, accessories, flashes, and eight lenses, including some very old ones from the 1990s.

Selling your gear through MPB is a win-win-win. I get money for gear I no longer need that helps pay for an upgraded system, someone else can purchase high-quality gear they may not have been able to afford if purchased brand-new, and no e-waste is created. With MPB recirculating more than half a million pieces of camera gear annually, it contributes significantly to sustainability in the photography industry.

I know I’m not alone in having an assortment of older gear that’s no longer in use. While it is tempting to think that specific cameras or lenses may appreciate and are worth keeping, that is seldom true, especially with digital camera equipment. If you aren’t using it, it is worth selling it now.

A great blue heron stands in shallow water, holding a fish in its beak. Water droplets splash around as the bird prepares to eat its catch. Grasses and a blurred, warm-toned background frame the scene.

Selling gear through MPB is not only convenient, but it’s also safe and reliable. When you build a quote on MPB, you have to estimate your gear’s condition. It’s best to do this as accurately as possible, as it will give you a better sense of what it will be worth once MPB inspects it.

Text reads "Payment to you:" on the left and "$5,700.00" in bold on the right, both in dark text on a white background. — I got a lot of money for camera gear I no longer needed.

In my case, I was actually too harsh on my equipment, and a few items were upgraded to better condition after inspection, so I got more money than I expected. In fact, 30% of sellers earn more than their original quote once MPB experts check their gear.

I also didn’t have to deal with shipping costs, meeting up with a random stranger, or worrying about a check clearing. MPB sent me shipping labels for my gear, which I shipped in multiple boxes. Once the gear was received and inspected, my promised money was deposited directly into my account in a few days. From start to finish, there was no fuss or hassle.

A tranquil coastal scene with large smooth rocks in the foreground, calm water, and a small tree-covered island in the distance under a soft, pastel sky.

A small waterfall flows over mossy rocks surrounded by autumn trees with yellow leaves, with calm water pooling below and green forest in the background.

Buying Used Lenses From MPB Saves You Money

Ultimately, I used some of that money right at MPB again to buy a like-new Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 for Sony E mount, an affordable and excellent companion to the Sony a7 IV I purchased thanks to selling my gear to older MPB. Not only was this used lens hundreds of dollars less expensive than a brand-new one, but it came with original accessories and, frankly, appeared to have never been used. It has served me exceptionally well and was a great purchase.

Buying and selling used camera equipment from MPB is a breeze. Having done it multiple times over the years, I highly recommend it to any of my fellow photographers who are thinking about upgrading their equipment, selling old gear, or buying a new-to-them used camera or lens.

A calm lake at night reflects the colorful aurora borealis and a star-filled sky, with a wooden dock extending into the water and silhouetted trees framing the scene.

I received fair value for my no longer needed equipment, which I then spent toward new camera equipment I wanted. Other photographers out there were able to buy my gear from MPB, knowing that it had been thoroughly inspected, cleaned, and was good to go. It’s a full circle of trust, convenience, and, best of all, reusability. Whether selling just a single piece of gear or a complete gear for a full-scale upgrade, MPB makes the process very easy.

Upgrading to a Better Wildlife Lens Through MPB

In fact, selling my DSLR gear to upgrade to mirrorless through MPB was so easy that when I reviewed Sony’s new 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G lens in February, I immediately decided to sell my 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS to MPB to fund my upgrade. Since I no longer needed my 200-600mm lens, it made perfect sense to sell it through MPB and put the money toward the pricier, newer 400-800mm telephoto zoom lens.

Large telephoto camera lens mounted on a tripod, pointing left. The lens is predominantly white with black accents and various control switches. The attached camera body is black. The background is an out-of-focus, light blue sky or water scene.

I took great care of my 200-600mm lens, so it achieved “Excellent” cosmetic condition, and MPB paid me $1,050, directly into my checking account. Without that $1,050, it would have been much more difficult for me to buy the Sony 400-800mm lens when it launched, which is even better news for me because tariffs quickly increased the new telephoto’s price from $2,900 to $3,300. It is still a lot of money to spend, but selling my 200-600mm through MPB made the upgrade possible for me.

A small bird with vibrant blue upperparts and orange-brown underparts perches on a thin branch against a blurred background. Its feathers are fluffed, and it has a short, pointed beak.

Two common loons with black heads, red eyes, and white-spotted black bodies swim on calm blue water, with one loon in focus in the foreground and the other blurred in the background.

A chipmunk with brown and black stripes stands on mossy rocks, holding a nut in its mouth. The background is filled with green moss and natural foliage.

MPB Is An Easy-to-Use, Trustworthy Way to Sell Used Gear and Strengthen Your Setup

Time and again, using MPB to sell gear I no longer needed has enabled me to purchase the camera equipment I want. Not only is it very easy to sell gear to MPB and get a fair price, but it is also a trusted platform for buying used equipment.

By buying and selling used gear through MPB, I have been able to affordably upgrade my camera gear, ensure equipment I no longer need can find new homes, and help keep cameras and lenses out of landfills.

Full disclosure: This article is brought to you by MPB.

Image credits: Header photo by MPB. Photos by Jeremy Gray. Article contributions by Kate Garibaldi.