Reference
The reference desk.
Everything here is written to be used while you are standing in front of a camera deciding whether to buy it.
Start with the course
Most of what a buyer needs is covered properly in our free Photography 101 course, which runs from how a camera works through to buying gear without regret. It is free, self paced, and module one needs no account.
Two lessons in particular do the work of a buying guide:
- Inspecting a used body and lens, covering shutter count, sensor checks, and how to spot fungus, haze and separation.
- Reading a fair price, on what actually moves a used price and why sample size matters.
Understanding the equipment
- Sensor size and crop factor, and why a 50mm stays a 50mm.
- What focal length actually does to a scene.
- Aperture and the f-number, including why lenses are sharpest stopped down a little.
Staying safe in a trade
- How to pay safely, and the payment methods that leave you with nothing.
- Scam patterns we see, described specifically enough to recognise.
- What the badges mean and what they do not promise.
More coming
Standalone guides on condition grading, shipping camera gear and listing photography are being written. Rather than publish thin pages now, we have pointed you at the course material that already covers the ground properly.