Cameras depreciate slower than phones because a body is a tool, not a fashion cycle — until a new mount or a big sensor jump lands. Lenses often keep more value than bodies. Shutter count, fungus, and a dinged filter ring do more damage than the calendar.
Live catalog: 695 cameras · offers $2–$316 · average $57 (displayed listings, working-condition quotes).
Typical first-year loss for a working camera: about 30%. Year two lands near 48%; year three near 62%.
| Time owned | Value lost | On a $1,000 device | Est. on average offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | −10% | $900 | $52 |
| 6 months | −18% | $820 | $47 |
| 9 months | −25% | $750 | $43 |
| 1 year | −30% | $700 | $40 |
| 1.5 years | −39% | $610 | $35 |
| 2 years | −48% | $520 | $30 |
| 2.5 years | −55% | $450 | $26 |
| 3 years | −62% | $380 | $22 |
| 5 years | −78% | $220 | $13 |
“Est. on average offer” applies the curve to today’s average catalog offer — a sketch of age, not a quote for your serial number.
Why cameras lose value
- Mirrorless mounts (RF, Z, E) pulled value out of last-gen DSLRs faster than megapixels alone would have.
- A lens is optics plus mechanics. Good glass on a current mount is a hedge; a kit lens is not.
- Shutter count is the odometer. High-count bodies are priced like high-mileage cars.
What still holds a price
- Current-mount mirrorless bodies with low shutter count and original charger/battery.
- Prime and zoom lenses without fungus, haze, or stiff zoom rings.
- Full working GPS/Wi-Fi modules — dead radios worry buyers.
When to sell
Sell a body before you hear a successor rumor with a new sensor. Lenses can wait longer unless a mount is being abandoned.
How this is built
Percentages are category research (resale studies + typical buyback movement), not IRS MACRS. Dollar ranges are live from our displayed cameras. Your instant quote still depends on exact model, storage, cosmetic grade, and defects — including account locks.
Sources
- AssetPanda IT asset depreciation guide
- IRS Publication 946 (MACRS 5-year property)
- IRS Publication 946 — computers as 5-year property (accounting contrast, not a street bid).
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FAQ
Should I sell the lens with the body?
A complete kit is easier to quote. Rare glass can be worth more alone, but a body-without-lens and a lens-without-body both look incomplete to a buyback.
Does fungus always zero the value?
Not always, but it is a heavy defect. We would rather you describe it than hide it — it shows up in inspection either way.