I wanted to do a quick write-up on two of my favorite suppliers of used camera gear (in the United States, anyway) – Robert’s Camera in Indianapolis, better known as UsedPhotoPro when referring to their used department; and KEH Camera in Smyrna, Georgia just outside Atlanta.
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of both UsedPhotoPro and KEH, so any referrals via this site do net me a small fee. However, there are very good reasons I wanted to partner with them. Keep reading for more on that.
I have purchased a lot of gear from both companies, but UsedPhotoPro in particular has sold me untold numbers of cameras, lenses, and other equipment. Back when I was repairing cameras and lenses, I would order clearance (“as-is”) items from them pretty much daily – everything from standard 50/1.8 vintage lenses to Leica rangefinders – almost anything you can think of. And, of course, they were (along with KEH) my go-to source for non-clearance used gear.
Honestly, I’m pretty sure some of the folks at Robert’s thought I was insane, given how much I ordered from them. Depending on if I was at home in Tennessee or up in Ohio, I would have orders shipped to both locations. Once, when picking up an order in person, the fellow assisting me noted that it was very strange how a guy in Tennessee also named Matt Williams orders a lot from them as well.
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I’ve been to Robert’s Camera’s location in Indianapolis countless times to pick up orders. The staff – whether in person, over the phone, or via email – has always been the best group of folks I’ve ever dealt with. Any time I had a problem (of which there was one, maybe two, out of many hundreds - if not thousands - of orders) it was corrected immediately and without issue.
KEH, which I have never been to in-person given its location in Georgia, has likewise never been anything but nice, accommodating, and quick to answer or solve any requests or issues. Both companies ship out same or next day* (depending on when you order) and items are always as-described or pictured.
*At least they normally do. COVID-19 may well be delaying orders a bit, just as it is at B&H and Adorama.
UsedPhotoPro has detailed photos of all of their items, so it is very easy to gauge the cosmetic condition. Optical flaws or functional issues are obviously harder/impossible to photograph, but you can trust their descriptions. KEH only includes stock photos on their website for each item, but let me tell you this: anything rated “Bargain” or higher is going to be in excellent condition. KEH’s “bargain” is what many eBay sellers would call “excellent” or “near mint.” I’ve even ordered a number of “ugly” items that were in considerably good condition. “As-is” items are best avoided unless you need parts or want to repair.
Both companies of course purchase used gear – I have not sold anything to either, so I have no idea what their offers are like. However, I do know that KEH will give you a free shipping label to send your gear in, examine it, send you a quote, and if you decide not to sell, they’ll ship it back for free. No loss to you either way. UsedPhotoPro’s site should detail how they do quotes, but I am sure it is simple.
Oh, and did I mention that used gear from either store comes with a six month warranty?
There aren’t many places that I wholeheartedly recommend for purchasing camera gear; there are even fewer when it comes to used gear. UsedPhotoPro and KEH are the only two that I would recommend without hesitation and without exception.