Published February 7, 2025 02:28PM
Sponsor Content: MPB
The Best Platform for Buying, Selling, and Trading Used Camera Gear
With a focus on community, sustainability, and user experience, MPB is on a mission to get quality photographic gear in the hands of more creatives
With a focus on community, sustainability, and user experience, MPB is on a mission to get quality photographic gear in the hands of more creatives. (Photo: MPB)
As a professional photographer and filmmaker, Michael Shainblum relies on his versatile collection of gear to meet the demands of his work. In the past, he often turned to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to find used cameras and lenses. But numerous last-minute meetup cancellations and alarming stories of friends getting scammed pushed him to seek out a more reliable option.
That’s when he decided to give MPB a try.
He began trading some gear that was collecting dust in his closet and found the process easy and smooth: no need to coordinate in-person swaps with strangers from the internet. Plus, the option to trade took some pressure off his wallet. Creatives can save up to 40 percent on retail prices, which is a big boost whether you’re on a budget or want to allocate the savings toward other business expenses like travel, accessories, or more camera gear.
“One of the biggest hurdles for me in photography has always been how expensive gear can get,” Shainblum explained. “I’d often delay buying lenses because of the steep price tags. But trading and buying used gear changed everything—it opened the door to experimenting with new lenses and exploring different styles of photography.”
Shainblum also got the buying confidence he wanted from MPB. As the leading reseller of used digital cameras and lenses* in the United States, MPB’s online platform is a trusted resource for photographers and videographers to buy, sell, and trade equipment. Every item on the platform has a free six-month warranty and is 100 percent MPB Approved, meaning product specialists thoroughly inspect and photograph each piece and document any imperfections before it’s listed. Creatives can explore a wide selection of used cameras, read in-depth reviews of popular models, access valuable how-to guides, and sell their own gear directly on the site, starting with a free quote.
A hallmark of MPB is its commitment to making visual storytelling accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level or budget. By offering trust and consistency in what has traditionally been a fragmented market, MPB is fostering a circular resale economy within creative communities. This approach not only supports sustainability but also strengthens the sense of connection and community.
Tammy Oler, vice president of marketing at MPB, describes a circular economy as one that works to minimize waste and pollution by circulating products and materials for reuse. Oler explains that MPB puts this model to work by buying, selling, and trading used gear. In addition, MPB was the first camera reseller to transparently report its environmental and social impacts, while also publishing its goals and progress.
“Our sustainability efforts are linked directly to our purpose: to open up the world of visual storytelling in a way that’s good for people and the planet,” Oler said. “We make it easy and worthwhile to give unwanted gear a new life, which puts affordable used gear into the hands of more creatives.”
MPB is the largest global platform to buy, sell, and trade used photo and video equipment. MPB provides a simple, safe, and circular way—for amateurs to pros, with any budget—to trade, upgrade, and get paid for gear.
*MPB is currently not buying or selling film or analog cameras, with occasional exceptions.
