Grab a Bargain (and don’t always buy new)

Posted May 23rd, 2011 / By Matthew Carlin in Hardware, Opinion, Resources, Software, Tips

We all want the latest and greatest equipment, and I know we all dream of owning really expensive equipment–we’d all love a Red One Camera, the latest version of Cinema 4D or the latest iMac or Mac Pro–but with prices going up in general, budgets being squeezed or if your just starting out in the industry and haven’t got a lot of money to spend, why not consider buying second hand or refurbished items. I know we all get excited when Adobe or Apple announce their next product or some great new feature but do you need that feature? Will it speed up your workflow? Will the benefits outweigh the cost?

At the end of the day, the items we use are just tools to help us to create; older equipment still works well the majority of the time, but sometimes it just takes a little longer to do things. Also, just because you have the most expensive equipment or the latest software doesn’t mean that it’s automatically going to make you great. Our industry is as much about craft and skill as it is about having the newest or best equipment.

Let’s take a look at some of the options we have for getting or buying used or refurbished equipment.

Software

When it comes to software, I think we all get excited when we hear new features announced in the latest upgrade, but, as we’ve discussed previously, we don’t always need that latest feature. If we’re on a budget why not consider buying a previous version of the software and saving yourself a few bucks. You can usually pick up the previous version of the software at a significant reduction of the latest version, and, for the most part, this previous version will do the majority of what the newer version does. You just need to ask yourself if you need that latest feature. Good places to find software bargains include:

• eBay
• Toolfarm (This quite often has deals on on various software)

Hardware

The same goes with hardware. Do you really need that brand new Mac that Apple announced last week? Most computers bought in the past few years will be capable of running either the latest software or, at least, a version not too far away from it. As long as you factor in the slower rendering time on these machines you’ll be fine.

Sometimes larger companies (who can afford to upgrade the equipment more often) will sell their older equipment which isn’t even that old–sometimes only a couple of years old–which means you can grab a bargain if you find a place doing that.

Some hardware manufacturers also have refurbished departments or sections on their online store where you can buy refurbished computers or peripherals at a reduction from the new price, and the equipment is pretty much as new. So, next time your going to purchase a new piece of hardware, have a look to see if the manufacturer has a refurbished store.

Some places to look for used or refurbished hardware include:

• eBay
• Craigslist
• Apple Refurbished Store
• DELL Outlet

Equipment

Some of the things we discussed for hardware are very much true for normal equipment too such as cameras, lighting and so on. Instead of buying brand new, try and pick up equipment second hand. As long as it’s been kept in good condition by the previous owner you’ll get a number of years out of your equipment. You can probably get twice as much kit for your money if you buy most of your kit second hand. Even if you buy slightly more inexpensive equipment brand new, this can still give you very professional results. Again, as with hardware, try and look for film or media companies upgrading their equipment, you might be able to get some pretty decent equipment for a small amount.

Good places to find second hand equipment can be:

• eBay
• Craiglist
• Gumtree
• B & H Photo Used Page

Even if you aren’t buying used or refurbished, make sure you check out price comparison sites like Price Grabber and New Egg to make sure you’re getting the best deals, and shop around to make sure you get the best price.

Where do you get your equipment bargains from ? (That is if you want to reveal your trade secrets!)

Hi, I’m from Nottingham in the United Kingdom. I’ve been writing about motion graphics on Motion Design Love for a while now, as well being a Video Editor and Motion Designer by Day. I probably spend most of my waking hours either doing something with motion graphics or thinking about stuff I can do with motion graphics. I’m looking forward to writing some great articles for Fuel Your Motionography, I hope you’re all looking forward to reading them!