Want a great camera bargain for Labor day? You’ll get a better deal buying secondhand than buying new

I’d love to share with you some great deals and record-low prices on camera gear for Labor Day, but after searching the leading retailers I’ve come away disappointed – deals are thin on the ground this year.

We’re starting to see the impact of tariffs on new gear, with most of the leading brands upping the prices of their latest mirrorless and compact cameras. That’s bad news for deal hunters – sale prices are generally a bit higher than previous sales.

That’s not to say there are no deals around. I’ll share a few of the best ones below, like the Nikon D850 for $1,896.95 at Adorama or the Panasonic Lumix S9 for $1,197.99 at B&H Photo (in various colors – including pink I might add). Those retailers price-match each other, by the way.

You can still find decent deals on other tech products in the Labor Day sales. But as for cameras, I think the very best deals right now are to be found on secondhand gear, and here’s where I would start to look…

Canon’s cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera is one of few cameras with a genuine sale price right now (Image credit: Future)

How to find secondhand Labor Day camera deals

Naturally, there’s a risk when buying secondhand versus new, but some secondhand stockists mitigate those risks – I would start my search with Adorama and B&H Photo, two leading stockists of used gear.

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Handily, both sites list all prices for cameras, whether that’s for new body-only or lens bundles, or the used prices, clearly marking each price based on condition.

Take the Canon EOS RP. It’s currently on sale for $799 (was $,1099) at Adorama new and, like B&H Photo, there are added-value bundles that include accessories for free, as well as lens bundles.

But searching for that camera on Adorama’s website, the top search result is secondhand, given it’s a few years old now (existing stock prices should be unaffected by tariffs). Used prices range from $468 (‘heavy use’) to $677 (‘mint’), and you get a free 180-day warranty.

You might find a lower price from a private seller, but purchasing from Adorama, B&H Photo, and other leading retailers gives you the peace of mind should you run into any issues – they are excellent companies to deal with, and they service all used gear before listing it for sale, so you know it’s in good working order.

Savings vary from camera to camera, but the saving to be had buying an ‘excellent’ to ‘mint’ condition used camera is typically 15-25%, and if you don’t mind ‘average’ condition the saving will be even higher.

Still not convinced about secondhand? Below I’ve provided links to some of the best deals for new gear available now.

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