Buying a camera is an expensive purchase. One factor you may be thinking about is what is the rate of depreciation for cameras? Especially when you’re planning on upgrading in a few years you’ll want your current camera to retain its value.
Camera depreciation can happen in a couple of ways including their shutter count and body wear & tear. Most cameras have shutters that move up and down when a photo is taken. Cameras have a shutter life span causing much of a camera’s depreciation.
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In this post I’ll be going over camera depreciation with examples.
Camera Depreciation Rate
To get a better understanding of camera depreciation rates I’ve went through popular cameras from the last decade to see how they’ve depreciated over the years. Using this data we can estimate an average rate of depreciation for most cameras.
You can expect your camera to lose around 5% of its retail value every year. This can vary depending on brand and model of the camera but 5% deprecation is an average depreciation rate for cameras based on my data. Typically the rate of depreciation is lower for more expensive cameras since high-end cameras hold their value longer.
| Camera | Release Year | Original Price | 2022 Salvage Price | Loss Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 5D Mark IV | 2016 | $3,499 | $1,839 | $277 |
| Canon 6D | 2012 | $2,099 | $639 | $146 |
| Canon R | 2018 | $2,299 | $1,858 | $110 |
| Canon RP | 2019 | $1,299 | $1,144 | $52 |
| Sony A7 III | 2018 | $1,999 | $1,715 | $71 |
| Sony A6000 | 2014 | $650 | $529 | $15 |
| Nikon D850 | 2017 | $3,299 | $2,395 | $181 |
| Nikon D5600 | 2017 | $799 | $794 | $1 |
| Nikon D7000 | 2010 | $1,200 | $314 | $74 |
All salvage prices were calculated using eBay listing prices. Inflation is also not factored into camera’s initial retail prices. But overall you can predict that your camera will lose value year over year.
What Causes Camera Depreciation
The main factor of camera depreciation is its shutter count. Cameras are rated for a certain number of shutter actuations. Meaning the shutter that is used for taking photos are rated for a specific amount. For example a Canon R6 is rated for 300,000 actuations. While cameras will still work after their rated shutter count it’s just how long the manufacturer expects the camera to last for.
Wear and tear of the body will also cause camera depreciation. For example the rubber grip or parts of the camera can start to fall off over the years.
Hopefully this article answered all of your questions about camera depreciation. If you have any questions I didn’t answer let me know in the comments below!
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How do you calculate to the loss per year?
There’s no math for all cameras, I’d recommend seeing used values of your camera on eBay.
If I buy a used camera it’s new to me. Is it still depreciable?
Hey Jon are you asking in terms of taxes?