Camera Depreciation: Everything You Need to Know

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.


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.

CameraRelease YearOriginal Price2022 Salvage PriceLoss Per Year
Canon 5D Mark IV2016$3,499$1,839$277
Canon 6D2012$2,099$639$146
Canon R2018$2,299$1,858$110
Canon RP2019$1,299$1,144$52
Sony A7 III2018$1,999$1,715$71
Sony A60002014$650$529$15
Nikon D8502017$3,299$2,395$181
Nikon D56002017$799$794$1
Nikon D70002010$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!


Enjoyed this article?
Share a pin below on Pinterest

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 comments on “Camera Depreciation: Everything You Need to Know”