5x12 pentomino tiling
«

MPB Photographic

»

Before I forget a few words in praise of MPB Photographic. I bought my D5100 body and my 18-200mm zoom from them last year in two separate transactions. Each time they used DPD UK for delivery who impressed me by delivering promptly in the one hour window specified and each item was exactly as described by MPB.

Nikon D5100

As you'll know if you've been following this blog times have moved on and the D5100 has now been replaced by a NEX-6. In the past I've fallen into the trap of holding on to old cameras. Not this time: I had decided from the start to sell the D5100 if I got on with the NEX-6 as the new camera should effectively replace it.

But how to do that? I did consider eBay but I was a bit leery for something of relatively high value. Far too easy for the purchaser to claim on receipt that it's damaged. But MPB will buy used kit so I turned to them.

Nikon 18-200mm lens

The deal is that you tell them what you've got, they give you a quote, if you like the price they collect (for free). They then inspect the kit and so long as they agree with your description they pay you. Simples.

The general view in the photographic forums seems to be that you might not get the best price that way but you would get a reasonable price and you wouldn't be messed about. So I asked them and this is what I was quoted:

Item Bought Offered Discount
D5100 £268 £165 -39%
Lens £343 £270 -21%
Total £611 £435 -29%

I confess I did gulp a bit at that: £176 for a year's ownership of the pair was what it amounted to but it was clear looking at the difference in the prices they were offering that it was the D5100 body where the problem lay. That's now two behind the latest (the D5300) and no one wants it. The 18-200mm lens on the other hand is still the current model so 20% is their margin on the next sale.

Anyway the other factor that swung it for me was that the NEX-6 had cost me ... £430. So that all balanced out nicely. I accepted their quote. They arranged collection next day with DPD who send me two SMSs. The first confirming they were making a collection. The second, early that morning, giving the hour long window in which they would. And they did.

Two days after it left here I got two emails from MPB. The first confirmed they had inspected the camera and lens and were happy they were as described, the second that the money had been transferred to my account. I checked a few minutes later and there it was.

So if you want to get rid of any Nikon or Canon kit and you want to do it simply I can recommend MPB Photographic. I'm sure you can get a better price if you work at it, but I doubt you'll do that much better and I bet it won't be as straightforward.

Tags: photos, toys Written 05/05/14

Comment on this article

« »
I am currently reading:

A History of Women in 101 Objects by Annabelle Hirsch Game On by Janet Evanovich

(?)
Word of the Day:
tölva