Canon® EOS Digital Photography Photo Workshop

11.5. ASSIGNMENT

Sell Some Gear!

At some point you're probably going to want to sell a camera or lens, and a good place to do it is on Craiglist.com or eBay.com. So how should you do it, and what's the best way to optimize the sale? Without a doubt, items sell better online with at least one good, full-item photo so that the potential buyers can see what they're getting and know that it's in good condition.

As a photographer, you try to take the best shots possible. Start with a good backdrop — something plain and professional. Spend some time getting the lighting right and balanced, and if you have the accessories and box with your item, include them in the image. Let people know how old the camera or lens is, and be honest about its condition; sometimes, telling them the number of hours it's been used is helpful. Once you have your photo taken, downsize for the Web to the specified size demands of the service you're using to sell the item. The resolution of your image should be 72 or 96 dpi (that's Web/screen resolution) and whatever dimensions are required (such as 2 × 3 inches).

I photographed my EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens with its box, warranty card, and accessory lens hood. I set it on a backdrop in my studio and used a diffused softbox flash to light it for a nice, high-key effect. I then downloaded it into ACDSee Pro and converted it into a 4- × 6-inch, 72-dpi image to place the item for sale on eBay. Taken at ISO 50, 1/125 second, f/22, with an EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens using ...