Whether you’re buying new, second-hand or part exchanging, it’s possible to purchase high-quality kit that gives you superb shots for less than a grand – as these AP readers prove.
Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sport, £814 with part exchange
Kevin Henderson, Derbyshire
I already had an 80-400mm, but found it a bit slow and lacking in reach, so wanted a lens for extra reach at motor sports events as a spectator. I also had a trip to Skomer Island planned, and had read good things about this lens for wildlife photography, a genre I wanted to get more involved in. I am super-impressed with how good the AF is for such a large lens. Although I focused manually for the image here, the lens has no problems keeping up with fast-moving objects, whether when panning or having cars approaching head on. This paid off as it delivered some good-quality shots of puffins on a wobbly boat trip around Skomer! Being a telescopic lens, it takes up surprisingly limited space in a backpack.
Visit www.mpb.com; Instagram @K_hendersonphotography
Camp Snap camera, £52 new
Rachel Anthony-Rowlands, Swansea
My favourite bit of new kit is the Camp Snap. It’s an 8MP point-and-shoot with no screen designed for kids to take to summer camps, but the creative photography community has fallen in love with these simple, screen-free cameras. I bought mine to use at an retro event that I organise, and it functions in the same manner as a disposable film camera. It is pocket-sized, and so now I carry it with me wherever I go. Camp Snap has produced two firmware filters, a black & white one and a retro filter.
Post-processing is something I find a slog, so it’s fantastic to not have to do anything other than maybe a rotational crop. The thing I really love is discovering what shots I have taken. With no screen on the camera, I have to download the images to view them, which is a little bit of a thrill, as I never know how good the images are going to be. It means my creative brain gets a lovely dopamine hit every time an amazing shot turns out the way it was in my head.
Visit www.campsnapphoto.com;
Instagram @touringtheuk
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro, £399 second-hand
Sue Pankhurst, Leighton Buzzard
I love wildlife and nature photography, so I bought this lens second-hand from Wex as I was after a resilient, splashproof dedicated macro lens with a good working distance for close-ups of insects, flowers and fungi. Deciding factors were portability and value for money without compromising picture quality. Its sh
