Using MPB.com

Recently I purchased the Sony 12-24mm f2.8 G-Master lens via MPB.com in the EU. It took me about a couple weeks to make the final decision on where I would purchase the lens. Ultimately I did choose MPB and I'm glad I did. Still this video goes over what it was like using MPB in my opinion. I hope this helps those interested in the service. Also it should be stated that this video is not at all sponsored by MPB. If anything I sent them money ;)
PROS:
Significant discounts vs buying brand new somewhere else
Shipping, tracking and insurance is included (when also trading in) and done via reputable distributors.
Selection of equipment and condition of equipment is amazing. Absolutely incredible how much second hand gear is on offer and in great condition.
Good customer service via email and phone.
CONS:
A lot of confusing information in the FAQs across what seems like three different websites, an EU version, US and UK. All sharing similar but somewhat different info which can be frustrating.
Immediate quote I was offered was never adjusted by the professional reviewing staff on site. The quote was almost 50% less than what the same piece was being offered online for sale in the same condition. I get that this is good business but not ideal for the person looking to sell/trade in.
Overall I would say I had a positive experience using MPB and I will likely do so again in the future. I'm also looking forward to seeing where this business goes as it is an interesting outlook on the used camera and camera equipment market.
If you're interested in joining me on location, be sure to check out these awesome upcoming trips - snellmedia.com...

[@jeremyhendersonphotography]

Yayy - I'm first to comment :-). I've used MPB a bit recently because it's a quick way to sell stuff without the risk of e-bay. The prices they pay are not very good, though, so you do pay a big price for that security. Also the stuff I've bought is not really very cheap compared with new, particularly since you can often get discounts on new kit. The customer service here in the UK is really good - quick response and very friendly. BUT what is ABSOLUTELY DIRE is the shipping via DPD. The last 2 times they failed to deliver on the day they were supposed to. MPB refunded my shipping charge, but I just don't like waiting at home all day for stuff that doesn't arrive.

[@gregorsnell]

This is a really insightful comment from the UK side. Cheers Jeremy!! Good to know and mirrors some of my thoughts/experience. Mind you DHL here in Germany sounds much better than how you were mucked about with DPD, at least in that specific case. Crazy.

[@gregorsnell]

I feel like I am probably still missing things even after a multiday video. Still overall it was a good experience using MPB.com and I reckon I will do so again in the future. What are your thoughts on the service?

[@scotty4418]

In terms of their service, I have found it to be excellent both from a buying and selling perspective. I do think there has been some price shifting recently and selling values have lowered whilst buying prices have drifted upwards on certain lenses but at the end of the day, demand or lack of, will ultimately govern prices, however in their defence, I don't think its much different from other resellers. Great images too Greg and a handy addition to your lens line up

[@petecircenis8930]

I have to relay my experience with MPB. I did not have any problem. I think I ordered it off of an ad on social media, where social media is very good at reminding you what you've at. I order the lens and it arrived one day earlier than promised. The lens has been great. No problems with anything regarding this purchase.

[@Guide504]

Nice shots, love the second water and curved building image.

[@BelowZero]

That lens you bought from them for €2100 Euros, MPB purchased it for around €1600…somebody lost a lot of money on that trade.

[@DennisSiebertPhotography]

I also use MPB more often. Just a few days ago I sold the Sony a6400 because I got the a6700. You have to compare. Also get offers from Calumet or others. Then you weigh up. I wanted to sell the DJI Mic in new condition. But what I was supposed to get was not enough for me. Then I sold it on Ebay. But with more expensive things I'm always a little afraid of being ripped off on Ebay. I'd rather do without a few euros and then give it to MPB. If you want to get rid of your stuff quickly, this is really ideal. In any case, I have only had good experiences with MPB Germany so far. I recently sold my Atomos Ninja V but forgot it was still registered in my name. I was kindly asked if I could change that. So I did and everything was fine. Greethings from Lübeck

[@gregorsnell]

This sounds like my general take as well. Thabks for sharing your experience Dennis! Let me know whenever you make it Hamburg 👍

[@DennisSiebertPhotography]

@@gregorsnell hmm, I replied to you here again for the purpose of contacting you, but it probably ended up in the spam filter on KZbin.

[@gregorsnell]

@@DennisSiebertPhotography yeah maybe... try via email. My contact info can be found via my website snellmedia.com 👍

[@DennisSiebertPhotography]

@@gregorsnell i contacted you via fb messenger.

[@lazybutcher2651]

Definitely won't even consider using MPB in the UK again after my last experience. I was not sent the lens that I ordered which was supposed to be in excellent condition and boxed. It seems I was sent the cheaper option which was minus box and lens hood but was later advised that I had miss clicked when ordering, strangely if that was the case I was still charged higher price. Got in touch immediately but there were delays in replies due to the weekend and by the start of the following week the lens I had actually purchased had apparently been sold. Returned the incorrect version of the lens that I was sent but did not get cost of postage back. Recent service from Wex, Park Cameras, Clifton Cameras and Ffords has been head and shoulders above that of MPB. If your going to take a chance with them screen shot all the steps you take when ordering on line.

[@ExploringJan]

Great work - well done! Wonderful pictures of the buildings! 👌🏼

[@garyanderson5609]

It's important to read the condition of the item! What I love on camera's they give a shutter count! Maybe the looks are not as nice as KEH, but KEH you can buy a like new minus and it can look fantastic but the shutter could have a real hunge shutter count! Will say MPB has better prices

[@NeilArthurs]

I have often put gear on to sell to see what kind of offer they quoted but was to nervous to actually sell the stuff and I think it was very much for the same reason you didn't sell the convertor. interesting take take and food for thought! Delighted you got that banger of a lens though, she's a beast! cheers dude!

[@jcben]

I've sold them camera gear to them last year and I also found that they tent to buy for a lot less than I can sell by other means. In the end I only sold them gear that wouldn't sell on ebay or the likes.

[@scottman895]

I have not heard of MPB before, but it does sound quite interesting for getting deals on camera gear which can be close to brand new. I'm glad to see that you generally had a good experience with it overall.

[@ocskaym]

Thanks for all the infor about your experience with mpb, but man, the photos with the new lens are outstanding!

[@phynx2006]

It's like trading in a used car when purchasing a new car. Now you know how they cover the free shipping cost. Canon EF 70-200mm, that's a sweet lens, one of my favourites👍😎

[@matskay1971]

I bought a Nikon camera last week from MPB . I went for normal delivery service i.e £ 5.99 in london which was 5 days delivery but they delivered it on 6th day. Which is not a big deal per se but for me it was huge inconvenience as i had to leave important work and wait for them only to realise that it will be delivered next day.

[@cristibaluta]

I was preparing to buy something for the first time that doesn't exist second hand in my country and was looking for some promo code in multiple videos, but seems they are not giving. You can definitely sell that for something in between, the only good thing about mpb is that someone is assuring you the item is in the stated condition, otherwise the prices are not good neither for seller nor for buyer

[@tysonator5433]

Great video, only down side is MPB the sponsor. I have used them twice and each time not a very good experience at all. The last occasion I part ex a lens for use one on the mpb web site only to find it had an error code when I tested it. After some reading of reviews I read this was a common issue with mpb not fully testing the gear, if at all, or the description was incorrect from the actual conditions. Also my part ex lens was knocked down on its value once they received claiming it had a scratch on the rear element. When The deal fell through and I asked for my lens back I had to pay FULL retail price for it from mpb, and when I did get it back I could not find any scratch. I used a macro lens and 45mp camera to hunt for said scratch, and strangely enough I did not find any scratch ! ! Problem when a deal with mpb goes south for the consumer it cost the customer in the pocket ! All mpb offered me was a £10 discount voucher off a £100 spend as their idea of compensation ! !

[@johncahill1587]

I'm with you on the selling gear to them. I got a quote for a Sigma 150-600mm c lens. I've shot it 10 times max. Its perfect and had its box and everything that came with it and got offered £500. yet they are selling the same lens for I think it was £875. I get that they are a business and all that but for them to get such a huge profit of lowballing people is kinda not nice

[@kkuehne45]

Thanks for the review, I'm heavily debating buying used for my upcoming camera update. Good to know MPB is a place I can consider.

[@jwashervisuals]

I used MPB to trade in my a7rIV for an a1 and my experience almost exactly matches your, Greg. Overall very positive. I had to outweigh the convenience savings on the offer for the RIV which was a bit lackluster considering the sell value (but mine had a HUGE shutter count on it so it was very well used, if in great condition anyway). I was REALLY nervous about putting in the money for the used a1 from a company I had no experience with - but it ultimately worked out great and I *LOVE* my new camera. I ended up paying about $4000 for the a1 when you factor in the used pricing for the body, and the trade in value of the rIV. I had a similar positive experience with the communication with the company and would definitely look at their services again.

[@SamandSteve]

Remember when they buy from you they have to add vat when they sell it, which in the UK is 20%

[@Bimmly]

What an amazing place Hamburg is with all that architecture everywhere.... perhaps your next workshop with James could be a local one? 😁 Such an incredible lens too ...and at a great price!

[@georgemason2472]

The 12-24 looks great and I loved the subject choices and pictures that you got. I can see if they have actual people to answering the phones the need for that kind of markup. I wonder though about the person who buys that 12-24 originally and then sells it for probably 1/2 price with it still being quite new and in such good shape. He must have lots of disposable income....

[@DflyDude]

Good commentary on the experience. The price disparity has always seems a bit wide to me with any of the used transactions. However, getting a discount on good gear at least is a good start on the front end.

[@Richard_OKeeffe]

I've used MPB a few times to buy items always a good service, not sold anything through them though

[@gregorsnell]

Nice! That's good to know. Yeah my experience with the service and the quality of the lens is top notch.

[@joostverpoort]

I don't have a good experience with MPB, I've bought a Sony A7S ii in excellent condition as stated on their website and when it arrived it really was in a bad condition, not even ''good''. Very very dirty and sticky and on top of that scratches and separation of the coating on the monitor. I've send it back free of charge and they put under the same ''excellent'' condition on the web again..... With the sales of a Sony A7 ii to MPB which was stated as ''like new'' by me (and believe me it was like new) they came back to me with downgrade of the price because they say it was excellent instead of like new. If I compare both cameras as listed excellent by MPB it is having a big difference if they will purchase or sell. The tel contact and shipping service is very good I have to say that!. btw the Sony A7 ii is on the way back, same as yours Greg. Thanks great video!

[@gregorsnell]

Wow what a story!! Thanks for sharing Joost. Where was this btw... The Netherlands?

[@joostverpoort]

Yep the Netherlands and Berlin MPB office@@gregorsnell

[@tjsinva]

Seems to be a wealth of unique architectural features in Hamburg. Great imagers. Carry on! 👍🥂 As fara as MPB goes, at least they're communicating. I hear a lot of positive reports from the UK and EU but less than stellar experiences in the U.S.A. where KEH seems to have the upper hand.

[@gregorsnell]

Interesting!! I'd heard of KEH but didn't know it had the upper hand in the US market.

[@benruset]

@@gregorsnell It did before MPB came around. I've compared prices between the two and it seems like the prices are a little higher and they offer a little less for trade-ins. That said, I've never had a bad experience buying from them. They have a lot of older film gear that MPB doesn't deal with. Back in 2016 I bought a "bargain" grade Pentax 6x7 camera and the thing looked and performed perfect.

[@stefankuhn6887]

I used mpb several times to sell and buy equipment. In two or three cases they rated my gear better than I did. Concerning service I fully agree with you, Greg. I have the feeling that during the last year or so the offers became lower than before - maybe they have to much gear now? Is this the price for the wide selection of bodies and lenses they offer? Good luck for your trip to Georgia, bring some nice footage with you? Are you back to Photopia?

[@maxmillion4216]

Real nice architectural photography Greg. Camera shops are into making a profit. The guy that sold the lens got the worst end of the deal.

[@pablogonzalez8304]

Loving these architectural episodes. Thinking of getting the Sigma version when it comes out for the Canon

[@IanInChengdu]

Yes I'm a bit concerned about the % difference and If I send it as ( like new ) can they downgrade it?

[@gregorsnell]

Agreed. That would suck. At least you can still ask for it back... Kinda like what I did.

[@OldGirlPhotography]

It's not really a practical service for Canadians, as far as I can tell, as duties and taxes would be added to any transaction coming or going across the border. If they open up a depot here in Canada, I might give it a try. As far as trade value and markup, that's pretty typical for any retailer as well - you will always do better selling privately (with all the hassles and risks that entails).

[@benruset]

I've had great really great experiences with buying from MPB here in the US, but selling has been kind of a mixed bag with regards to them downgrading the condition of certain items that I've disagreed with their assessments on. To their credit, whenever that's happened I've been able to get the item back without much of a hassle, although the latest go around I had a X-T5 body that I sent in its original box and it came back in a generic MPB box which was a little annoying. (Especially since the sticker they had put on the box said "Like New" on the condition label, but they told me they had to downgrade it to "Excellent".)

[@gregorsnell]

Good to hear a US perspective 🙏 Cheers Ben!!

[@MDMiller60]

Hi Greg. I went on MPB (U.S.) just now to get a Nikon Nikon AF-S TC-14E II Teleconverter | SKU: 2386461. They talk all about the cosmetic ratings and this converter is "Like New". However, they don't say anything about the glass, except it may have some dust, 1-2 spec maximum. Is that inside the lens or outside? I tried every way to ask them, but got only automated chat. Can't even find a phone. Do you know anything about glass for their 'Like New' rating?

[@gregorsnell]

Hi good question. I think the 'Like New' probably means it looks like it is almost brand new with little to know signs of wear and tear. With a teleconverter I assume it's in great condition. Sadly I can't say for sure. At some point you just have to trust in the system and go for it, remembering that it is possible (I believe) to send it back for a refund.

[@adi8216]

Not sure how I end up to this video, probably thanks to cookies lol. Anyway, I will share my experience with this mafia. Those who sell items to them should inspect their heads. I used their services a few years ago when they were new to the UK and were practising 'loss leader pricing' to capture the market. They offered me such a good price for my camera and lens that I could hardly believe it was real. However, when I returned last month to sell my gear again, I expected a similar experience but was left shocked. Given the fantastic price they offered for my previous gear, I thought it would be worthwhile to check their offer for my mint boxed canon 100-400mm mark II L lens. To my surprise, they only offered £725, while similar lenses in mint condition are fetching between £1,100 and £1,200 elsewhere. MPB probably means this: Mafia, Predatory, Bargain hunters 🤣

[@holgerkroger889]

MPB is only good for buying stuff. To sell my camera gear I use Kleinanzeigen and get a much better price. Many greetings from City South Hamburg

[@gregorsnell]

Interesting. Thanks for the insight. Cheers from Altona 🤘

[@SmithAllen-m4f]

382 Cali Manors

[@RealPivotTV]

You have to remember you are asking for money right now on your terms when you sell stuff to them. Will they sell it for more? Yes. But you don't have to deal with all the BS and you get the money when you want it. They may have that piece of equipment for months before they make that money back.

[@EdmundDwight-i8o]

Ofelia Plaza

[@DierserWalker-z8y]

Barney Island

[@worldadventuretravel]

The intro is too long and kind of unnecessary, and the entire video is way more about you than it is helpful information about the topic. I've used MPB quite a bit. It's stupid to buy new camera gear when there's such a robust secondhand gear market, especially for DSLR equipment. The latter is a particular advantage because of the recent obsession with mirrorless kit. If you want to lower your barrier to entry into photography and be able to buy an amazing camera system, an older DSLR and three or four amazing lenses (I love Sigma Art and Tokina Opera series lenses, and Samyang makes beautiful, fast glass if you're okay with manual focusing) for half of what you would have to pay just to get into an entry level mirrorless kit.

[@WORLDLIFESTUDIOS-mc4lk]

I have always wanted to buy from mpb for a long time but am unable ,Please assist me with their number or make a tutorial on how to buy from mpb and also how to ship