The demand for used camera gear is growing, according to one retailer. The international used photo retailer MPB says it has doubled its number of customers over three years while increasing gross profit 24 percent in the last year alone.
This week, the used photo retailer shared data for the fiscal year that ended on March 31 of 2025. MPB attributes its 19 percent increase in net revenue to a number of different factors, including increased demand for used camera gear as well as the company's expansion in international markets.
“Demand for high-quality, second-hand equipment continues to grow, supported by the rise of digital content creation and increasing global adoption of circular models,” said MPB CEO and founder Matt Barker.
Over the course of a year, MBP recirculated more than half a million pieces of kit, selling over 564,000 items across cameras, lenses, video equipment, accessories, and other categories.
Part of that growth, the company says, is due to a growing demand for second-hand gear. That’s fueled in part by customers looking for both more affordable options and a wider range of choices, the company indicates. The growth of content creation is another factor, MPB suggests, along with increasing support for sustainability and circular sales.
While MPB’s financial report gives concrete numbers to the trends, as someone who closely monitors trends in the industry, I’m not surprised by the growing demand. Compact cameras have skyrocketed in popularity, and while manufacturers are catching up and launching more new models, a number of older point-and-shoots remain popular. Some of that is perhaps the growth of early 2000s-era cameras and low-fi photo nostalgia, but some of the growth could also be the limited number of new models.
I suspect another factor could be DSLRs. While new-in-box DSLR shipments have slowed drastically, MPB still lists a handful of DSLRs mixed in with its top ten most popular camera bodies over the last year. As mirrorless cameras dominate sales, it only makes sense to look for deals on older bodies at a used retailer.
The changes to the photography industry and the rise of content creation are only part of the equation, however. MBP – which was originally founded in the UK in 2011 – has continued to expand internationally, and the past fiscal year saw US net revenue up by 26 percent.
The retailer also launched additional local language platforms in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, and Italy, increasing European net revenue by 31 percent year-over-year.
Highlights of the company’s growth include an increase in staff from 455 to 500, being one of the largest employers in Brighton in the UK where it was founded, along with expanding its center in Brooklyn in the US.
Now a majority of the way through the 2026 fiscal year, MBP says it's looking to continue its growth using a number of different strategies, including new customer loyalty tools, growing personalization, and evolving its data-based pricing.
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