Photo & video gear: cameras, lenses and drones

It's how many times the mechanical shutter has fired. Consumer bodies are rated for ~100–150k actuations, pro bodies for 300–500k. Under 30% of the rating is a good buy; free services read the count from a photo's EXIF.

Look through it at a light source: fungus and scratches show immediately, light dust inside is normal. Check ring smoothness, autofocus wide open, and the stabilizer.

Yes, if the seller shows the flight log in the app and battery cycle counts. Avoid drones that went into water, and make sure it isn't bound to someone else's DJI account.

A used DSLR (Canon EOS, Nikon D) gives the most camera for the least money — from 5–8 thousand hryvnias with a lens. Mirrorless is lighter with modern autofocus, but the same image quality costs noticeably more. For learning fundamentals there's no difference — light and composition matter more.

The classic answer is a fast 50mm f/1.8 prime: cheap even new, cheaper used, and it instantly delivers that blurred background and sharpness. It's also the most liquid lens — you'll resell it for the same money if it's not your thing.

For sports, travel and mounting on anything — an action camera: modern GoPro stabilization forgives everything. For blogging and product shots, a camera with interchangeable lenses and a mic input is better. On a used GoPro check for lens fogging and battery condition — batteries degrade first.