Quick take: Skip Black Friday for camera gear. Prices aren't better than other sales during the year, and the real discounts come in March, at the end of the Japanese fiscal year. Most of us don't actually need anything new, used gear goes much further, and new equipment won't make you a better photographer.
Black Friday Is a Scam (for Cameras)
Nothing in the camera space is priced any differently on Black Friday than during any other sale through the year. If you want the best deals, plan big purchases for March.
Why March? March 31st is the end of the Japanese fiscal year. Like any company, camera makers want to move as much inventory as possible to close the year with the best numbers they can report to stakeholders and shareholders. The best way to do that is to drop prices lower than they've been all year. Margins shrink, but unit sales go up, and the year-end reports look great.
Nothing Is Really on Sale
Memory cards are my favorite example. They're on sale almost all the time. On Black Friday they're just marketed differently: countdown timers, big red price buttons, inflated "regular" prices, or suspiciously cheap listings that turn out to be old stock from a previous generation. Those are slower, and they probably give sellers a bigger margin.
You only really see meaningful discounts when a company is getting ready to replace a product with a newer version, and that rarely lines up with Black Friday.
You Probably Don't Need It
FOMO gets amplified during holiday sales. Big camera purchases are usually made in anticipation of something, not because of a real need right now. If your reasoning is "if I buy this, I can start charging for sports or portraits," here's what any successful photographer or cinematographer will tell you: never buy gear in anticipation of work.
It's an easy way to get into debt, and debt is kryptonite for creative professionals. It makes you drop your rates out of desperation and take work you don't want just to pay off equipment.
Buy Used Instead
Used gear will take your money much further. I had a borderline depressing realization recently while shooting with my first camera, a Canon 70D that's more than 10 years old, with the last lens I ever bought for it, the Canon 85mm F1.4L IS. I hadn't touched it in about five years. I took a few photos and realized I could do 100% of my photo work, and maybe 95% of my video work, with that setup.
You can find a 70D body for around $150 to $250. The lens is still pricier, roughly $650 to $1,000 depending on condition. If your focus is photography, almost anything from the last decade will make you happy.
The only difference between me now and me ten years ago on that setup is what I've learned. I probably could have sped up my career by spending that time and money on editing or business courses instead of more gear. It's a lesson almost everyone learns the hard way.
Video Is a Little Different
For video, especially working with production crews or contractors, requirements are more specific: certain codecs and active cooling so you don't overheat. Those needs should drive your purchase. For YouTube or photos, an older camera like the 70D is plenty capable. Typically, consumer cameras beat production tools in almost every scenario except production-specific ones, like jobs that need active cooling.
New Gear Won't Make You Better
New equipment might motivate you to go out and shoot a bit more, but that wears off quickly. I learned everything through trial and error, and mostly through YouTube, and now 100% of my income comes from production work. I'm grateful for that.
But once you get past the basics, a lot of camera content turns into sales pitches. When you're making a living with this stuff, it's hard not to feel a little misled by how some "must-have" lenses were sold to you by creators whose communities you were part of. I try hard not to be that.
I can't point to a single piece of gear that elevated my work in a way nothing else could, except maybe wireless lav mics. During lockdown I went back to shooting everything on my X-T3 with the 18-55mm kit lens, photo and video, until sports work picked back up and I went back to my 24-70 and 70-200. Nobody noticed but me.
What to Do Instead
If you want to improve, shoot more with what you have. Invest some time and money in software tutorials, or a course from someone whose work you like. Replicate work you admire, then add your own variation. That's what actually elevated my work.
So this Black Friday, if you don't absolutely need something for work, don't buy it. Better prices are coming for anything you do need, and if you're just getting started, buy used. For a real example, see my Fujifilm X-T3 long-term review: it's a $500 camera now and still excellent.
