Every year around mid-November I start getting the same texts from photographer friends: “Is this deal actually good or does it just look good?” That question is harder to answer than it sounds. Manufacturers are skilled at slapping a “40% off” sticker on something that was quietly marked up in September. I’ve been burned before, and more importantly, I’ve watched a lot of other people get burned. So when a creator I trust puts out a dedicated Black Friday breakdown, I pay attention and take notes before the deals expire.

In this Tony and Chelsea Northrup tutorial, Watch the full tutorial on YouTube, the duo runs through a stacked list of camera bodies, storage, lighting, accessories, and training resources that are genuinely discounted this season. I’ve watched it, cross-referenced the prices against my own tracking, and pulled out the steps you’d actually want to follow to take advantage of these deals before they disappear. Some of these I’d buy myself. A couple I’d personally pass on. I’ll be straight about which is which.

Step 1: Start with Used Gear at KEH Before Anything Else

KEH coupon code and discount percentage shown on screen KEH coupon code and discount percentage shown on screen KEH is running ten percent off thousands of used items with a 21-day return window and a 180-day warranty. That combination matters. A return window means you’re not gambling blind, and six months of warranty coverage on used glass is better than what you’d get from a random eBay seller. Use the coupon code NORTHRUP10A and go through the link in the video description to make sure the discount actually applies at checkout. The Northrups recently published a separate video on their favorite KEH picks, so if you’re not sure what to buy, start there before you start browsing.

My honest take: used gear from a reputable reseller is almost always a better value than a “sale” price on brand-new mid-tier equipment. A used copy of a pro-level lens beats a discounted kit lens most of the time. Start here.

Step 2: Add Apple AirTags to Every Bag You Own

Apple AirTags shown attached to camera gear Apple AirTags shown attached to camera gear AirTags are 15 percent off right now, and if you don’t have them on your camera bag, you are one distracted moment in a coffee shop away from a very bad day. Tony literally ran back to a restaurant to grab a camera he’d left behind because his AirTag sent him an alert. That’s not a hypothetical use case, that’s what these are built for. At their regular price they’re already cheap insurance. At 15 percent off there’s no reason to skip them.

Attach one inside your main bag and one to your tripod case if you travel with it separately. The setup takes five minutes in the Find My app.

Step 3: Pick the Right Sony Body for Your Budget

Sony a7C and a7 III pricing displayed on screen Sony a7C and a7 III pricing displayed on screen Sony has three meaningful deals on full-frame bodies right now. The a7C is sitting at $1,600, the a7 III is $1,700 as a body-only option, and the a7 III with a kit lens is $1,900. Tony’s recommendation is the kit lens bundle at $1,900 if you’re coming from a crop sensor or starting fresh on full-frame. The kit lens is genuinely usable and having it in the box means you’re shooting on day one without buying a second item immediately.

There’s also a much older full-frame Sony body available around $900. Tony flags it honestly as old and not something he’d personally recommend. I’d agree. Nine hundred dollars on an aging sensor with outdated autofocus is not a great deal in 2023 just because the number looks low. Save a little longer and hit that $1,700 price point instead.

Step 4: Buy Two of the Seagate 16TB External Drives

Seagate 16TB external drive deal shown on screen Seagate 16TB external drive deal shown on screen Storage deals are the most underrated part of any Black Friday photography sale and people sleep on them every year. The Seagate 16TB USB 3 external drive is 60 percent off at $245. The important part of Tony’s advice here isn’t just “buy one.” It’s buy two. One is your primary working drive. The second is your backup. If drive one fails and you only have drive one, you lose everything. That’s not a hypothetical either. I’ve talked to photographers who lost full wedding galleries because they were running a single-drive setup.

Two drives at $245 each is $490 for 32TB of redundant storage. That is an absurdly good deal. Do not skip this one.

Step 5: Consider the Rotolight Aeos 2 if You Shoot Video or Portraits

Rotolight Aeos 2 LED panel displayed with effects demo Rotolight Aeos 2 LED panel displayed with effects demo The Rotolight Aeos 2 is on sale for $1,100. It’s a continuous LED panel that also fires as a strobe, runs on battery, and can simulate practical light effects like flickering neon or emergency lights for cinematic shots. It’s a serious piece of kit aimed at people doing commercial video or portrait work who need one light that does multiple jobs without a power outlet nearby.

I’ll be honest: if your budget is tight, this is the deal to skip. Eleven hundred dollars is not budget photography territory. But if you’re a working portrait or video shooter who’s been renting lighting or juggling multiple cheaper panels, this is the consolidation purchase that makes sense right now.

Step 6: Grab the Aura Digital Frame for a Gift That Actually Gets Used

Aura digital picture frame shown at sale price Aura digital picture frame shown at sale price The Aura digital frame dropped from $179 to $129. Tony reviewed multiple digital frames and this was his top pick. The reason it works as a gift, especially for parents or grandparents, is the companion app. You load new photos directly from your phone and they appear on the frame automatically. No one has to plug in a USB stick or remember a Wi-Fi password. It just works.

For photographers specifically, this is also a low-key way to actually get your images off hard drives and in front of people who love them. I’ve got thousands of photos that have never existed outside of Lightroom. This helps with that problem.

Step 7: Grab the Training While It’s Half Price

Video training courses shown at 50% off Video training courses shown at 50% off All of the Northrups’ video training is 50 percent off for a limited window. Their flash course, which covers on-camera flash, off-camera setups, gels, and light modifiers, is down to $20. The Art and Science of Photography course pairs Tony’s technical explanations with Chelsea’s creative approach, which is actually a useful combination for photographers who’ve plateaued on specs but haven’t grown on the artistic side.

If you’re going to spend money on gear this weekend, spend a fraction of it on training too. Gear upgrades hit a ceiling fast. Skill doesn’t.

One Thing I’d Add From My Own Experience

I’ve tracked photography deals long enough to know that Black Friday prices don’t always beat the prices you’ll see in January or February when demand drops. Storage and accessories especially tend to come back down. Camera bodies and lenses, though, are less predictable. If you’ve been watching a specific body and today’s price is the lowest you’ve seen it, that’s a real signal. If you’re buying something you weren’t already considering just because it looks cheap, that’s where deals get expensive.

My rule: if it wasn’t on your list before November, sleep on it 48 hours before clicking buy.

The single most important move you can make this weekend is the KEH deal. Used gear with a warranty and a return window is the highest-value category on this list, and the extra ten percent discount makes already-fair prices genuinely great. Everything else on this list is real but optional depending on where you are in your photography.

Watch the full tutorial on YouTube to see every deal with direct links, and move fast since several of these are time-sensitive.