Buying used cameras - what's your experience?

[JDArt]

Those of you who have been brave enough to buy cameras used from eBay or elsewhere sight-unseen, please relate your experiences. Have you ever been ripped off, or has the experience generally been good?

What advice would you give someone who was looking at older digital or film camera models on the used market?

Thanks.

[JohnC]

I've got two Canon 1DmkIIs. One I bought new, the other used. Except for the different color neck straps I have on them, I can't really tell them apart. Very happy with the purchase of the used one.

John

[ChrisLTD]

Where did you buy it from?

Originally Posted by JohnC

I've got two Canon 1DmkIIs. One I bought new, the other used. Except for the different color neck straps I have on them, I can't really tell them apart. Very happy with the purchase of the used one.

John

[Narsuitus]

I have had* better luck buying used cameras than I have with buying brand new cameras. The very first SLR I bought was brand new but was a dud (Miranda Sensorex). Thus far, I have yet to purchase a bad used camera.

[JohnC]

Bought it from someone on the Fred Miranda Buy&Sell Forum. There are a number of used 1DIIs available there.

John

Originally Posted by ChrisLTD

Where did you buy it from?

[Sidebyte]

I have bought a couple from KEH....good reliable company and they rate their products conservatively.

[cameraguy21773]

I all the years I've been shooting I have only bought two used cameras (user not collectible), a Pentax ME Super for parts and a D1x. I have a trust issue with camera bodies but not lenses and would buy lenses more often if I could find what I wanted readily.

[Mr. Pickles]

Of the used stuff I have gotten from reputable dealers (KEH, FM Forum, Adorama, etc.), I have been very happy. Nothing bad has happened yet...

[kitsune]

Of my main gear, only the Tamron WA zoom is new. The remainder is all used, and all from KEH. Someone up above me said they rate conservatively, and that is quite true. Don't hesitate to buy "bargain" condition -- they're still great gear.

[ChrisLTD]

Well, I just bought a 300D off of Ebay... let's see how it turns out

[Paul Shields]

I've bought an OM2n, OM4ti, flash, grip, dozens of lenses, and lots of other things I can't remember from ebay. Never had a bad experience or had an item that was not as was described. I've also sold a lot on ebay (including many of the photography related things I've just listed), and again never had a problem. It's fairly easy to spot the rogue dealers, and I've saved many pounds/dollars in the process (note however, that I've also seen many items go for way beyond the list price of reputable dealers, so caveat emptor and all that...).

[scoundrel1728]

About the only problem that amounted to much when buying used was getting my E995 with a hot pixel in the center and a nonfunctional battery charger from B&H. Since I had bought a separate charger anyway, the bad charger was no big deal. I didn't notice the bad pixel until after the 30-day warranty period had expired, which is at least partly my own fault. Otherwise I have had no complaints about my used equipment, but I have also been careful about checking the reputation of the vendor whether buying new or used.

[ditto1958]

I've never bought a used digital camera, but I have purchased lots of OM gear on ebay. I have only been "burned" a couple of times an in both instances the sellers refunded my money.

[rpcrowe]

I got this camera at a garage sale with a 50mm f/1.4* lens (I later bought a used AE-1P with a 50mm f/1.8 lens through a newspaper classified ad - E-bay wasn't around at the time).

I paid $125 for the A-1 at a garage sale.* It looked in great shape but didn't have a battery.* As with most garage sales it was sold in an "as-is" condition.* I took a chance and then used the camera for 15 years shooting thousands of exposures with it and never had a problem.* I followed that with the used AE-1P a few years later.* I never had a problem with that camera either.

I purchased both my DSLR cameras new (10D followed by a 350D) since I was wary about buying a piece of complicated electronics used..* I bought my first lens for that camera new (28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) and followed that with a new 70-200mm f/4L.

I bought the remainder of my lenses used on Ebay: 17-40mm f/4L, 50mm f/1.8 Mark I, Sigma 28mm f/1.8, Tokina 400mm f/5.6 and Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro.* All have been in primo shape and work great (except that the Sigma and Tokina will only work well on my 10D body* (which I knew before purchasing them).*

I am in the process of upgrading my 28-135mm IS lens and have just purchased a 24-70mm f/2.8L on Ebay but, haven't received it yet.* The used 24-70mm and 28-70mm f/2.8 lenses have really gone down in price since the introduction of the 24-105mm f/4 IS. Some photographers have been dumping the 28-70 and 24-70mm lenses in favor of the 24-105mm IS but,* I have been coveting the 24-70mm f/2.8L for a long time and have finally found one at a realistic price - thanks to the advent of the new 24-105mm IS lens..

My advice regarding purchasing ANYTHING on Ebay or anywhere on line is to know the value of the item you are buying and bid accordingly.* Additionally I recommend that you take a look at Ebay's help section that gives tips for avoiding scam auctions.