Buying Second Hand

[gtcarling]

Im looking at buying a digital slr camera, was wanting to know if it`s worth buying second hand or should i pay that extra bit more and buy new.

If buying second hand from say ebay, being a newbie is there anything worth looking out for or questions i should be asking. Cameras im looking at the moment are the sony a200, canon 400d & the nikon models d40-d80.

Many Thanks.

[social_lurker]

Like always, if you're buying from ebay - be careful. There are alot of dodgy people out there and try and see the camera and take a few pics first - check focusing, flash, dust on the lens/sensor, damage etc. the usual stuff really. Also try the photography forums for people upgrading cameras e.g. www.talkphotography.co.uk and here of course.

That said, you can pick up New dslr's really quite cheap at the mo - the Nikon D40 is about £275 from Amazon at the mo and Nikon are offering £30 cashback as well. The Olympus E410 is on clearance in Currys for £280 which is a great little camera.

[tps58]

I wouldn't. Have a Google for hot pixel and sensor dust problems. Then guess what many of those DSLR owners do. They off-load the camera and upgrade. Unless you can crank up the ISO and check the camera images closely (checking on the LCD wouldn't be enough) you'd never know until too late. Ok you can correct problems in Photoshop but you'll *alway* be looking for the fault on every image. As for getting the sensor repaired/remapped you may as well have bought new.

Cheers

T

[kevin glover]

My advice would be to avoid ebay, I bought a D1X a couple of years ago for £750 and then ended up spending £400 at Nikon to get the focusing and exposure internal systems replaced as the camera had been dropped!!.
I bought a Nikon D70 for my wife fron London Camera Exchange for Christmas and paid £180 for a 4 star rated body that came with the original box, paperwork etc and was as described, ie perfect and as standard you get 3 months warranty, the real bonus is they were fetching £200+ on ebay!!.
Ebay is not always the cheapest and IMHO you are better off buying from a reputable company that offer a warranty or from some of the honest folk who advertise in the classified areas of this forum.
Also be aware that if you go for a D40 you will be limited to your choice of lenses, as Nikon seem to be fitting motors in all their new lenses( as are the OEM Manufacturers) there are some great bargains to be had on the earlier models( pre internal motor), I have just picked up a Sigma 16-50mm f2.8EX (pro) lens for £150 brand new from a high street retailer which is normally £260 and it's motorised replacement is £360 plus a £700 telephoto for £450 again as the new model is the HSM version.
So in summary, stay away from ebay and think about spending a bit more money on a body as you will reap the rewards on your choice of lenses open to you if you go down the Nikon route IMHO.

[drb5]

I got myself a great condition Minolta 7D, but i hunted through some camera forums and checked to see how long the member was on the forum for, post count etc and chanced my luck...it paid off.

If buying off Ebay, feedback of 100% is a MUST, but i'd buy new....even the Sony A200 at the moment can be had with the standard lens for £300!!

[gtcarling]

Thanks for the response guys pretty much what i was thinking really, better to spend that bit extra and have peace of mind.

[dmx005]

Originally Posted by gtcarling

Thanks for the response guys pretty much what i was thinking really, better to spend that bit extra and have peace of mind.

I recently bought a Canon 30D on this forum and am very pleased with it..
No problems whatsoever!

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by gtcarling

Thanks for the response guys pretty much what i was thinking really, better to spend that bit extra and have peace of mind.

I've bought an Olympus E500, and Sony A100 and A700 from the USA . . . all used or refurbs. No problem at all with any of them.

Doesn't mean anything. I've been lucky. A100 needs a new home though!

If you want 'like new', then buy new. Consider buying a warranty if purchasing privately (if item is 12 months + old).

[jonnypb]

avoid ebay!

if you can buy from a trusted member from someone on here or somewhere like TP then buying 2nd hand shouldn't be an issue, i'd always want to buy a dslr new though