7D question

[sactown024]

My local camera shop "Hunts Camera" has a used Canon 7D for sell for $1000 but the pop up flash does not work. I was wondering if there is a reason why I would want this function considering I have a speedlite and triggers. I just don't want to make a mistake, would you guys buy a used 7D for 1,000 flash working or broken? is this a decent price?

 

[Overread]

One worry with buying broken hardware is that sometimes one part breaks in advent of other parts breaking as well and, as a result, what starts as a cheaper purchase can snowball into a higher cost as the unit develops further faults and then requires either replacement or repair.


If its just the popup and nothing but that then its not too limiting. The 7D does have some limited ability to set of other flash units with the popup (so I recall though I've never used it) but if you've already got wireless remote units then it shouldn't be very if any limit to you. A popup flash is certainly not essential to have, most fullframe camera bodies and top level ones don't even have a popup flash.

So its really just the problem of deciding if you want to gamble on a broken unit or not.

 

[sactown024]

hmm good points, the guy i talked to said the person that traded it in used it for video only so it basically has no shutter actuations, but who knows if hes lying....

the other option I have is a 60D they have for $750 in mint condition but I really want the 7D

 

[Overread]

Has the camera been sent to a service centre to asses the damage itself? Without that I would be concerned that the broken popup flash might be hiding further internal damage which might go undetected until a point in the future (in other words that the unit itself has a higher degree of possible further component failure).

It could just be that the little switch under the hot-shoe has gotten stuck down (it does happen) and thus the popup won't come up - it could be a firmwire error - or it could be more extensive internal damage.


As for video and shutter actuations, shutter limits are only best guess estimations on a shutters lifespan, some will fail early and others far later. Sadly its a bit of a lottery there and I've no idea if the action of keeping the shutter open for long periods of time for video puts any additional or different stresses on teh mechanical mechanism

 

[sactown024]

these are great points, i dont want to drop a grand on something thats going to have hidden issues, sucks, i really got excited when he called me back

I think I saw a 7D in these forums for sale, ill go check that i guess.

 

[MLeeK]

I wouldn't do it. Usually the reason the pop up doesn't work is cuz something has been spilled into it somehow... That doesn't bode well for the whole camera.

 

[sactown024]

yeah, looks like the guy selling his here decided not to sell it, i cant seem to find one anywhere

 

[swiftparkour94]

It's hard to find a perfectly working 7D's with not too many shutter accusations. I've seen the average price of them (body only) roughly around $1,200. Maybe during holiday season when stores drop their prices, the used and/or refurbished ones will too. Craigslist is always an option.

If you aren't sure about shutter accusations, ask the owner if you can install magic lantern on it real quick to find out, it's displayed in a section of it's menu. Since magic lantern runs off the card, you don't have to worry about uninstalling it.

Good luck, I will probably start my hunt for a good used 7D too late next year

 

[JAC526]

I wouldn't buy a 7d. I didn't see hardly any difference other than autofocus between the 60D and the 7D. Now having said that my friend owned them both so I have limited amount of time messing with them.

But unless I really needed the better autofocus I think I would skip the 7D use the money saved for some glass.

 

[sactown024]

hmmm, yeah i questions this also but I have heard rants and raves about the 7D, i did play with one for a few minutes and loved it although i never touched a 60D. I really like that the 7D has 19 AF points and better AF since I tend to shoot a lot of candids I am usually in AF mode.

 

[sactown024]

while on the subject of broken cameras, I also found a 60D used on CL with the 18-135 lens, he was asking $900 but after days of negotiating I got him down to $700 with the lens. BUT now he tells me that the camera is in flawless condition besides the lcd screen, he said it has some green broken pixels, whats up with that?

 

[MLeeK]

Ask him what's up with that. We don't know what happened to it.
It's a flip out screen, it's far more susceptible to damage.

 

[swiftparkour94]

while on the subject of broken cameras, I also found a 60D used on CL with the 18-135 lens, he was asking $900 but after days of negotiating I got him down to $700 with the lens. BUT now he tells me that the camera is in flawless condition besides the lcd screen, he said it has some green broken pixels, whats up with that?

Don't bite on that. Seems like a guy trying his hardest to get rid of a crapped up condition DSLR. Who knows what else is wrong with it, apparently there is things he didn't want to tell you to begin with

 

[swiftparkour94]

hmmm, yeah i questions this also but I have heard rants and raves about the 7D, i did play with one for a few minutes and loved it although i never touched a 60D. I really like that the 7D has 19 AF points and better AF since I tend to shoot a lot of candids I am usually in AF mode.

If you shoot fast moving subjects then the 60D is out of the question. That's the purpose I want one for. Then I'm buying the A7D underwater housing to shoot surfers. Ooooh yeaaaa :]

 

[MLeeK]

hmmm, yeah i questions this also but I have heard rants and raves about the 7D, i did play with one for a few minutes and loved it although i never touched a 60D. I really like that the 7D has 19 AF points and better AF since I tend to shoot a lot of candids I am usually in AF mode.

If you shoot fast moving subjects then the 60D is out of the question. That's the purpose I want one for. Then I'm buying the A7D underwater housing to shoot surfers. Ooooh yeaaaa :]

Who told you that the 60D is out of the question for fast moving subjects? You need to not generically repeat sh!t that you have been told cuz you are really rather wrong.