Is This A Good Deal?

[xWittaker]

I've been on the lookout for a good deal on a flexible starter DSLR for the past few months. Recently, a friend of mine offered to sell me his old Canon EOS 20D (body only) for $200. Is this a better value than the refurbished Nikon D3000 bodies that frequently show up online for $300?

 

[KmH]

I've been on the lookout for a good deal on a flexible starter DSLR for the past few months. Recently, a friend of mine offered to sell me his old Canon EOS 20D (body only) for $200. Is this a better value than the refurbished Nikon D3000 bodies that frequently show up online for $300?

It depends on the condition of the 20D.

The Nikon refurb should have a 90 day warranty, if Nikon did the work.

You can check eBay for completed 20D sales.

 

[xWittaker]

The guy keeps pretty good of his cameras (he works for the university's newspaper). There's a bit of superficial wear, but it doesn't bother me.

 

[KmH]

All the PJ's I've ever known trashed the snot out of their gear.

I used to live in Tucson. I was a volunteer at the Flaundrau Planetarium for a while, and hung around with some guys from the Planetary Sciences dept, the Stewart mirror lab and NOAO.

The upshot is, you can see the camera and I can't.

 

[xWittaker]

I always recommend people tour the mirror lab if they can, it's pretty sweet.

Thanks for the advice. I'll check out the camera again with a more critical eye this time (I only had a handful of minutes to look at it last time)