new vs used dslr

frankgtrs · Mar 29, 2012

thanks everyone for replying. im glad no one has horror stories to share, but regardless i think i'll be buying new or used from craigslist only if the seller has the warranty. In case of the 60d refurbished sounds pretty good but the d7000 is not being sold refurbished in either adorama or B&H and and used from adorama the difference is only around $50 from a new one.

BarryJackson · Mar 29, 2012

Ya pays your $,ya takes your chances!!!That bein said I regurlarly peruse Adorama,never got nething from them that they did`nt describe it to a T,Plus I like it that they got time to answer questions and have e-mailed me pics of the actual item!They don`t just give ya the bums rush to get a card #.Plus their prices are as good as anyone`s.

Stradawhovious · Mar 29, 2012

Make sure you can return it if necessary, and make sure you either know enough to check it out, or have someone that can check it out for you.

If it is a local deal, you might ask the seller if you can take it to a local shop for a once over. For $50 (or so) you can get good peace of mind by having a tech look it over. Small price to pay on a $1k+ investment.

I'd rather spend $50 to dodge a bullet, than $1,000 to get hit by one.

Just sayin'

bhop · Mar 29, 2012

I have a happy story if you want that instead of horror.. I bought my d300 on craigslist for $400. Cheap because it was used professionally and has high actuations. I've had it for a few months, shooting motorsports and whatever else with zero issues.

..but then, even if the shutter does go out, it's still cheaper to have it replaced (added to the purchase cost) than even another used one at their current prices.

IByte · Mar 29, 2012

Try Keh.com one of our members bought a used or refurbished d90 and has been loving it ever since. New or used always consider a warranty with your item just in case, good luck and happy hunting

.

bhop · Mar 29, 2012

IByte said:
Try Keh.com one of our members bought a used or refurbished d90 and has been loving it ever since. New or used always consider a warranty with your item just in case, good luck and happy hunting .

Keh is great... when their website is working.. I've bought a few things from them and all have been underrated, meaning when it arrived, I thought it seemed better than the 'grade' they gave it. Adorama is also good for used stuff. I bought a couple lenses from there, also my Leica M6, which was near perfect for a 20+ year old camera.

frankgtrs · Mar 30, 2012

i had never herd of keh i'll look more in to it.
bhop that was great story you must be super happy !
its insane how little d7000 prices have dropped even when used. this makes me think i might want to buy new.

photographyxfactor · Mar 30, 2012

Dont just read on them, go into a store and handle them, see which one fits you, see which one has controls that make the most sense to you....consider the lens line up..consider what type of photography you want to do....everyone has their opinions on the best camera(s)...but YOU will be the one using whatever it is you wind up with.

Balmiesgirl · Mar 30, 2012

photographyxfactor said:
Dont just read on them, go into a store and handle them, see which one fits you, see which one has controls that make the most sense to you....consider the lens line up..consider what type of photography you want to do....everyone has their opinions on the best camera(s)...but YOU will be the one using whatever it is you wind up with.

I agree^^
You need to feel it in your hands and compare side by side. Push all of the buttons and see how user friendly it is! I teach photography classes so I see lots of different cameras and the controls are VERY different! Some are intuitive, some are a nightmare where you have to go through 10 menus to change a simple setting!!!! Make sure aperture, shutter speed and iso are easily adjustable. Being able to separate the shutter and focus functions are great things to have too!

JeremyDueckPhoto · Mar 30, 2012

I have a local camera store that does a serial number check on all used gear. They also have a 2 week warrenty so you can bring them back if anything goes wrong with them. I have picked up 3 DSLRs from them, a D700, D300 and a D200. All worked great and I would buy another used one again. I have also picked up some used lenses including a 70-200 2.8 and that saved me $500 although the AFS motor went out in it and cost me $450 to fix it.... There are other good camera stores (including the online stores) that have some policies like this. My suggestion is to see if there is one close to you.

LuckySe7en · Mar 30, 2012

I would only buy a used camera from someone I knew took care of it. The other day I had a guy willing to sell me a 580ex flash for $200. When I asked him what body he used it on, he didn't know. That tells me he doesn't know crap about photography yet is selling a $400-$500 flash for $200. I didn't buy it.

I bought new for my first

Joel_W · Mar 30, 2012

LuckySe7en said:
I would only buy a used camera from someone I knew took care of it. The other day I had a guy willing to sell me a 580ex flash for $200. When I asked him what body he used it on, he didn't know. That tells me he doesn't know crap about photography yet is selling a $400-$500 flash for $200. I didn't buy it.

I bought new for my first

Good thinking. How can you own a flash and not know what camera you used it on? Sound like it could have been stolen.

Crollo · Mar 31, 2012

Cruzingoose said:
Put your money into a nice FILM camera.

I prefer film to digital, and I still find this a very useless suggestion. If you're buying a new [if such a thing exists] film cameras they're still going to cost a goddamn fortune [EOS 1V WOULD cost as much as a 1D series camera, if you could still buy it new!], and well... Used? No warranty? Oh man!