My concern:
i) Since you people assume "newbie" knows nothing about photography, how can he/she examine the condition of an used camera which is selling by a private/an individual seller (something from the sites you mentioned)? Yes, one might spend less but turn out getting a piece of garbage.
ii) Is it safer to buy used item from a shop that carries certain kind of warranty?
Ultraman 發表於 2010-1-31 22:33 
Sigh... 
dSLR don't really contain any user serviceable parts at all. Entry level models has more plastic parts, but the mid level dSLR line are built *very* solidly (at least, this is true of both Canon and Nikon bodies). If the camera has been subjected to abuse during its previous ownership, you can easily tell by a careful inspection. Does the battery compartment cover close positively? Does the memory card cover feel loose and flappy when you close it? Does the shutter button click smoothly and positively, returning to its full height upon release, or does it get stuck after it has been depressed? Is the metal lense mount badly scratched, chipped, or otherwise dinged up? Do the lens contacts look worn out? Does the shutter clicking sound seem crisp, or does it sound like it's ready to fall apart any moment? Does the hot shoe mount have a lot of scratches (signs of frequent flash inserts and removal)? Does the tripod mounting hole and nearby area have scratches and dings?
If you are buying lenses, you are going to check the glass for clarity, right? You should also check for dust spots and inspect the electrical contacts and mounting ring. Does the zoom and focus rings turn easily and smoothly? Does it focus correctly? You are gonna check the actual operation of the items before you pay, right?
Last but not least, does the seller seem like he is an honest enough person that wouldn't lie about the thing he is trying to sell you?
None of these are rocket science type of observations -- just typical caveat emptor type of thing to do when you buy anything of value.
The only thing you can't tell for certain is the number of shutter actuations on the camera, but this is generally not a problem. People with entry level model cameras generally don't take a lot of pictures -- it is extremely rare to see those cameras with more than 20k shutter actuations (4k to 9k seems to be the norm), and those cameras' shutters are rated between 50k to 100k actuations (depending on the models). Mid level dSLRs have shutters that are mostly rated at 100k actuations. If the camera has really been used that much, you simply can't miss the amount of wear and tear on the camera's body.
I haven't bought used from a camera store in a long, long time, but from what I have seen and remember, the used products they carry tend to be much older, and generally look like they have been very well-used. Also, they are usually not that cheap because it is expensive for the store to maintain such an inventory. Most importantly, I wonder how much of a warranty the store will give you nowadays -- 30 days, tops? And if it breaks during that time, good luck trying to get your money back -- you'll probably be offered in-store credits only.
-Lik |
發表於 2010-1-31 12:29
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