Buy Bodies - Used or New

[SRV1981]

Any downside buying a zve1 or a6700 used versus new? Or in general? Used lens seems really easy to do but bodies feels a little nerve wracking. 

[ac6000cw]

If you want to minimise the risk buying used, buy the body from a major dealer who will provide a decent length warranty and allow you to return it if you're not happy with it e.g. in the UK, Wex offer a 45-day return period and provide 12-month warranties on used gear. MPB offer 6-month used warranties, as do some of the other major UK dealers.

If you want long warranties, buy new and then buy an extended warranty from the manufacturer, or wait until the manufacturer offers a free extended warranty as a sales promotion on new bodies.

[Tim Sewell]

I've owned many cameras (too many) and i think I've only ever bought 2 from new. Thing is, there are so few moving parts on cameras these days that there's not a huge amount that can go wrong in normal use. That said, unless an eBay or similar deal is just too good to pass up, you are safer doing it through a dealer, as @ac6000cw says.

[SRV1981]

Good advice, i'll check MPB and KEH - that said i just worry that the units being sold may be more prone to overheating than a new unit.  Type that out sounds potentially ridiculous just a fear.

[bjohn]

I also buy most of my gear used; I did buy my Sony A7iii new, mainly for the warranty. For Blackmagic Design cameras I think it's best to buy used because BMD's quality assurance is so poor that you may need to buy several new cameras to find one that works. The two BMD cameras I bought new were defective out of the box and had to be returned; the used one I bought on eBay is perfect. People who buy a defective camera will likely return it to exchange, so you'll probably have better luck buying a used one.

[ac6000cw]

48 minutes ago, SRV1981 said:

that said i just worry that the units being sold may be more prone to overheating than a new unit.

If you are really worried about that, buy it and stress-test it quickly so that you can return ASAP it if you're not happy.

But if long recording times in hot environments are important to you, then you should be looking at a camera with a fan anyway (so you don't get distracted from the enjoyable creative stuff by worrying about overheating). Otherwise avoid leaving the camera out in hot direct sun/put a sunshade over it/put a white or reflective cloth over it. And turn it off when not using it, so it's not already hot before you press the record button.

[John Matthews]

I've purchased some new and some used. If you're super lucky, you can buy new for used prices. IMO, that is the time to buy. For Panasonic, it's during Black Friday. A few years back, I got the Olympus E-P7 with the kit lens and the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 for 899 euros. That's probably the best deal I've ever found for new. In France, you have leboncoin, which is very good too with some amazing deals from people who just want to unload material or just don't understand what they have. When you buy, you have the choice of sending it back. If you know your cameras, you can thoroughly test it. Buying off Ebay is an option too, but you never seem to find good deals anymore (I gave up). MBP is also a great choice, but they're too expensive for some cameras and lenses.

[ntblowz]

E1 should be even less worry cause it didn't have mechanical shutter, I did see people posting their Sony camera's shutter get stuck from my local wedding group occasionally

[Walter H]

Not sure what you are looking to buy, but I have purchased and sold quite a bit on fredmiranda. I trust those interactions than any other private selling space. I've never had a bad experience and the X-H2s body I recently acquired was immaculate. 

[kye]

About half my cameras were second hand, with a couple of them likely having a lot more than two previous owners, but haven't had any issues with mine.

If you're concerned about overheating, get a camera with a fan.  A fan is the difference between a camera overheating in air-conditioning in under 45 minutes vs a camera recording for 24 hours in a race car at 120F / 48C.

[MurtlandPhoto]

Aside from launch day preorders like the BMPCC4K, I buy almost all my cameras used from major retailers. You’d be amazed how many cameras get returned just a couple weeks after launch. Like new condition for 10-15% off. I stress test them quickly just to make sure there isn’t some defect. 

Typically, anything rated 9 or higher from B&H is indistinguishable from brand new.

 

[SRV1981]

Great ideas folks!

 

1. what’s the best way to stress test?

2. Favorite outlets that are reputable ?

3. Are 3rd party warranties worth it?

[Tim Sewell]

12 hours ago, John Matthews said:

Buying off Ebay is an option too, but you never seem to find good deals anymore (I gave up).

I've had some great bits of luck recently by using search terms that reflect what a person who didn't know what they had would use as a listing title - 'camera light' and so on... then sorting by Ending Soonest.

[kye]

14 hours ago, SRV1981 said:

What’s the best way to stress test?

I'd try a range of things, and I'm sure others will have more to add, but I would:

• Check the camera physically to make sure the screen works, buttons, EVF, etc
• I'd update the firmware straight away to the latest
• Put on several lenses and test that they're recognised correctly and the AF and OIS are working
• After putting in a new battery and formatting a memory card in it, I'd pick the best quality normal mode (24/25/30p) and do a long recording on it of something that has a lot of movement in it (a great test is putting three still images on a timeline each at 1 frame and then loop the video)..  if it records without issue for 20+ minutes without anything odd happening that's good, but if you have time I'd test until the card fills up or the battery dies
• I'd also do the same but on the highest frame rate mode
• Check the files are playable in the camera and work on the computer

If it passes all of the above then it's unlikely that it has some lingering issue that isn't also present on new copies as well.

[MurtlandPhoto]

22 hours ago, SRV1981 said:

2. Favorite outlets that are reputable ?

B&H and Adorama are my most trusted vendors for used stuff. Fun thing about Adorama is that almost all their used stuff on their site is also listed in their eBay store with a “Make offer” option so you’re able to buy things under list price. They’re pretty good about actually accepting offers, too. 

I’ve had very good luck buying and selling with MPB in the past, but you need to reallyyyy stress test stuff from them IMO. I’ve returned a couple items that I didn’t feel were listed correctly. Like, things I bought at “Excellent” that I would characterize as “Poor” or “Acceptable”. Still, there are some great deals there.

[newfoundmass]

B&H, Adorama & MPB have all served me well when buying used. I bought my S5iix new, but that was because it was on sale and the used price wasn't much lower. If it's only $100 or $200 cheaper then it really might be worth getting it new instead, but I generally buy cameras that are a couple years old which is where you'll find bargains. 

You're probably going to get the same overheating on a used camera as you will on a new one, assuming the camera you're getting has overheating issues to begin with. The same applies for most issues a camera may have. 

Third party warranties aren't a terrible idea. I get extended warranties if they're available for any expensive purchase I make. For me that's usually anything over $1000, though what is and isn't expensive varies per person. I film a lot of pro-wrestling, so the thought of having my brand new $2,000 camera and $1,000+ lens damaged and being SOL because I didn't spend a little more on the extended warranty gives me nightmares. Better to be safe than sorry, I say. 

[eatstoomuchjam]

Another vote for "buy used from a reputable dealer with a return policy" when possible - both with camera bodies and lenses.  They usually have a 30-day return policy as well - so that gives you some time to test the camera.

Personally, for the most part, I don't buy extended warranties and if you're going to buy one from a third party, try to do some investigation to understand whether people are happy with it when they try to use it.  I do carry extra camera insurance, though, for a bunch of my stuff.

On the rare occasion that there is a problem with the camera, you can send it back to the manufacturer for repair, even if it's out of warranty.  It'll just cost you a bit to have it repaired.  For me, over the last 25 years or so, I've definitely spent less on repairing cameras than I would have spent on extended warranties for all of them.  YMMV

[MrSMW]

2 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

For me, over the last 25 years or so, I've definitely spent less on repairing cameras than I would have spent on extended warranties for all of them.  YMMV

My mileage has not varied from this.

I think once, max twice in about the same time period so for me, extended warranties would have cost 10x if not 20x as much.

Otherwise I do try and purchase used if I can, but only from dealers ie, not places like eBay. Unless it’s some older ‘vintage’ lens type stuff when OK, I have taken a punt.

MPB is the only real place in Europe for used (mainstream) kit.

[PannySVHS]

I buy used all the time. Greatest deal were two LX10, a bit bumped up but perfectly usuable, for 120 Euro, three years ago, from a youtuber with 150.000 subs. One battery only though.:) Another great deal was an og pocket two years ago or so, with the 20mm 1.7 MK II for 200 or 250 Euro. Last summer I got a Lumix G2 and a G3, together for less than 30 Euro. This year no purchase yet, as planned to stay away from gas this year and as stated in another thread.:)

[kye]

5 hours ago, PannySVHS said:

I buy used all the time. Greatest deal were two LX10, a bit bumped up but perfectly usuable, for 120 Euro, three years ago, from a youtuber with 150.000 subs. One battery only though.:) Another great deal was an og pocket two years ago or so, with the 20mm 1.7 MK II for 200 or 250 Euro. Last summer I got a Lumix G2 and a G3, together for less than 30 Euro. This year no purchase yet, as planned to stay away from gas this year and as stated in another thread.:)

Those are all absolutely KILLER deals...  well done!!