1st hand or 2nd hand


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madsonic

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Jun 20, 2009
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Hi everyone!

Im looking forward to buy a entry level Canon camera however I cannot decide on whether to buy a new or a used camera. My worries are that 1st hand camera is a tat more expensive and a 2nd hand is not guaranteed of its condition. Even though the seller gives his word damage of internal hardware will not be apparent if he has dropped it before.

So i hope that maybe you guys can give me some advice, like how to check for internal damage if possible, or does the canon warranty cover accidental damage so that even if the seller has dropped his camera before i would not have to pay to fix it.

Thanks!!!!:D
 

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for bodies, i'd buy first hand cos i know(besides being tested by other customers) it's relatively new and not in bad shape.

canon does not cover accidental damage iirc.
 

I personally by both second hand unless the price difference is small such as the C 50mm f1.8 Mk2 which only costs like $10 more brand new.
 

I depend on budget wor..

got enough $$$ buy first hand, no $$$ buy 2 hand...:)

well, got myself a 2 hand cam and till date nothing happened to it...:cool:
 

It depends on how cheap the 2nd hand is IMO. In any case, it's good to get a 7 day warranty from the seller if you buy second hand :)

(BTW if you wanna buy a Nikon entry level d40, i'm selling hehe)
 

It depends on how cheap the 2nd hand is IMO. In any case, it's good to get a 7 day warranty from the seller if you buy second hand :)

(BTW if you wanna buy a Nikon entry level d40, i'm selling hehe)

7 day personal warrantly as a verbal agreement is basically your word vs the seller, there is nothing to hold so the seller to it once money changes hand; so ultimately its still the case of buyer beware. This applies not only to body or lenses.

If TS is so worried, save up money and buy first hand, or at least a second hand that comes with warrantly.
 

Hi everyone!

Im looking forward to buy a entry level Canon camera however I cannot decide on whether to buy a new or a used camera. My worries are that 1st hand camera is a tat more expensive and a 2nd hand is not guaranteed of its condition. Even though the seller gives his word damage of internal hardware will not be apparent if he has dropped it before.

So i hope that maybe you guys can give me some advice, like how to check for internal damage if possible, or does the canon warranty cover accidental damage so that even if the seller has dropped his camera before i would not have to pay to fix it.

Thanks!!!!:D

Buying older 2nd hand gear can be good if you are testing how serious you are about the hobby. If the cam sits in a dry cab for long periods, then no big deal.

Problem comes if/when you find the "older" gear frustrating in that it's specifications do not allow you to capture what you want. Newer sensors are better.

If the cam is a new model, but 2nd hand, should still have some warranty...?

What do you want to shoot?
 

No definite answer...

Even a set without much abuse will fail after 367 days; while even an old set which conquers the tough conditions with SC >50k might still be working.

If you are worried, save up the money to get a new set. No point looking at BnS section because if there's a new set selling at far cheaper price (which makes you seriously want to consider it), you will wonder whether the set was dropped before or not.

But then, I do find body price depreciates more than lenses.
 

Totally agree.

I bought my cam body first hand. So far, I have send it in for repair twice.

All the lens that I have now are from the used market. So far, not one of them is giving me any issue.

So I guess it depends on your luck.

Make sure you check your purchase carefully.

Cheers
 

2nd hand is ok as long as the quality is fine, and the shuttercount is not too high. If there is warranty, it is even better.
 

Totally agree.

I bought my cam body first hand. So far, I have send it in for repair twice.

All the lens that I have now are from the used market. So far, not one of them is giving me any issue.

So I guess it depends on your luck.

Make sure you check your purchase carefully.
Cheers


Body and lens age differently wor....But body contains more electronics.
Very dependent on individual sets(and batch no.).
I have a auntie bought LCD TV sent in repairs 5 times in a year. I got the same model until now(1 year+) never had any problem.

Like lottery like that. :D
 

Still comes down to budget for individual. If you don't have enough cash but wants the camera badly, you will probably settle for a 2nd hand one.

Buying a 2nd hand camera has a risk, you are paying less aren't you? All in all, it depends on how you justify for it. I have bought new and 2nd hand bodies, lens etc. Measure it out yourlself bah.
 

One way I look at 2nd hand goods, is that the previous owner has already tested this equipment. If has been working fine all along, then most likely it will continue to work fine.

Of course for bodies, try to get those with low shutter counts, at least it may continue to work fine for a longer period.
 

Body and lens age differently wor....But body contains more electronics.
Very dependent on individual sets(and batch no.).
I have a auntie bought LCD TV sent in repairs 5 times in a year. I got the same model until now(1 year+) never had any problem.

Like lottery like that. :D

I agree.

One way I look at 2nd hand goods, is that the previous owner has already tested this equipment. If has been working fine all along, then most likely it will continue to work fine.

Of course for bodies, try to get those with low shutter counts, at least it may continue to work fine for a longer period.
This I also agree.

I had the fortune of meeting up with a representative of Canon (it makes no difference. For all we know, this person can be from any other brands.).
I was expounding the popularity of buying second hand camera bodies.
And after a short pause, I was given this reply: "Camera bodies have lots of electronic components in them. If you get a second hand one, you will never know how it was treated by its previous owner. It may have been dropped once or several times, enough to cause some components to dislodge, resulting in electronic malfunctions which are not immediately apparent. You can never tell from outside..."
Got me thinking....
 

Buy your first camera, first hand. Since you are new, even if something isnt working its hard for you to tell. When you get more experienced, then go for 2nd hand stuff.

Exactly the points stated above, body is very complicated, better to buy first hand, unless your professional photographer friend is changing job and sells his D3X for SG$100, then just buy!!!!!



OT. zurich is a damn nice city, should visit and make some photos haha!
 

IMHO, it's better to get 1st hand as you never know how the previous owner treat his/her camera (unless your own trusted friend/s selling). I went through the same dilemma as you but decide to save up and buy 1st hand after hearing all the advice from fellow CS members. No regrets since! :)
 

My budget and needs dictates whether I get things brand new or 2nd hand. My experience with 2nd hand purchases thus far is pretty good.
 

I got my first and latest camera 1st hand

my second camera i got it 2nd hand


1) i bought my first camera 1st hand coz i was new to the DSLR market and do not know how to check for good camera condition if buying 2nd hand, so merely trust that it will be good

2) i bought my 2nd camera 2nd hand coz the price was a good savings off the street price then, it came with 3 months warranty and i was saving up for my ideal camera. Also, i knew wat important things to check with on the camera too and for the record, i sent it in once because of the scroll wheel before the warranty ended.

3) i bought my latest camera 1st hand coz it is new in the market and there's no 2nd hand ones yet. Also, i got it at an acceptable price with a good package and to me, the time that i get to use it now is worth more than the savings i will have gotten if i waited for a few months for a 2nd hand set to appear.

regardless of 1st hand or 2nd hand, u never know what shock or quality checks the camera has went through. But u will definitely expect the exterior to be exceptional for 1st hand while for 2nd hand, scratches are ok but no dents (tell-tale signs of drops or impacts). Buttons should be tested for responsiveness as well as scroll wheels; lcd no scratches; all functions working; shots at different apertures (your lens must be good) against white background; etc should be checked for new or 2nd hand camera bodies.

personally, i wouldn't hesitate to get 2nd hand bodies but i would hesitate to get 2nd hand lens coz i am not so expert at detecting "fungus-cleaned" lens....so i rather go for 1st hand... a naive and head-in-the-sand method but paying that premium for the "peace". LOL

hope it is not too long to digest....:bsmilie:
 

My budget and needs dictates whether I get things brand new or 2nd hand. My experience with 2nd hand purchases thus far is pretty good.

mmm....budget and needs are good gauges to consider. Also, the savings and benefits of 1st hand should also be considered. :)
 

Hi for me i buy both first and second hand body.
If you know how to check the body condition and still got a few months of warranty, can buy second hand. if not buy first hand...;)
 

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