used gear

[purry]

can used gear be trusted?
What sites are best for used gear?

[neuroanatomist]

Depends on the seller.  B&H, Adorama, LensAuthority offer a warranty.  I've bought several lenses on Craigslist - the ability to test them in person is good.

[IMG_0001]

Almost everything I own in term of photographic equipment has been bought used, either directly from local classifieds or from the used department of local camera shops and I have almost always been happy with the results. Of course, the only time I went on with an item from abroad was my only bad luck so I would second on being able to physically test before buying.

[kennephoto]

Used is great! Just bought a 1d mark III with 9000 shutter actuations. Just watch the local and eBay wait for a real deal then pounce.

[IMG_0001]

kennephoto has an important word in his post, 'wait'. I do think that buying used is very good if you can afford to wait for a good deal .  Used gear for impulsive buyer may be more of a problem...

[RLPhoto]

I've had good experience with KEH.com but the prices aren't always the best.

Craigslist has been fantastic on getting me my tamron 24-70 VC, My old 5Dc, and My 50L. All were great workhorses.

[paul13walnut5]

What region are you in?

[lJoSquaredl]

Authorized dealers would probably be ur best bet, altho i'm iffy on buying expensive/used electronic equipment. People don't always take care of their equipment like I do so I get nervous.

[Roo]

Beware buying secondhand unless you can inspect the item (and you know what you're looking for) before you complete the transaction.

I bought a second hand 70-200 f2.8 non IS  from a guy off ebay.  I knew it was beat up and the price I paid reflected the cosmetic damage.  I checked the front and rear lens elements when I picked it up at night and there were no obvious scratches.  I used it for a couple of months and noticed that in certain lighting conditions I would get the odd washed out/milky image but for the most part it was fixable in post.  I loaned to a friend and he found the same thing.  I finally checked it out properly and it has had some water in it.  So I took it in and got a quote to repair - $1000.  More than it cost and not far off the price of a new one.  I'll probably end up selling it (with full disclosure) because its not worth the cost of an authorised repair and I wouldn't trust someone else to fix unless I was certain they could recalibrate it properly.

[paul13walnut5]

Caveat emptor.

Buy with a guarantee.  Test soon after purchase.

It it has a bashed or stuck filter walk away.

Stop it down, dop and decouple, check the iris shape and blades in the light. Regular shape only. No signs of oil.
Mount it again. Press dop again on and off, observe the snappiness. 

Take a body with you, or an sd cf card at least.  Its a camera shop trick not to have memory in used cams, saves you looking to closely.

Check infinity focus, turn the mf ring manually, turn the zoom ring, any stickiness walk away.

Look through the lens from either side with light behind it.  Ignore fine dust. Beware anything with a distinct shape.  Any sign or smell of mould, walk away and wash your hands before touching your own kit.  Burn your clothes.

[Hillsilly]

I buy and sell a lot of used camera gear on eBay.  The cost savings can be substantial and for an item that you might use only occasionally, why not buy used?

Very, very rarely, I have had problems with items that I've bought.  But I just contact the seller and return it for a refund.  I've never had any problems obtaining a refund.  The biggest risk is postage as some sellers don't automatically offer to reimburse postage (and I'm probably too nice to push the point).  On eBay, I place a lot of weight on seller ratings and would never consider buying from someone with less than about 99.6% - no matter how cheap it is.  I'll typically pay slightly more to buy from someone with a lot of sales and 100% positive feedback. 

[jdramirez]

I'm ok with buying used.  Canon refurbs are your best bet... but I have bought and sold many things on amazon.

[neuroanatomist]

LensAuthority is another good place to look for used gear online. They are the relatively new retail outlet for lensrentals.com, and all of their gear is thoroughly tested and inspected. Their condition rating tends to be conservative.