Used vs. Refurbished Canon 7d?

[canonman]

I am in the market for a Canon 7d.  I am seeing factory refurbished 7ds for around 1200-1300 and also seeing used 7ds being sold for almost as much.  The owner's for the used 7ds will oftentimes state that its in perfect operating condition with few actuations. 

Why would I buy a used Canon 7d with unknown usage and a questionable warranty when I can get a refurbished 7d that was inspected and fully warranted by Canon?

[neuroanatomist]

Why would I buy a used Canon 7d with unknown usage and a questionable warranty when I can get a refurbished 7d that was inspected and fully warranted by Canon?

No reason.  The only reason to buy used over refurb is to save money.  Either way, for a camera body I'd prefer new if it was within reach of my budget.  Lenses are a somewhat different story, but personally I only consider used lenses in excellent condition and at least 30% less than new (usually in the 35-45% less range).  I've bought used lenses like that to 'try them out' (200/2.8, 300/4, both of which I replaced with zooms) and subsequently sold them for the no loss and in a couple of cases, a reasonable profit.

[CR Backup Admin]

Some people do not like refurbished cameras, they feel that the odds of more trouble are high.  The refurbished Canon cameras do not have a full one year warranty, they have a 90 day warranty.  Used cameras have no warranty at all, so unless you know or trust the seller, there is a elevated level of risk.

Also realize that most used camera buyers are not aware of the Canon refurb camera program or do not have a broken camera to trade in.

Its your money, take your choice.

[unfocused]

I've had a similar experience with strobes. While waiting for Canon to announce their latest round of rebates, I thought I'd check out used strobes. After bidding and watching several dozen 580 EXIIs, I found that I would be saving less than $50 over a new strobe once Canon announced their rebates again, so i just waited. It was worth the extra money to me to buy new.

Good news is that used Canon equipment seems to hold its value pretty well.

As for used equipment, my advice is to make sure they let you return it within a set time period and be skeptical if it's not the original owner.