Canon Refurbished

[unfocused]

Does anyone out there know how Canon determines which lenses (and cameras) they will offer through their refurbished store?

Please...no guesses...or making up answers. I can do that myself.

Here is what I'm getting at. I check the refurbished site regularly (mostly to dream) and yes, right now, almost all of the lenses listed are shown as "out of stock." I understand that. Availability is contingent upon what they happen to have at the time.

No, what I am talking about is why certain lenses and cameras don't even have a listing. For example, almost every version of the 70-200mm is listed including the F2.8 II. Granted, most are out of stock right now, but they keep the listing anyway. On the other hand, there is no listing at all for the 400mm 5.6 for example. I wonder why. It sure seems like, given the fact that the 400 mm f5.6 has been around for centuries, that there ought to be a few out there that come in for refurbishing. They've got the cheapest 70-300 mm lenses listed (can't even figure out how it would be cost-effective to refurbish some of these) but other lenses aren't listed.

Same way with cameras. They list the ID MkIV. But not the 5D. In the PowerShot category they don't list the G12 or G11. Again they list lots of Powershots that I can't imagine would be worth refurbishing.

Just curious if anyone has ever read or knows how they determine what to offer and what not to offer.

 

[drummstikk]

Sorry if this is one of those "guesses" you say you don't want, but I don't know what else you expect from a forum.

You cite specifically the 400mm 5.6. I would expect the reason there are no refurbs of this lens is that there are relatively so few in circulation. There are much more popular solutions for those who need 400mm than this fixed length and rather slow (though optically excellent) lens. Many more people opt for the 100mm-400mm zoom. I find this lens completely unsatisfactory though it continues to sell briskly year after year. There are also those who put a 2X on their 70-200mm 2.8's, which is overall a better solution in my opinion. Then there is the more well-heeled crowd who opts for a 400mm 4.0 DO or a 400mm 2.8.

The 400mm 5.6 is often a perfect lens for me, though I don't actually recall EVER seen another photographer using one. So you probably answered your own question with your observation that availability of lenses as refurbs is related to the number of lenses in circulation.

It would also be worth knowing just what Canon's definition of a "refurbished" lens is. You state correctly that the 400mm 5.6 has been in production since approximately the Truman administration, but I would assume that only lenses that come back in within a short time period of original purchase are eligible for "refurb" status. Refurbishment seems to imply a correction of a minor manufacturing defect, or perhaps a perfect product cleaned and checked after return for buyer's remorse. My 400mm 5.6, which I purchased used 2 years ago and is who-knows-how-old, will never again be refurbished, just "used."

 

[FatDaddyJones]

Refurbishment seems to imply a correction of a minor manufacturing defect, or perhaps a perfect product cleaned and checked after return for buyer's remorse. My 400mm 5.6, which I purchased used 2 years ago and is who-knows-how-old, will never again be refurbished, just "used."

Don't forget that many of the refurbished lenses are sales models or store demo models that have been sitting on a shelf for display, then returned to the factory and checked and sold as a refurb since it is unable to be sold as new. Along with the number of lenses in circulation, you must take into consideration the particular lens models (and bodies) that are used as store display models. The more popular lenses which are displayed will come back to be sold as refurbished. As far as the 5DII is concerned (and other super popular items), it is not listed because they sell so fast and haven't been available as a refurb for some time now.