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Buying refurbished cameras


13 years 3 weeks ago #43323 by Areese482
What is the down side of buying a refurbished camera?
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13 years 3 weeks ago #43324 by crystal
The worse....it won't work in about a month.
www.crystalwightman.com
My Facebook.. www.facebook.com/cwightmanphotography
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13 years 3 weeks ago #43330 by Areese482
Well yes, but any other down side?
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13 years 3 weeks ago #43331 by chasrich
Refurbished cameras can offer you the chance to buy a camera that otherwise might be beyond your budget. I purchased a number of refurb Olympus cameras and had the phenomenal luck to experience no disappointments. What I did find was a predominance of new cameras that had zero signs of wear. Your mileage may vary...
“Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about money, masters worry about light, I just make pictures… ” ~ Vernon Trent
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13 years 3 weeks ago #43332 by arkady001
Depends on what 'refurbishment' was done. In most cases these are either factory 'seconds' brought up to spec, or shop display models that have been sent back to an approved dealer for cleaning and service.
If the price is good and you know the provenance then it can be a good deal.

You won't get a full guarantee, but that's the risk you take.

I picked up a refurb'd D3 for £1,000 that had a geuine '0' shutter actuations. The box was a bit crumpled and the sub-command dial was non-functioning due to mis-assembly, which cost me £80 to get fixed by Nikon UK.
£1,100 inc postage for a D3 that's effectively brand-new and still going strong. Can't be bad.
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13 years 3 weeks ago #43965 by KCook
I just got a Canon refurb from Canon Direct. It came in a white box, not the usual graphics. Packing was underwhelming, if I'd know that I would not have picked ground ship. Camera and lens are unblemished, but obviously have been used. Works fine, no repairs needed yet. I'm cheap, so this deal worked for me.

Kelly Cook
Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/
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13 years 2 weeks ago #47123 by Joves
Essentially Refurbs are defective ones that were repaired and gone through. The down side is they only come with 90day warranties but, there is a company out there that will extend that for you to a year. I buy new myself but, if your budget is tight then it can be an option for you. For me I buy new because I get the Nikon extended warranty for my gear so my body has 3 years over the one.
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13 years 2 weeks ago #47153 by Cre8tivefix
I actually buy dead/ broken cameras and repair them. I couldn't fork out the money for a working one, so this is how I got my foot in the door. I'm slowly working my way up to the one I want. I would love a shiny new one some day (with a warranty), but I'm happy this way. If buying a refurbished one allows you to get a decent camera at a price in your budget, then I say it's worth it. You can put assign the money saved for repairs down the road should you need them. But if it's a decent camera you shouldn't have to worry about that any more than someone buying new.

I would go with the semi professional, to professional grade bodies though. The entry level bodies aren't made the same way (with separate replaceable components) so you may be more likely to have secondary issues down the road depending on what originally was wrong. But, I've only worked on a few models, so I can't say that is true for all models.
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12 years 11 months ago #54603 by Cappy
You can get some really good deals on refurbish cameras, just make sure you read all the fine print.
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12 years 11 months ago #54634 by Screamin Scott
I've yet to buy a refurb cmaera...I have bought refurbed lenses & they are still functioning as expected...I wouldn't hesitate to buy a refurb camera though as the EOM gives them a good going over...
Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/
Photo Comments
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12 years 11 months ago #54759 by robbie
Got a 'like new' d200 from KEH.Com for $599,after converting my $1450 D200 bought new I want a camera to shoot birds.Have all the battteries that i needed plus the reputation is of the highest.
I would buy from them again plus you can get a warranty from them for 1 year.
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