Pre-owned DSLR cameras?

[Loves Vintage]

I think someone posted a site for used photography equipment previously. I do not recall if it was just for professional cameras and equipment, though.

In any event, I am looking for a DSLR camera, and would prefer not to pay full price. If I were to purchase from eBay, I''d be concerned that the camera may be defective, whether I would be able to return, etc.

Does anyone know of a reliable source for used cameras?

Thank you!

 

[TravelingGal]

Cameta is where I got my "demo" Nikon D40 body.

At least with Nikon, if you buy secondhand, the warranty is not transferrable, no matter what the seller says.

Cameta demos come with 90 days Nikon warranties (because it''s a refurb) and then add the rest of the year on their own warranty.

Ebay is cametaauctions. I had great service with them.

Not sure if B&H and Adorama do demo cameras.

 

[MonkeyPie]

B&H is where I got my D300 and all of my lenses and flashes. The camera body was a refurb, and it works perfectly. When I got it, it was a factory demo and only had 500 actuations on it. I love B&H!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Off to go look at those sites now!! Thank you both for the info!

 

[jmtomaui]

My husband is a professional photographer and he buys / sells used gear through B&H as well as KEH. Both have great inventory and good customer service.


Julie

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thank you, Julie. I've been looking at B&H and will have to check out KEH next.

AND, if anyone is up for helping me pick one out, please feel free. I am quite overwhelmed by all of the different specifications. I looked up some older threads on here too.

These are two that I found, in my sort of random and haphazard searching:

http://www.adorama.com/INKD40KR.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012OGF6Q/sr=1-1/qid=1245280029/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1245280029&sr=1-1&seller= (the refurb from Cameta)

I want the camera so that I can take (or learn to take) good photos of my dogs, nature shots, vacation photos and hopefully baby photos one day. We have a point and shoot now, and it takes a while for the camera (the battery?) to reset after each photo and it makes me want to scream, so I'm wanting to avoid that, and the pictures aren't great either.

So, should I just get the D40, which would not come with a VR lens (do I really need one anyway? I don't know!)

I am usually fairly indecisive about purchases like these. I recently spent weeks researching new cell phone options and am disappointed in my selection. I could see myself spending months researching these cameras. Help?

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/17/2009 9:15:16 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
Thank you, Julie. I''ve been looking at B&H and will have to check out KEH next.

AND, if anyone is up for helping me pick one out, please feel free. I am quite overwhelmed by all of the different specifications. I looked up some older threads on here too.

These are two that I found, in my sort of random and haphazard searching:

http://www.adorama.com/INKD40KR.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012OGF6Q/sr=1-1/qid=1245280029/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1245280029&sr=1-1&seller= (the refurb from Cameta)

I want the camera so that I can take (or learn to take) good photos of my dogs, nature shots, vacation photos and hopefully baby photos one day. We have a point and shoot now, and it takes a while for the camera (the battery?) to reset after each photo and it makes me want to scream, so I''m wanting to avoid that, and the pictures aren''t great either.

So, should I just get the D40, which would not come with a VR lens (do I really need one anyway? I don''t know!)

I am usually fairly indecisive about purchases like these. I recently spent weeks researching new cell phone options and am disappointed in my selection. I could see myself spending months researching these cameras. Help?

The D40 is an old model. Nothing wrong with it, I have one and like it, but the issue is you shouldn''t be paying a whole lot for something that is so old. Also that link for adorama I believe it is not a VR lens. I would pay a bit more for those.

Do a search here for the Nikon thread. A bunch of folks here got the D60 for a good price, but I can''t remember what it was.

If you want the D40, I''d get a refurb body without the lens and buy a VR lens. Make sure you buy the right lens for these cameras as the autofocus is in the lens, not the camera body. I got my D40 body for 275 back in Nov, I believe.

 

[Loves Vintage]

TGal,

It looks like this is the deal you mentioned from back in December: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/573067-REG/Nikon__D60_SLR_Digital_Camera.html It was $640 at the time, but the deal expired shortly thereafter.

I will keep looking in that direction. Thank you.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I picked up a Nikon D60 refurb with 18-55 mm VR lens for $410 today from Cameta on eBay. I think that''s a great deal. Same item was going for up to 450 at earlier auctions and also 450 from the other lowest source I could find on-line. I could have easily spent months hemming and hawing on this decision and am so glad I purchased quickly and at a good price!

I can''t wait to get it! Thank you, ladies, for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[TravelingGal]

That sounds great! There there programs online (I had one, but my computer crashed so I forgot the name) that can tell you how many actuations (shots) are the camera when you get it. If it''s in meh condition when you receive it, Cameta will exchange it for you, but no guarantees about what you will get next. I got a camera initially that had 5,000 (or 50,000, I can''t remember) actuations as well as scratches on the body to start, as well as a couple of dead pixels so they offered to test another camera for dead pixels and sent it over to me. The new camera looked spanking new, no dead pixels (for now) and only 300 actuations.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Yes, I will be sure to check the number of actuations as soon as I get it. I''ll look up the link that was in the Nikon thread from December. I read that thread recently and saw that Cameta was really good about your exchange, so that gave me some comfort in deciding to purchase from them.

Shouldn''t be too long until I receive it. They aren''t too far from me. Sometimes priority mail packages arrive in just one day!!!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Congrats! I look forward to seeing some of your shots

The D60 is what I had before the D300, and it''s a good little camera.

If you want to check actuations, take a photo and upload it to flick-r without editing it in photoshop or any other program, then look at the photo info. It will tell you the shutter actuations without needing a program.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/19/2009 11:09:32 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Congrats! I look forward to seeing some of your shots

The D60 is what I had before the D300, and it''s a good little camera.

If you want to check actuations, take a photo and upload it to flick-r without editing it in photoshop or any other program, then look at the photo info. It will tell you the shutter actuations without needing a program.

Cool tip!

The program I mentioned back then is free though, and has some cool other info.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 6/19/2009 11:09:32 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Congrats! I look forward to seeing some of your shots

The D60 is what I had before the D300, and it''s a good little camera.

If you want to check actuations, take a photo and upload it to flick-r without editing it in photoshop or any other program, then look at the photo info. It will tell you the shutter actuations without needing a program.

Well, I hope you like pictures of greyhounds then!!

And, uhm, beagle mixes!

Seriously, I cannot wait to get it. I''ve wanted one for a long time!

Thank you for the tip on checking the actuations.

How long have you been a photog? Did you take a class when you first started?