2nd Hand Equipment

[alex.k]

Sup guys,

Looking to get into photography but don't wanna go crazy and spend heaps of $$ on it at the moment while i'm still starting out. So was thinking of buying 'pre loved' equipment :)

Can anyone give me advice on things i should look out for when doing so??
I've heard a mate talk about shutter count but wasn't 100% sure what he was talking bout to be honest aye lol...

Any help would be grealy appreciated! Also if anyone knows places to check out in the Auckland area too as i'm quite reluctant to buy online..

Cheers!

[Raikyn]

DSLR cameras have an expected shutter life, which is how many shots on average you could expect to get out of a certain camera. As the shutter is a mechanical device there is an amount of wear and tear each time a photo is taken.
An entry level canon is supposed to be good for 80000-100000 shots, the 1D series up around 250000 shots, or something like that.
So obviously, the less shots a camera has taken the greater chance that it will last a longer time. If a shutter does fail it can be sent to the manufacturer and replaced.

Bear in mind though a shutter can fail at anytime, after 1 shot or after 400000 shots.

Myself I've bought a second-hand 1D that had already done 80000 on it's second shutter.

Buying new, I've always bought online through Progear in Auckland. They have a retail outlet up there and have a good rep. They also sell second-hand gear so you could go in and talk to them.

[talan]

Yeah shutter count is quite important although as Raiken said, is only an indication of use. A bit like mileage on a car, just because the car has low kms doesn't mean it's in good condition.

Another thing I would do is take a few sample shots and get the guy to send to you.

You can check for dirty sensor, dead pixels, etc.

Dirty sensor is ok as you can get it professionally cleaned for $100 odd but still adds up.

And of course, check the general wear and tear, see if the shutter button feels 'tight', scratches on LCD etc.

Good luck, friend!

[nathanbarlow]

ebay.com or .co.uk is a good place to look, as prices are often lower (even when accounting for exchange rates and postage). If customs picks up on it, say the camera isnt available in NZ secondhand as there is little market for it, should be sweet. I've done that for secondhand manual focus lenses from UK, as there are p!ss-all selection in NZ secondhand markets.

[alex.k]

Thanks for the info guys! Will definitely be keeping these in consideration when shopping around. Didn't think of eBay but will check that out too with the NZ$ being pretty good at the moment.

Will let you know how i go :)

[alphaein]

Hi there bro,
I'd say if you want to be sure, above all else (shutter count/ wear and tear/ LCD screen/ dust ...etc) its most important to check the sensor for dead pixels, and how u look for it is to actually ask for samples of the image taken in full resolution at long shutter exposure ie: 1sec to 30 sec exposure, this way its easier to see for dead pixels, dead pixels look like permenent white/black/coloured spots on the image, can be done on setting camera to manaul/shutter piority, shot with the lens cap on.
pls research online more on steps on how to do it comprehensively.
I had such issues before on my sony A100 camera, and sony replaced it with a new generation sensor... kudos on sony for that...
good luck finding the right camera bro..

[smurff]

at a long exposure, say 30sec, a colored spot could just be a hot pixel, not necessarily a dead pixel. i thought i had a few dead ones,
but after some reading and all that good stuff, i was told it just a hot one.
wasn't there in all picks etc and i only got them at the long exposures

-smurff

[alphaein]

smurff is on to it... hot pixels should not be mistaken as dead pixels...
however hot pixels can be annoying because sometimes u can get alot of it.
there are softwares that can be used to measure the amount of hot or dead pixels...
places of high tempriture, long exposures or constant use of the sensor can cause heating in the sensor resulting in hot pixels.

[fokker]

I've bought all of my gear second hand from trademe mostly, and haven't had any bad experiences, and the amount of money saved vs buying new is phenomenal.

[kiwi_xposure]

hi how much and what do you want to get i mite have a D80 and 18-135mm for sale

---------- Post added at 06:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:39 PM ----------

hi how much and what do you want to get i mite have a D80 and 18-135mm for sale

4 got to say i got a SB 600 flash as well

[tomberkley]

second havd is all good, lenses dont tent to do faulty very often inless it has impact damage etc.
but the other thing is good lenses dont tent to be much less than buying new, they hold value really well.
as for the shutter count, im no to sure of the price but if a camera is coming close or over its shutter count then you can get the shutter replaced, but again it depends on how much your looking to spend.
Cheers
tom