How To Sell Old Cameras

A while ago, I wrote an article giving tips on buying used lenses. In this follow-upwardly on how to buy used DSLR cameras, I will try to requite some communication on how to buy the other role of a lensman's kit – the camera itself. Y'all will see that many of the lens buying guidelines are also applicable here, so lets non waste whatever more fourth dimension and become started!

Table of Contents

Why Purchase Used Cameras?

Only like with lenses, we don't always need or can afford the latest and greatest. Certain cameras, such equally the now discontinued Nikon D700 or the soon-to-be discontinued Canon 5D Mark II (B&H has it for $1699 make spanking new, which is a steal), will hold a lot of entreatment for at least a couple more years in the used market place. Because of that, they brand a bully choice as entry FF models (I'm quite sure I volition be using my D700 for a while even with the Nikon D600 and the D800 around) or even as fill-in cameras. In that location is an even larger market when it comes to entry-level DSLRs, such as the Nikon D3100, which can be bought very cheaply and be a great learning tool, even exceeding some old semi-professional models in epitome quality.

It is likewise quite common to see many professional, apprentice and even beginner photographers purchase the latest equipment every bit soon as it becomes available and sell older gear earlier it starts to lose value. That, in turn, gives other photographers a gamble to upgrade to previous-generation gear (which, heed you, is still very much upwardly to quality standards) and salve a lot of coin.

If a Used Camera is On Sale, Does It Mean information technology is Defective?

If you lot've read my lens buying commodity, y'all probably know the answer to that question very well. In short – no, most oftentimes information technology doesn't. There are many reasons why a lensman would be willing to sell a camera: upgrading, switching systems or minimizing the amount of equipment owned, are some of the pop ones. We tend to change our cameras more often than lenses with new products existence announced more or less every yr.

Simply similar with lenses, yet, certain people will try to sell stolen gear (which may have several accessories missing, such as trunk cap and bombardment charger), likewise equally otherwise defective, but not apparent at starting time glance, cameras. That is why it's important to thoroughly check that not bad-looking Canon 5D before actually giving up your hard-earned money for it!

Before We Start

Do you take trouble choosing a camera organisation? Buying your first DSLR can exist a tricky choice with almost manufacturers having both advantages and disadvantages in their offerings. Brand sure y'all read Nasim'southward "DSLR Purchase Guide" – I'm sure information technology will help those of you new to the DSLR world make up one's mind!

General Guidelines

Hither are the well-nigh important things to bank check before ownership a used DSLR camera:

1) Buy From a Trustworthy Source

Every bit with lenses, eBay tin be a great place to buy a used DSLR. Then there are Fred Miranda forums defended to ownership/selling gear. If you plan to buy online, both of these places have reliable ranking and feedback systems, so that you know if a person you are virtually to buy from is trustworthy. These ranking/feedback systems tin provide excellent data about the seller.

Make certain you know how to contact the person yous're buying the DSLR from, as well every bit their full name. Having an option to render the camera is very useful, so check if at that place'due south a return policy in identify. Lets hope there'due south no need to return though!

2) Bring Your Laptop Along

A laptop will aid yous cheque for whatever defects and imperfections in the image itself every bit you photograph, such equally AF inaccuracies, serious sensor defects or dead pixels.

Check the Sensor For Dead Pixels: in order to do that, you demand to take an image with the camera, preferably RAW, at its base of operations ISO setting (normally ISO 100 or 200), with the lens cap on, so that you get a dark frame. Examine the image with your calculator – any dead pixels should be easily noticeable when viewed at %100. Don't worry if at that place are some – it'due south normal, especially if the camera is quite old. Three or four dead pixels don't hateful much, you'll even so have several one thousand thousand left. However, if I saw a lot more, then I'd be worried that something is wrong with the sensor.
Check the Shutter Count: while some cameras manage to go style above their tested shutter actuation number, some shutter mechanisms fail much more rapidly. Photographic camera manufacturers rate their cameras for fifty, 100, 150 or 300 g shots and there is no guarantee that you will become that far. Make sure you lot know the expected shutter life of the model you are nearly to buy, then apply the same RAW image you took for checking dead pixels (or take some other 1) and open up it with PhotoME. A complimentary tool, PhotoME is great for finding whatsoever kind of information in that location is to find in an image file well-nigh your photographic camera. There, at the bottom of the program window, yous will notice a "Filter" option – enter "shutter count". There's your number! If it's nowhere close to the theoretical limit provided past the manufacturer, your camera is most probable to be fine for a while. In either case, price should reverberate the amount of photographs taken with the photographic camera.

Another quick way to discover out your shutter count without installing annihilation is to try uploading a JPEG image to a website like CameraShutterCount.com

How long before the shutter machinery needs replacement largely depends on how the camera was used. If it was oft used in high-speed style at its max' frame rate, in that location'south a good hazard that the shutter mechanism will fail sooner than it would than if the camera was used in single shot mode nigh of the time. That does not necessarily hateful it will neglect soon, however, and then don't worry most this also much.

Shutter count tests are practiced to find out if the seller is lying. Sometimes you will get those folks that will say "Never Used, like New" or "Used Once", then you run into 100,000 shutter actuations…
Examine For Sensor/Sleeping room Grit: normally, dust specs on a sensor are not a deal breaker. Quite the contrary, it's rather expected for a photographic camera to have some dust on it. All the same, if at that place is a pregnant amount of grit on the sensor and the chamber looks terrible with all kinds of stuff in it, then yous might have to ship it to the manufacturer for cleanup. Therefore, if you lot see something similar this, you lot should factor this into the negotiated cost. Again, some dust within the camera is OK, but exercise look for other potential issues such equally scratches on the sensor, etc.The easiest way to examine the sensor is to take a picture of a clear sky and then coil through the photo at 100%. Whatever sensor-related issues volition show upward on the prototype, even at lower magnification. Close down the aperture of your lens all the way to the highest f number similar f/16 and you will apace run into any bug.

Nasim has a few very good articles written on the topic. Cheque them out:

"Why sensor dust is more visible at small apertures"
"How to Wet Clean Your DSLR Sensor in Less Than 5 Minutes"
"How to Clean DSLR Sensor and Keep Your Camera Gear Make clean"
"Dead vs Stuck vs Hot Pixels"
"How to Spot Dust on Your DSLR Sensor"

3) Examine Mechanical Status

You can tell a lot about how a camera was used and how old it really is by the way it looks. Brand sure y'all retrieve – any imperfections must exist reflected in the toll, however not all of them are at all important!

Scratches and Dents: you shouldn't worry almost minor scratches – they happen and have no effect on mechanical condition of a camera, but can bear witness you how it was used (pro'due south usually don't care much for cosmetic condition of their gear in favor of doing all it takes to capture the shot). Larger scratches and dents may indicate that the camera was dropped. On 1 manus, such cameras as Nikon D300/D300s and D700 are made to be very tough and withstand such abuse, on the other hand, however, such a strong shock may have damaged camera internals (those cameras are heavy, afterward all). Unless the price is very tempting, I would avoid such equipment.Take special care when examining the memory carte du jour compartment – if the camera you're ownership uses CF cards, information technology is vital that none of the pivot connectors inside carte mountain are aptitude or damaged in whatsoever way. Bent pins may brusque-circuit and damage your cards or the card reader itself. Fixing the retention card compartment lonely can be very expensive.
Rubber Coming Off: safety embrace on the grip and the back of the camera may start to come up off if the camera was used in moist weather, as seen in this movie:

It's not pretty to expect at and gets worse with use, only tin exist replaced at a professional service center or even by yourself. In any case, it's not a very serious fault and can happen quite oft, but y'all should recollect that, as always, toll should reflect such imperfections.
Check Viewfinder and LCD Screen: exist sure to cheque both for scratches and, in the case of an optical viewfinder, grit, which tin can exist rather annoying and distracting (peculiarly when information technology is stuck in a place where it cannot be hands removed). A scratched LCD screen can exist quite expensive to supercede, so make sure information technology is in good condition and shows accurate colour (within reason).
Examine The Lens Mount: the lens mount on a photographic camera should be in pristine condition – there should exist no dents and bends, and contact pins should be clean. If there are dents and/or bends on the camera, it could hateful the camera was dropped or used with a heavy lens carelessly. Make sure your lens mounts securely and doesn't fiddle almost (a very slight movement under pressure can be normal).
Overall Sturdiness: information technology is quite normal for older plastic cameras to squeak a little every at present and so when held hard – they are used, afterwards all, and far from existence new. Still, relatively new cameras, such as D3100, D5100, D7000 or even a skillful condition D90 should feel quite tough. If they don't, they may have been dropped or banged around. Make sure the used photographic camera won't fall autonomously after but a few months of apply. Information technology has to feel securely in your hand even with heavier lenses attached. Besides, no buttons should experience loose – some may fall out, which means you will demand to send the camera for repair.

5) Autofocus Operation

Information technology's not only the lens that needs to be checked for AF errors. Put a lens on the camera and see if it focuses well. Obviously, shooting a examination chart as described in Nasim's how to test your DSLR for autofocus problems is not an choice during the procedure of buying a camera, but if you lot focus on a distant subject using live view then regular phase discover, you should be able to spot nasty AF issues and differences. If you want to do more than conscientious testing, I would have something like LensAlign with you to perform quick AF tests, as described in the Lens Scale guide. If focus issues are very noticeable, then you may exist meliorate off with a unlike trunk, because that ane may either have an AF issue or just does non work properly with the lens you own. Make sure AF operations are not slow when the light is good (and always attempt to be wherever light is good when testing gear) and check both single and continuous AF operation.

And Last, But Not Least!

Exist safe. Try to meet with the seller during daytime and in public places, and don't pay upfront. Bring someone with you if you tin can non only for rubber reasons, but also because you might need some assistance. If you have a feeling that the deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Be as thorough as you can, and you will salvage yourself a lot of nerves, money and time in the process. Ownership used cameras can be great, and even professionals do it all the fourth dimension – just make sure to keep the in a higher place in heed.