Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Second hand cameras?
  • monde
    Free Member

    I’m trying to purchase my partner a camera as a present in time for a landscape photography course she has booked herself on. Shes loves taking photos but is using an old Canon 300d which I know she has been looking to modernise.

    Looking at second hand Canons like the 700d or 750d as this way I can afford to buy her a decent camera but not sure what the pitfalls are of buying second hand or if those cameras are any good?

    Any advice greatly received!

    Get one from a reputable place where you can trust the shutter count and whether or not the sensor will be clean

    withersea
    Free Member

    Harrison cameras in Sheffield are good as a shop to visit and provide a good mail order service, good range of products and 12 months warranty on used equipment.

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    butcher
    Full Member

    They’re pretty robust things really. I have an old 350d that I bought new in 2008 (I think), and a 30d that I bought second hand which is of that era too, and they’ve both been through the wars. Carried on the bike in deepest, darkest winter, through storms, etc… Still both work fine. Shutter button can be a bit sticky on the 30d which is common problem on them.

    Recently bought a 7d on eBay, took a bit of a punt because of price and instantly wished I’d picked a more reputable seller when it arrived. It’s OK, but condition wasn’t quite as described, and some of the controls are really stiff. Will go to a reputable trader next time where they have decent rating systems for the condition.

    alanl
    Free Member

    Ffordes are the most reliable and honest people to deal with that I’ve ever bought from.
    Not always the cheapest, but they give great service.
    Ffordes Canon

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Because no one else has said it, spend the money on lenses.

    300D + the lenes she wants/needs will take better pics than a 750D and kit lenses.

    Also, tripods, filters, remote shutters, and a comfortable bag to carry it all in. All more important than megapixles (until you need to make A3 prints).

    butcher
    Full Member

    300D + the lenes she wants/needs will take better pics than a 750D and kit lenses.

    Some truth in that, but the 300d is quite dated now, to be fair. There’s a massive difference between the size of the display when compared to most modern camera’s, for a start. And things like that just make you feel better about using it. And then there’s the low light performance, the video… There are benefits.

    What might be worth considering, is getting a slightly older XXD series, which are more geared to semi-pro photographers and keen amateurs, with bigger, more durable bodies and more controls. That may, or may not be something she’s interested in.

    It’s like bikes at the end of the day…. you might have a very specific idea of what you want.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    I bought a used low shutter count minty looking 40D with box and all gubbins. And it took awful pictures. Bad focus and grimy, dark IQ. Thankfully the (private) seller refunded in full but the experience cost me a trip to local camera shop to and ask them to check it over, test with known good lenses etc so as to gather some evidence and request an unconditional refund.

    Now I’d probably deal with a recognised dealers/shop whether buying used or new, simply because of recent disappointment. Thst goes for bodies and/or lenses. Otherwise, well, it can be a frustrating lottery. On the flipside – I bought a used 10D years ago, again a private seller on Ebay. Got it for a bargain price. It was perfect. I’ve abused the bejayzuz out of it and it won’t die! Recently bought a used Pentax and it arrived with a v small scratch on the lens. This wasn’t declared in the description but I chose to live with as is discontinued (hard to source) camera and got it for good price. And takes great pics! So, stating the obvious – it’s a choice between bargain/slight gamble or dealers/covered by warranty.

    eddiebaby
    Free Member

    https://www.mpb.com

    I’ve bought a fair amount from them. Always been accurately described and comes with a warranty.

    Kbrembo
    Free Member

    Yup…Ffordes are superb

    Even better when its only a few mins drive away!

    docrobster
    Free Member

    +1 for Harrison cameras.
    Mate of mine shoots non league footy as a sort of semi pro. Gets pictures published in the programmes papers online etc. He bought his last camera s/h from Harrison’s. (Eos 1d, not sure which version). He seems very happy with it and has also picked up some huge lenses there. I guess you have to know your stuff but they seem like a really good shop whenever I’ve been in

    ctk
    Free Member

    Bought a Canon G7 from Ffordes ages ago, was very happy with it.

    monde
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the answers. Nearly went down the grey import route off ebay before looking through some of the links posted above.
    Found something on Fjordes and after getting advice which I am going to pair with a sigma 17-50 lens so hopefully I will be in the good books for a while!

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Some truth in that, but the 300d is quite dated now, to be fair. There’s a massive difference between the size of the display when compared to most modern camera’s, for a start.

    I can see your point, but I bloody hate screens! Hate them. Loath them. despise them.

    They tell you if the composition is right and that’s about it. The composition being the one thing that it is utterly useless to know 30seconds after the event.

    You might be able to pixel peep on the focus, but then you won’t be getting the overall effect of how that sits in the image, or the depth of field. and like composition, the moment has now passed anyway if you’ve fluffed it.

    Sharpness, saturation, white balance, all things to (rightly) deal with in the darklightroom.

    I’ve actually put tape over mine and decided not to judge anything until it’s on my screen. I reckon I took better pics when working with film, so this is an experiment to prove it.

    bob_summers
    Full Member

    I bloody hate screens! Hate them. Loath them. despise them

    You, sir, need one of these

    You, sir, need one of these

    Or a Sony 😉

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/R193XA]2017-01-26_09-54-30[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    You, sir, need one of these

    Haha, YES, if I could afford it, masking tape is cheaper.

    I do like the idea of going back to a rangefinder type camera too.

    What really defines the rangefinder experience, though, is the viewfinder. With an SLR, what you see is what you get. Between the exacting frame coverage and real-time focus and depth of field previewing, single lens reflex cameras “suffer” from tunnel vision. Framing through an SLR’s viewfinder really pushes you to focus on individual points and subjects in the frame as opposed to the scene as a whole. In contrast, rangefinders show you the world in deep focus. Not only do you see what’s going to be captured by the camera via the framelines, you can see what’s outside of it as well. Waiting for and timing the perfect scene to come into view is so much easier when you can see outside the frame, and this is why so many street photographers swear by the Leica M. The deep depth allows you to focus on the content of the composition without being distracted or burdened by focus and bokeh.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Because no one else has said it, spend the money on lenses.

    +1 for this.

    Second hand from a main dealer is the best value option for buying anything camera related.

    Ffordes are very good (i’ve bought from them before) but Wex Photographic and Park Cameras also have lots of used stock that you can buy safe in the knowledge they are reputable. MPB.com also worth a look as well as Clifton Cameras.

    One of the best value second hand cameras you can buy, in my view, is the Nikon D3. You can get it for around £600 when new it would have cost about £4500. They last pretty much forever, have fabulous IQ and are plentiful. I saw one in a shop in London the other day for £600 with a shutter count of 1500! OK so a landscape photographic just doesn’t ‘need’ a camera with fast AF (or even any AF) or low light performance but still, it’s a bargain.

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