Purchasing Used Equipment

[Teirisius]

I am sure that there is a lovely article or post already devoted to this - but I am unable to quickly locate it...

What is the opinion on the purchase of 'used' equipment?  I know that Adorama and B&H sell some used equipment, you can find some good deals on eBay... but I fear someone selling something that was dropped or has water damage or something.

Any recommendations?

If you were considering upgrading - would you go for the big upgrade to used pro-line (5d) or new mid-line (50d) for the same price?

Thank you in advance and if there is an article or post on this already - please point me towards it.

[Bob Atkins]

Buying used is a gamble, especially from individuals where no warranty is offered. The odds are in your favor since most cameras/lenses don't have problems, but you have to balance the lower cost against potential repair costs. I've bought quite a few used leneses over the years and I've been lucky in that none of them have proved to be faulty. If I can make a substantial saving, I'll take the rsik. If the saving is small I usually won't.

Buying from B&H, Adormama or other reputable vendors of used gear you normally get a 90-day warranty from the vendor, which is certainly worth having. You also usually get a 14-day return period during which you can send the lens back if you don't like it. It's normally more difficult to do that when buying from an individual.

As for upgrading (i.e. adding a new camera), it depends what you're upgrading from. If you have a 40D, I'd say getting a 5D makes more sense than getting a 50D. If you're upgrading from a 10D or a 300D, then it's not so clear which would be best. That would depend on what kind of shooting you do. If you shoot mostly portraits and landscapes, then the 5D may give you better image quality in large prints. If you shoot sports and action then the faster frame rate of the 50D may be something you need.

[Imagician]

I buy all of my stuff from B&H. My 70-200 f/4L and 300 f/4L were bought used. My 40D, EF 28-135IS and Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 were refurbished. I have absolutely no complaints.  I also purchased an EOS 620 used -- no problems, everycamera and lens works as advertized.