Ever buy a camera off ebay?

Well cameras are iffy at best new or used. I had a camera shipped to me from the states, brand new and it was left outside for 3 days in the rain in a cardboard box. It worked for two years then dies. I've had new cameras that didn't work at all when I bought them and others that were finicky. To me at least cameras seem sensitive I wouldn't buy a used one.

If you don't need an awesome camera {say for work} then get a good Cannon etc. I have a 640/ 650 whatever and I can't imagine needing "more camera".

 

as a former photog major, buy (like new) from these guys KEH.com in atlanta, it's where alot of profess, i know get everything. you won't be sorry, plus they'll give you a market value for any equip you ever want to sell.

 

I bought my first digital camera back in late 2004 off Ebay. It was from a Power Seller from Hong Kong. He had around 40,000 + sales. Feedback was around the 90% IIRC.

I bought a new "buy now" 5mp Olympus Mju Mini for less than half price in the shops here. It was delivered in 4 days. From Hong Kong to Outback Australia in 4 days! Amazing stuff.

It was a GREAT little camera till it sh*t itself a few weeks back. But........It started working again 2 days ago. So I am as happy as a pig in sh*t at the moment.

 

www.time2envy.com

Bought my Canon 30D from them, and couldnt be happier.

 

I bought a Canon digital SLR on ebay and it worked perfectly. Then again, I have bought everything from trinkets to my daughters convertible on ebay and love it.

 

No, and never will. I have seen pics of people receving throw away cameras when they spent $5000 for a D3. B+H Photo, Adorama, and Jack's Camera (local shop) will be the only places I will ever buy camera gear from. OK, maybe Ritz or Calumet but that is IT. All these places are trusted, and I don't care about eBay feedback when it comes to spending $1000s.
Thanks

 

+1

 

Yes, I bought a Nikon on e-bay to sell items on e-bay.

 

If youre looking for a pricey camera then just do your research. I buy and sell as well, and maybe 1 or 2 bad transactions ( small purchase) in over 500.
For the most part you will get a GREAT deal, most likely though minus the warranty and other things depending on the transaction.

I have sold and bought watches in the price range of 2-4k so larger transactions can be trusted and work wonders in terms of a great deal. good luck.

 

I have purchased Nikon equipment via eBay, and have always been satisfied - my F-4S, F-100, and a few lenses have been purchased via eBay and I've had zero issues. The kind of deals you get, and the condition of the equipment you receive, all depend on the seller you're doing business with (which is why you need to thoroughly research someone's feedback profile and selling habits).

 

If you find the current D-SLR line-up from Nikon confusing, just wait a couple weeks. Very soon will be Photokina (http://www.photokina.de), where quite a bit of new gear is usually introduced. If you like one of the current models, then quite likely some of the prices will drop (from reputable dealers).

Used cameras are good through places like KEH (http://www.keh.com) in Atlanta, and MPEX just north of there. I have bought several lenses from KEH, and one very nice Nikkor-W 180mm f5.6 from MPEX (http://www.mpex.com).

On EBAY, I think the better deals are vintage gear. While Adorama, and Henry's out of Canada are reputable sellers, several others are a bigger question mark. Beware of no return policies, grey market cameras, or boxes that do not include all they should in the package. Check out what comes in the box from B&H Photo (http://www.bhphoto.com), and then compare their price to anyone else. There are horror stories of NYC storefronts with bait-and-switch tactics, so don't get caught in a bad deal. Best of luck.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography
http://www.gordonmoat.com

 

I bought a ~$525 Olympus Evolt SLR ok, then a few months later lost $3200 on a Canon that was a fraudulent seller who took my paypal money.

Paypal gave me back $175. I filed a report with the local police and the detective on the case was helpful, but I was denied twice for a subpoena to Paypal because the local DA wouldn't prosecute any online fraud under $70,000.

 

I bought a Sony Mavica a few years back and a Panasonic Lumix FZ-50 more recently with no trouble. If you're concerned about warranty, buy local. I look at cameras as somewhat disposable, as they wear and tear and get jostled a lot on trips, plus new technology makes the digis obsolete in short order, so I'd rather get the discounted price up front and assume there's no warranty.

The only 'bad' transaction I ever had on eBay was a laptop purchase. It didn't feel right, and I knew I shouldn't have, but I ignored my gut and was out ~$1300 for a little while. I complained high enough up the Paypal chain of command (and had enough high dollar transactions through Paypal selling electronic test equipment) that I got the money back about a month later.

Only buy from 100% positive feedback sellers, and make sure they have a history of selling the item you're buying. If a seller has a bunch of $5000 cameras for sale, but has only sold packs of baseball cards in the past, chances are you're going to have to grab your ankles before it's all said and done.

Someone needs to build an effective escrow system which one-ups Paypal and is as easy to use. There's big money to be made with the dissatisfaction I hear from both buyers and sellers with the status quo.

-Tad

 

Sure but none that set me back over a few hundred bucks. Usually less than 100. Do some research and buy from reputable camera dealers/enthusiasts.