Buying "Used"

[FiestaRed]

I've always bought new cameras before but never had a higher end camera to pay out for. I'm seriously thinking of buying a "used" body and wondered what I need to look out for.

Reading the various threads were people have cameras for sale, the biggest question that seems to get asked is about the number of actuations the body has done.

I can understand the outside of a body wears cosmetically with everyday use but what problems arise "inside" the camera?

 

[Arkady]

Very few actually...
And as a lot of people are very careful about the way they treat their camera kit, 'actuations' are a more reliable indicator of a camera's age - much in the same way that flying hours logged indicate an aeroplane's age rather than years since manufacture...
I'd have no problems buying a pro-spec camera body from a hobbyist user, as I know what level of abuse that they can take and also that a hobbyist would never subject his equipment to the level of beatings that I mete out to my work-kit...

 

[Woblee]

EDIT: Arkady answered it quicker and better than me

 

[FiestaRed]

Thanks for the help guys.