Beginner First DSLR...Is used a good idea?

Intersted to hear your thoughts on the D3200 Forkbeard .... I have also been looking at second hand but at the 'beginner' end of the DSLR market they seem to hold their value very well so the differential between used and new is often negligible
 
I'd suggest for a newbie, buying from a shop might offer a bit more comeback.

SRS as an example also often have ex demo on their ebay shop which comes with either 1 or 2 year warranties. 2nd hand I think they typically offer 6 months.
LCE seem a good place to buy from and their staff are pretty knowledgable
 
Forkbeard said:
You probably all think I'm mad but I decided to go for the kit lens.
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Nothing wrong with the kit lens.

I have a kit 18-55, an 11-16mm f2.8 and a 50mm f1.8

The 11-16 is great when outdoors going for landscapes, or indoors for fun group/people/activity shots.
The 50mm is great for portrait work or when I feel creative.
The 18-55 is a great general purpose lens, it's why they put an 18-55 as a kit lens!
 
droj said:
You're recommending a retailer of used equipment based on just one sampling?
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I am saying I had a good experience there.

Stop trolling. Unless you have something to say, say nothing.
 
Ive used MPB numerous times - very good dealer IME, and Ive never had a problem with their customer service either (not that i'm knocking either SRS or LCE either)
 
Frankly I would recommend buying S/H on HERE (Talkphotography).

Over the years I have bought a fair amount of gear on here and have never been disappointed or let down by either the gear or the people I dealt with.

That includes about 7-8 lenses, 2 cameras, and various PC parts and some other stuff.

And I have saved a lot of money compared with other places.

My thinking is that photographers will usually look after their gear in the same way that I do.

The only caveat I have is that anyone I buy from should have a good feedback record on sales.
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I've bought a used DSLR and the first thing I asked was the year of the model's release. It was 2010 so not too bad. I don't feel bad about buying a 2nd hand body, as long as it's in good nick and produces great results I'm happy, especially if I'm under a budget, and because I'm not a professional photographer, it's a hobby. However when a new model comes out and if I really wanted it, I'll go for new.
 
To give you a quick answer: yes.

I have ONLY EVER had second-hand gear and it has always been wonderful. Don't just throw your money at anything though. You wanna make sure it is good gear that is taken care of, that it will do what you want, and that the price is not unreasonable.
 
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I ended up going for a new body/lens kit, but in the future I would definitely go used.

There didn't seem much point going used with some of the offers knocking around on the D3200.
 
If you want secondhand well worth looking at Greys of Westminster as they have a vast selection and on-line, good guarantee as well. Can be expensive but keep looking, bargains do appear. Main reason to mention is the excellent customer service if anything goes wrong.
http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
 
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