New or second hand - your views

Katchit

Katchit

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Hi all.

I was just thinking abotu future purchases, and wondered what is the best way to go.

Obviously, my next purchase will be a DSLR.

There are pro's and con's to buying new and second hand, but i wondered if there are more reputable places to buy second hand, as maybe opposed to eBay for example.

With buying new, you get a warranty, guarantee, etc... so that is a plus.

Just trying to weigh up the pros and cons.

Any input would be great.

Thanks.
 
MPB for 2nd hand kit with warranty. got my mk3 from there.

otherwise 2 of my sigmas came from ebay, the 50mm is spot on. the 120-300 while good turned out to be slightly damaged (it functioned fine but had a tight spot on the zoom, turned out it had been dropped) but the cost of buying + fixing was still cheaper than most other 2nd hand copies.

the other 2nd hand sigma came from the classifieds here.
 
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I buy here and have never ever had a problem that hasn't been dealt with with absolute integrity.
 
Thanks both of you.

I am tempted to buy from here, it is something that i am going to consider!
 
I buy from here, of if you want extra peace of mind I've always had excellent service from MPB Photographic as well! If it's an expensive lens, or a body with a lot of actuations of the shutter, the warranty is nice to have!

Chris
 
I have bought 2nd hand on here, the only thing I would say is that sometimes, people do want too much for stuff. Sometimes savings are minimal, maybe 10%, so I would rather pay extra and get a new one.
 
Bought from here - never a problem.

Bought from MPB - brilliant selection, everything's totally straight, good prices, good delivery

Mifsuds are good too, as is ApertureUK
 
chris321 said:
I buy from here, of if you want extra peace of mind I've always had excellent service from MPB Photographic as well! If it's an expensive lens, or a body with a lot of actuations of the shutter, the warranty is nice to have!

Chris
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Thanks Chris.

I have had a look at MPB, looks a very professional site.

cambsno said:
I have bought 2nd hand on here, the only thing I would say is that sometimes, people do want too much for stuff. Sometimes savings are minimal, maybe 10%, so I would rather pay extra and get a new one.
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Thanks a lot! That is something which i will also consider, i.e. the saving, and if it is small, then probably get a new one.

specialman said:
Bought from here - never a problem.

Bought from MPB - brilliant selection, everything's totally straight, good prices, good delivery

Mifsuds are good too, as is ApertureUK
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Thanks for your reply!

I will have a look at Mifsuds and ApertureUK too, so thank you for those recommendations.

moaten said:
Bought from here and MPB without any issues
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Thanks :thumbs:
 
I've been looking to upgrade my kit recently so have been studying this a bit and am stunned at the prices that some second hand kit (in particular lenses) achieve. My first step on the upgrade path was to buy a Nikon 50mm F.14 G....I bought it brand new for £285 just before Christmas from Jessops (so very easy to find on Google) and saw a second hand one sell for £262 on eBay a few days later. Crazy price !

I also saw a second hand Nikon 70-200 VR II sell on here for £1450 with several people interested yet you can seemingly buy a grey import from a UK based firm (with good reviews on here) for the same price. As I understand it lenses have a worldwide warranty which Nikon UK honour ? If that's right that is hard to understand too.

The good news is that if you buy well it means you can experiment with lenses for relatively little outlay. That was certainly in the back of my mind when I bought the 50mm....but I love it.

It seems to me that if you are willing to invest in some quality glass you won't really lose much money and if you're happy to buy bodies as they get replaced you can keep that part of the equation under control too i.e. buying a D300 second rather than a D300S.
 
I have bought and sold on here quite a few times now. The items I have bought have been spot on, and I hope my buyers share the same opinion. Buying second hand is really all about where/who you buy from. If the reputation is good, you can rest assured the chances of getting a bad deal/transaction are slim indeed :)

A plug for Greys of Westminster... Utterly exceptional service, and described down to the detail if consulted by phone. Bought my F5 from them. Couldn't be happier :)
 
Everything i have bought from this site has been spot on!!
 
Beardy said:
I've been looking to upgrade my kit recently so have been studying this a bit and am stunned at the prices that some second hand kit (in particular lenses) achieve. My first step on the upgrade path was to buy a Nikon 50mm F.14 G....I bought it brand new for £285 just before Christmas from (so very easy to find on Google) and saw a second hand one sell for £262 on a few days later. Crazy price !

I also saw a second hand Nikon 70-200 VR II sell on here for £1450 with several people interested yet you can seemingly buy a grey import from a UK based firm (with good reviews on here) for the same price. As I understand it lenses have a worldwide warranty which Nikon UK honour ? If that's right that is hard to understand too.

The good news is that if you buy well it means you can experiment with lenses for relatively little outlay. That was certainly in the back of my mind when I bought the 50mm....but I love it.

It seems to me that if you are willing to invest in some quality glass you won't really lose much money and if you're happy to buy bodies as they get replaced you can keep that part of the equation under control too i.e. buying a D300 second rather than a D300S.
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Thanks a lot for your reply.

Woodsy said:
I have bought and sold on here quite a few times now. The items I have bought have been spot on, and I hope my buyers share the same opinion. Buying second hand is really all about where/who you buy from. If the reputation is good, you can rest assured the chances of getting a bad deal/transaction are slim indeed :)

A plug for Greys of Westminster... Utterly exceptional service, and described down to the detail if consulted by phone. Bought my F5 from them. Couldn't be happier :)
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Thanks for that.

It does seem a good site does this, very happy that i found it, very busy forum and some excellent posts. The for sale section will be visited soon :)


AndyWest said:
Everything i have bought from this site has been spot on!!
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Thanks Andy!


MindofMel said:
I have never bought new. Never had a problem.
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Thanks a lot!
 
id say buy used and buy from the forum, thats what i intend to do once a suitable camera comes up.i have recently bought a lens from here, was as new and came next day with a good saving over the new price..
 
suggs said:
id say buy used and buy from the forum, thats what i intend to do once a suitable camera comes up.i have recently bought a lens from here, was as new and came next day with a good saving over the new price..
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I think that is what i will do, seems a good idea, and at least, with the forum and previous posts, etc... you have some idea of the person, rather than buying from someone random on eBay.
 
I'm another one who wouldn't hesitate from buying on here or buying second hand in general.

As with a lot of hobbies, photography has it's fair share of 'Got to have the latest' crowd, which is great for people like me who don't mind being a couple of models away from the newest.
 
try these guys london camera exchange got loads of shops all over the place, i got a lens second hand from them and still they give you 6 months warranty.

or buy off here, especially if they been around for ages with loads of posts kind of means they shouldn't sell you a piece of rubbish and then b****r off. there gonna stick around and still be contactable.
 
philgale said:
try these guys london camera exchange got loads of shops all over the place, i got a lens second hand from them and still they give you 6 months warranty.

or buy off here, especially if they been around for ages with loads of posts kind of means they shouldn't sell you a piece of rubbish and then b****r off. there gonna stick around and still be contactable.
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That's was i was thinking/hoping!
 
I've sold and bought on here with no problem and have had good experiences with Mifsuds, MPB and Ffordes.
 
manualfocus-g said:
There's some very professional sellers right here, also FFordes are good as are Greys of Westminster.
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Have had a look at Grey's, they look really professional!

Thank you for your reply.


Rolyratman said:
I'm another one who wouldn't hesitate from buying on here or buying second hand in general.

As with a lot of hobbies, photography has it's fair share of 'Got to have the latest' crowd, which is great for people like me who don't mind being a couple of models away from the newest.
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Thanks a lot for that!


MarkEvan said:
I've sold and bought on here with no problem and have had good experiences with Mifsuds, MPB and Ffordes.
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Thanks a lot, will have a look at the 3 you mention!
 
I've bought a mixture from mixed sources - My E520 was secondhand from Mifsuds as it was the cheaper than ebay and had a short warranty. My GH1 I bought body only on ebay, and the lens came from a forum sale. Both secondhand. All my Flash equipment has been bought new via ebay. A warranty doesn't really bother me.
 
my equipment has to be 2nd has simply because I cant afford brand new. I try to avoid places like ebay though
 
I've bought a camera and a lens from here, both well priced, spot on and delivered quicker than items ordered from shops at the same time!

Not a dig at this forum, but just general advice, beware of people who have just joined to sell items. I frequent a mountain bike forum and there is quite a lot of this goes on and people often have problems. The two people I bought from on here had both posted regularly in several forums, knew about photography and had sold/bought items before, so i felt confident sending large amounts of money by bank transfer.
 
I tend to buy and sell bits on here...some new some used...lenses ok SH....body...prob like to get new if I could (although most people on here are pretty honest and straight forward)...also check Kerso for these prices...FITP for accessories...once hes stocked again...also Calumet is good for bit and pieces...check out their ebay...'make-an-offer' rather than 'buy-it-now'...

The 'wanted section' is a good place to request particular items...as sometimes people just dont have things for sale but a little idea can creep in...

Dont know if this helps...but its all worth considering...

HNY

STEVIER
 
I'd certainly agree about avoiding eBay for expensive items like you are talking about unless it's for something like Calumet above. I would always rather buy from someone on here (even though I have only been on the forum for a short while and can't speak from experience)....it's quite clear that it works very well and I haven't seen any sign of a dispute at all.

If you are buying a current model which is in demand I really think the second hand market seems expensive (especially from dealers), it seems like you "only" get a discount of 10 % or so on the new price which seems very expensive to me (if you can afford it) given warranty difference. Different story with something like the D90 which has obviously been around a while.
 
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Buy from here.
I've only had one bad experience and the offending party has now been weighed down and dumped in a canal.

Just bought a replacement 70-200 f/2.8 VR-II from a relative newcomer to the forum and once again: no dramas. Most people are honest...
Also bought a D3, about three SB900's and a couple of older Nikkor lenses - all with no sleep lost.
 
Lenses are second hand for me. Shop round and you can get your money back when selling on.

I have found that buying from some second hand photo shops you get a warranty and sometimes are much cheaper than buying private.

So in all for me its second hand mint stuff if posible. You get your money back and you can't say that from buying new.

Only camera body's have been new. Shopping around I have found little difference from new to second hand. So new wins.
 
Think of a car,you will go out and buy a motor fo £10,000 second hand that has been outside ,had stone chips,supermarket trollys hit it and go knows what else then worey about camera gear that has been treated with kid gloves for the last few years for £200
 
I've bought and sold a few thousand pounds worth of equipment on here. The people selling have a minimum post count and are therefore 'integrated' into the TP community. It's not like Ebay where someone can sell a faulty lens as good, then brush off bad feedback. Word spreads quickly, mud sticks.

The sale threads havedescriptions that covers every detail of the condition, even things that you wouldn't even notice, so it's hard to end up with something unexpected.

I've found that people are well good spirited on here and most will haggle and barter on price, offer bulk deals, trades and exchanges so there's always a good deal just round the corner.

Definitely go second hand; I've often seen friends splash out £600 on very, very basic kit, when for the same money they can pick up quality cameras and lenses way outside their typical prices bracket.

The time where I would consider a warranty essential (only in my limited experience so far!) is buying a Sigma lens, due to their reputation of poor quality control. That being said I bought a 50mm new recently and it's beautiful :)
 
Another vote for here, don't think I've ever seen anyone who hasn't a 100% rating, that's the thing to check, however.
 
buy from here or a reputable second hand dealer will usually offer some sort of warranty if its nikon you are buying then grays of westminster is second to non and the service is fantastic also try cex as you get 12 months warranty on everything you buy the are not photo specific tho so you will have to do a search on the website ebay i find not too bad if you can view the stuff first or collect in person so you can check before you part with money

s/h is probably a better way to go as long as you dont mind older kit if you want the newest and latest then new would be the best option
 
Thanks a lot for the replies, really didnt expect so many replies.

All very helpful, so thank you!

Hopefully a good thread for other people thinking about choosing between new and second hand too!
 
newest and latest
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Nahh, let other people do the expensive legwork, find out whether it's any good and report back :)

I don't think there's anyone here who could say that the technology released 2 years ago is so redundant/dated that it's not worth buying today. The 40D is still a fantastic camera, and how much was it when it was released compared to today.. Looking at maybe a 50-70% difference?

Lots of goodies if you're willing to avoid the shiny racks of new cameras at Jessops.
 
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