The EFS 10-18 is a wonderful lens. No disagreement there.

For 24-105, the choice is really the ver II for the L version or the much cheaper and equally sharp non L 24-105 version, a version that does include a zoom lock. But for either lens, you're losing the usefulness of a general purpose zoom lens on the wide end. When I review my images from my 24-105, I have lots of images at specifically 24mm. In fact, my LR statistics show a higher frame count at 24mm than any other individual focal length. Our OP, or any crop-body owner, would be paying a premium for either of these full-frame lenses that don't provide the same FF capabilities on their body type.

Don't oversubscribe the meaning of 'refurbish'. It means nothing like 'fix'. They just assure all the original stuff is there and functional. They're not doing anything of added value to then sell the equipment at a discount. Canon doesn't either, although Canon can at least place the camera into new 'Canon original' packaging.

Selecting a lens depends on your purpose. Wildlife needs something at least 400mm long, so saying the EFS 18-135 IS USM is a great general purpose lens means nothing to your wildlife needs. The EF 50 f/1.8 is lens everyone should have, but on the 70D it will be more like a short 80mm telephoto.

If the camera is used enough to need replacement of 'worn' parts, the camera will be sold as used, not 'refurbished' by replacing surprisingly expensive replacement parts and selling the results at a deeper loss ...

Where would B&H get a camera to 'refurbish'? The same way Canon does, via near immediate returned stock from customers. I don't mean 30-days returns. More like the "I took it out of the box and decided it wasn't right for me" customer returns. That equipment is brand new in every way except being unsold. Canon can put it back into Canon brand-new packaging and sell as refurbished. Third-parties can just double-check that everything is there.

Imagine operating your own for-profit business and performing a value-added function to something you want to sell. How much do you pay your tech per hour? How much do the replacement parts cost? If that tech touches the camera and spends enough time to then perform a replacement part, how could you sell that camera less than the cost of new given the money you've now invested into that camera?

There's no profit in holding onto unsold or returned stock. There's even less profit in adding value to a product you cannot sell at a profit reflecting that value-added. These companies are not buying used equipment and 'refurbishing'; they're just reselling returns as efficiently as possible while incurring the minimum of new costs.

Most of the time you are spot on however this is from the Canon website :Products are returned to Canon for a variety of reasons, including overstock balancing, miscellaneous returns from retailers, suspected mis-operation, and minor damage to the box. The products that are serviced have undergone rigorous function and cosmetic inspections by trained Canon technicians and fully meet new product operational specifications and selected cosmetic standards established by Canon U.S.A. Inc. These refurbished products must pass a comprehensive quality assurance inspection before final packaging and shipment to customers.



Our refurbished products carry a one year limited warranty.

Note: products that are serviced. meaning: to be repaired. I have bot a lot of refurbished from various manufacturers. Never once have I had to return any item. In fact the way I see it, they have at least double the quality control of the new in box item. They are a good deal all in all