Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

For the past 5 or 6 years I have bought all my cameras and lenses used on ebay from top rated sellers. I only returned one item and Paypal refunded my money and postage because it wasn't as described.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

If budget allows buy new, end of story.

Heather Eliza Loc: BFE :)Upstate, NY, Adirondack Park, Foothills

larryzplace Loc: Elk Grove Village Illinois

I have always been leery of used hi tech gear... My feeling is be very careful... What was the reason for someone to trade in the equipment you were looking at?
Intermittent problems always have a way of showing up and usually after the warranty is up... But that is just my feeling on the subject...

Do you need the new piece of gear immediately? If not save up and perhaps by the time you have saved up for a new one a newer model may be on the horizon and allowing
you to find a bargain on the one you wanted...

Certainly some are not in a position to buy new... All i can say is buyer beware and best of luck...

Heather Eliza Loc: BFE :)Upstate, NY, Adirondack Park, Foothills

Thanks for the info, and the reply. I imagine it can happen that something new could be bad.. luckily I never experienced this... however if I'm going to lay down thousands of dollars I would expect and hope it be perfect...

Heather Eliza Loc: BFE :)Upstate, NY, Adirondack Park, Foothills

Thank you everyone for giving your opinions and advice. I will most likely purchase new but I will certainly weigh in all my options.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Would not hesitate to purchase a refurbished camera, lens or other gear from a reputable dealer - Adorama, B&H or Cameta.

Don

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I would like to make one point about factory refurbished goods. Make sure what factory the seller is talking about. A factory can be built anywhere by anyone to refurbish cameras, lenses, etc. Unless the ad specifies MANUFACTURER refurbished goods, I would clarify who refurbished the item. In some cases, I would go so far as to clarify what manufacturer is used. There may be no law to prevent a Laotian condom manufacturer being referenced as the manufacturer refurbishing your camera. REQUIRE SPECIFIC DETAILS!

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I can definitely afford to buy new, but enjoy saving money. Depending on the age of the camera or lens I am saving anywhere from 30%
to 90% of the original price. If I can't save at least 30% off the new price then I would consider buying new. But more often I'll wait until the item is more deeply discounted as used. The only photographic items I purchased new in the last 6 years were the Nikon FT-1 autofocus Nikon 1 to Nikon F-Mount adapter, as I wanted it right away and it wasn't being discounted adequately as used. I also bought a couple of camera bags and a tripod and some camera brackets new. At this point to buy any camera or lens new would feel to me like throwing away money. In the past 6 years I've bought 5 used dslr's, more than a dozen lenses, three bridge cameras and two speedlights used on ebay. Total for all of it was less than $3,000. The most I paid for any camera was $400, and any lens was $285. All have worked perfectly except for one lens that I returned because it wasn't as advertised. Paypal refunded all my money and postage both ways without any hassle. I only buy from top rated sellers and make sure the description says something like "in perfect working order" or "like new". I'm not that worried about cosmetics, just that it works properly as advertised.
Incidentally, I lease a new car every three years, because cars don't age as well as digital cameras and lenses.

NikonFan

I like the idea of buying factory refurbished cameras and lenses, but I've noticed that on some occasions there is little difference in price between refurbished and new. So, I suggest that you check the price differences first and then decide.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Will you please buy me a Nikon refurbished F4? Thank you.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's mainly a matter of cost. The is the most expensive, but it's NEW! For my major camera, I look for refurbished first. If one isn't available, I go for new. For a not-as-important camera, I turn to ebay. I've never had a problem with new, used, or refurbished.

What does "refurbished" mean? Only the manufacturers know, and they're not talking. I imagine it means lots of things. For example, if a camera is returned after a couple of days because the customer doesn't like it, it will probably go back to the manufacturer and be sold as refurbished. Does the manufacturer check all the specs and make adjustments? We just don't know.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

Good point but manufacturer can also be any manufacturer too...best bet make sure it says "Nikon refurbished" or whoever the respective maker is Canon, Sony, etc.

Usually if you buy from a dealer with a good rep (A-B-C) you will not have to play word games with them, and even if you were "duped" and found some free condoms with your refurb product, you can return for exchange/refund in the return window which is usually generous 14-30 days.

Shutterbug57

For bodies, it depends what you have and what you want. For instance, I was at the LCS last week and noted that they had 3 D810 bodies for sale; 2 even had grips included. I quipped that they must have sold 3 D850 bodies. The clerk, with whom I have dealt for a while noted that is exactly how they got those bodies. Used gear at my LCS has a 90 day warranty and I would not hesitate to buy one of these bodies if I were looking for a FX body and did not want to pony up D850 money. THBS, I have bought all my DSLR bodies new D70s, D200 & D500. For a film body, I would go used without a moment’s hesitation. In fact, my entire MF film kit was used when I got it.

For lenses, I have purchased both new and used. New lenses (when purchased) were Nikkor 12-24/4.0DX, 80-200/2.8ED & Tamron 24-70/2.8 G2. Used lenses are all Nikkor primes 24/2.8D, 35/2.0D, 50/1.4D, 60/2.8D macro, 85/1.8D. These were bought through e-bay or private/forum sales. I find that I am more likely to buy primes used over zooms because there is less to abuse/wear out. With the newer VR lenses, I might be tempted to go new as there is more that can go wrong with these lenses that might be hard to detect. VR lenses tend to be zooms as well, adding to the complexity.

It all boils down to your risk tolerance. For me, DSLR bodies are complex machines that cost big bucks. I want as much warranty as possible even though I have never had to use the warranty. For simple lenses, I am willing to roll the dice, but then I am usually getting these for about half the price of new gear. Lenses will last a lot longer than DSLR bodies, so you have less to loose by getting something a few years old as they should last for decades. In the end, it all comes down to personal preferences. Good luck with your new gear.

Jim Bob

My sentiments exactly. Shouldn't take multiple pages to state the obvious.