Best place to buy a used DLSR camera ?

[Coasting]

Just what Marko said.

These cameras have a life span. I would NEVER purchase a used DSLR.
There is no way to know how many pictures was taken with it. Just like a car that engine only lasts so long.

Despite how well the previous owner took care of it, despite how well its currently working and how nice it looks, its going to stop being so nice at one point or another, except at least with the cars, you can see the odometer.

I would stick with Canon. You can get some great brand new Rebel kits for a great price. Especially if you can find a store that has an older model. Canon brings out new rebel models like theres no tomorrow, which brings down the value of the old ones fairly quickly.

Broadway Camera is a great place to start, however they may not have too many older models kicking around since their such a popular store.

[TimT]

Yes, everything mechanical has a life span.

Here is a link to shutter life on an EOS 20D
http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/canon_eos20d.htm

The shutter actuation count is embedded in the raw CR2 file. Once you open the raw file in a hex editor you can find out the shutter count. Here is the link.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon20...7594389608272/

I am going to see how this works.

Cheers,
Tim

[sphelps]

If I was looking at budget DSLR I would definately buy used. First cameras don't just expire from normal use, for the average person a camera can last well over a lifetime. There are things to consider but nothing complicated:

Research the camera ahead of time consider the following:

Shutter count:
Usually not a big deal although others here seem to think otherwise. You can check the shutter count in EXIF data, take a picture in RAW mode and use EXIF viewer or photoshop. You can google various procedures for different cameras but it's a fast and easy process. Typically this number is low, most of the DSLRs for sale are result from lack of use. For example I've had my D300 for 4-5 years now and I would say my use of it is probably average, mostly I take pictures of my tank and while on vacations. My shutter count sits at 7617 on a shutter designed for 150,000+ so you tell me if this camera is worn out. If you buy from pros or wanna be pros you'll find higher numbers but you can avoid these people pretty easily. Worst case let's say you have a very high number, does that mean the camera is shot, no you get a new shutter installed which for entry level DSRs can be done for as little as $100. You'll also want to check the firmware to be sure it has not been updated, this is also easy to do and most people don't update. If it is updated might be best to avoid as this can reset the shutter count.

Sensor:
Next check the sensor for dust or bad pixels. This is as easy as taking a picture of a clear sky or something consistent in color but not black. Examine the picture on a PC screen and look for any imperfections. Any dust or bad pixels will be fairly evident. Most sensors can be cleaned as well but best to avoid anything you're not comfortable with.

Overall condition:
You can figure this out, if it looks pretty beat up then avoid, typically the aesthetic condition is a pretty good indicator how the camera has been cared for.

That's it really, you can save a ton of money buying used and if you're not that serious about photography it's the clear choice. If you find yourself not using it that much you can probably sell it for what you paid for it or at least your investment isn't as great as if you bought new.

[TimT]

Ok, so I was able to find out how many shutter counts are on the camera by taking a photo in RAW format. The photo CR2 file was opened in a HEX Editor program called XVI32 and here are the steps to extract the shutter count.

1.) Load Xvi32
2.) Go to Tools>Options>Data Inspector (it's a TAB)
3.) Click "big-endian (MOTOROLA)"
4.) Click "OK" Button to exit out of the options
5.) Go to File>Open>"CHOOSE YOUR RAW IMAGE FILE" then click open
6.) Go to Address>Goto (Or CTRL+G)
7.) Click "Hexadecimal" then TYPE "95D" into the box below
8.) Click "OK"
9.) Then go to TOOLS>DECODE NUMBER
10.) LOOK at "XX XX As Word" (XX Being your numbers located in 95D,E).
11.) The number next to it is your Actuation number.

So I found out the 20D has 26404 shutter cycles.

I could not locate this info in the EXIF data in Lightroom 4.

Cheers,
Tim