Buying a 2nd hand DSLR

[Hyena]

Hey guys,
I'm about to purchase my first DSLR. I had my mind fairly made up on a new Canon 350D but thanks to the evil members of this forum I'm now also considering a second hand Nikon D70.

My question is, what are the risks involved in buying a 2nd hand DSLR ? There's obvious signs of use such as shutter actuations and physical damage and wear, but what about everything else ? How do they hold up to being shaken around in backpacks while carted from one end of the earth to the other or hiking in the wilderness ? One gallery I looked at showed that the camera had been taken mounting biking. Surely all that jarring around can't be good for them ? I'll be taking the camera with me everywhere I go, but it's good to know what sort of situations to avoid (I suppose anything that's going to expose them to excessive trauma or moisture are the obvious answers)

Is it common for faults to just appear out of the blue or do they usually have symptoms leading up ? I've read the BGLOD is a common D70 problem. Is this likely to develop later in life or is a lack of prior complaints a good indication that it's probably going to be ok ?

Cheers

Jay

[NikonUser]

I'm afraid I can't help all that much with your questions as I don't have much experience with used cameras...

I can say that the BGLOD only affected early cameras. I don't think there is anything you can look out for... if it's going to happen it sounds like it happens suddenly. I'm pretty sure that Nikon will fix this problem for free even if the camera is out of warranty though (you'd need to verify that).

I imagine that if a camera is being jarred and shaken around a lot then some of the internal mirrors and focusing screens may jolt out of alignment and cause focus issues. This is just a guess though and you'd be able to test for this before buying.

Salt/Water and electronics don't mix... so if the camera has been used at the beach heaps and not looked after properly afterwards there could be problems there I guess.

Have you looked at the for sale forums on these boards? D70's appear on them every once in a while and it'd be a good bet that most people on this forum would look after their gear.

The only other thing I can say is... Good luck I'm sure someone who knows more about it than me will be along soon to help you

Paul

[Zeeke]

Aslong as they dont treat there camera as bad as me.. you should be fairly safe...

Ive had mine bouncing around in the front of a boat travelling 70kms offshore in severe rough water... offshore during storms.. in the water (in a plastic bag) and a few other things i wont mention.. its still going strong.. i think.. but the average guy wouldnt treat there camera that bad.....

Good luck with your future purchase, looking forward to seeing some photos from you!

Tim

[the foto fanatic]

It's a hard question to answer fully.

Firstly, Nikon cameras have a well-deserved reputation for build quality and engineering (so do Canon, of course, but I am addressing your concerns about SH cameras here). Faults like BGLOD, once identified by the manufacturer are fixed relatively quickly and FOC.

If you are able to inspect the camera, you should. Naturally you would check for any obvious external damage to the camera body and lens, as well as for scratches and fungus in the lens. Check the camera's operations to ensure that everything functions properly; even take a few pix and take your card home to check the images.

If the camera is not close enough to inspect, then it's going to boil down to trust between you and the seller. If you buy from someone on this forum (when you have enough posts to access the For Sale section) then I think you would be fairly safe as most members are well-known to each other. You should be able to rely on an accurate description of the article.

If you are buying from eBay, then I guess you have to be satisfied that you are buying from a reputable dealer, and that you are happy with the product's description and photographs.

As long as you are OK with these precautions, then buying a SH camera is a low-cost way of entering the digital world. As we are currently in a stage of rapid change because of continual improvement to sensor technology etc, enthusiasts tend to upgrade, and this makes qood quality SH items readily available. For example, people who upgrade from the D70 to the D200 may well want to sell their D70. Keep your eyes peeled.

I hope this is helpful.

[rmp]

Digital SLRs are pretty robust. Mine have been travelling all over the place and on several 4WD competitions and they're still going strong, although some of the mud is ingrained into the handgrip!

[Hyena]

I imagine that if a camera is being jarred and shaken around a lot then some of the internal mirrors and focusing screens may jolt out of alignment and cause focus issues. This is just a guess though and you'd be able to test for this before buying.

Unfortunately I don't know enough about DSLRs yet to be able to pick up on these things straight away on initial inspection. If the mirrors and/or focusing screens you mention did happen to be out of alignment, I assume the focusing issues are likely to happen under all circumstances and not just at certain apertures or focal lengths etc? (ie I could miss a problem if I just took a few happy snaps that looked ok)

Have you looked at the for sale forums on these boards? D70's appear on them every once in a while and it'd be a good bet that most people on this forum would look after their gear.

Thats the only reason I'm looking intp the D70
Brand new it's a little out of my budget but 2nd hand it's definitely an option. After reading many posts it sounds like most people on this forum (not you Zeeke ) do take good care of their gear (as you said)

Zeeke, it's good to hear your gear has taken a beating and is still working well for you. It's the sort of thing I could end up coming across though, and murphies law dictates that as soon as I took posession of it it'd break! I'm assuming yours is looking a bit worn having had such a hard life ? If I do go 2nd hand I"ll be looking for something that's in "as new" condition so hopefully I'll not unknowingly buy something that's been abused.

cricketfan, I wouldn't buy from ebay unless the guy happened to live in a near by suburb and I could go check the gear out first. If I go 2nd hand it'll probably be from one of the guys here. As I said it sounds like most of you look after your gear and as you've pointed out there's always upgrading going on and I'd be happy with alot of the gear the high end guys would turn their noses up at

[Zeeke]

other then missing an eyecup and the text on the on off switch missing.. my d70 looks brand new... so... evaluating it on look wouldnt be a wise way of choosing a camera.. id follow what others here have suggested

Tim