Second-hand 300D
 

Just wondering what your views are on purchasing a second-hand camera?

The camera in question is a Canon EOS 300D which is from LCE for £250 (UK)

Now I'm probably being over careful but my main thoughts are to say no because it's second-hand and a high-precision instrument. I just read on dpreview.com that the 300D is also discontinued - how does this fare?

My mum has had a lot of dealings with LCE with her camcorders and has been very pleased with their customer services and after-sales support but I'm still quite unsure about it all...

EDIT: I also have a Canon EOS 3000N and I believe the lenses can be used on both cameras.

If you have Canon lenses that you are right to stick with Canon. I dont have any experience of this model but I know plenty of our members do.

I have the 300D and have been very happy with it, but for approx £30 more you could buy a refurbished Canon 10D http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Canon-Outlet-D...QQcmdZViewItem
And yes, EOS lens should work perfectly with either camera

I had a 300D a good camera but a bit slow by todays standards for some subjects (slow boot and wake up time). 10D would be the same.

£250 seems a bit pricey so make sure its comes complete with a cleaned sensor, memory cards, software and charger etc.

Just had a look at the link and the item is without a lense.

From what I can gather it's just the camera and lense but I'll check with about the cleaned sensor. I'll also ask about chucking in a memory card although I've found a 4GB CF card online for £18.

I did mention about the battery and he showed me a charger in-store so I'm thinking it comes without a charger.

My advice is don't pay over £200 for one secondhand. In theory if it's from a dealer, it should come with a warranty of sorts...usually around 6 months (check what period it is for and up it if there's an option). Ultimately that is what you are paying the extra bit for. That is, peace of mind for that period...and that peace of mind costs you £50 by the sounds of it.
The wife has been very happy with her 300D. In fact I've never seen her take so many photographs!
Yes, I would agree this camera is soooooo slow...which pretty much rules out getting a good high shot selection if your into action or any high speed photography. Putting a high speed memory card doesn't make much of a difference either, as it's the camera's processor speed and short buffer that slows it up.
Check which film lenses you have and ask to try them on the 300D BEFORE you buy....to check they'll work (even ones listed as 'digi' compatible).
I don't blame you for sticking with Canon if you got the lenses AND they work.

Having said all this, if you're after a good secondhand Canon to get you into the digi world for general photography, and want a camera that can achieve some good high quality images when used correctly...this is an excellent start.


Much hinges on those lenses working (check no 'err' messages flash up on the LCD during or after you take a shot)... if the lenses, or just one doesn't work, way up the rpo's and cons of considering new gear.....


Don't totally rule out buying new.
DSLR's are continuing to drop in purchase price. High street prices start at less than £300 for Pentax's......a 350D body only is not much more than that coming in at less than £350, so too the Nikons....and they're quicker cameras ;)

Hope this helps
good luck
cheers
Joe

Thanks for those words of advice! At the moment I only have one lense for my 3000N and it's the kit lense. I'm hoping that any extra lenses I buy in the future will be able to be used on both.

Money is quite tight at the moment and if I go ahead with the purchase... wel... let's just say my fiance is going to "own" me for quite some time!

I feel I've gone as far as I can with my Olympus now and after playing with the 3000N (which I've not had for long) I can't wait to get my hands on a DSLR.

I don't plan on taking any pictures of anything fast right now as most of my pictures are of sunsets, clouds, "general scenes" and anything else where I can take my time. Anything has got to be better than my Olympus - the time that takes to start up seems like forever!

..if you go for the 300D you can always upgrade it with a software hack to a 10D equivalent giving you MLU (Mirror Lock Up) and some other nifty odds and sods the 300D lacks. I have one and had to have it repaired recently because the shutter mechanism screwed-up resulting in the ominous 'err99' that seems prevalent in this model along with some other earlier 10Ds + 20Ds. I would save up for a more up-to-date 350D or even 400D if I were you.

Zeb,
If finances are tight and you want an easy way to get a DSLR, most high street retailers offer interest free credit for 12 months (and usually if you pay it off within that period no fees or interest is applied...however typically a massive 25% + is applied otherwise)...also many offer extended accident and repair cover to take cover up above and beyond the limited 12 month manufacturers warranties....
So basically you can buy a camera and know they'll be no tears if the worst happens or it develops a fault within the first few years (which it otherwise might do if you bought secondhand)
However, if you feel brave and want to take the dip secondhand, hunt around, then do some more hunting.....there's some REAL bargains at the mo (which aren't nccessarily on the ebay!)

Above all...golden rule as a high street consumer...always ask if a 'deal' can be done (even when buying s/h).
Contrary to popular belief, some shop staff enjoy the banter! ;)

good luck, and happy hunting

I'm not familiar with UK prices, but that sounds like way too much to me, especially for a camera that is incompatible with the very popular EF-S range of normal and wide Canon lenses: the EF-S 18-55, EF-S 17-85, EF-S 17-55, EF-S 10-22, and EF-S 60mm macro.

What you save on the camera you could well drop again on lenses.

PS: Zeb, there is only one "e" in the word "lens".

Zeb,

It does seem a lot of money to me for a used 300D., especially as new prices of improved models are falling all the time. I'd save up a bit more and keep looking around in the meantime.

Regards,

Duncan.

A new 350D is surely not that much more, so I would have thought that you could get a used 350D for ~£250. I'm not sure how much of a risk it is to buy a used digital camera. I guess the dealer will provide a warranty and 6 months is common. If you already have a Canon lens, it does make sense to stick with Canon, unless there is a really good reason to switch.

The way I see it as we have discovered in various threads here. There is no real way to check shutter actuations on any used Canon or the earlier Nikons. In view of that some sort of warranty would be at the top of my list.

Anyone paid for a new shutter to know how much ????

Don

Don,
cost me €200 for a new shutter mechanism. Need I say more?

Well, I ended up buying the camera after having a long chat with the peeps behind the counter. Decided to go ahead with it as the camera had all the cables/manuals/charger etc. and they also threw in a 512MB CF card at a reduced price of £17 to £5. They've looked after my mother's camcorder hobby for the past few years and have often gone out of their way to deliver - top quality after sales.

Been snapping like a kid at xmas and spent a short while in the garden taking loads of pics of the flowers - I think I really want a macro lens :D

I'm totally blown away by the quality of some of the pictures.

That's great news!...glad you like the camera.
If you not want to spend a fortune on a true macro lens straight away try some extension tubes....around £70 from a dealer or cheaper online or s/h will get you a set of three....

you got the photography bug again! ;)

Sure have! It's dark now and I wish it was light so I can drive the car out to Dartmoor and take a load of pics! I'm going to borrow a couple tripods for a trip I've arranged on Thursday with a mate who recently bought a Nikon D50.

Going to see how the day goes and try and visit various places like old buildings, forests, dartmoor etc.

Thanks for info on extension tubes - will look into those ;)