Test a Used Camera in 10 Minutes: Checklist For Buying Used DSLRs / Mirrorless Cameras

[@lensvana]

Everything mentioned in the video: 1. BEFORE BUYING: - What's the shutter count? Aim for

[@erika3820]

Appreciate this! Thank you so much!!!

[@CessLE96]

what if 2200 only?

[@domantasilgauskis5496]

@@CessLE96 if its shutter count, just buy it fast, it will last 3years, if u will take photos like a normal person

[@CessLE96]

@@domantasilgauskis5496 Thank you! Yes it's shutter count.

[@domantasilgauskis5496]

@@CessLE96 į bought one with 10k, so minimum, i need 70k more until its camera shut down

[@kahundedoreen]

This has been soo helpful 🙏🏽for someone like me who doesn’t know much about cameras

[@christofott9059]

I bought a Nikon D850 with over 190.000 on its shutter count. Personally I would say everything below 65.000 clicks is like new, even the cameras that are not meant for pros. Your list of things to check is very good, nevertheless you missed some points, but that will happen on such a long list. I always check if the lens has any oil on the aperture and that the aperture behaves like it should. Also the zoom ring and the focus ring should be checked. Some rubber rings tend to get sticky over time, but I guess one would notice that quite fast. Always check the autofocus in Live-View AND through the viewfinder. I had two lenses that each only focused correctly in one of those modes. If a lens has a scratch on the front element you can still buy it. It shouldn't influence the image in any way, the only thing it changes is, how your camera is managing bright lights that are shining directly at it. It should decrease the price you're paying for the lens quite much of course. Nikons cameras let you check the decrease of lifetime of the batteries so you should check that too. You can clap the mirror away to inspect the sensor too. I would definitely want to have a look at the sensor. For complete tests of EVERY important aspect of a lens visit the channel of Christopher Frost! It's awesome!

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

how many you would it cost for that d850 please?

[@elfslay]

Great guide, very well organized.

[@lensvana]

Cheers Chris

[@apostolis_23]

Excellent video! Very well structured! Thank you!

[@lensvana]

Thanks, Apostolis! :)

[@Cristasphoto]

Good video. Only issue is that secondhand sellers arent going to let you do all this. They want the money swap then run sigh

[@lensvana]

Yeah, this is an optimistic scenario to say the least. The 1 minute check would be: get the shutter count, fire a few pictures (making sure autofocus works), press all buttons to make sure they're not "sticky", done

[@Cristasphoto]

@@lensvana Thank you

[@BELUSHIPREVILON]

Very good thanks!

[@nicholasr82]

No point in asking the seller any questions, they won't tell you the truth if they are selling it knowing something is wrong.

[@sainturiel]

This has been very helpful. Thank you!

[@alaouchicheabdellah4986]

very helpful. Thank you very much.

[@baskhaa]

Amazing crisp and clear video.

[@logicboard7746]

Great

[@mohammadvarzideh780]

Really good and informative video . Thanks

[@marca9955]

Really helpful video thanks!!

[@user-wj3ei4yr3x]

Recently I bought an old Nikon Coolpix L110 bridge camera from a pawn shop for £40.00 the camera was in what I considered to be good condition the only slight issue was that the lens cap was missing which isn't really an issue to me as in that situation I usually convert an old coffee jar lid to serve as one it looks odd but it works you just have to line the inside rim with PVC tape for a good fit I've seen videos where some people use a combination of paper and pvc tape but I think that looked ugly but that a also works at the time of buying the camera I had no idea of what to look for when buying a second hand camera apart from looking for obvious signs of damage to the camera and also cheak that the camera isn't reliable on using some sort of outdated priority tech in order to work like battery or memory card that is no longer made and thus is hard expensive or Impossible to get on the secondary market as used which would render that new camera as about useful as a fancy paperweight so videos like this are useful to the hobby photographer who wouldn't know the secondary market as well as a professional probably might as they tend to collect way more cameras and accessories than the hobbiest or casual photographer would

[@lensvana]

Thanks for your comment! Hope this video is helpful for you and others - the used market can be a bit tricky to navigate but the deals are so good that it's worth the hassle.

[@surprisebatseks]

Thank, very good summary!

[@RogerVicki]

New sub and thanks for all the information as I’m about to buy a second hand dslr within two weeks

[@lensvana]

Thanks Roger! And good luck with the purchase

[@erikpratama320]

thanks a lot, very useful

[@crismartinez5272]

Great video. Thanks.

[@allthingsmoney5382]

Very Thorough!!! Thx! 😊

[@Alex__LDN]

Thank you. Really helpful

[@lensvana]

Thanks!

[@1_Tim]

Very useful video. I'm off to buy a Mark 3 5D. So far I've been okay. I did research this before but yours is much more comprehensive. Well done!

[@lensvana]

Thanks for the kind words! Hope you get a good copy of the 5D Mark III - it's a superb camera that should serve you well for a long time.

[@1_Tim]

@@lensvana It worked out great! And your tips proved to be useful. Fantastic camera

[@1_Tim]

@@lensvana I've been thinking about adding a drone to my kit. So I'm first on his list when he upgrades soon. An added bonus to buying used is the people that you meet in the process

[@lensvana]

@@1_Tim Nice! You're absolutely right, I've met some interesting people while buying/selling camera gear, from students to senior citizens :)

[@Mme.Swisstella]

Yea you never know what is going to happen. I had my heart set on getting a mkii and I found a good one and bought and they mentioned they would soon be selling a mkiii and might I be interested and so I wound up with that as well and I sheepishly confess that I may well likely prefer the latter over the former.

[@matthewbuernorteyaryitey3246]

really helpful video

[@lensvana]

Thanks, Matthew!

[@DrummerGAS]

Thanks man!

[@lensvana]

Happy to help!

[@carolaarenas1296]

Great video ! I'm about to see a Canon5Dmark II this Sunday and the seller doesn't have the shutter count...should I cancel my appointment? Or is there a way I can find the shutter count while testing the camera? Thank you

[@lensvana]

Thanks! OK so this is one of those rare cases where it's actually hard to get the shutter count (I believe it's difficult for the Canon 5D II). So in this case you will have to use your best judgment about the seller and the condition of the camera in general. It's a legendary camera though, so I'd definitely go for it at the right price (and in good condition). I would definitely ask the seller what the camera was used for -- shutter count could be high if it was used for professional wedding photography, for example.

[@carolaarenas1296]

@@lensvana In the end, the seller gave me 245 533 as a shutter count . I got scared it was too much so I didn't buy it. Thank you so much for responding. Have a nice evening!

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

@@carolaarenas1296 how many monies he was ask for that camera please?

[@Tornado.NKN.Software]

And you can also check the camera using our reliable software

[@hasnaingamerz5231]

Impressive 👍

[@leonmuller8475]

I bought a 5d mk2 with 77 000 shutter releases, no problems yet. Why did you set your threshold for shutter releases so low?

[@lensvana]

It's personal for everyone. If someone is buying their first used camera I think it's safer to go for a lower threshold. I would have no problem buying a 77k 5d II (if the price / condition was right)... but I buy a lot of cameras

[@lensvana]

Great value Nikon DSLR: ebay.us/6DNpdg (AFFILIATE LINKS) Great value Canon mirrorless: ebay.us/6zKOIV

[@MarcoACasco]

Forgot to mention to check the shutter count, VERY IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@IndonesiaKamera]

Would you like to review the camera with me in Indonesia

[@quazisanjeed6395]

I'm about to buy a Canon 40D. It's a very old camera so, below 10k shutter count is out of question. It clicked 60k shots. Still I'm interested because I know this body is likely to exceed 100k shots. I want this DSLR mainly due to its bigger pixels. Bigger produces cleaner images.

[@teggyegg]

did you buy it? has it been ok?

[@quazisanjeed6395]

@@teggyegg, it is but, the shutter button is not functioning properly. Sent it to seller shop, hope they can fix it!

[@teggyegg]

@@quazisanjeed6395 thanks for the reply, always interesting to hear real stories, hope it works out! On an entry level sony i bought new the auto focus failed after about 6 years

[@Panderus110]

hi I saw a Canon T3i for 200 dollars it just has some scratches nothing bad should I take it?

[@lensvana]

If it's working fine I say go for it, great camera

[@pavelantonov251]

So, it was said nothing how to check shutter count. The only way I know is to upload some JPG from camera to some web resource where they tell you how many shots done.

[@lensvana]

Yes, shutter count is important and should be confirmed before you meet to check the camera. I usually use this website (www.camerashuttercount.com/). It doesn't work for all camera models, however.

[@hasanmoula5395]

Its helpful 😉

[@evenaicantfigurethisout]

How to check for fungus on sensor?

[@lensvana]

Take a pic of the sky or white wall at f/16 to see if there are any spots on the sensor. I've never seen fungus on a sensor

[@rdn658]

Bought a 50D with a 4k shutter for 150 USD. Is this a good deal?

[@lensvana]

That's a fair deal. Considering the camera originally retailed for 1400 USD, I'd be happy :)

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

i suspect that the 40d is a glorified xti.

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

you please remove lens and take photo of evenly lit clean white wall and review image including with histogram.

[@af7tv]

Brother Do you have any DSLR camera for sell

[@lensvana]

Check your local classified e.g. facebook marketplace, all the best deals are there!

[@mauelsmarbaniang2460]

How to know that how old is the camera or how many years he has been using the camera that he's about to sell. Because sometimes the seller lie, just 1 and a half year but the camera he use may be 2 or 3 years old. My problem 👆 can u help me or anyone else here. And Thank you for your video ❤️❤️ Thank you for your video

[@lensvana]

Thanks for watching! Unfortunately there's no way to know the full truth about a used camera. this is why I always recommend inspecting it in person and if possible, get the shutter count. But right now is a buyer's market - so many great deals that you may be able to find a camera that looks like it has never been used (probably used 1-2 times on vacation and collecting dust ever since)

[@mauelsmarbaniang2460]

@@lensvana thank you so much ❤️👍