Ebay to buy digital SLR?

[BlakeNJ]

I am an average photographer--in no way very serious--only serious about taking pictures of my kids. I carry a canon digital elf everywhere. It's small and does the trick. My son is getting into sports and my kids are starting to "sit" for pictures if you know what I mean--anyway, and I need something better. I have a canon rebel (old, not digital from 2003 or so). I really liked using it. Would you reccomend purchasing the same camera, digital of course, from Ebay? I don't think I could afford a new one as I see they run around $600.

Any advice is appreciated.

Blakely

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Just be very careful. Photographic equipment seems to be one of the areas on eBay that attracts a lot of scammers.

Be careful about buying from someone with low feedback. Don't by from someone that insists on a money order. Check what the seller has been selling. If this seems out of character for them, it is possible that their account was "hi jacked".

If you're careful, eBay can be a great place to get a pretty good deal. If you're not careful, eBay is a place where fools and their money are quickly parted.

 

[Miss Kelly]

I bought my Digital Canon Rebel XT from Ebay. I was very careful in choosing a seller. I feel that I got the best deal available at the time.

 

[jann1033]

you might look into a refurbished model from a camera shop. i have bought stuff from ebay and not had any problems but imo unless you are dealing with an individual seller the prices are usually not the best you can find and sometimes the auctions are more than you can get it for new. i'd make sure the seller offers a good warranty also, not like 7 days from shipping
http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Cano..._Silver,__7139450/sort_type=price/fd=1/qlty=r

 

[AndrewWG]

I would also add that you should probably stick to sellers in the US (if you are from the US) as it will be easier to track a person if you are scammed in any way. Also, I'm sure it happens by people here in the US but I have had my ebay account taken over illegally and know someone else who did as well and the people who did it in our cases happened to be from out of the US (Europe to be exact). They posted big $$ items using my user name and said in the ad that the buyer should send a money order to their address in their country. I will not tell the country so as to not give everyone from that country a bad rap. We all know that scammers and thiefs are worldwide (including the US). Never send money in the form of a money order. Use a credit card by PAYPAL or a personal check if you have to. This gives you some buyer protection at least.

Just be careful. There are many good sellers on ebay, but it's the ones with the REALLY good deals that you have to watch out for. Personally, I err on the side of caution and don't even look for large money purchases on ebay.

Andy

 

[BlakeNJ]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to skip ebay and look to a refurb from a camera shop.

Blakely

 

[Anewman]

Ebay Items can sometimes cost more(after shipping) than if you just purchased new from a good dealer.

Beachcamera.com has the Rebel xt for $500 Free shipping and No tax. I see USED ones selling for more than that on EBAY all the time.

 

[photo_chick]

Speaking of used, my local camera shop had a used Rebel XT body, good working order, minor cosmetic blemishes for $250. Might be worth looking around your local shops or even reputable online shops, just be sure you know what you are buying. Many shops offer a 30-90 day guarantee for used equipment, I would not buy from one who did not.

 

[0bli0]

for us here in oz, ebay is a great way to get a good deal from reputable dealers in HK. we can easily save a big chunk of change compared to buying local product, even after shipping and even duty charges.
but guessing from your nick you're on the north east coast of the states, i'd suggest having a look around locally! you have some great shops there that are some of the most reputable in the world with the best prices!

 

[Groucho]

I see no problem with going the eBay route, as long as the seller has decent feedback - especially if the feedback comments include "fast shipping" and "nice packaging"!

You may want to also look at older DSLRs. A friend has a first-gen Canon Rebel DSLR and much prefers it to the Rebel XT and XTi. No doubt the later ones have more features, etc, but he just doesn't care for the feel of them. The original may be closer to what you're used to with your film camera, and may have as many features as you will need, and can probably be had for relatively cheap.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

If you do buy from eBay, carefully review the ad for comments that aren't credible. Avoid anything with outrage statements like Groucho claiming to have friend that shoots Canon.

 

[Groucho]

Said friend bought a Nikon, he only has the Canon as someone gave it to him.

However, said friend and I are also on opposite sides of the fence regarding politics and cars, the latter of which is a real passion for both of us, so we're used to not always being on the same page, to say the least! But as I've said before, he doesn't like the current entry-level Canons so we can certainly agree on that one.

 

[PoohJen]

fwiw, I bought my walk around lens (used Sigma 18-125) off eBay, saved a ton and it arrived like new and in perfect condition! I bought it from an individual seller, not a storefront. But I agree, there are risks.

I bought my body (Rebel XT) off Amazon (which offered the best price at that time). You may want to try the XT rather than the XTi to save some $$$ if the newer model doesn't really add much to satisfy your needs.

I bought the XT primarily for my kids sports, and I LOVE it! I've officially become the "team photographer"!