Would you...

[MrKnowNothing]

Buy a 1Ds for 1500 bucks? It comes with camera and ac adapter only. The camera is in absolute mint condition (I got to play with it – took a bunch of photos on my card with my lens). The price of a battery and charger is around $400 USD so that makes it $1900 bucks. A friend of a friend of a friend (and so on or even maybe a pawn shop… guess the source really doesn’t matter) is selling it and I'm not sure where he got it… I got the serial number and called Canon to ask them if they had any record if it being stolen or in for repairs and it came up clean. I’ve gone to numerous sites that report stolen items and could not find it there either. I’ve done Google searches with the camera and serial number (all combinations) and nothing. I'm not sure if it’s stolen or not but at this price I can guess. If I can’t find it to be stolen anywhere then it must be ok or safe to buy… right? If it came up stolen for sure then I wouldn’t go near it… I'm afraid of buying it then trying to sell it in a year or so then having problems with it being stolen or coming up as stolen. I really don’t need the power of the 1Ds but to have it for a year or so then sell it for profit sounds fun to :) ARGH!!! Don’t know what to do. Would you buy it??? Some advice please :)

[defordphoto]

That camera has a street price of $7000. Something is wrong. Just because it shows clean, just means it hasn't been reported.

You know what they say: If it's too good to be true....

Darn tempting though sheesh!

So is this a friend of a friend of a friend who just got out of prison kinda thing? ;)

[timmyquest]

If you bought it for 1500 and then do indeed find something wrong with it i'm sure you can send it to canon to get fixed for much less then 7 grand...if not, then i supose you could try and sell it to get your money back.

[defordphoto]

If you bought it for 1500 and then do indeed find something wrong with it i'm sure you can send it to canon to get fixed for much less then 7 grand...if not, then i supose you could try and sell it to get your money back.

Yeah, but if the "something wrong with it" is that it is hot, then he faces possible prosecution for buying a stolen camera, which they could probably get the charges to stick since he obviously is aware something's wrong, and then also be out the $1500 for the camera.

Is it worth it? :shock:

[Belmondo]

Wow. This is a pretty interesting first post.

Nobody that knows the value of a 1Ds would be selling it for $1500, especially if they'd paid close to $8,000 for it new.

You know it. I know it. Eeryone knows it.

That being the case, if your conscience will allow you to buy it, by all means do so. Someone is losing a lot of money in this deal, and I strongly suspect not by choice. :!:

[new girl on the bloc]

there must be some sort of paper trail somewhere...it'd be darn tempting, but i'd be concerned about the possibilities that may cause you to lose it down the road, after you've plunked down the $$ and fall in love with it :evil:

[CyberDyneSystems]

"Would you....?"

I'm afraid the answer from me would be YES.

Especially after the search for reported serial numbers... My concience would be "cleanish" after that... enough to try the risk.

E-mail me if you are looking for a buyer.

[MrKnowNothing]

All this concerns me but what more can I do to protect myself? I've done all that I can think of to protect myself. Yes I know there is no way someone got this camera for 8000 and selling it for 1500 bucks but there is .0000001% drop of hope that this person got it from there fathers brothers uncle who passed away and has no clue what he is selling. :D

[MrKnowNothing]

"Would you....?"

I'm afraid the answer from me would be YES.

Especially after the search for reported serial numbers... My concience would be "cleanish" after that... enough to try the risk.

E-mail me if you are looking for a buyer.

Heh... I might take you up on that... I wouldnt mind buying it for 1500 and selling it for 3000 and making a quick 1500 :)

[defordphoto]

Like I said. You know something is wrong. Can you even talk to the person that actually has this camera? This is the way people buy drugs. From a friend of a friend of a friend who knows someone who has a friend.

[MrKnowNothing]

Like I said. You know something is wrong. Can you even talk to the person that actually has this camera? This is the way people buy drugs. From a friend of a friend of a friend who knows someone who has a friend.

I actually can talk to the person... I held and used the camera for a day. The thing is totally mint. But I am in no way able to judge if this person is a crook or not... He sounds and looks like a nice guy. I couldnt sniff my way out of a paper bag when it comes to detective skills :D

[defordphoto]

You can ask him why only $1500. Talk a CF card with you and take a couple of shots.

[MrKnowNothing]

You can ask him why only $1500. Talk a CF card with you and take a couple of shots.

I could ask him but he would tell me anything I wanted to hear if it was hot. Take a couple of shots of him? :) heh thats a good idea.

[Belmondo]

You know? Peace of mind is a very valuable commodity in this world today. If you're willing to spend $1,500, why not just get a 10D and be done with it. By your own admission, the 1Ds is more camera than you need. The 10D will do most of what the 1Ds does, and probably be easier for you to handle.

Do you really need the problem, or do you just want a camera?

[MrKnowNothing]

You know? Peace of mind is a very valuable commodity in this world today. If you're willing to spend $1,500, why not just get a 10D and be done with it. By your own admission, the 1Ds is more camera than you need. The 10D will do most of what the 1Ds does, and probably be easier for you to handle.

Do you really need the problem, or do you just want a camera?

Good words of wisdom there... peace of mind is valuable. You are right as in I dont need that much camera. If I buy it I would sell it anyway and buy a 10D or its replacement. I currently have a Drebel with a few lenses so there is no big hurry to buy a new camera.

It seems when I talk to the guy he has no clue what he has there... but then again he could be playing me like a violin. :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

I wonder if it is a 1D with and "S" painted on it?

And yes,. I am being serious.

[MrKnowNothing]

I wonder if it is a 1D with and "S" painted on it?

And yes,. I am being serious.

Nope... the images were 11mp. I've been around cameras long enough to know what im looking at when it comes to equipment. I spent a day with the camera.

Like I said either he is a crook (most likely) or he has no clue what he is selling but the camera is like 100% mint. I would have thought that kind of camera would have seen some action but nada it looks like some 70 year old had it as a hobby camera :) (one can wish)

[MrKnowNothing]

Oh yea plus I can only burst off 10 shots and the 1D has 21 burst.

[msnow]

Pardon my skepticism but something is fishy about this post.

[MrKnowNothing]

Pardon my skepticism but something is fishy about this post.

Elaborate??? Im just asking what I should do... I can easily buy the camera, buy the battery and sell it for 5000... I know this but like everyone else who's not a thief or crim Im afraid to. I am simply asking what others would do in my shoes.

[BDM]

If you bought it for 1500 and then do indeed find something wrong with it i'm sure you can send it to canon to get fixed for much less then 7 grand...if not, then i supose you could try and sell it to get your money back.

Yeah, but if the "something wrong with it" is that it is hot, then he faces possible prosecution for buying a stolen camera, which they could probably get the charges to stick since he obviously is aware something's wrong, and then also be out the $1500 for the camera.

Is it worth it? :shock:

Receiving stolen property is a nasty rap. If it was stolen I suspect it is more likely that it would simply be confiscated if ever sent for servicing. The poor owner would have no recourse since one does not obtain good title from a thief.

I rather suspect it is more likely it has suffered some kind of damage that might be quite expensive to fix. On the other hand, it could have come from an owner who had no idea what it is worth or was simply in great need of the cash. But the risks of such a deal are high. If I was contemplating such a purchase I would want to know the pedigree of the seller very well.

Bruce

[defordphoto]

It seems when I talk to the guy he has no clue what he has there... but then again he could be playing me like a violin. :)

That's not surprising. Criminals usually don't know what they have when they steal something odd like this. They wanna dump it off before it gets reported to the authorities so they can go buy a bag of crack.

[MrKnowNothing]

[quote="MrKnowNothingIt seems when I talk to the guy he has no clue what he has there... but then again he could be playing me like a violin. :)

That's not surprising. Criminals usually don't know what they have when they steal something odd like this. They wanna dump it off before it gets reported to the authorities so they can go buy a bag of crack.[/quote]

lol yeah I know... im just fooling myself if I think this is a legit deal in any way.

[defordphoto]

lol yeah I know... im just fooling myself if I think this is a legit deal in any way.

That's exactly what the prosecuting attorney would say as they were charging you with the crime of accepting stolen property.

[mjordan]

It could very well be stolen but not reported yet or it could have been stolen out of the area and the report not make it to any of the major lists. There are professional crooks (and I use the term professional loosly) that steal goods and then get them out of the area to re-sale them. Some will get them out of the country and re-sale them then. This could have been stolen in Europe, England, Australia, etc. and shipped into the states.

Back a number of years I worked at Sears part time. They use to get pallets of boxes of stuff in all the time and stored in the warehouse area, with the high priced goods being stored in a secure area. One time, they had a pallet of stereos come in. As they were sold the boxes were taken off the pallet. What was found out was that the boxes in the middle of the pallet were empty. Somebody had taken the time, somewhere along the route from the manufacter to remove the stereos out of those boxes. I don't know if they ever tracked it back or not.

In your search of the serial number, did Canon tell you if this was a new serial number or one that had been around awhile? If it's a new one, then you know it hasn't been out very long and probably hasn't had time for the report to be made. You might try calling the major camera places (B&H etc.) and ask them if they sold a 1Ds with that serial number recently. It very possibly could have been "lost" in shipping during the holiday rush.

Yes it would be tempting... but I'd also be tempted to call the police and tell them I thought I was being offered stolen goods and let them ask the guy to prove it's his. They have better resources than you.

Mike

[KO_300D]

there is .0000001% drop of hope that this person got it from there fathers brothers uncle who passed away and has no clue what he is selling. :D

and there's your alibi!

buy it. Get it included in your home insurance - or take out a seperate policy.

Then if it ever gets confiscated make a 'stolen/lost camera' claim
---

Or on a more serious note - you say it's got more power than you need...
so why not take the $1500 and get a camera and some lenses to suit your needs, in which case it's fully legit and you won't be looking over your shoulder... or worrying if you'll ever see it again if you need to get it serviced.

[bigsexy]

8) So if you decide to pass on it, you're going to let us know....right?

[Ikinaa]

My opinion : to get a mint condition cam for 1/5 of the price would be the best deal in the world if it was an official deal, with some official written paper, in some store, etc, but from a friend of a friend of ... I wouldn't touch it.
In 2003 I made (un)fortunately nearly such an experience and am happy now I didn't

Why not read the book : 'The art of deception' by Kevin Mitnick first and then take a decision.
I read it, thought that things like these were never possible, but they made perfect sense...

That will help you in the decision.

Hope to have helped...

[MrKnowNothing]

Or on a more serious note - you say it's got more power than you need...
so why not take the $1500 and get a camera and some lenses to suit your needs, in which case it's fully legit and you won't be looking over your shoulder... or worrying if you'll ever see it again if you need to get it serviced.

It has more power than I need so I could buy it and resell it for more than 2x what I paid for it and get the 1500 camera for nothing. But like i've said I already have the drebel so there is no real need for anything right now.


Yes it would be tempting... but I'd also be tempted to call the police and tell them I thought I was being offered stolen goods and let them ask the guy to prove it's his. They have better resources than you.

While the poilce thing crossed my mind I would never do this... If this item is not legit then I dont want to wind up on some hit list :) I would just rather not even take the thing and put it all behind me.


I will post eventually when I decide if im going to take it or not... I am leaning twards not taking it but would seriously kick myself if it is legit. I know there is no way of knowing after and it is very very doubtful that it is legit. I have a family to support and a job I need... last thing I need is trouble.




That will help you in the decision.

Hope to have helped...

Thanks everyone for the good advice.

[msnow]

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think it's not stolen. There's no charger or any of the accessories that come with it. It's like someone handing you a car stereo with the wiring harness ripped off the back.

Do the right thing and walk away.

[tlooney]

Have you tried getting the serial number and calling Canon to see if they have any information on the camera?

[MrKnowNothing]

Have you tried getting the serial number and calling Canon to see if they have any information on the camera?

Yea read the original post... I did a ton of things and came up with nothing.

[tlooney]

Stolen or repairs was not what I was looking for . . . wondered if they at least showed a registered owner or if they could track what part of the country is was shipped to or the store. Maybe you could find the seller.

Not that everyone registers their stuff.

But as long as you have done all the CYA you can, there is not much more you can do.

[MrKnowNothing]

Stolen or repairs was not what I was looking for . . . wondered if they at least showed a registered owner or if they could track what part of the country is was shipped to or the store. Maybe you could find the seller.

Not that everyone registers their stuff.

But as long as you have done all the CYA you can, there is not much more you can do.

As a matter of fact when I spoke to Canon they said what they have told me already was already above and beyond the call of duty in terms of service.

[evilenglishman]

--

[CyberDyneSystems]

Just thinking to myself,. I don't know how far from New England you are,. but if your in the US then there is no doubt,. I could buy a plane ticket round trip,. fly there and buy the camera for $1,500.00 and still save thousands.... :mrgreen:

[MrKnowNothing]

i would buy it.
I doubt very much that you would get into any trouble.
If the police come knocking at your door tell them you called canon (keep a copy of your phone bill) and they verified it wasn't stolen.

If they say they want it back tell them you lost it on a recent trip :D

Heh heh good idea... actually im more concerned about getting rid of it. To be honest I really dont want the camera... I'm just thinking that I can make a grand or 2 off of the deal. I dont want to try and sell it then have problems like they take the camera... then im out 1500 bucks and a camera.

[defordphoto]

So then just jail time alone would be okay with you? Just as long as you don't lose any money directly. You can also be fined later too, when convicted.

[MrKnowNothing]

So then just jail time alone would be okay with you? Just as long as you don't lose any money directly. You can also be fined later too, when convicted.

Heh heh... err no Jail time for me... thats why I havent purchased it yet. :(

[defordphoto]

So then just jail time alone would be okay with you? Just as long as you don't lose any money directly. You can also be fined later too, when convicted.

Heh heh... err no Jail time for me... thats why I havent purchased it yet. :(

:)

[CyberDyneSystems]

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

:roll:
:wink:

[CyberDyneSystems]

Aaaww C'mon!

Don't listen to what your parents say!

Drunk Driving is FUN and SAFE!!!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[CyberDyneSystems]

So I was there I was in Haiti about to get lucky,. when all of a sudden I realize I don't have a condom,...


...but I figure,. What the &$%#*,.. what can go wrong?

[defordphoto]

The words "Haiti" and "Lucky" don't belong in the same paragraph. much less the same sentence. Haiti is a direct portal to hell. :twisted:

[evilenglishman]

--

[MrKnowNothing]

how about this. call the police.
Ask them if they keep records of stolen camera equipment. If they give you the green light, buy!

Look at it this way. 'IF' the camera is stolen then there is a very good chance that the person who owned it would have had it insured (maybe someone lost it to get the insurance money) and would be fully covered.

At the end of the day if you don't buy it, it will most likely be offered to someone else, even cheaper.

Maybe even me :D

Man you guys are making this tough... Its like having a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other :(

I thought of calling the police but then suppose they require me to give up the source of where im getting it? If I open my mouth then they may require me to tell without any way of backing out. I dont want to do that because last thing I need is ticked off people after me... especially for a camera.

[msnow]

We all get tested with choices like this in life. "Do I keep the money I found?", "Do I let the boss know I saw someone steal something?", "Do I buy stolen property?". The decisions you make on questions like this are what what builds character, integrity and defines you as a person. Not all people make the same choice (as evidenced in this threat). You and only you can make this decision.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Man you guys are making this tough... Its like having a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other :(



Thus the :twisted: :twisted: Evil posts above,. sorry to be making lite of it all :wink:

But,. it is easy for any of us to sit here and claim to know how we would react,. fact is despite my posted feelings on the question,. in the end,. I have a very hard time supporting criminal behavior. I have never purchased stolen goods,. in fact in my youth I once busted a gent trying to sell me stolen goods,. the moped he was trying to sell me for $20.00 was returned to it's owner...

So if faced with the Camera situation,. I might do exactly what I did with the Moped guy.. Call the cops,. (although in this day and age I probably wouldn't have the guts to "detain" the perp as I did with the Moped theif...)

[msnow]

Agreed. I'd give my left one for a new 1Ds but I wouldn't buy this one.

[MrKnowNothing]

Well... I have made up my mind.

Its only a camera and I dont need this hanging over my head the rest of my life so Im not buying it.

I hope it wasn't a mistake giving it back but on the bright side there is no way I will ever know if it was hot or not. But lets be honest, being invloved in an 8000 stolen item would really really suck especially when the only thing I ever stole was a kiss off some other dudes wife but thats a story for another day... :o

As for the story I wasn't totally honest :twisted:

I had the camera for a few days not just 1 day and boy oh boy was it hard to part with that sucker... way more camera then I will ever need but was still nice to weild all that power. The only downside was being stuck within the power cords reach the entire time so I really didnt take any outdoor shots.

I will stick with the Drebel for now and when the time comes I will buy the 10D replacement in a few years the old fasioned way... with hard eraned cash.


Thanks for all the advice.

[defordphoto]

Good move. Plus with the cost of the 1Ds being over $5k it may have made it a felony. But, it's a good thing you'll never know. It is not worth the risk because when caught, you can't claim a "do over."

Get the DRebel and have some fun!!!

[msnow]

You make the right choice grasshopper.