Advice on Used 1Ds Purchase

[Thirdcatgy]

Hi everyone,

Just interested to get a little feedback on the steps one should take in finding a quality used 1Ds online. For instance, is Ebay the best way to go in this case and what are the vital questions to ask a seller?

Thanks in advance,

Billy

[J. Cobble]

I posted but hit the wrong button. Lots of rip offs on ebay. I have a 1ds that I am thinking of selling for a 1ds mark II. If you are interested, email me at j.cobble@harvardjolly.com.

[Andy_T]

I would be wary of buying such a high dollar item on eBay.

Mind you, I'm not against eBay ... have a bit more than 100 successful transactions under my belt, both buying and selling, but my limit for a transaction would be maybe somewhere around 500$.

If you had the possibility to inspect the camera before your purchase, however (if it was a local eBay offer), that would be very much different.

Best regards,
Andy

[Huckaback Photo]

My thoughts on a second hand purchase from Ebay.
I think if you could afford to risk falling fowl of a scam, by all means go ahead and buy.
just recently read on here about the fast 200mm 1.8 & other fast L lenses involved in scams.
it tends to be high end desirable items which used to attract us in this way.
The other point relates to all digital slr bodies how well looked after is the sensor, is it clean, is it damaged, and indeed are there any other problems with body.

don't know about the states but here in uk photo shops specialising in the second hand market offer guarantees & also most will let you try out camera and idealy view a few frames on a screen in the store before buying.
at the moment there are some good deals on new 1ds because of 1ds mk 2 introduction.

Do not lose sight of the fact that the 1ds is a proffesional tool & as such may have been heavily used.

Martin (Huckaback Photo)

[lawmans3]

I purchased a used 1ds around Christmas of this year on ebay. I called the seller on the phone and spoke to him about the camera and looked into his feedback. I'm very pleased with my 1ds:D . I understand you could get taken advantage of, but then again you could get hit by a city bus tomorrow and it wouldn't matter. Use a credit card and pay with paypal. That way if you don't get what you were after your not out anything. Check feedback on the seller, get some references from them if you're really unsure OR you could spend an exra $2000 and buy a new one. Mine came with a MACK extended warranty as well so there was a little extra insurance.

FYI- when I was looking in Dec, the avg used price on ebay was $3900-$4300, depending on shutter actuations and condition of the body. The shutter actuations is something you might want to check into if you find one you like.

Good Luck! mitch

[MDJAK]

B&Hphotovideo.com and Adorama.com are prime sources of used equipment. They rate their equipment on a scale which is quite consistent. You certainly can't go wrong there.