Gentle BnS Reminder: Please TEST Eqiupment before handing over your money

[daredevil123]

Another gentle reminder to all CSers when buying equipment from private parties.

Please TEST the items completely BEFORE handing over your hard earned cash.

If seller refuses to let you test the equipment, it is a BIG SIGN that something may be wrong.

Do not ever believe words like "buy with confidence", "you can come back and look for me if you run into any problems"...

Once you hand over your cash, it is a DONE DEAL. So if you feel uncomfortable, WALK AWAY!


For cameras bodies, bring a lens and memory card down to test. Ask the seller to make sure the battery has some charge left for you to test the cam. Also bring a working flash to test the camera hotshoe. If shutter count is important with you, and it is readable in EXIF, bring a laptop, snap a picture using your own memory card, and verify the shutter count for yourself.

For lenses, check the glass by looking through the rear element at a brighter area. Check for fungus or scratches. Check all controls, rings and aperture blades. Also bring a camera body to mount and test that everything works.

For strobes, check if the flash tube can actually fire, the modelling light works, and bring a speedlight to check the slave cell and bring a trigger set to test the trigger port.

For speedlights, bring a camera body to test.

From bro Fatigue:

There’s some critical items to check in getting a 2nd hand camera body, if you’re not confident, ask someone who is very knowledgeable with cameras to accompany you.
Here are some of the basic checks, some items which we overlook sometimes and will cost a lot to fix.

1. Shutter count: Doesn’t really guarantee how long the camera will last but it will give you an idea on how well the camera was used. You can check this even before meeting up with the seller. Just ask the seller to send you the latest photo from the camera and then use a free software to check. You can ask the seller to take a photo of an object, something we don’t usually shoot so he can’t send you an old photo. It should also be something easy for him/her to find and shoot, don’t make it difficult for seller.

2. USB connector: This connector is usually connected to main board, so fixing a faulty USB pin may cost a lot. You need to bring a laptop to check this connector

3. CF card connector : Just like USB connector, usually this connector part of the main board. Do a visual check and make sure there’s no bent or missing pin/s.

4. Check for Fungus: If camera is not so new and with very low shutter count, it could also mean that camera may have been kept for too long. Check for fungus on sensor and viewfinder. Fungus cleaning doesn’t come cheap. Service centers will usually replace the whole sensor for this kind of job
To check, just shoot a white wall or white paper or sky at small aperture (at least F16). Viewfinder can be checked by visual inspection.

5. Check for Dust: Dust on AA filter can be cleaned easily. Although in some cases, if dusts are trapped in between AA filter and sensor, a lot of dismantling required so cleaning will not be cheap.
Dust in viewfinder is not a big deal. It does not affect your photo. Cleaning is easy and cheap but if dusts are trapped near the prism, a lot of dismantling is required. Again, cleaning doesn’t come cheap. If you’re planning to sell the camera in the future, take note that buyers will take advantage of this to bargain.

6. Visual Check on casing: paint chips are fine but cracks could mean that the camera has been dropped before.

7. Background check: Check if the seller is a commercial airline pilot. :bsmilie: Check not only the seller but the camera background as well. Some camera models have their own weakness. Just search online: “camera model problems “/”camera model issues” Then you will know what to look out for.

 

[sjackal]

Another gentle reminder to all CSers when buying equipment from private parties.

Please TEST the items completely BEFORE handing over your hard earned cash.

If seller refuses to let you test the equipment, it is a BIG SIGN that something may be wrong.

Do not ever believe words like "buy with confidence", "you can come back and look for me if you run into any problems"...

Once you hand over your cash, it is a DONE DEAL. So if you feel uncomfortable, WALK AWAY!


For cameras bodies, bring a lens and memory card down to test. Ask the seller to make sure the battery has some charge left for you to test the cam.
For lenses, check the glass by looking through the rear element at a brighter area. Check for fungus or scratches. Check all controls, rings and aperture blades.
For strobes, check if the flash tube can actually fire, the modelling light works, and bring a flash to check the slave cell.

Be careful of out of town sellers. Especially those that wants to you wire over money while they ship over the item. Local meetups are safer.

Be careful of people with low post count, newly registered, a genuine new CSer would probably be more obsessed with buying buying buying rather than selling, selling and selling. Very often they are regular CS members re-register a separate account to sell things, why cannot sell with real account? Maybe item got problem want to run away later?

 

[catchlights]

if buy used camera body, do remember to bring a working flash to test if the camera hotshoe is working.

 

[daredevil123]

if buy used camera body, do remember to bring a working flash to test if the camera hotshoe is working.

Thanks for this Ben. I missed this one.

 

[daredevil123]

I brought this up again because of an incident I ran into last night. I was looking to get a pair of Elinchrom D-Light 4 strobes as background lights, and I contacted this seller. When I reached the location, he refused to let me test the lights, citing no power outlets.Understanding that people have their privacy and may not want strangers in their homes, I suggested to go to any alternate location like a coffeeshop, he said to trust him and to "buy with confidence". Sounded fishy to me especially one of his softboxes is torn. So I decided to walk away. Wasted me a little driving time but I think it is a wise move on my part.

 

[koppite]

if buy used camera body, do remember to bring a working flash to test if the camera hotshoe is working.

I learnt this lesson in the past, end up spending $200 to get the issue fixed in CSC. And the camera I bought was in mint condition

Now it's the first thing I check. Lesson well learned.

 

[yrh0413]

I brought this up again because of an incident I ran into last night. I was looking to get a pair of Elinchrom D-Light 4 strobes as background lights, and I contacted this seller. When I reached the location, he refused to let me test the lights, citing no power outlets.Understanding that people have their privacy and may not want strangers in their homes, I suggested to go to any alternate location like a coffeeshop, he said to trust him and to "buy with confidence". Sounded fishy to me especially one of his softboxes is torn. So I decided to walk away. Wasted me a little driving time but I think it is a wise move on my part.

you are wise. I hope those who are considering the strobes read this thread before they meet up with the same seller.

 

[daredevil123]

you are wise. I hope those who are considering the strobes read this thread before they meet up with the same seller.

I hope so too.

 

[G-man]

Good tip about bringing a working flash to test the hot shoe!

 

[daredevil123]

Good tip about bringing a working flash to test the hot shoe!

Also bring a working flash to test the optical sensor of a strobe too!

 

[avsquare]

I would suggest that for buying 2nd hand bodies & lens, bring a mini torchlight there:

For body: Request the seller to FULLY charge the battery. You'll need a full charged battery to set the body to mirror lock up mode. Shine light into the chamber to inspect for signs of dust, fungus and damage to the chamber, mirror and sensor. Inspect through the physical appearance for signs of drop/abuse, test all important functions and buttons and LCD display, check all metal contact points to check for signs of water entry or corrosion from battery leak.

For lens: Shine the torchlight from the front element from an angle (don't directly beam into the lens, maybe beam from 45 degree angle). Look through the rear element - you'll be able to see the lens elements very clearly. Rotate the light beam, shining through various angles to check for dust and fungus. Although using natural light in day time may be useful, but certain defects may not be that clear. A torchlight will expose them rather well, and you can tell whether the fungus/scratch/dust is in which element group. Do note that service centers MAY NOT be able to clean or repair tricky interior lens group. I can't stress this part enough. I've encountered once myself, mistakenly accepted a fungus infected lens with the central element group infected. Service center chose not to clean it due to the complexity of the job but suggested replacement of the entire group, which is extremely expensive.

 

[lightyear2011]

Thanks guys, for sharing these info.

 

[catchlights]

I brought this up again because of an incident I ran into last night. I was looking to get a pair of Elinchrom D-Light 4 strobes as background lights, and I contacted this seller. When I reached the location, he refused to let me test the lights, citing no power outlets.Understanding that people have their privacy and may not want strangers in their homes, I suggested to go to any alternate location like a coffeeshop, he said to trust him and to "buy with confidence". Sounded fishy to me especially one of his softboxes is torn. So I decided to walk away. Wasted me a little driving time but I think it is a wise move on my part.

you are lucky, I bought a pair of super old Elinchrom Classic, it emits smoke after turning on less than 5mins. I guess it had never being use for more than 10 years.

lesson leant, next time ask buyer to demonstrate setting up the light, anything goes wrong than just say thank you for your firework show and say bye bye.

 

[daredevil123]

you are lucky, I bought a pair of super old Elinchrom Classic, it emits smoke after turning on less than 5mins. I guess it had never being use for more than 10 years.

lesson leant, next time ask buyer to demonstrate setting up the light, anything goes wrong than just say thank you for your firework show and say bye bye.

Sorry to hear that Ben. Yes, buying strobes really have to be real careful. That is why I did not want to take chances.

 

[redmonsoon]

For lens:
I do bring a flashlight in case dealing place is dark and cannot hold against light.

I also bring a blower n if I see dust or smthing weird, I ask permission to blow, in case its a defect that is stuck there.

Also for newbie, remember that you can press a lever at rear element. It'll open up the shutter.

Hope tht helps

 

[daredevil123]

For lens:
I do bring a flashlight in case dealing place is dark and cannot hold against light.

I also bring a blower n if I see dust or smthing weird, I ask permission to blow, in case its a defect that is stuck there.

Also for newbie, remember that you can press a lever at rear element. It'll open up the shutter.

Hope tht helps

Aperture, not shutter.

 

[spree86]

For lens:
I do bring a flashlight in case dealing place is dark and cannot hold against light.

I also bring a blower n if I see dust or smthing weird, I ask permission to blow, in case its a defect that is stuck there.

Also for newbie, remember that you can press a lever at rear element. It'll open up the shutter.

Hope tht helps

The lever for opening the aperture is only for Nikon and some other brands, brands like Canon do not have the lever.

 

[redmonsoon]

Ah yah aperture not shutter..lol

Gd reminder on the hotshoe, I forgot to check as well when I bought my cam.

 

[donut88]

Just to add on.

Always meet up during day time, where it's bright and sunny. then u can see and do the checks properly. Best is meet outdoor where u can see the bright sky.

If possible, bring a laptop where u can see the
Images taken. One incident I read in CS where the USB port in the cam is not working .

Another thing for used camera bodies, don't expect the batt to be 100% working. Batt has limited life span, about 2 years. So expect to buy a new batt when u r buying a used body.

 

[azurebluee]

To check the blades of the lens as well. The aperture blades can be ''closed''. Set to low aperture (max f number) with the lens mounted. Press the dof button and concurrently press the lens release button and remove the lens.

The blades should be clearly visible now.