What offers me best package - New or Used?
Discussion
A while ago, I pined extremely strongly for a digital SLR. I used someone else’s canon SLR, loved it, knew that I wanted something made by them but never bit the bullet. At the time the 7D and the 50D were the ones that topped the bill without being silly expensive.
Now I am in a position to take the plunge, my desire is strong and I would appreciate advice on what offers best value for money. I would like a camera, a 50mm prime lens, a 100mm macro and eventually the 70-200mm F4 – all Canon. My favourite things to photo are moths, animals, cars and I like long exposure stuff too. Willing to learn new techniques or be told I am an idiot for wanting the above kit combo.
My question is this: am I best off getting a used 50D or 7D or is there better value in he used market/from another manufacturer?
Kind thanks,
Fred.
Now I am in a position to take the plunge, my desire is strong and I would appreciate advice on what offers best value for money. I would like a camera, a 50mm prime lens, a 100mm macro and eventually the 70-200mm F4 – all Canon. My favourite things to photo are moths, animals, cars and I like long exposure stuff too. Willing to learn new techniques or be told I am an idiot for wanting the above kit combo.
My question is this: am I best off getting a used 50D or 7D or is there better value in he used market/from another manufacturer?
Kind thanks,
Fred.
Secondhand is going to be cheaper regardless of brand.. but you need to look carefully.
I've seen secondhand lenses going for almost new price, not worth the risk.
On the other hand you can buy used lenses at significantly cheaper prices than new.
Look out for "white box" lenses that were originally the kit lens that are being sold on as surplus to requirements, I got my 24-105 that way, brand new but a couple of hundred quid under new price.
I've seen secondhand lenses going for almost new price, not worth the risk.
On the other hand you can buy used lenses at significantly cheaper prices than new.
Look out for "white box" lenses that were originally the kit lens that are being sold on as surplus to requirements, I got my 24-105 that way, brand new but a couple of hundred quid under new price.
Crafty_ said:
Secondhand is going to be cheaper regardless of brand.. but you need to look carefully.
I've seen secondhand lenses going for almost new price, not worth the risk.
On the other hand you can buy used lenses at significantly cheaper prices than new.
Look out for "white box" lenses that were originally the kit lens that are being sold on as surplus to requirements, I got my 24-105 that way, brand new but a couple of hundred quid under new price.
Thanks for the tips. What about used body and new lenses?I've seen secondhand lenses going for almost new price, not worth the risk.
On the other hand you can buy used lenses at significantly cheaper prices than new.
Look out for "white box" lenses that were originally the kit lens that are being sold on as surplus to requirements, I got my 24-105 that way, brand new but a couple of hundred quid under new price.
I'd actually go the other way around. More to save on lenses (especially if you keep on buying 
).
If the shutter fails on a body it will cost a few quid, usually there is little or no warning.
Most lens faults come from them being dropped or mistreated. Its possible to have them calibrated pretty cheaply.
Provided you see shots from the lens prior to purchase (most people will post pics in for sale ads) you should be ok.
Have a look on Talk Photography, will take you a while to gain access to classifieds but its generally a pretty good place to buy kit from.
).If the shutter fails on a body it will cost a few quid, usually there is little or no warning.
Most lens faults come from them being dropped or mistreated. Its possible to have them calibrated pretty cheaply.
Provided you see shots from the lens prior to purchase (most people will post pics in for sale ads) you should be ok.
Have a look on Talk Photography, will take you a while to gain access to classifieds but its generally a pretty good place to buy kit from.
Crafty_ said:
I'd actually go the other way around. More to save on lenses (especially if you keep on buying ).
If the shutter fails on a body it will cost a few quid, usually there is little or no warning.
Most lens faults come from them being dropped or mistreated. Its possible to have them calibrated pretty cheaply.
Provided you see shots from the lens prior to purchase (most people will post pics in for sale ads) you should be ok.
Have a look on Talk Photography, will take you a while to gain access to classifieds but its generally a pretty good place to buy kit from.
What body offerings are available today that compare to the 7D in terms of image quality? ).If the shutter fails on a body it will cost a few quid, usually there is little or no warning.
Most lens faults come from them being dropped or mistreated. Its possible to have them calibrated pretty cheaply.
Provided you see shots from the lens prior to purchase (most people will post pics in for sale ads) you should be ok.
Have a look on Talk Photography, will take you a while to gain access to classifieds but its generally a pretty good place to buy kit from.
coombsfh said:
What body offerings are available today that compare to the 7D in terms of image quality?
You do want 7D if you shoot cars, animals and flying bugs 50D's focussing will not give you good results.I saw this today in the W1 shop:
http://uk.webuy.com/product.php?sku=SSLRCANEOS7DBO...
12months warranty and free delivery
rottie102 said:
You do want 7D if you shoot cars, animals and flying bugs 50D's focussing will not give you good results.
I saw this today in the W1 shop:
http://uk.webuy.com/product.php?sku=SSLRCANEOS7DBO...
12months warranty and free delivery
Most interesting. Is cex a reliable supplier? 50D's focussing will not give you good results.I saw this today in the W1 shop:
http://uk.webuy.com/product.php?sku=SSLRCANEOS7DBO...
12months warranty and free delivery
coombsfh said:
Most interesting. Is cex a reliable supplier?
Of course. Be aware everything they sell is SECOND HAND, that's why it's cheaper. But you do get a standard 12months warranty for a price of a used item.And the one in W1 shop window didn't look like used too much (hence the "A" status)
Cex is just a 2nd hand shop isn't it ? Like cash convertors or similar, I think they concentrate on electronics/video games etc.
Kerso has 7D on his site new for £995.
Digital Rev have them new for £699, grey import obviously.
7D party piece is the focussing system. Its getting on a bit now but when it came out it was the best 1.6 crop out there (imho) and was actually better than the 5d mk2.
What 7D is not brilliant at is noise, its a bit fussy on exposure - if you get it wrong it can be a bit noisy.
I think a crop is a good idea for you to help with macro and the car stuff (especially if shooting at tracks etc).
I'd have one over a 50D/60D without a doubt, I don't know how the 70D fairs, but I presume its not quite up to the 7D ?
IIRC the main rival is the D7000/D7100 Nikon, don't know much about them but maybe someone from the dark side can help ?
Kerso has 7D on his site new for £995.
Digital Rev have them new for £699, grey import obviously.
7D party piece is the focussing system. Its getting on a bit now but when it came out it was the best 1.6 crop out there (imho) and was actually better than the 5d mk2.
What 7D is not brilliant at is noise, its a bit fussy on exposure - if you get it wrong it can be a bit noisy.
I think a crop is a good idea for you to help with macro and the car stuff (especially if shooting at tracks etc).
I'd have one over a 50D/60D without a doubt, I don't know how the 70D fairs, but I presume its not quite up to the 7D ?
IIRC the main rival is the D7000/D7100 Nikon, don't know much about them but maybe someone from the dark side can help ?
I go for new lenses and used body, on the basis that the lenses will last you a long time as they don't tend to get updated that often, whereas bodies seem to be out of date after a year or two.
It does sound like a 7D will be best for what you want to do though, as it is a few years old, there should be some good deals on new ones.
It does sound like a 7D will be best for what you want to do though, as it is a few years old, there should be some good deals on new ones.
Dear all,
There seems to be a third option:
Some places (Curry's, John Lewis etc) offer a new 7D for ~£1200. Others (Digital rev) offer them for ~£700. What am I missing here?
Is one a grey import? If yes, what exactly does this mean in terms of the kind of camera (NEW UK vs NEW GREY IMPORT)that I would get?
Best,
Fred.
There seems to be a third option:
Some places (Curry's, John Lewis etc) offer a new 7D for ~£1200. Others (Digital rev) offer them for ~£700. What am I missing here?
Is one a grey import? If yes, what exactly does this mean in terms of the kind of camera (NEW UK vs NEW GREY IMPORT)that I would get?
Best,
Fred.
coombsfh said:
I would like a camera, a 50mm prime lens
Before you buy a 50mm prime, it's worth checking that this is really what you want.The reason they are so cheap is that on a 35mm SLR, they gave you near enough standard human field of vision, so what you saw in front of you was what you saw through the camera viewfinder as well. On a full frame DSLR, that's still the case, but on a crop body (7D and below in Canon world), you need to multiply the focal length of the lens by 1.6 to get the equivalent of a 35mm SLR. This means that the 50mm on a 7D actually gives you the equivalent of 80mm on an old SLR, which personally I find is too long for most of the things I want a fast prime for.
Since I got a 28mm f1.8 to go with my 7D (equivalent to 45mm in old money), I've not used my 50mm prime once.
Given how long crop sensor bodies have been the main medium for the vast majority of enthusiast photographers, you'd think the likes of Canon & Nikon would've got round to creating a cheap "field of vision" lens for them, but for some reason they haven't.
Looking at your lens wishlist OP, I'd agree with the posters above that you should consider something wider than 50mm. I guess for animals and moths it's not so important, and the 70-200mm would be perfect for motorsport, but for photographing cars at shows or in the paddock at a race meeting you will have to stand a fair way back to get a whole car in the frame. It will also be quite long for landscapes and anything indoors.
Kermit power said:
Given how long crop sensor bodies have been the main medium for the vast majority of enthusiast photographers, you'd think the likes of Canon & Nikon would've got round to creating a cheap "field of vision" lens for them, but for some reason they haven't.
Nikon have, Canon haven't. (Nikon DX 35mm f/1.8G AF-S)Depends on your intended use though. 50mm (equiv) is nice for general purpose shots and full length portraits. 80mm (equiv) is great for closer portraits. You can even go longer - I have a 105mm prime that gets a lot of use on friends and family.
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