Buying new cameras on E-bay

[Asschief65]

I'm looking at purchasing a New Canon 20D on E-bay with 25mm-75mm is lens, 75-300mm lens, wide angle lens, 4 gig card, hard case, soft case, card reader, tripod and cleaning kits. for $2000 from two companies names Sunshine Electronics or J&K cameras. Are there any experiences out there regarding this situation.

[mjs1973]

I have mixed feelings about the packages that you can find on ebay. I bought my DRebel in one of these kits to try to save some money, but in the long run, I'm going to end up replacing all of the little extras that make these packages so appealing. Sure it's nice to get everything as a kit, but most of the stuff they add to the kit, isn't all that great. Take the package that I got for example. The bag that came with the kit, wasn't even big enuf to hold the rest of the stuff that came in the kit. The card reader is ok, but not the greatest. The tripod isn't even good for scrap metal, the filters are one small step above junk. I do use them, but when I can afford to, they too will be replaced with much better ones. It might sound like a great deal that you're getting all these accessories for a low price, but remember, you get what you pay for.

In my opinion you are better off figuring out exactly what you want, and spending the money to get it from a dealer you can trust. Spend the money to get the right gear the first time, so you don't end up replacing it in the near future.

I did some looking on ebay, and found some of the kits you are talking about. Not sure if I found the exact one tho, but it looks like the wide angle lens is actually a "filter" type lens that screws onto the front of another lens. I've never used one of them so I don't know how good they work. The one I looked at also has a 4gig micro drive memory card. I would much rather have a CF card as they are faster, and there are no moving parts in them to cause you problems. Not sure if the kit you're looking at has a flash in it, but the one I looked at did. I have never heard of the brand name on the flash...

[chicago]

i find the kits unattractive too, they are all cheaply made products and can give you problems in the future. i did buy my rebel xt on ebay new and had it since april and no problems. i bought my accessories all in separate auctions and i made sure it was a quality product. do a lot of research, shop and compare.

[another view]

Chances are it's a "grey market" camera, so the warranty will be different than one bought from an authorized dealer. I'd pass on the kit, too.

[Jboats]

sure the tripod lens cleaner bag, suitcase and else is all junk ... the problem is that the camera. a couple of lenses and a 1 gig card for example is 500 - 600 bucks cheaoper than the same stuff from the dealer ....

SO I am probably buing the kit and throwing the junk away ( or sell it seperately on ebay )

Thor

[Instant_Myrage]

I bought my 20D on eBay together with the 18-55 kit lens from Electronics Experts in LA. Since it was the first thing I ever bought on eBay and I am living in Belgium, I was worried a lot about what I was going to get. Also, not to be racistic, the man I bought it from was Indian or Pakistani. The price was lower than average, so that all didn't make me trust the adventure I got into. To make things worse, I got a notice from eBay that the seller had protested against me for not having paid for the camera. Stress! That appeared to be a mistake, since the seller didn't know anything about it... But, finally it appeared there in my door and faster than stated originally. That was an enormous relief! My fear of loosing 1200 EUR dropped off.

Afterwards I have noticed that my studio-flash connector doesn't work properly. But I'm not shure about that since I have only tested it on 1 flash.

What I am saying is: eBay-items can be very cheap, but don't let yourself mislead. I'd suggest you shouldn't buy these kits (they have also more expensive S/H). You can't also check the item for scratches or malunctions, especially for lenses. My 17-85 always had a speck internally and since I had bought it second-hand, without warranty, I have a little problem now... Look out for a good eBay-store, the more chance you have for a good copy. Always ask for warranty and what if your item is faulty when you receive it. Never buy cameras from 1-day auctions! They may appear very cheap, but I have heard those are not proper auctions. Don't buy from people who give "a different email-address" than their normal address. Mostly they are Eastern-European or Chinese, and frequently, that means conartism.

[Nikonpenguin]

Always careful on Ebay buying. Ask plenty of questions and look at the feedback as well.
I have bought my Nikon on Ebay and it was a good deal with good seller.

Nikon D70, 18-70mm (Nikon Outfit bundle), 70-300mm, 1GB Flash, SB-600, Tripod, Bag, Extra battery, Charger, Nikon D70 book, all manuals and original receipt + 4 Year Best Buy warranty at $1000. (Original price was $1700 something.)

Yes, it's a good buy. The seller only had for 4 months but he will have a second child and he sold it.

If you buy from Ebay, buy from some well known camera sellers on Ebay. They may have some demo version but carries year warranty with nice price as well.
Also, I happen to see that people are bidding 50mm f/1.8 at $80-90 for used unit. That was crazy since I bought new one at around $100 and it has 5 year USA warranty as well.

So take time and compare all options before you buy from Ebay.