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Refurbished Cameras? Good deal or junk?



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 15th 04, 07:37 AM
Cynthia P
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Posts: n/a
Default Refurbished Cameras? Good deal or junk?


I've been shopping for a camera for my husband for Christmas... and
it's got me feeling like I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my own camera,
which I could then resell and pay for some of the new camera's price.

What I'm thinking I might like and can possibly afford, is an Olympus
C-5050. Does anyone know if it uses the same size CLA tube and 43-46
step up ring that the C-3030 does?

I've noticed that Olympus is selling refurbished cameras on eBay with
a 90 day warranty.

So, what are the pitfalls of a refurbished camera? Would I be buying a
can of worms or possibly get a nice camera?

Is a 90 day warranty long enough for any major problems to surface?

Please feel free to share any experiences you have about refurbished
digital cameras, especially from Olympus.

Cynthia
  #2  
Old November 15th 04, 07:49 AM
Gene Palmiter
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Default

When a person is hired to build digital cameras they get a bit of training
in doing one part of the process. If all these trained monkeys do it right
you get a good camera. When one messes up you get one that doesn't work.
It's then sent to be repaired by the best technicians in the shop and
everything is tested. Only after being individually repaired and tested by a
real tech does it get marked as refurbished and sold for less than one that
has not been tested. In many cases there was nothing wrong with it at
all...it was just bought by someone who changed their mind. I buy
refurbished whenever I can....no problems so far.

"Cynthia P" wrote in message
...

I've been shopping for a camera for my husband for Christmas... and
it's got me feeling like I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my own camera,
which I could then resell and pay for some of the new camera's price.

What I'm thinking I might like and can possibly afford, is an Olympus
C-5050. Does anyone know if it uses the same size CLA tube and 43-46
step up ring that the C-3030 does?

I've noticed that Olympus is selling refurbished cameras on eBay with
a 90 day warranty.

So, what are the pitfalls of a refurbished camera? Would I be buying a
can of worms or possibly get a nice camera?

Is a 90 day warranty long enough for any major problems to surface?

Please feel free to share any experiences you have about refurbished
digital cameras, especially from Olympus.

Cynthia



  #3  
Old November 15th 04, 08:02 AM
Ken Weitzel
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Posts: n/a
Default



Gene Palmiter wrote:

When a person is hired to build digital cameras they get a bit of training
in doing one part of the process. If all these trained monkeys do it right
you get a good camera. When one messes up you get one that doesn't work.
It's then sent to be repaired by the best technicians in the shop and
everything is tested. Only after being individually repaired and tested by a
real tech does it get marked as refurbished and sold for less than one that
has not been tested. In many cases there was nothing wrong with it at
all...it was just bought by someone who changed their mind. I buy
refurbished whenever I can....no problems so far.



Hi...

The only possible downside is that you won't get
any 3rd party software that was included in the
package originally - like elements, for instance.

Ken

  #4  
Old November 15th 04, 08:04 AM
Ken Weitzel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



Cynthia P wrote:

I've been shopping for a camera for my husband for Christmas... and
it's got me feeling like I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my own camera,
which I could then resell and pay for some of the new camera's price.

What I'm thinking I might like and can possibly afford, is an Olympus
C-5050. Does anyone know if it uses the same size CLA tube and 43-46
step up ring that the C-3030 does?

I've noticed that Olympus is selling refurbished cameras on eBay with
a 90 day warranty.

So, what are the pitfalls of a refurbished camera? Would I be buying a
can of worms or possibly get a nice camera?

Is a 90 day warranty long enough for any major problems to surface?

Please feel free to share any experiences you have about refurbished
digital cameras, especially from Olympus.

Cynthia


Hi Cynthia...

You got it wrong

HE's supposed to buy YOU a new camera for Christmas

Fair is fair!

Ken

  #5  
Old November 15th 04, 08:04 AM
Ken Weitzel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



Cynthia P wrote:

I've been shopping for a camera for my husband for Christmas... and
it's got me feeling like I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my own camera,
which I could then resell and pay for some of the new camera's price.

What I'm thinking I might like and can possibly afford, is an Olympus
C-5050. Does anyone know if it uses the same size CLA tube and 43-46
step up ring that the C-3030 does?

I've noticed that Olympus is selling refurbished cameras on eBay with
a 90 day warranty.

So, what are the pitfalls of a refurbished camera? Would I be buying a
can of worms or possibly get a nice camera?

Is a 90 day warranty long enough for any major problems to surface?

Please feel free to share any experiences you have about refurbished
digital cameras, especially from Olympus.

Cynthia


Hi Cynthia...

You got it wrong

HE's supposed to buy YOU a new camera for Christmas

Fair is fair!

Ken

  #6  
Old November 15th 04, 08:18 AM
Frank ess
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Posts: n/a
Default

Ken Weitzel wrote:
Gene Palmiter wrote:

When a person is hired to build digital cameras they get a bit of
training in doing one part of the process. If all these trained
monkeys do it right you get a good camera. When one messes up you
get one that doesn't work. It's then sent to be repaired by the best
technicians in the shop and everything is tested. Only after being
individually repaired and tested by a real tech does it get marked
as refurbished and sold for less than one that has not been tested.
In many cases there was nothing wrong with it at all...it was just
bought by someone who changed their mind. I buy refurbished whenever
I can....no problems so far.



Hi...

The only possible downside is that you won't get
any 3rd party software that was included in the
package originally - like elements, for instance.


The refurbs I have bought came sealed from the (Nikon) "factory", and
included the complete kit as if new. One was 300 pictures old, according
to what it did to the fresh, new CF card I put in it. The other was on
its third thousand, but seemed new, stickers and all.

One had a monitor defect and was returned without a problem (B&H).

--
Frank ess


  #7  
Old November 15th 04, 08:18 AM
Frank ess
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Ken Weitzel wrote:
Gene Palmiter wrote:

When a person is hired to build digital cameras they get a bit of
training in doing one part of the process. If all these trained
monkeys do it right you get a good camera. When one messes up you
get one that doesn't work. It's then sent to be repaired by the best
technicians in the shop and everything is tested. Only after being
individually repaired and tested by a real tech does it get marked
as refurbished and sold for less than one that has not been tested.
In many cases there was nothing wrong with it at all...it was just
bought by someone who changed their mind. I buy refurbished whenever
I can....no problems so far.



Hi...

The only possible downside is that you won't get
any 3rd party software that was included in the
package originally - like elements, for instance.


The refurbs I have bought came sealed from the (Nikon) "factory", and
included the complete kit as if new. One was 300 pictures old, according
to what it did to the fresh, new CF card I put in it. The other was on
its third thousand, but seemed new, stickers and all.

One had a monitor defect and was returned without a problem (B&H).

--
Frank ess


  #8  
Old November 15th 04, 09:30 AM
Lisa Horton
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Note the phrase "individually repaired and TESTED" (emphasis mine). In
the main production run, they don't test every camera. Which do you
think is going to have next to zero chance of a DOA product, the one
that was individually tested, or the one that probably wasn't?

Refurbs do sometimes have cosmetic blemishes though, but when present,
which isn't often, they're still small.

Lisa

Gene Palmiter wrote:

When a person is hired to build digital cameras they get a bit of training
in doing one part of the process. If all these trained monkeys do it right
you get a good camera. When one messes up you get one that doesn't work.
It's then sent to be repaired by the best technicians in the shop and
everything is tested. Only after being individually repaired and tested by a
real tech does it get marked as refurbished and sold for less than one that
has not been tested. In many cases there was nothing wrong with it at
all...it was just bought by someone who changed their mind. I buy
refurbished whenever I can....no problems so far.

"Cynthia P" wrote in message
...

I've been shopping for a camera for my husband for Christmas... and
it's got me feeling like I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my own camera,
which I could then resell and pay for some of the new camera's price.

What I'm thinking I might like and can possibly afford, is an Olympus
C-5050. Does anyone know if it uses the same size CLA tube and 43-46
step up ring that the C-3030 does?

I've noticed that Olympus is selling refurbished cameras on eBay with
a 90 day warranty.

So, what are the pitfalls of a refurbished camera? Would I be buying a
can of worms or possibly get a nice camera?

Is a 90 day warranty long enough for any major problems to surface?

Please feel free to share any experiences you have about refurbished
digital cameras, especially from Olympus.

Cynthia

  #9  
Old November 15th 04, 09:30 AM
Lisa Horton
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Note the phrase "individually repaired and TESTED" (emphasis mine). In
the main production run, they don't test every camera. Which do you
think is going to have next to zero chance of a DOA product, the one
that was individually tested, or the one that probably wasn't?

Refurbs do sometimes have cosmetic blemishes though, but when present,
which isn't often, they're still small.

Lisa

Gene Palmiter wrote:

When a person is hired to build digital cameras they get a bit of training
in doing one part of the process. If all these trained monkeys do it right
you get a good camera. When one messes up you get one that doesn't work.
It's then sent to be repaired by the best technicians in the shop and
everything is tested. Only after being individually repaired and tested by a
real tech does it get marked as refurbished and sold for less than one that
has not been tested. In many cases there was nothing wrong with it at
all...it was just bought by someone who changed their mind. I buy
refurbished whenever I can....no problems so far.

"Cynthia P" wrote in message
...

I've been shopping for a camera for my husband for Christmas... and
it's got me feeling like I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my own camera,
which I could then resell and pay for some of the new camera's price.

What I'm thinking I might like and can possibly afford, is an Olympus
C-5050. Does anyone know if it uses the same size CLA tube and 43-46
step up ring that the C-3030 does?

I've noticed that Olympus is selling refurbished cameras on eBay with
a 90 day warranty.

So, what are the pitfalls of a refurbished camera? Would I be buying a
can of worms or possibly get a nice camera?

Is a 90 day warranty long enough for any major problems to surface?

Please feel free to share any experiences you have about refurbished
digital cameras, especially from Olympus.

Cynthia

  #10  
Old November 15th 04, 03:39 PM
Michael A. Covington
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

My own feeling is that refurbished gear is better than new, because it has
been examined individually by a technician.


 




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