KEH bargain graded D500 question

[Turberticus]

I just purchased a D500 from KEH. While I wait for it to arrive I'm getting a little antsy about the shutter count. Has anybody else purchased a bargain graded camera body from KEH? I'm mostly concerned about the shutter count. I've read that KEH tends to be pretty conservative with their grading system, but they do not list shutter count for any of their bodies. They have a good return policy so I'd be able to return it if the number is crazy high, but I wanted to see if anybody else here has had good experiences purchasing bargain graded camera bodies from KEH in regards to shutter count.

 

[simplynature]

Not a camera body, but I purchased a Bargain rated lens from KEH once. They said the lens was perfect but appearance was kinda rough, so I bought it. I was expecting a really trashy looking lens, but when it arrived it looked almost brand new, and it lasted for 8-10 years until it had a AF issue develop. I'm sure it could have been repaired, but lenses had progressed a great deal during that time so I just upgraded instead. Anyway, it turned out to be a great purchase.

 

[EricKlees]

Well, keep in mind if you got it for $400 or $500 that's really not bad if you get with near 200k shutter count. A replacement shutter for a D500 is $300. That takes you to $700-$800. with a BAND new shutter at zero. A 30-50K D500 is likely to cost you $700-$850 so you'd be at the same price and 30-50k clicked ahead so to speak. Plus it would be cleaned and the AF freshly recalibrated by Nikon. a win-win really.

 

[Turberticus]

Not a camera body, but I purchased a Bargain rated lens from KEH once. They said the lens was perfect but appearance was kinda rough, so I bought it. I was expecting a really trashy looking lens, but when it arrived it looked almost brand new, and it lasted for 8-10 years until it had a AF issue develop. I'm sure it could have been repaired, but lenses had progressed a great deal during that time so I just upgraded instead. Anyway, it turned out to be a great purchase.

Well, keep in mind if you got it for $00 or $500 that's really not bad if you get with near 200k shutter count. A replacement shutter for a D500 is $300. That takes you to $700-$800. with a BAND new shutter at zero. A 30-50K D500 is likely to cost you $700-$850 so you'd be at the same price and 30-50k clicked ahead so to speak. Plus it would be cleaned and the AF freshly recalibrated by Nikon. a win-win really.

I'll have to wait and see what the shutter count is when it arrives. It was listed just north of $700 but a 20% promo and gift card brought it down to $520.

 

[simplynature]

I'll have to wait and see what the shutter count is when it arrives. It was listed just north of $700 but a 20% promo and gift card brought it down to $520.

For $520 it's hard to go wrong. Even if the shutter count is high, there's no law that says it has to go out at 250K or so. I had a couple of old F4's (an F4s & an F4e) that both went over 400K and were still going strong when I sold them.

 

[EricKlees]

For $520 it's hard to go wrong. Even if the shutter count is high, there's no law that says it has to go out at 250K or so. I had a couple of old F4's (an F4s & an F4e) that both went over 400K and were still going strong when I sold them.

I seen six or eight d500s well over 380 to 400,000 clicks so it's very true that you can get them it's only a rating of 200,000 they can easily go past that they can sometimes go before that. But a 500 bucks and a replacement shutter costing $300 he's still okay and it'll be way way ahead of the game with a new shutter instead of something with 30 40 50 60,000 or whatever he's got on there now

 

[aolander]

You can ask KEH, MPB, etc. what the shutter counts are. I've done that prior to purchase.

 

[Whiskeyman]

For $520 it's hard to go wrong. Even if the shutter count is high, there's no law that says it has to go out at 250K or so. I had a couple of old F4's (an F4s & an F4e) that both went over 400K and were still going strong when I sold them.

Bill, you mention these cameras, each with over 400k shutter actuations and at first it didn't really faze me. But when I read the post again, it really hit me: that's a lot of film! And processing!

 

[ARClark]

I just purchased a D500 from KEH. While I wait for it to arrive I'm getting a little antsy about the shutter count. Has anybody else purchased a bargain graded camera body from KEH? I'm mostly concerned about the shutter count. I've read that KEH tends to be pretty conservative with their grading system, but they do not list shutter count for any of their bodies. They have a good return policy so I'd be able to return it if the number is crazy high, but I wanted to see if anybody else here has had good experiences purchasing bargain graded camera bodies from KEH in regards to shutter count.

It may be a fine purchase, especially with your 20% discount (congratulations!), and it's good that KEH has a good return policy. But, over the past ten years, having purchased gear from both KEH and MPB, I've found that MPB provides better camera body-specific information than KEH, including shutter count. One downside of both places is that you don't know if you're buying gray market bodies and lenses. I didn't realize that when I bought a lens about ten years ago at KEH. It wasn't until I went to sell it several years later, that I found out it was gray market after sending it in to Nikon. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[aolander]

It may be a fine purchase, especially with your 20% discount (congratulations!), and it's good that KEH has a good return policy. But, over the past ten years, having purchased gear from both KEH and MPB, I've found that MPB provides better camera body-specific information than KEH, including shutter count. One downside of both places is that you don't know if you're buying gray market bodies and lenses. I didn't realize that when I bought a lens about ten years ago at KEH. It wasn't until I went to sell it several years later, that I found out it was gray market after sending it in to Nikon. Just something to keep in mind.

I look for the serial number in photos of the item, or if there isn't one showing, I ask. You can look up serial numbers by region.

Serial number lookup:

Nikon Cameras

 

[ARClark]

For $520 it's hard to go wrong. Even if the shutter count is high, there's no law that says it has to go out at 250K or so. I had a couple of old F4's (an F4s & an F4e) that both went over 400K and were still going strong when I sold them.

You're probably right. From what I understand, most camera bodies last beyond their rated shutter count as you state, especially the single D's. However, I had two D850s, and the shutter died on one at about 150K frames. It was over $400 to replace it at Nikon about 4 years ago. In general, I'd be reluctant to buy one at or over its rated shutter count unless it was inexpensive enough to allow for the cost of a shutter replacement down the road and was in otherwise good to excellent condition.

 

[ARClark]

I look for the serial number in photos of the item, or if there isn't one showing, I ask. You can look up serial numbers by region.

Serial number lookup:

Nikon Cameras

Yes, you can often see the serial number on the MPB photos. I've found it useful for getting a rough idea of the age of the equipment, and comparing it to the serial numbers for the US at Roland's Photosynthesis site could be helpful in informally determining gray market status. However, having spoken with Nikon reps several times over the years on the subject, they're not authorized to say whether a body or lens is US or gray market over the phone based on a serial number. I have had a rep informally hint that a lens I was purchasing was US, but most of the time they require the body or lens to be sent in for a formal examination, which involves checking a serial number plate inside the equipment.

 

[Turberticus]

Thanks for the feedback! I guess I should have called to inquire about the shutter count before it was shipped. I asked in chat and the rep said they didn't have that information so I didn't bother calling. I guess all I can do is wait and hope it shows up without any major issues.

 

[DRwyoming]

FWIW, I do try to discover shutter count but not over any worries about the shutter assembly itself as those can be replaced. I think of shutter count a lot like mileage on a car, it can indicate overall wear and tear and time in the field which can lead to other issues like worn camera exterior or sticky buttons that again can be repaired but it helps me estimate overall value for the camera I'm purchasing.

I've had very good luck with a few high shutter count used cameras I've purchased only once having to send one in for a new shutter assembly but twice having to send them in for things like unresponsive and sticky control buttons and with those repairs Nikon has always cleaned the camera up and replaced other things like peeling exterior rubber grips.

If the value is right and it would still be a good value with a few hundred dollars in repairs then I don't worry about high shutter count but I do like to know what it is when deciding how much to spend on the purchase.

 

[jeffnles1]

I traded my D500 in back in February. It had about 150,000 clicks and I got more for trade than you just paid for the camera. If it works well, I don't think you got hurt.
Jeff

 

[MrFotoFool]

Personally I would never buy anything that is graded as bargain, regardless of shutter count. But it is already on the way so you can see how it looks when you get it, take a few photos to see if it is working properly, and insert the memory card into your computer and go to a website that shows shutter count.

If for some reason you decide to send it back, I just checked and there are three D500s for sale currently on this site, albeit for more than what you paid.

 

[AlanB313]

@tuberticus, let us know the outcome when it arrives! Here's hoping for good results....

 

[Juliette]

Funny enough, I almost bought that exact body you mentioned @Turberticus ! I was looking at it the exact same time and it looked too good to pass up but I went with something else. Let us know how it works out. KEH is really good for the quality. They have a lot to improve IMHO but quality is very important. Have fun!

 

[Turberticus]

Funny enough, I almost bought that exact body you mentioned @Turberticus ! I was looking at it the exact same time and it looked too good to pass up but I went with something else. Let us know how it works out. KEH is really good for the quality. They have a lot to improve IMHO but quality is very important. Have fun!

Oh really! What did you end up going with?

My D500 arrived Thursday. It's in pretty good shape and I don't see any issues cosmetically aside from some small nicks on the corner of the body. Functionally it works perfectly however the shutter count is 212k. In all fairness there are similarly priced bodies on MPB with similar or higher shutter counts. It's possible the shutter on my body was replaced at one point, but at the same time I've seen reports of D500s going north of 300k and higher. In the event of a failure I'm covered by their 6 month warranty. My D7500 accumulated 100k in 4 years so I'm hopeful I can stretch another few years out of this body before moving to the Z6iii or something similar.

 

[Juliette]

Hi @Turberticus ...that's the exact thinking I had but in the end, I put down the cash for the Zf. Because I'm also a street photographer, I figured I could use the body for both and grow into the Z6iii at some point if that ends up being what I need. However, the D500 plan is a solid option! Good luck to you.