Return camera body or not? Shutter count.

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C

Capturingtheunseen.com

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I recently purchased a camera body from an online retailer I have done business with for years. Their rating system stated "Shows signs of moderate wear and/or usage. LCD may be scratched."

The body has a 157,000 shutter count with a life expectancy of 200,000. Would you call that moderate wear?

It's the only beef I have with this body. Would you keep it or return it?
 
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First, a disclaimer, I have never purchased used equipment and I doubt I would buy a used camera.
The shutter has less than 25% of its life left. That does not sound like moderate use to me. I guess you need to weigh the savings in purchasing used vs new and the cost of a new shutter.
Personally, I would return it.
Hope that helps.
 
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There are many factors that come into play with used gear. The biggest is that we all don't have the same views of what is wear. Possibly the retailer doesn't check shutter counts and didn't know. Did you ask the retailer what the shutter count was before purchase? If that is important to you, then you should make a point of it. Personally, I'm flexible on shutter counts. I've seen many cameras go double or triple the manufacturers expectancy while others have failed less than 50% of the way.
I look at it like car mileage. It depends on the proposed use. My mother used to drive about 3,000 miles per year yet she refused to buy a used car with 20,0000 miles on it. I'd have no problem with that as the car would rot away long before I hit 60,000.
If you tend to shoot 60,000 clicks per year with a camera, you might be better going new. Or, if as said in the post above, you got a really good deal, it might still be worth the investment in a new shutter when the time comes.
 
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As stated by Warren above many factors play into it... shutter clicks are always my first question if looking at a used camera, Than the general description of of item. Personally I would return it as well.
 
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So much of this equation depends on your financial situation in terms of what you can afford to spend on a new body. Contrast that with what it would cost to replace a shutter if this one should fail. Could you afford that repair cost?

Add the cost of a shutter replacement to what you paid and then compare that with the cost of either a new camera, or a lightly used one to determine whether you got good value for your money. My gut feeling is I would not likely be willing to pay more than one third of the original new price for such a heavily used camera unless it comes with an extended warranty.
 
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Good advice above. I'll add that it really depends on the price you paid for the gear. Most of the time, shutter replacements aren't "break the bank" expensive. Many people seem to thank when then shutter goes it's like when a car's engine goes - and it's not. I think the average cost is around $300.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. I don't remember the last time I bought a new camera. I like to experiment with different equipment. Between my wife and me I would guess we have bought at least ten used bodies in the past two years.

I've bought several from this retailer, and when it is rated this high they normally have a low to medium shutter count.

Last year I put on 60,000 clicks. Still debating what to do. This one cost just under a grand.
 
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Steve has the answer, the replacement shutter is even affordable here where everything is 16X what you pay! But the principle is, 157k is not minor wear and tear! Just take it up with them, maybe they will accommodate you when/ it the shutter packs-up!
 
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Steve said:
Good advice above. I'll add that it really depends on the price you paid for the gear. Most of the time, shutter replacements aren't "break the bank" expensive. Many people seem to thank when then shutter goes it's like when a car's engine goes - and it's not. I think the average cost is around $300.
Click to expand...
Right, the last one I had done was $305.
 
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Tough call. If you're happy with the camera otherwise and you got a very good deal on then maybe you just keep using it and factor in the cost of a replacement shutter down the road. In my experience the shutters in Nikons pro and semi-pro cameras typically outlast the ratings by a substantial margin so you may have a lot more life in that shutter than it appears.

My biggest issue with high shutter count cameras is they tend to have a lot of time and mileage on them that shows up as things like: peeling rubber grips, sticky control buttons, heavy brassing on the lens mount (with possible wobble) and things like that. From that standpoint if the camera you received is in good shape on all those physical accounts I'd be tempted to keep it with the understanding I might need a shutter assembly replacement in a few years. But if the camera is obviously worn or the controls stick or don't always work as expected then I'd probably explore return options.
 
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Hi @Capturingtheunseen.com,
maybe this one here costs you a smile as well ... I followed your argeuments and if it now turns out not to be as promised I come over and you have to show me all your favourite spots :D .... No, I'm joking. I am sure it will work out fine and I can't wait to get hands on the machine :love:.

Thanks again for making me change my viewing angle (y)
 
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Woodpecker said:
Hi @Capturingtheunseen.com,
maybe this one here costs you a smile as well ... I followed your argeuments and if it now turns out not to be as promised I come over and you have to show me all your favourite spots :D .... No, I'm joking. I am sure it will work out fine and I can't wait to get hands on the machine :love:.

Thanks again for making me change my viewing angle (y)
Click to expand...
Way to go! I'm sure you will enjoy that D4S. And yes, come across the pond and I will show you my spots. :)
 
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Pics6x6 said:
Then you pass on the purchase or make sure they have a no questions asked return policy.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I learned that lesson with a brick and mortar vendor that does online sales. They listed a Nikon D4s as EX+ but in fact it was already 20% over its rated shutter count and the price wasn't good enough to cover a shutter replacement. It also had an intermittent AF-ON button and that was a non starter since I use BBAF. But they had a good return policy so I returned it.

I no longer consider used cameras from vendors that won't disclose shutter count. To me, it's a lot like buying a used car where the seller won't disclose mileage but tells you the upholstery is real clean :)

But the key as Capturing... has posted several times is making sure there's a good return policy in place. I just hate the frustration of receiving something different than what I expected and they paying return shipping and going back into shopping mode. Much prefer to know what I'm getting and not have to return anything. YMMV, especially if the price is right.
 
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It is really interesting to see - sorry, read - that there seem to be quite big differences between the attitude of retailers between different regions in the world - in this case US versus Europe (Germany) . Here it is - fortunately - almost standard to get the shuttercount information from private persons as well as professional retailers. It so easy to find out the shutter count that I simply would ignore a retailer here that does not provide this important information. From a professional retailer I would expect him to have a couple of menory cards in the draw and a freeware on his computer to get this information before actually offering a camera.

However, I am not sure whether there exist tools available to third party that would allow to manipulate the value of the shuttercounter that the camera puts in the EXIF data of a picture.
 
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Frankly I think the worry about actuations is bit overplayed. I'm not sure I ever met anyone who had to replace the shutter because it had too many clicks. Usually its for another reason often well before what the Manufacturer's recommended limit is. To some degree its a marketing gimmick to create a sense of obsolesce and certainly the manufacturers are being conservative in setting the #s. I shoot a lot of Time Lapse and have gone well over the the limits many times and never had a shutter failure and as I say How many people do you know who had a shutter failure due to too many clicks? Having said that the amount of clicks on the camera in question should have been asked and the Retailer should have provided the info and the amount in question would not be considered moderate wear. Unless you got a great price reflective of "more" than moderate wear I would return it. If you can't don't worry and just click away.
 
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Most of the well known resellers base their grading on the cosmetics and functionality of the lens. When they say "shows signs..." thats what they are talking about. They factor in shutter count usually, and lots of them post it (but not all). I know I asked about a camera a KEH last week and the person I talked to told me that because of Covid they are working remotely and normally she'd be able to give me the shutter count but not right now. She did offer to send it to me to look at with free shipping to me and back if I wasn't happy. I think thats more than fair. If I would you, I'd just call the store you bought it from and tell them you're basically satisfied with the camera but the high shutter count bothers you for the price. I'd be surprised if they don't work with you.
 
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