Guide to used camera ratings for new readers

[Nicholas O. Lindan]

Thinking of buying a used camera for the first time?

Does it fill you with the dread? Palms sweat? Get the same
apprehension you would if you read an article in the paper about the
latest sexually transmitted diseases as you sip your coffee the
morning after you picked someone up at a sleazy singles' bar? Do you
need sage advice to slow that racing pulse and dry that sweaty brow?

Take a deep calming breath and read on, as help is on its way.

A main cause of anxiety is not being able to see or handle the camera
and thereby ascertain its true condition.

Because of this need, a uniform, though unoficial, grading system is
used. But, for the new buyer, what do all those descriptions of
condition really mean? How is excellent different from very good++ ?

So, for the benefit of our new purchasers, I would like to offer
the inside dope on the grading system for used cameras. For each
grade I have described the typical camera that UPS would deliver to
your house if you would purchase a camera so described.

Mint:

Just like the camera you have right now. I mean, you wouldn't be
using a camera that was not in mint condition, would you? In the
case of cameras described as 'mint,' you are expected to give the
condition of the seller's offering the same blind polite courtesy
you apply to your own camera. You should also be assured the
seller would never sell you a camera that was not perfect in
every regard.

Like New:

It would be just like the camera you have right now if the seller
had not dropped it several times on the concrete floor at the
garage sale where he found it. The seller sent the camera to
"Honest Abe's of New Jersey Water Bed Emporium, Used Car Sales,
Tennis Bracelet Bazzar, Basement Waterproofing and Precision Camera
Repair (We Repair All Makes)" for fixing. As Abe was not
entirely successfully, the seller, using the expertise he gained
in his carrier as a Florida health food salesman, took on the
repairs and was finally able to get the shutter to cock, once, by
repeatedly hammering on the cocking lever with an organically
grown coconut. The seller will assure you the camera is working
perfectly. Several internal parts have now been replaced with
paperclip wire and epoxy but the expectation is that you, the
buyer, will not notice. Half a can of Zippo fluid is usually
included with the purchase at no extra charge.

Excellent:

The condition of the camera bought from a stranger when the
seller was exceedingly drunk one night on a recent vacation in
the Caribbean. The seller figures: Someone did it to him --
well, then, he'll do it to someone else.

Very Good:

Fourth hand -- or so. The film advance lever has been replaced
with a clothes peg. The camera body is perforated with several
large and ragged holes, the result of repeated penetration by a
blunt object. The story behind the penetration is best not
repeated, but in any case as the holes are now covered over with
several layers of old and gooey black vinyl electrical tape they
can be referred to as "small dings - minor cosmetic flaw only."
Light leakage through the "dings" is not a problem except with
excessively fast films. It should be noted that the seller
considers Technical Pan developed for 30 seconds in 1:1000
Rodinal at a temperature of 2.5 Fahrenheit to be excessively
fast.

Good:

The lowest grade of merchandise ever sold by Sears and Roebuck.

User:

As in good, above, but with the following, so very minor that one
hesitates to call them so, "flaws": The tripod bushing has been
stripped but it has been rebored and rethreaded to 3/8-16. The
reboring operation has, alas, taken a bite out of the gearing in
the camera base, and so the film has to be advanced my removing
the back and pulling the film through with the fingers. The
repeated back removal may have been a contributing cause to its
subsequent loss, but in any case the back has been replaced with
shirt cardboard and duct tape. Unfortunately, the now rebored
and rethreaded tripod bushing that was the cause of the problems
has in turn also been stripped. As recompense a bungee cord is
thrown in gratis so that the camera can again (in theory) be
mounted to a tripod. The meter, though, is dead -- very dead --
and the battery compartment contains enough salts of mercury to
turn the population of the town of Sausalito, California quite
mad. The pentaprism shattered early on in the camera's existence
and was removed. One now has to peer down through the empty rear
eye-hole at an awkward angle to partially see the ground glass
(now replaced with Scotch Magic Tape (TM).) Cosmetically, the
camera has 70% of the original brass missing. A fine patina of
grime and dried snot has replaced the original black lacquer.

For parts:

The following parts remain: Lens flange, not for the original
camera but a unique flange with a proprietary "triple and a
half - fast mounting" thread (now hopelessly cross threaded to a
"seven and three quarters" thread.) This unique flange was
developed for an experimental Ukrainian camera who's production
run was limited to one prototype for rather obvious reasons. The
body, missing its back, top plate, bottom plate, leatherette
covering and all internal parts, has been somewhat (though some
unkind souls would claim extensively) corroded by washing in the
surf at Cape Hatteras for some twenty eight odd years. One lens
element, originally a plastic magnifying glass found as a prize
in a box of Cracker Jack, is supplied, though not much remains of
it as it was found in the middle of a gravel road much traversed
by heavy mining trucks.

As is:

In such a state of perverse decay and decomposition that the
seller can not bring himself to examine it without suffering
psychological trauma. In anticipation of a sale, the camera has
been obsessively packed in a succession of heavy black vinyl bags
and then sealed in a large rugged box with several rolls of
strapping tape. The buyer would be advised to heed the tale of
Pandora and not open the box but promptly run a listing on eBay
to recover as much of the cost of buying it as possible.

* * * * *

I hope this guide will spur our new readers to buy well and buy often
at our little Camel Trading Bazaar here on the Information Super
Highway.

Respectfully submitted,

with tongue only partially in cheek.

Nick Lindan

[Noel J. Bergman]

Tongue in cheek as it may have been, for those who are concerned about
acquiring used gear over the net, I have acquired the following secondhand
items over time:

Minolta AngleFinder Vn
Minolta EP-1 (external power for 5400HS)
Minolta Focusing Rail
Minolta RC-1000S
Minolta OC-1100
Minolta 5400HS
Minolta VC-600
Minolta AF 100/2.8 macro
Minolta AF 50/1.7
Minolta AF 135/2.8
Minolta AF 300/4
Minolta AF 300/2.8 (traded the 300/4)
Minolta 1.4x APO TC

Tamron MC7 2.X TC
Various 55mm filters
Copystand

In other words, except for a body, two zooms, tripod, camera bag, and misc.
accessories, just about everything I use someone else used before. For that
matter, my Domke photo vest was a dealer's demo model at tradeshows before I
got it from him at a workshop.

My average cost of acquisition, even counting new items, is less than 50% of
B&H new.

In terms of the quality of goods, every single optical piece has been
perfectly clean, as expected (or I wouldn't have agreed to buy it). No
scratches, no coating problems, correctly aligned, etc. Cosmetically,
almost everything has been as advertised, and in fine condition. The
exception would be the 55mm filters, which were filthy and needed cleaning,
and the circular polarizer had been re-assembled backwards, so it needed to
be taken out, reversed, and put back. Mechanically, everything has been
perfect, except for the copystand which was damaged in shipping, for which
there is a UPS claim.

I do caution potential purchasers, particularly of higher ticket items, to
speak with the seller and get a sense of whether or not you trust them.
Look to see if you can determine the seller's reputation before buying. You
may have noticed accolades or complaints about them here. You may have seen
that they've sold other items, and so contact the buyers to see what their
experiences were. You can ask about them in the newsgroup to see if anyone
has had any problems.

If you don't trust them to deliver what you expect, walk away. Particularly
for higher ticket items, use a credit card or ask for it to be shipped COD
on a personal check. Insist that items be shipped insured. Do an
inspection of the goods before the shipping agent leaves.

If you aren't comfortable purchasing from an individual net-classifieds or
Shutterbug classifieds, which is where you'll find the best prices, use a
reputable broker. The largest is KEH (http://www.keh.com), which is very
reputable. They also explain their ratings, if you have any questions, and
stand behind their sales.

I highly recommend secondhand gear as an economical way to build your kit.
Use a modicrum of caution and sense, and you'll be happy with the results.

--- Noel