When you need to buy a camera for yourself or as a gift and the thought of paying full retail makes you sweat, then consider refurbished cameras. Refurbished is to camera as demo model is to new car. When someone purchases a new camera but returns it for whatever reason this camera can no longer be sold as “new.” All those demo models in all those stores have to be sold somehow so they are inspected and sold as “refurbished” cameras. The camera is returned to the manufacturer to be re-inspected as thoroughly as a newly manufactured camera so that they know it is in perfect working order and they can put a brand new factory warranty on it.
Depending upon the model and the store, refurbished cameras sell for 25% to as much as 52% below retail yet they come with all of the same features, accessories and warranties as the factory fresh models.
Some people hate the thought of not being the first person to touch their new possession and they don’t mind paying full retail for the privilege. They want that “new car smell” and they pay through the nose for it. Most of us love a bargain and will not mind saving wads of cash for a floor or demo model. If you are in the second category then buying a refurbished camera is the smart buy for you. With the money you save on purchasing a refurbished camera you can add a lens, a tripod or other photographic accessory to your imaging system.
After you have decided upon a certain make and model of camera look for refurbished models online or ask about them at your local retail store. There is a whole world of refurbished camera and photographic equipment out there and all you have to do is ask. There are stores dedicated to selling refurbished cameras and all the big online photography stores will offer a variety of refurbished cameras and equipment. You can search each online store by entering “‘refurbished” in front of the model you are interested in. when you see the difference in price you will wonder why you never looked at before.
There are a few things to check out before buying canon eos digital camera a refurbished camera. Do a Search for user complaints about the camera to see if it is reliable and if any parts fail more frequently than others. Next, find out how much the extended warranty will cost and check the terms to be sure the warranty covers the parts most likely to fail from normal use. Lastly, add the price of the extended warranty to the total cost to see if it is still a bargain. In some cases you will be better off buying a new camera.
Paying full retail is never a good idea especially if you have to give it away for a graduation or wedding gift. Your refurbished camera will be in the same box, have all the cables, battery, straps and whatever comes with a brand new model but you get to keep some of the money for yourself. No one has to know, right?