What should I pay attention to when buying second-hand cameras?

Author: Guo bought a second-hand camera afraid of is not guaranteed. Needless to say, mail-order cameras are not allowed to be selected in person. A connoisseur, afraid to see things other than gold and jade, beat them and look away; Not to mention amateurs, for fear of being cheated. Although the price of second-hand cameras is attractive, they dare not sell them easily. In fact, buying a second-hand camera is not terrible. There are both battle-hardened old "machines" and fledgling "latest models". Some may have been riddled with holes, and some have not been used several times since they came out of the camera shop. Although it is not terrible, the necessary selection process is necessary. If there is a problem, some functions can be checked on site, and some can only be found in the Shoot within the warranty period. First of all, talk about the choice of camera. First look at the appearance of the camera, we should pay attention to two issues: first, whether there are bumps, cracks and scratches on the appearance. From these points, we can judge the use status of the original holder. Ordinary professionals, due to the large number of equipment and frequent use, usually put the equipment casually (that is, put the camera bag casually), which is easy to rub and collide, so there are many obvious traces on the camera surface, so be prepared when buying-this machine may have been used a lot. Of course, some cameras are prone to cracks because they are plastic bodies, especially next to buttons, dials and function key screws, which is caused by quality problems. The more common models are: Nikon F80 1, Canon EOS5, 50, etc. Secondly, pay attention to check whether there are traces of screwing on each screw mouth (it is best to bring a magnifying glass and a small flashlight). If the trace of screwing is obvious and not in one place, it means that the machine has been repaired, and it may not even be a professional maintenance person. (Of course, things that have been repaired by professionals may not be detected. ) Be careful with this. In addition, it depends on whether the screws used are consistent and whether there are obvious signs of inconsistency. Look at the viewfinder, reflector and lens holder after looking at the appearance. These three points can also show the degree of use of the camera. Check that the viewfinder is clean, scratch-free and well maintained. See if there are any obvious marks on the lens holder. Professionals frequently change lenses, and the traces will be heavy. Moreover, the general cinematographers are all one machine at a time, and they change little or not. Of course, the number of photos will be greatly reduced. Another thing to look at is the reflector, which is the same as the lens holder. Less times to take off the mirror, naturally new and clean. On the contrary, dust will increase, especially some rubbed reflectors, which will have obvious traces. Such a camera should also be cautious. Another way to check the number of photos is to open the back cover. See if the film box is clean. If it is dirty and dusty, it means it has been used many times. On the contrary, it is rarely used. You must look at the flat plate to see if there are any scratches on the film. Of course, this is not suitable for all cameras, and some cameras can't see the real situation on their flat panels. Seeing these pairs of cameras will give you a good idea. If you keep looking down, you should check all the functions. Mechanical cameras are easier to operate. First look at whether the measurement is accurate. Facing the light and shade, constantly change the corresponding values of aperture and speed. If it is convenient, find a camera or exposure meter to compare whether it is accurate. Next, check the self-timer, depth of field button and multiple exposure function. Finally, check the shutter, which is the most noteworthy. One way is listening, and the other is watching. To say "listen" is to open each shutter once to see if the time is accurate; "Look" means opening the back cover to see if the opening time is consistent with the speed dial setting. In addition, while watching, we should constantly adjust the lens aperture to see if the lens aperture lever is linked during exposure (this is easily overlooked by some people, but when using second-hand cameras, we always overexpose, but we don't understand its meaning). Finally, connect the flash and conduct the flash test. See if it flashes synchronously (it should be tested at the flash socket and flash connection respectively). What we see here is whether to start or not. As for whether it is synchronized, it can only be shown in the real shot. The detection of electronic camera is very difficult, so you need to have very professional knowledge or be familiar with this camera, otherwise the dazzling functional experts can't see it clearly. Therefore, before buying, you must thoroughly understand and accurately understand the relevant information. Otherwise, it is easy to be "misled" by merchants. Because different times and different brands of cameras are very different, I won't elaborate here (choose the article later). Generally speaking, it is to look at the metering first, and then check the shutter (some cameras can only listen but can't look, because the back cover can't be opened when the shutter is opened). There are several points to be reminded here: First, focus. First of all, it depends on whether it is accurate. Look at both the far focus and the near focus, and the distance marked by the lens should be consistent with reality. I found that the EOS5 camera had a problem near the state of Jiao Wai; The second is whether the flash flashes normally. Second-hand cameras don't play or shine from time to time; The third is whether the battery compartment is corroded. Some camera batteries will damage or even short-circuit some electronic components after leakage, resulting in special battery consumption. In a word, the electronic camera is too complicated, so the inspection must be careful, careful and comprehensive. These are superficial phenomena. If you have decided to buy, you must reach a credit agreement with the store. Of course, the longer the better (some stores only promise: "You take a roll of film, if there is no problem." This is vague, so don't agree with it easily. Test the camera as soon as possible after you buy it. Use all functions. And make detailed records, so as to analyze the problem later. Once there is a problem with the camera, it should be returned to the store in the shortest time to avoid delaying or even exceeding the warranty period and causing unnecessary trouble. In addition, it is important to note that after the camera is bought, all kinds of accessories and packaging boxes should not be discarded before the actual shooting, and some problems on the camera surface, such as some trademarks, should not be dealt with (it is best not to wipe). Of course, if there is no problem after the real shooting, after the warranty period, this thing will really be yours. How to deal with it is up to you. Secondly, it is more complicated to talk about the choice of lens. Also look at the appearance first, whether there are traces of "scraping, biting and touching" and whether there are scratches on the front and rear lenses. Whether the screws of the lens have been screwed, indicating whether the nose has been repaired. Be very careful with the repaired lenses. Because the optical structure of the lens is quite strict, it has undergone strict inspection (instrument) before leaving the factory, and the repaired lens has slight changes when reinstalled, which may also affect the imaging quality. In particular, some serious maintenance will not only cause the randomness of lens installation, but even make the lens reverse and unable to image. Therefore, I warned my film friends not to be greedy and buy some repaired lenses. Another point that needs special attention is whether the inside of the lens is new, clean and mildew-free. Mold growth is a taboo of lens, no matter which mold spots have great influence on imaging. Although some of them are still small and not in the center for the time being, we should know that the expansion speed of mold is very fast, especially if it is not well preserved, it will become a "climate" in a few days. The north will be better because of the problem of dryness and mildew, but the film friends in the south need to pay special attention. Once I saw seven or eight lenses in a second-hand shop in Shanghai, and none of them were good. The store repeatedly said that they could be polished immediately if necessary (this is because the lenses were consigned by others, and the store would not dispose of them unless they were sold). Scared me to put it down and run. Under normal circumstances, there is dust inside the front and rear lenses, which is not a big problem and has little impact on imaging. Even brand-new lenses are not sure whether they are clean or not. Therefore, movie friends should not pay too much attention to this when shopping. Especially when it comes to cheap goods, even if there is a little problem, we should "shoot when it is time to shoot." In fact, think about it from another angle, if the store wipes the dusty lens again. Although the appearance is clean and the internal quality may not be affected, you are still in the dark and mistakenly think it is a good start. Therefore, a head with minor problems may also indicate that it has no maintenance history. There are actually two reasons for the generation of small dust: first, the lens was not cleaned when it left the factory, and it was hidden in the lens when it was assembled. With the gradual use of vibration, it will "stand out"; The other is that the lens is not tightly sealed or poorly kept. For example, after being removed from the camera, the rearview mirror cover was not covered in time and fell into the dust. As for the scratches on the lens, generally speaking, it does not affect the imaging. The author has a Minolta 24-50 zoom lens, and there is a "serious injury" scratch more than one centimeter in the center of the front lens, but it has not been found in use. As I said before, bringing a small flashlight is to look at the camera. In fact, when choosing a head, no matter whether you are facing a light source or a bright place, you may be able to hide from the sky, but under the irradiation of a flashlight (that is, look around), you can take a glance and have nowhere to hide. This is unique and poisonous enough. Another point in choosing a lens is the feel, which should be extremely smooth and have no obvious resistance. Every aperture (including half) is very accurate, and there is a "click" sound when adjusting. Generally speaking, whether it is push-pull or double-ring structure, the macro section is prone to problems, so be careful when checking the macro section. Push-pull lenses (especially those with large zoom range) will appear loose, so pay attention when buying them. Otherwise, it will be inconvenient to use after buying it, and under normal circumstances, the store will not return it afterwards. It should also be noted that some lenses will be out of focus if they are used for too long. That is, the focus is inconsistent with the scale of the mark, resulting in false far focus or near focus imaging. This kind of lens will have limitations in use, and it can't be found without strict selection for a period of time. The aperture rod of the lens should also be checked. See whether the aperture blades will open and close smoothly, and whether there are blades of different sizes after the same aperture is dialed several times will affect the exposure accuracy. Some lenses will have oil stains on their leaves, which is generally no problem. It is also a normal phenomenon (injection before delivery). But if there is oil stain on the lens, it will be in trouble, which will affect the imaging and be difficult to handle. Be careful when choosing your head. Some movie friends put film in their cameras and test lenses in second-hand shops. This method is not advisable. There are two reasons: first, the light in the store is generally dim, and the camera is afraid of not being able to hold it, so the use of flash will lose its practical significance; Second, the in-store test is limited, so it is impossible to select the reference object, and the time cannot be too long. It is difficult to explain the actual problems in the film. The choice of second-hand camera and lens depends on your familiarity with the equipment. Actually, it's not that hard. The main thing is to be careful and good at it. But to choose and try. To know that buying a second-hand camera is not necessarily the final choice, we must make good use of the warranty period to test the camera. Therefore, when buying, we should also try to choose those shops with formal operation, good reputation and high credibility. As for unscrupulous shopkeepers with profiteers, even if there are big inducements, it is better to stay away. You know, it's not easy for anyone to make money. Buying unsatisfied and unreturnable equipment will affect your mood. How can you create it?