How not to buy “junk” on the secondary market: a guide from a repairman

Buying a used camera is a great way to save 30-50% on the cost of a new camera. But every month to me the service brings “drowned people”, cameras after falls with disguised chips and carcasses with twisted mileage. So that you don't end up with expensive repairs, I've put together a step-by-step checklist for checking the camera yourself before transfer of money.

Step 1: Visual inspection of the carcass (Body and mount)

• Housing screws:look at the microscrew heads. If the splines are licked or the paint is torn off, the camera disassembled in makeshift conditions.
• Body rubbers:swollen and peeling rubber bands indicate active use of the carcass on heat or in reportage mode.
• Bayonet contacts:strong longitudinal scratches on the brass contacts of the mount indicate Frequently changing heavy lenses.
• Tripod socket slot:if there are deep dents around the 1/4" thread on the bottom - the camera has been standing for a long time on a tripod (typical for studios, video shooting and time-lapses).

Step 2: Check the Shutter and Mirror/Bayonet from the Inside

1. Remove the mount cap and look at the shutter curtains with the mirror up (or the shutter on a mirrorless camera open).
2. There should not be any on the slatsoil marks, creases, scratches or scuff marks. Jammed lamella - a sign of imminent death of the bolt block.
3. Take a series of 10-15 frames at the highest rate of fire. The sound of operation should be smooth, without grinding noise, delays and errors on the display (for example, Err 20).

Step 3: Check the sensor for hot pixels and dust/scratches

• Check for dust and scratches:close your aperture to f/16 or f/22, manually focus on a white sheet of paper or a light wall and take a frame. If a cobweb or dark stripes are visible in the picture, the matrix dirty or scratched by cleaning.
• Checking for hot/dead pixels:close the lens cap, switch to M mode, set ISO 800 and shutter speed 1/2 second. There should be no bright colored dots (red, green, blue).

Step 4: The main step is to accurately check the shutter travel

Seller's words“I only filmed for myself on weekends”don't cost anything. The only objective metric is digital counter in EXIF metadata.