is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one?

<bruin70.TakeThisOut@mail.com> wrote in message
news:1156283381.035191.193590@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
> Gene Palmiter wrote:
>
>>the only concern
>> I would have is hot pixels...nothing is going to make them good and you
>> should test for that and return if there are too many....and maybe one is
>> too many.
>
> what is a "hot pixel"?


The opposite of what it sounds like. It is a Dead Pixel. One which does not
work anymore.

One is not a problem, but a bunch of them could be.

Unlike Computers, Cameras are not user serviceable.

There is no way you can open them up, take out a bit and put in a
replacement. Factory refurbs can be Ok, but.......

Roy G
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

In article <1156283381.035191.193590 DeleteThis @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
bruin70 DeleteThis @mail.com wrote:

> Gene Palmiter wrote:
>
> >the only concern
> > I would have is hot pixels...nothing is going to make them good and you
> > should test for that and return if there are too many....and maybe one is
> > too many.
>
> what is a "hot pixel"?

It's a cold pixel warmed up! Well, actually it's a dead pixel stuck on
one colour.
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

Gene Palmiter wrote:
> I like refurbes. The product on the shelf might have been assembled by a
> monkey...the best techs work with refurbs and check everything. Some
> products are returned for no good reason...operator error...the only concern
> I would have is hot pixels...nothing is going to make them good and you
> should test for that and return if there are too many....and maybe one is
> too many.
>
Tell us more about the use of monkeys for assembling complex products -
I've never come across this before.
Dave Cohen
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

I like refurbes. The product on the shelf might have been assembled by a
monkey...the best techs work with refurbs and check everything. Some
products are returned for no good reason...operator error...the only concern
I would have is hot pixels...nothing is going to make them good and you
should test for that and return if there are too many....and maybe one is
too many.

--
Thanks,
Gene Palmiter
(visit my photo gallery at http://palmiter.dotphoto.com)
freebridge design group

<bruin70.RemoveThis@mail.com> wrote in message
news:1156280115.066116.70190@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
> like,,,i buy my computers refurbed because they get the same warrantee
> and with computers is only a matter of replacing bad parts with good.
> are dslr's and advanced point and shoot the same way? aside from
> cosmetics, are you comfortable with a refurbed or even a used digital
> camera?
>
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

bruin70.DeleteThis@mail.com wrote:
> like,,,i buy my computers refurbed because they get the same warrantee
> and with computers is only a matter of replacing bad parts with good.
> are dslr's and advanced point and shoot the same way? aside from
> cosmetics, are you comfortable with a refurbed or even a used digital
> camera?

It might even be better, as today's 8MP cameras may not produce better
images (depending how you use them) compared to yesterday's 5MP cameras.
In general though, today's ZLR cameras are faster focussing and more
usable than those of before. Try the camera before buying.

David
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:23:31 GMT, Roy G wrote:

> The opposite of what it sounds like. It is a Dead Pixel. One which does not
> work anymore.
>
> One is not a problem, but a bunch of them could be.
>
> Unlike Computers, Cameras are not user serviceable.
>
> There is no way you can open them up, take out a bit and put in a
> replacement. Factory refurbs can be Ok, but.......

I've heard some DSLR owners (about a year ago and probably Canon
owners) describing how they returned their cameras to have bad
pixels mapped out. Some brands have models with a bad pixel mapping
option in the camera's setup menu. Olympus is one, and I'm only
assuming that other brands also offer the same feature.
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

As long as they come with a good guarantee they are excellent value.

Guy

<bruin70.DeleteThis@mail.com> wrote in message
news:1156280115.066116.70190@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
> like,,,i buy my computers refurbed because they get the same warrantee
> and with computers is only a matter of replacing bad parts with good.
> are dslr's and advanced point and shoot the same way? aside from
> cosmetics, are you comfortable with a refurbed or even a used digital
> camera?
>
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

ASAAR wrote:
[]
> I've heard some DSLR owners (about a year ago and probably Canon
> owners) describing how they returned their cameras to have bad
> pixels mapped out. Some brands have models with a bad pixel mapping
> option in the camera's setup menu. Olympus is one, and I'm only
> assuming that other brands also offer the same feature.

I believe that not many offer the pixel-remapping feature - it is not
common.

David
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:23:31 GMT, "Roy G"
<roy.gibson1.DeleteThis@REMOVE.tesco.net> wrote:

>
><bruin70.DeleteThis@mail.com> wrote in message
>news:1156283381.035191.193590@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> Gene Palmiter wrote:
>>
>>>the only concern
>>> I would have is hot pixels...nothing is going to make them good and you
>>> should test for that and return if there are too many....and maybe one is
>>> too many.
>>
>> what is a "hot pixel"?
>
>
>The opposite of what it sounds like. It is a Dead Pixel. One which does not
>work anymore.

I think you've got this backwards; a "hot* pixel (AKA stuck pixel) is
on all the time, while a dead pixel is, well, dead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pixel
--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

My concern would be how much was it used. The shutter curtain or whatever it
is called on a digital camera will only function so many times. If it has a
couple hundred or fewer it might be ok. More is a problem in my book. Also,
there is no way to know how many shots were taken with the camera. Someone
could have bought it taken it on vacation shot several thousand pictures and
then returned it for refund when they got done. You don't know why it ended
up as a refurb (customer didn't like it, it was defective out of the box,
etc.).

Also, a far as warranties go most don't have that great a warranty. Usually
1 year parts 90 days labor, etc. Unless you are getting the camera for 75%
off the regular price I don't think it is worth it. But, that's me I choose
to not flush my money down the toilet.

R


<bruin70.RemoveThis@mail.com> wrote in message
news:1156280115.066116.70190@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
> like,,,i buy my computers refurbed because they get the same warrantee
> and with computers is only a matter of replacing bad parts with good.
> are dslr's and advanced point and shoot the same way? aside from
> cosmetics, are you comfortable with a refurbed or even a used digital
> camera?
>
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

"Bigguy" <gtittley DeleteThis @remove.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4l2gucFecb40U1@individual.net...
> As long as they come with a good guarantee they are excellent value.
>
> Guy
>
> <bruin70 DeleteThis @mail.com> wrote in message
> news:1156280115.066116.70190@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
>> like,,,i buy my computers refurbed because they get the same warrantee
>> and with computers is only a matter of replacing bad parts with good.
>> are dslr's and advanced point and shoot the same way? aside from
>> cosmetics, are you comfortable with a refurbed or even a used digital
>> camera?
>>
>
>

Consumer Reports did a piece on refurbished cameras a couple of years ago,
and they were not keen on them. They noted that these units were often not
even repaired or checked over--if they looked all right they were just
repackaged and often sold by jobbers.

The other negative was that those cameras often came with warranties that
ran 30-90 days, and the warranty might have been issued not by the
manufacturer but by the refurb seller. If a customer returned one of these
cameras , chances were good that the refurb seller would simply send them
another one from their inventory, rather than waste time trying to fix the
bad one. If the customer got a second dud, he had a very limited period of
time to send it back--and if the replacement was also a dud, the warranty
period might have already run out by the time he found out that the camera
was no good.

The magazine recommended that buyers steer clear of third-party sellers of
refurbished goods if possible, and that they purchase them only through
official manufacturers' channels. They also noted that if the warranty was
very short, and the price discount was not all that great, it might have
been better to buy brand new, with a full warranty.

There is an element of gambling involved with these type purchases. I
personally have avoided refurbished goods, because I don't like the idea of
buying units that may have problems which don't always show up at first
glance. If one can live with the risk, and if the price is low enough, it
might be okay. But there is no way to generalize in advance. You might get
a good deal, or it might be a nightmare.
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:31:52 GMT, "Gene Palmiter"
<palmiter_gene.TakeThisOut@verizon.net> wrote:

>I like refurbes. The product on the shelf might have been assembled by a
>monkey...the best techs work with refurbs and check everything. Some
>products are returned for no good reason...operator error...the only concern
>I would have is hot pixels...nothing is going to make them good and you
>should test for that and return if there are too many....and maybe one is
>too many.

The idea that refurbs get a going-over by a good tech doesn't fly with
me.
This is very similar to customer service, which certainly doesn't
connect with a competent tech very often.
With refurbs, even DSLRs, the camera will first go to a "technician"
with a spiral-bound book of flowcharts showing what steps to take to
solve a specific problem (just like when you call for customer service
). Using techs with a clue as first-line service techs doesn't
make much economic sense. And kicking the device up the line can be
more expensive than simply replacing it with another, much more
cheaply fixed sample.
IMHO.
--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one? 

I have several DCs, including a D70, and wanted a camera for a seashore
holiday-- in other words, one for less-than-squeaky clean situations. I
bought a refurbished Canon Powershot S45 offered by Canon on eBay. It works
OK, but it certainly had a lot of miles on it already and wasn't nearly in
the condition of the camera depicted in the photo Canon placed on eBay.
Several of the symbols were worn off and it is generally pretty shabby
looking. Obviously Canon doesn't have good presentation standards when it
offers refurbished cameras on eBay.
 >> Stay informed about: is a refurb dslr/advanced p&s as good as a new one?