I only purchase refurb directly from Canon and never had any issue. The last 2 bodies (6D) I purchased refurb from canon had 7 and 99 shutter counts respectively and I also get 1 yr warranty. I've purchased lens refurbished as well and you can hardly differentiate from brand new one.
The other Canon item I bought used was a Canon flash. The discount I got on the flash was so good, I was able to get a much higher-end flash, whereas, if I spent that on new, it would have been the lowest-end flash Canon makes. Five years later, it's been a terrific flash!!!
And finally, not related to Canon, I got an amazing deal (as did many FM folks) on a photo-quality NEC monitor (Multisync PA 272W) that was selling online for around $1,259. But if you went to NEC's Refurbished website, they were selling the exact unit for $350. The ONLY differences was that the warranty was 3 years if you paid full-price, vs. 1 year if you paid for the refurbished price. And they were offering new owners a hood for free, whereas, if you asked them for the free offer and you had a serial number with the refurbished ending letter, you got grinned-at. That's okay, the hood could be purchased for a lot less than the savings and I really didn't want the hood anyway!
Gochugogi wrote:
All the brown boxes I reviewed from CanonDirect said Canon Powershot on the outside no matter what model or lens I purchased.
Yeah. I ordered a 1Dx via refurb, and it showed up in a Powershot box. I was seriously WTF!? Sure enough it was there. Of late, everything has shown up in the same box. Someone at Canon must have seriously mucked up and ordered 50,000 powershot boxes. Probably got fired.
Just noted rh18's note. I picked up a 1.4x extender III for for $120 off "new." Takes awhile for the shipping to land it here. Worth checking out.
Bit hard to get to refurb. Like they don't want you to know here's the direct link.
I'd like to say Thank You to everyone for your help. After two years of saving up for it..... my 5D Mark IV (refurbished) was delivered today. It's beautiful 😉
Frazier wrote:
I'd like to say Thank You to everyone for your help. After two years of saving up for it..... my 5D Mark IV (refurbished) was delivered today. It's beautiful 😉
I hope you get to take a lot of great pictures. I have a 5D Mk IV, that I got new. I also have several "L" lens that I got refurbished. The lens have been fine for several years now. So refurbished is great.
Nikon guy here. My last bodies have all been refurbished by Nikon. If the Canon is as good as Nikon, and reading here says it is, then go for it. 3 bodies have come with about 6, 36 and 200 clicks on them.
Frazier,
Glad you went for the Canon 5DM4 - great choice! It's a fantastic camera, especially w/ the new processor and will last a long-long time. I can't believe Canon already has refurbished ones available already - that's pretty amazing.
Take lots of photos and don't forget to post them here.
Bill
For what it's worth, those boxes people keep calling "PowerShot" boxes aren't really what you're describing. They say "EOS PowerShot VIXIA" on them, each of the three words in the stylized font of those particular Canon lines. So the boxes cover refurbished EOS gear, refurbished PowerShot gear, and refurbished VIXIA gear. Not just PowerShot.
I've bought several refurbished items. Only one was a lemon, it was miserable to get Canon to replace it, but they finally did.
The big issue is prices, only when it costs significantly less than a new one do I buy refurbished. I don't buy gray market either. I've found that if I know what I want and am patient, I'll find a deal. Canon has a Employee Purchase Plan (EPP) with additional discounts on many new and refurbished items, I think that Companies with Employee Discount plans may have access, my company does.
got a 100L refurbished just now (with the 15% off)... they implied it wouldn't come with a hood... but then it came with one. (shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell them.)
Canon don't run a refurbished outlet in the UK anymore but when they did I often bought from them and had no problems. Always like-new, complete with screen protector film. Most of them probably were new, just returned stock.
Outside this forum most of the amateur photographic world runs on secondhand gear. Refurbished is a step up from that, and more trusted than grey-market. So my question would be: why wouldn't someone buy refurbished if it wasn't much more expensive than grey?
If you can afford to buy a new 1DX2 with a 400 DO II then this question is not relevant to you. You're in the 1%.
I have bought Canon refurbs via Adorama(shipped to me in original unopened Canon boxes-inner body box w/ accys and outer shipping boxes)) and they were LNIB! All perfect mechanically and cosmetically. Never a problem.
Dan
Just received a refurb 5D4 today from Canon Direct. Will let you know if there is any problem, but so far it looks good - doubt it could be distinguished from new without the little dimple on the serial number plate. First thing I did was check the shutter count - it was only 93. I bought a refurb 6D a few years ago from Canon Direct and it had a couple hundred actuations when I got it. It has performed very well and I feel very good about getting such a good camera at a heft discount. I have also purchased the 50 f1.8, 100 f2, 70-200 f4L IS refurbished from Canon Direct and all came pristine and without any problems.
I’ve heard that before. Ridiculous! They are indistinguishable from new. No dots, red paint, etc. unless a tech did do their job. I’ve purchased refurb bodies and lenses for the last 10 years. Any marks are internet folklore. RogerZoul wrote:
On lenses, look at the mount....you will see those round holes in the mount....the refurbs are painted red inside the hole. No red on the new ones.
On bodies, look for the serial number...you will see a pimple or dimple (or dot) pressed into the metal that contains the serial number. No dot on the new ones.
If they had tagged refurbs by serial number only, there would be no need for the above.
Please look at the refurbs you have bought within the last 3 years.
I got 2 80Ds less than a year ago and they both have the pin pricks.
I got a lens and a TC a few months ago and they both have red dots on the round holes.
I got another lens about 3 years ago and it has the red dot on the hole.
Let us know if it is still internet folklore
eddieb wrote:
I’ve heard that before. Ridiculous! They are indistinguishable from new. No dots, red paint, etc. unless a tech did do their job. I’ve purchased refurb bodies and lenses for the last 10 years. Any marks are internet folklore.
