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First Time Buying Adorama V Grade Condition Used Digital Camera

I've wanted a full-frame digital SLR camera for a long time. I have wanted the Canon EOS 5D DSLR when it was first released. But already with so many camera equipment on hand, I really couldn't justify getting yet another one. That changed recently.

My son's coach saw me with my equipment at the volleyball tournament and asked my to take annual photos of the varsity players and their families. After hearing the details, I agreed. The goal was to shoot each player with their family in front of the net in the gym. I've already tested lighting and got the exposure down. Then I tested the scene with my Canon EOS Rebel T3i and my Canon EF 28-135mm IS USM lens. The T3i has a 1.6x APS-C CMOS sensor. I would have to stand fairly far away from the family to use the 50mm to 100mm perspective range for full-body shots. Wanting to keep the perspective, but a wider angle-of-view, I have decided that this endeavor deserves a full-frame DSLR.

In the past, I had good experience buying used camera equipment. Several of my high-quality pro lenses for Canon EOS cameras were used. And, after twenty years, I still use these lenses to this day. I also had several Canon EOS 35mm film camera that I bought used; they were dear to me that I still have them to this day. Given that I already have enough equipment, adding an used full-frame DSLR makes a lot of more sense.

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The Hunt

I saw an used Canon EOS 5D for $225 on Amazon. And later found one for $177 on Adorama. It was rated V-grade. What's V-grade?

"Appears well used and may include dings, scrapes/scratches, heavy brassing on body or LCD, but is in fully functional condition."

Adorama V-grade is on the lower spectrum of the used equipment conditions. I have never bought such a grade used equipment before. Typically, I'd buy at the higher range.

I sat on this decision for a week. But I figured I can use this experience to see what Adorama V-grade is and help everyone by showing the condition of the equipment in this article. By the time I decided to shell out $177 for the Canon EOS 5D, the inventory was gone.

The hunt was on. Not so much for a Canon EOS 5D nor Adorama V-grade gear. But just an inexpensive used Canon EOS full-frame DSLR. I made a list of all the Canon EOS full-frame DSLR cameras. Many of them are old enough to be down in the mere few hundreds of dollars.

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The Selections

In the end, I found the best value--a Canon EOS 6D for $267. As luck would have it, it's also an Adorama V-grade used equipment. Adorama had several Canon EOS 6D rated at V-grade for $267. Luckily, I clicked into each listing. I stayed away from listings that has "Item Note", which indicated any problems with the camera; I wanted a fully functional DSLR. The following screen shot shows a listing with "Item Note". You can click the screen shot to see full size.

The "Item Note" above doesn't indicate that there is any problem with the camera, but did note a number of missing parts. Click into the listing shows "WHAT'S IN THE BOX":

  • Canon EOS 6D Body
  • Eyecup Eb
  • After Market Battery Pack LP-E6A
  • After Market Battery Charger LC-E6
  • Item Note: Missing Stereo AV Cable AVC-DC400ST; Wide Neck Strap EW-EOS 6D; USB Interface Cable IFC-200U

Another example listing includes:

  • Battery, Charger
  • Battery
  • Battery, Box, CD-ROM, Caps, Instruction Manual, Strap

The listing I decided to order from has battery, charger, caps. Funny thing, it didn't list the Canon EOS 6D body, the Eyecup Eb, neck strap, or anything else. So, the listing description seems to vary with inconsistency. I wanted to see how accurate the "WHAT'S IN THE BOX" list is when my order arrives, because it better include the Canon EOS 6D camera body. So we will see if I got a value or a mistake.

Adorama advertises "FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING on orders over $49.99". But used equipment are excluded from this offer. I ordered on Tuesday and it's scheduled to arrive on Saturday, so it's about 4 business days. I'll post photos of the gear and discuss its conditions after it arrives.

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