20D, Best Buy, and the "Performance Plan"

[kpfeif]

Yes, I went ahead and bought a 20D from Best Buy. Essentially it's

free money for a bit, so we decided to go ahead and get one and pay it

off after the holidays (one lump sum).

 

This is my first Digital SLR. It makes me nervous. My Elan IIe

didn't make me nervous, but that camera did end up needing a repair

(broken film door latch). The camera hasn't left the box yet, as

we're having a bit of buyer's remorse....we're asking ourselves, "is

it worth the extra $$$ over the Rebel Digital?" For me, it is - I'm

so used to the IIe's controls, and the 20D is very similar in this

respect.

 

I NEVER buy the "extended warranty" for anything at Best Buy. The

camera, however, is a small, expensive, sophisticated device with

moving parts. $150 for the warranty. I can still get it if I want.

It's understood that these warrantys are a big Best Buy profit center.

 

I don't know...what do you all think?

[shambrick007]

Basic warranty lasts a year right? I think after a year, you'll be less nervous. Fugetaboutit.

[dave_nelson___atlanta__ga]

Are you asking a question or have you already answered it?

 

"The camera hasn't left the box yet, as we're having a bit of buyer's remorse....we're asking ourselves, "is it worth the extra $$$ over the Rebel Digital?" For me, it is - I'm so used to the IIe's controls, and the 20D is very similar in this respect."

 

The lack of mirror lockup is a deal killer for the 300D in my opinion. Plus the 20D does much better in low light conditions.

 

Never buy a "performace plan" or any such nonsense. But do get a rider on you home/renters insurance to cover all of your camera gear. Most homeowners policies only cover around $1000 for camera gear.

[joeb]

Well the the warrentee is less expensive than the $699 Royal Camera charges. :-) Sorry to mention them but, I saw 2 Google ads above your message. One from Royal with inflated accessories and one from a company in Norway with payments through some money transfer service.

 

The extended warrentee only pays after the 1 year Canon warrentee runs out. With the pace of change the 20D could be selling for $700 or less used in 3 years. If your 20d needed a repair would you repair your 20D, buy a used 20D, or buy the latest model? My response would be it depends. Do you take 30,000 photo's a year? What are the odds you will need repair?

 

On the subject of buyer's remorse, the 20D has some nice features not found on the 300D. Only you can make the decision. I bought the DRebel right before Christmas last year. If I was purchasing today I would buy a 20D. I would have spent $1000-1500 additional in film and printing for the 2700 images I have taken in the last 11 months.

 

Joe

[andrew_carlson]

Thats an excellent idea about the homeowners insurance, especially if you buy nice expensive lenses.

 

As a DReb owner, I find myself drooling over D20's all the time so I avoid camera stores and searches on the web. There are several features the D20 or 20D offers which I can't perform but I can wait. I suppose if you are an avid or amature photographer you'll find yourself wanting those features soon. As just a nice camera, the Dreb would suit you better.

[mcgarity]

You can get mirror lockup on the 300D by installing the Wasia hack.

[patrick tom]

I'm new to photography but I bought the 20d...did I compare the drebel to it...that was going to be my next camera about 2 months ago...the 10d was too close to the d rebel for me to spend 500 more...

then I read about the 20d coming out and I salivated...although I'm

new to photography I've wanted a camera for awhile and been hunting

for the perfect digital camera for me...there's things to compare but

I've not owned both just read about...ettl2 much improved over ettl...

start up time...continuous shooting...resolution...iso noise...black and white feature...take it out of the box and start shooting with it to its near limits...low iso noise is so cool add that with b&w feature...it's like changing film shot to shot...is it worth it...

honestly if you don't want to expose any of those features...I don't

think it's worth it...but another idea...which I might of done if

I were concerned about finances...buy the d rebel...buy two or three

lenses...in order to get the canon rebates and prepare for the next canon offering or the next one after that...want to see where digital

technology can go...someone mentioned to take a look at the new 1ds..

I did...and wow...are the prosumer cameras going to hit that height...

let's cross our fingers...at least we know there is still room it can

improve...if the next cameras get that good...you won't be posting here asking about its worth...btw...with the 20d release 10d's have come down in price and there available used if you want the extra features and durability over the drebel...

[christopher_bibbs]

I bought my 20D at Best Buy (price matched against us1camera.com down to $1399 for the kit) and skipped the extended warrantee. Instead, I added a rider to my homeowner's insurance. That policy covers $2700 of my equipment for $29/year. A much better deal since I'm worried about theft or loss due to a leaky roof than the camera going wonky in 13 months.

[melissa_eiselein]

Congratulations on your new 20D.

You are going to LOVE it!

I went from an Elan IIe to a 10 and I never looked back. While I've not gotten rid of my film camera, it's a rarity when I use it.

 

I don't think you need to put out the $150 for the Best Buy warranty. In fact, I think it's a waste. Your Canon comes with a 1 year warranty. If, after that, you have a problem then use the $150 for the cost of repair. If not, consider yourself $150 ahead.

 

Besides, if your camera works for a year, it's likely to keep working unless you do something to it...and then it wouldn't be covered under warranty anyway.

 

And please, please, please don't have Buyers Remorse over this camera. The 20D is head and shoulders above the 300D. First of all, the 10D and 20D have that nifty little thumb wheel that you've no doubt come to love on your Elan IIe. With the D-Rebel, you have to push a button to switch to exposure compensation, then push the button again to change the aperture. For me, that would be a big pain as I mess with these settings often.

 

Finally, the 20D outshines even my beloved 10D. It has better low-light focus. It shoots more frames per second. And, unlike my 10D, it's not restricted to shooting a skimpy 9 frames before it needs to pause and write them to disk. (Until you deal with that, you have no idea how truly frustrating it can be!)

 

Anyway...

Don't worry. Be happy. You've got the BEST camera out there for price! Pull it out of the box, start playing with it, and have fun. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

[steve_dunn2]

<cite>I NEVER buy the "extended warranty" for anything at Best Buy.</cite>

 

<p>And I don't think you should start now. Extended warranties sell for more than what the expected cost of repairs will be (otherwise the warranty company would lose money), so on average you would pay less out of pocket to fix anything that breaks than you would pay to have the warranty company fix it for you. The key is "on average." Sometimes you will win, and sometimes you will lose.</p>

 

<p>Basically, the extended warranty gives you certainty. Without it, you don't know if or when the camera will need repairs, or how much they will cost - anywhere from $0 to the price of a new camera (which, as someone else pointed out, will be less in a year or more's time than it is today), with the average being less than $150. With it, you know exactly what your cost of repairs will be ($150) and when you have to pay it (now). So you have to decide whether you'd be happier knowing that you paid more than was probably necessary but will not have to pay any more in the future, or knowing that you paid less up front and may or may not have to pay more in the future.</p>

 

<p>Also, check the fine print. I don't know how comprehensive Best Buy's warranty plan is. Some extended warranties are better than others; some of them cover pretty much anything that could possibly go wrong, while others have exceptions and could leave you having to pay for repairs out of your own pocket even though you bought an extended warranty.</p>

 

<p>As for which camera to get - as a fellow Elan user (7E now, II before that), I know I would not be happy with a Digital Rebel. It's a great little camera, but too restrictive if you're more advanced and used to being able to take complete control of just about any aspect of camera operation. So I'd say you made the right choice. But if you decide you'd rather have the Rebel, ship your 20D to me and I'll gladly ship you a Digital Rebel :-)</p>

[citizensmith]

>>Extended warranties sell for more than what the expected cost of repairs will be.

 

Not sure that's exactly true. Like rebates, making a profit on selling warrantees relies on the majority of the buyers never using it. Your $150 warrantee may well cover you for $1000 worth of repairs, but seeing as the next 10 people never use it the company still makes money.

 

Having said that I totally agree on the don't bother advice. Home insurance riders are the way to go. Cheaper, and they cover you for the things more likely to kill the camera (glass of wine, cliff, theft, etc) than a sudden failure 366 days after you bought it.

[jon_austin]

It's been mentioned in other posts on the topic here, but the worst part of most extended warranties is a tie between "how long will it take to get my camera back from repair?" and "who will be doing the repairs?" It most likely won't be Canon!

 

If the 1-series Canon bodies are "tanks," then the 10D/20D bodies are "armored cars." Very solid, sturdy, well-built devices. You're much more likely to experience electronic problems with your new 20D than mechanical problems. And if you don't run into any trouble with the electronics within the first 90 days or so, you most likely won't during the remaining 270 days of your Canon warranty. By then, you'll have developed a serene sense of confidence in your 20D.

 

Want a sure-fire cure for buyer's remorse? Get that dang thing out of its box and start using it! You'll fall in love fast, and they'll only get it away from you by prying it loose from your cold fingers.

[steve_dunn2]

<cite>Not sure that's exactly true. Like rebates, making a profit on selling warrantees relies on the majority of the buyers never using it. Your $150 warrantee may well cover you for $1000 worth of repairs, but seeing as the next 10 people never use it the company still makes money. </cite>

 

<p>Ah well, I have to make use of what little I remember of my university statistics course once in a while :-) I used the term more in the statistics sense, which (in the case of your example) would mean that the expected repair cost is the $1000 total repair cost for those 11 people, divided by 11 (the number of people) - which works out to $90.91 - which is less than $150. Sorry for the confusion.</p>

[bruce neufeld]

I moved from the 300D to the 20D and I would say its well worth the $600 USD difference. As for whether its worth it to you, that depends what your goals for it are and what your budget is (was). I owned the 300D for a year and used it heavily. I expect that after 3 or 4 years, on average, it will probably fail, given the frailties of electronics in general. I have film bodies that I expect to work for 50+ years. Thats the nature of non-electronic photo gear. In any case, the chance for failure on the 20D is highest during the first year and drops off steeply for a couple of years, then begins to rise again (this is the curve for most electronics) after 3 or 4 years, depending of course on how heavy the usage is. I would bet that the 20D failure rate would be slightly less than the 300D, all things being equal. When you buy the insurance, you're betting the device will fail in the insured period. The period insured is the period when the camera is least likely to fail. Go figure.<div></div>

[danny_lee2]

if you feel that scared, you can buy a MACK warranty from BandH. what was your cost at BEst Buy ? 1500 ? search bhphoto.com for various mack warranties.

[andrew robertson]

Don't buy ANY extended warranty. I know for a fact the Mack warranty allows them to, at

their discretion, repair, replace, or decline warranty service! I bought one about three

years ago (never go from the Irish pub directly to the camera shop). My butt STILL HURTS!

[marcin harla]

Do yourself a huge favor and don't buy that extended warranty from Best Buy - it's a headache (believe me, I know). As others suggested if nothing goes wrong within 1 year (which you have warranty for from Canon anyway), there is little chance something will break in the next 2-3 years.

[marcin harla]

Oh, what lenses do you currently own? You didn't tell. There is a triple rebate on DRebel if you buy it with 2 lenses. After rebate it's $479 (from B&H) for the body. I think for someone who doesn't own too many lenses that's a viable option, because for the price of 20D alone you can have a nice camera (not as good as 20D, but pretty decent nevertheless) and some great glass. Learn to use digital with it and eventually sell after few months on e-bay (I don't think you can loose, as you should be able to sell it for at least $500) and upgrade for something better.

OTOH if you already own good lenses 20D it is.

[kpfeif]

A great discussion. My thoughts on both the Performance Plan (no) and the 20D (yes) have been confirmed.

 

I have a 50mm/1.4, a macro, a 28-105USM, and a 75-300IS. Not a lot of lenses, but enough.

[panos_voudouris]

In general, if it breaks due to manufacturing defects it will do so within the normal warranty. If not, it will last until the shutter wears out. If you damage it, that is not covered by these "performance plans" so no gains there and in general. You will also find that most of these warranties do not cover things that will fail due to normal wear and usually the kind of insurance companies that issue these will always find an excuse to say that the failure is either due to normal wear and tear and/or accidental damage or due to extreme solar radiation that is clearly stated as not covered in section 12, paragraph 2, right there on the last page of the document, in 6point print, next to the fax number that looks like a smudge. Claiming on them will also make you sorry you didn't send it straight to Canon and paid extra as they will keep it for months on end and then always find an excuse to charge you extra: "I'm sorry there is a $150 excess for cameras over the value of $9.99".

 

You'd be better off spending the money on your home insurance or proper photographic insurance that will cover you for accidental damage, theft or other things like that.

[kpfeif]

I'd like to know more about both Homeowner's Insurance Riders and photographic equipment insurance. While I don't have a pile of "L" glass or Zeiss lenses, I have...

 

20D

Elan IIE

380EX Speedlight

28-105

50mm/1.4

Macro

75-300IS

Pentax Spotmatic SP

Takumar 50mm/1.4(?)

Takumar 28mm

Canonet QL17

Canon S45

 

Is it worth it to persue this? What about Homeowner's Insurance deductables?

 

 

Stop the press! I just caught this article.... http://www.photo.net/learn/insurance

 

Sweet.

[ted_marcus1]

Many "gold" and "platinum" Visa and Mastercard cards provide an extended warranty for items purchased with the cards, up to an extra year. I think it works like insurance, in that you have to pay for the repair and submit a claim for reimbursement. But it's still much cheaper (free) than any store's extended warranty.

[astcell]

I used AMEX because it automatically doubles the warranty of the manufacturer up to one year. I have used it maybe 6 times, and it is nice to have. One time the camera dealer asked for a different credit card when I bought a 300/2.8 lens, he said he lost too much commission on Amex over MC/Visa. I told him that I use Amex for the double warranty. He the said he would double the warranty himself, he had that much confidence in the lens! I took him up on his offer, and never needed the warranty.

 

I loathe buying cameras as Best Buy, I was there today and the salesman was an older woman who did not know a pixel from a pickle. She gave all sorts of conflicting information and the buyer left very bewildered, and without a camera. I was even wondering if senility had set in. No winners there.

 

I buy performance plans only on two occasions. First is if it costs less than $20, and 2nd is if it is on a vacuum cleaner.

[richard_pearse]

Personally, its a question of peace of mind.

The comments already made re the quality of the 20D is spot on. Like you I was also a little reluctant to take it out of the box. Its small and very light and hard to imagine that the build is so good.

 

I have always extended the wanrranty (3 - 7 years)on the eos equipment that i have because if the warranty is transferable, which mine is, the second hand value is potentially higher should you ever want to sell it; thus mitigating, to some degree, depreciation on your equipment.

[ryanjoseph]

Just as a side note I got the Best Buy performance plan for my laptop. The screen crapped out after the manafacturers warranty went away. Best Buy replaced it no questions asked, although it took them 52 days to replace it... Am I happy that I got that plan... you better believe it.