KEH/B&H Used Dept. Condition?

[niccoury]

Hey everyone,

 

So I'm going to pick up a few D2H bodies for my work as the staff photog at a

Weekly.

 

As I can only buy them used now, I've delved into KEH's used department and I

figure buying something conditioned EX or EX+ is fine, but what about lower.

 

Has anyone bought a camera or lens or both in less that EX condition? How happy

are you with it's condition used?

 

Thanks,

 

~ nic

[bill_keane2]

KEH has a reputation for being VERY conservative on their ratings.

[sattler123]

You will most likely hear mixed results. People here and on other sites have reported that even "Bargain" condition cameras have been in very good condition from KEH and then again there are others who were not happy with them.

 

Just call KEH and ask them for the specific camera you are interested in. They will take it off the shelf and talk you through the exact condition. KEH is very, very good to deal with, They are honest folks and they have a great return policy.

 

When I buy used, I get it from KEH.

[Two23]

KEH is first class. I think you can return something if not happy. I bought lenses that were marked as low as "bargain" and thought they were very good.

 

 

Kent in SD

[jwhite3.0]

Just make sure the description contains everything you want. If it doesn't say charger and/or batteries then you won't be getting either. I've bought many things from them and always a good experience.

[tri-x1]

"Bargain" from KEH is better than "Like New" on the web auction or at some other camera stores. I may be exaggerating a little but not much.

[sjmurray]

I think you have about 2 weeks to try the equipment out if I remember correctly, and you can return it no questions asked.

[robert_hooper1]

KEH is conservative with their grading. B&H is quite liberal with their used grading, in my

opinion, but they also have a good return policy as does KEH.

[shawn_rahman]

Robert is correct about B&H's too liberal grading policy. I've personally seen many items in their used department graded 9 to 9+ with significant scratches and other defects. Go with KEH for your used stuff; go with B&H for the new stuff.

[Matthew Currie]

I buy almost everything from KEH in "bargain" condition. Never disappointed. It seems the more samples they have of something, the better the condition will be.

[sergio_ortega7]

I've purchased used from both KEH and B&H. From my experience, B&H's used

equipment prices are usually higher than similar items from KEH, and B&H's used

equipment

selection is not even close to KEH's inventory. However, for most new stuff, I wouldn't

shop anywhere else but B&H Photo.

 

The few items I bought from B&H, graded EX and EX+, were not as clean or in as good

condition compared to the similarly-graded items I've purchased from KEH. It's hard to

compare used equipment, but generally I think KEH gives you a better and cleaner item for

your money. And, since they have a much better selection, you can pick and choose from

among several similar items in varying grades of condition; I think that leads to more

conservative grading.

 

KEH is not perfect, and I've had a couple of less-than-satisfactory experiences with their

used merchandise. I don't always believe KEH inspects their items as carefully as they

should for function, their ratings are usually more for cosmetic condition and appearance.

But, if any item is not satisfactory in any way they will take it back with no problems.

[User_276104]

I'll throw in another good word for KEH equipment in BGN condition - perfectly good with typical signs of wear.

 

I've never tried UGLY, though.

[jonathan_walker]

They are also great with repairs - they fixed two of my Nikon F-4s and were very reasonable.

[johncrist]

I have not tried KEH but I buy all my new gear at B&H no problems but I did buy a used

camera body once from them & I agree with a couple above comments, there idea of

excellent condition is not up to what I would have considered excellent. They did return it but

I had to pay shipping. I would go KEH for used gear next time just based on what I have read

here many times.

[mark45831]

I purchased some medium format equipment from KEH several years ago. I think I purchased in the 8.0-9.0 condition and when I recieved the items they looked as if they came out of the box! not a scrath or ding on them and perfect optics.

[Matthew Currie]

I've tried a couple of non-critical items from KEH in "ugly" condition, and they were ugly in interesting ways. I would not expect too much from something you really need, but at their prices it can be fun. An ugly Manfrotto tripod turned out to be very nice, but the previous owner had glued pipe insulation to the legs, and some of the fasteners were a little rusty. It took a lot of elbow grease and solvent to get it clean, but the tripod was a good bargain. An ugly/as-is 4047 Manfrotto head, billed as broken and missing its QR plate, came with a QR plate missing its padding, and required disassembly to put it right. It's ugly, but works fine, and cost less than a replacement QR plate! An ugly lens for my old Zeiss Contaflex was....ugly! Cheap enough for the purpose, but there's no question that there are nasty spots on the glass. I bought a black Nikon F body in ugly condition from their "as-is" section for 39 bucks, sans back, screen and prism. It was billed as missing its wind lever and having a cracked body casting. The cracks were nowhere to be found, but it had chips at the bottom of the casting, where the back starts to slide in. The chips don't compromise operation, but they are very ugly indeed. The wind lever was there, but it was a newer "Apollo" style, as are the reinforced strap lugs. Boo hoo! The mechanism also sounds and looks as if it had recent service. I suspect this was some pro's workhorse, well used but cared for. Ugly as sin, worthless as collectible, but a fine working machine.

 

Because KEH shipping charges are bundled, I often try to throw in some interesting as-is or ugly item when I order something else.

[dave_weber1]

I've purchased a number of used lenses from KEH. Overall, I feel that their lower rated lenses are better than expected, and their more highly rated lenses tend to slightly disappoint! They tend to rate more on cosmetics than on function. Their higher rated lenses sometimes have a bit more dust inside than they should, and too much looseness in the focusing ring.

[fraczekp]

Never tried KEH, but B&H at times waaay too optimistic in their grading. I got a 200mm F/4 Micro from B&H as a 9+ only to find out that it had the notorious crack in the M/F switch.

 

From my experience another fair description merchant is Adorama.

[Rich B NYC]

I have been a B&H customer for at least 30 years and work within walking distance of their store. I buy almost all of my new equipment from B&H, so I have no qualms about recommending them.

 

However, when it comes to used gear, they don't come close to KEH for selection. I've also found that KEH is much more accurate in its grading and, if anything, tends to err on the conservative side.

 

I've bought used items from B&H a few times and they looked pretty decent. However, I've had to return some items that failed within the warranty period. It was truly a "no hassle" return each time, but why would I want to go through the trouble? I'll stick with B&H for new items, but all of my used business now goes to KEH.

[charles_wick]

I have had very good luck with KEH. The one BGN camera I bought was really very good indeed, with the exception of a broken counter. They refunded no questions. I bought an old screwmount pentax lens, marked EXC which turned out to be unusable due to yellowing, and again quick, full refund. All other purchases were very satisfactory. I concur that problems may occur because of faulty inspection and any big investment is worth a call first. But there is no risk in buying BGN stuff. You will most likely be delighted, and if not just send it back.

[jay_d5]

Dave is right on. KEH's rating system applies to cosmetic appearance only, not function or performance.

[gateway]

<p>Update, KEH relocated to their third location in late 2008. The policy is now to describe items over the phone from inventory lists, and not to pull items from the warehouse shelf during a phone call.</p>