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Used 1D mark II : Is this a good deal?

PimpDaddy

PimpDaddy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 9, 2007
359
75
Hi all

Trough a retailer here in Denmark I can buy a used 1D mk. II with 82.000 shutter actuations for (converted from danish currency) 1340 dollars.

I currently own a 30D but have wanted to get a new camera for a while. I was looking at the 40D before I saw the used 1D on sale. The 40D is around 930 dollars from new.

I mostly shoot concerts, MMA(mixed martial arts), caporeira, portraits and landscapes(when I have the time) so I feel the 1D would be perfect for me. Also it gives my lenses a bit more wide angle which would be nice. But on the other hand it is used and maybe a brand new 40D would be better?!

The retailer gives a 3 month guarantee on the 1D

What would you go for if you were in my situation? :)
 
That's a pretty good price, and the body should have a long life. Even if you have to replace the shutter one day, it's a good long-term investment.
 
There is nothing wrong with buying used equipment, all my telephoto lenses were purchased used. It is up to the buyer to evaluate condition and value when buying used gear.

I usually poke around Ebay to see what comparable items have sold for to help me establish a fair price for something. Ebay is probably not as good a resource for you as it is for me since you live in a different market and your prices are not going to be the same as those found in the US. But, you can probably still use it to establish some baselines on pricing. Compare completed listings for 1DMkII's and 40D's to establish a relationship between the actual selling prices for the two, then use that to help guide you on the value of the 1DMkII.

82,000 shutter actuations seems like a lot for a camera that was released late in 2004 and superceded by a new model late in 2005. The camera was probably used for at most 4 years, resulting in an average of 20,000 actuations per year. That indicates professional use, which means that it was probably regarded as a tool by the previous owner and not handled very carefully. I would inspect it very carefully prior to purchase. The 3 month guaranty is a strong positive.

I think the asking price is too high, but I'm not a Canon shooter and I don't follow their used gear prices, nor do I know the Danish market for used photographic gear. I suspect the camera should sell for a price similar to that of a new 40D, and probably a bit less depending on condition. 82,000 shutter actuations represents high mileage for a camera.

As a camera, yes, the 1DMkII is superior to the 40D. According to DXOMark the sensor is generally superior. The body is a professional one with all the features that entails. It will be big and bulky (my last body was a D2X and I got tired of lugging it around) and very capable.
 
I just bought a used mkII, with a slightly higher shutter count, for $1000 Canadian. 82,000 clicks is not that high for a mkII, and even if it were, a shutter replacement isn't terribly expensive.

The mkII is a better camera than a 40D. You'll love the AF points and the awesome AF accuracy, the superior handling and feel (especially the feel of the shutter click, which seems so solid compared to an XXD-series camera). You'll love the weather sealing. In short, you'll love the mkII so much that you'll never want to use anything but a 1-series again.

That said, the mkII isn't perfect. It's heavy (which is a plus for me, but some may not feel the same way); the LCD is small by today's standards, and while noise is not objectionable at all up to and including ISO1600 (ISO3200 is a bit noisy, and should be avoided if possible), the mkII can't compete with newer models like the 5DmkII or 1DmkIII in the noise department. I rarely shoot above ISO800, and so this is not an issue for me.

All in all, the mkII is a great body.
 
Just one thing you need to be aware of is that the MK II uses NiMH Batteries and they are quite heavy and don't last as long as Li-ions.
 
the price is on the high end, but that's normal for retailers. check it out in person first. if you buy from a private seller, you can probably save a couple hundred (USD), but it won't have a warranty.

the 1DII is a much better camera than the 40D, used or not, mainly because of the larger sensor and the AF system.
 
Cliff3 said:
82,000 shutter actuations seems like a lot for a camera that was released late in 2004 and superceded by a new model late in 2005. The camera was probably used for at most 4 years, resulting in an average of 20,000 actuations per year. That indicates professional use, which means that it was probably regarded as a tool by the previous owner and not handled very carefully. I would inspect it very carefully prior to purchase. The 3 month guaranty is a strong positive.
Click to expand...

82K clicks on a camera that is 5 years old, is not much at all. I'm not a FT pro, and I put roughly 20-25K clicks on each of my MKIIN's last year alone. The shutters are rated for 250K actuations, before the rated MTF is hit. However, if you compare apples to apples, there are original 1D's (4.1MP), which has been around since 2001, that have over 1 Million clicks on the original shutter. So saying 82K is high, is not accurate.

Cliff3 said:
I think the asking price is too high, but I'm not a Canon shooter and I don't follow their used gear prices, nor do I know the Danish market for used photographic gear.
Click to expand...

I agree the asking price is high, but not too high, as its' coming from a retailer, and not an individual.

Cliff3 said:
I suspect the camera should sell for a price similar to that of a new 40D, and probably a bit less depending on condition. 82,000 shutter actuations represents high mileage for a camera.
Click to expand...

The average selling price of a 1D2, on the used market in the US, varies between $1000 & $1200, depending on condition.

Otherwise, to the OP. The 1D2, is a phenomenal body, that is a great investment. I had it, loved it, and moved up. :D Keep the 30D, as a secondary body, if possible. However, if you are torn between the 40D & the 1D2, go for the 1D2. As others' have stated, if the shutter craps out, its' easily replaceable. And the body will keep on shootin' for a long time to come. The 45 point system is great, when you need the feature. The battery system is old tech, but does remarkably well. I average over 1000+ images per charge on each of my NP-E3's.

Hope this input helps.
 
Rockies Photo said:
82K clicks on a camera that is 5 years old, is not much at all. I'm not a FT pro, and I put roughly 20-25K clicks on each of my MKIIN's last year alone. The shutters are rated for 250K actuations, before the rated MTF is hit. However, if you compare apples to apples, there are original 1D's (4.1MP), which has been around since 2001, that have over 1 Million clicks on the original shutter. So saying 82K is high, is not accurate.
Click to expand...

I am an amateur photographer and I recently sold my 4 year old D2X with 14,000 actuations. Saying 82,000 actuations in 4 years of use reflects professional use is a reasoned deduction. That level of actuations is not high in an empirical sense, but it does affect the resale price of the camera.

Rockies Photo said:
The average selling price of a 1D2, on the used market in the US, varies between $1000 & $1200, depending on condition.
Click to expand...

I checked prices on completed auctions on Ebay before offering an opinion. The prices you suggest reflect low actuation count bodies - like under 5000 actuations, or even under 1000. Not 82000. And Ebay is generally regarded as being a high price source for used gear.
 
Cliff3 said:
I am an amateur photographer and I recently sold my 4 year old D2X with 14,000 actuations. Saying 82,000 actuations in 4 years of use reflects professional use is a reasoned deduction. That level of actuations is not high in an empirical sense, but it does affect the resale price of the camera.
Click to expand...

I concur with your reasoning & logical assessment.

Cliff3 said:
I checked prices on completed auctions on Ebay before offering an opinion. The prices you suggest reflect low actuation count bodies - like under 5000 actuations, or even under 1000. Not 82000. And Ebay is generally regarded as being a high price source for used gear.
Click to expand...

Actually, I checked the prices on two other forum sites, which I frequent more than here, hence my newbie status over a year later. Fredmiranda is a much better site to buy gear from, as you are buying from other photographers, rather than eBay. I stopped using eBay as a reference quite some time ago. Ebay works well for most everything else, but its' not exactly accurate with regard to the market, when it comes to DSLR's. Here is a Link to a 1D2 on FM, that has 50K clicks for $1150. The other forum site, for Canon is, Photography on the Net. An excellent site for Nikon is also FM or Nikonians. Here is a 1D2 on POTN, with 31K clicks for $1050: Link
 
patricksan said:
I would buy the 1D because it has full sensor.

I have a 40D and it is a camera from 2007. If you want to buy a new one in the same range go to 50D.
Click to expand...
Actually, the 1Ds series has a full-frame sensor, while the 1D series has a 1.3x crop sensor.

The 40D is still a great value, and just because a new model is out doesn't mean you should forget about the old one. For the price, the 40D is quite the performer.
 
I totally forgot that I started this thread :eek:

Am only reviving it for the sake of the person out there who might be in the same position as I was, and seeking advice.


FWIW I ended up bying the 40D. The price of the 1D mkII was a bit too high compared to the features and price of the 40D.

The shutter in my 30D died so the need of a new camera arose quickly.
My insurance company would pay me the amount equal to a new camera similar to the 30D.

My main reasons for choosing the 40D:

I didn't need to pay anything for it as the insurance company covered the expenses for a new camera. With the 1DII I had to lay down some cash and half of my lenses would be of no use.

I got a brand new camera and a full warranty instead of a used camera with a very limited warranty.

I will have longer time to upgrade my lenses so that I'll be ready to go FF once I buy a 1D3-4-5 or whatever it will be called when I'll have the dough to take the plunge.

Newer camera with newer sensor and menu UI.

Mode dial with 3 custom settings. I change settings very frequently and the non user friendly controls on the 1DII would be too much of a hassle. The dial on the 40D is a lifesaver. Especially when used together with the "My menu items" menu.

Liveview: I don't use this much but there has been some situations where I got some good shots that I probably would have been much more difficult to capture without LV.

Pretty decent FPS: Although not as fast as the 1DII the 40D is for now sufficient for me. But the same thing can not be said about the AF and AF points!
 
uh, this thread is like 16 months old, so ofcourse the price will be higher. You had to know that to bump a thread this old..
 
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