OK to buy a Canon t1i DSLR on eBay?

[Otakulad]

I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with buying the Canon DSLR camera on eBay. It seems like they have some pretty good deals with the extra stuff you get, and I can wait until the cash back works on it, but I'm a little worried about counterfits and whether the extra items are worth the money.

Here are a couple of examples of the kits I was looking at.

5 lens kit (http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Digital-Rebel-T1i-500D-SLR-Camera-5-Lens-Kit_W0QQitemZ160362700198QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigita l_Cameras?hash=item25565c9da6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)

Another kit (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-CANON-REBEL-T1i-SLR-6-LENS-32GB-31PC-Superior-Kit_W0QQitemZ170376669378QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigita l_Cameras?hash=item27ab3da8c2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)

Thanks in advance for the help.

[jabbin]

At work, so I can't view your links but here was my take on this thread:

I was considering getting my T1i on ebay because of the extras, but somehow I concluded that the extras ended not being worth it at all.

It is convenient to just pay one price and get all the goodies, but alot of the goodies are really worth nothing or are of questionable quality (unless branded with a known brand).

Lastly, the whole grey market thing had me paranoid buying from ebay, but there are legit dealers on ebay.

Extras that weren't worth it:
- Extra Unnamed 8gb memory sdhc - would never rely on an unknown sdhc to take pictures on
- cleaning kit/table top flexible tripod - cheap quality
- camera bag - fugly and cheap. I at least wanted a canon branded bag, but I ended up getting a lowepro backpack anyway.
- extra lens cover - ???

Extras I actually wanted but reconsidered due to brand/quality considerations:
- lens filter set(UV/FL/P) - you can get a cheap set on amazon for like $8-$11.
- telephoto lens - questionable quality from the ebay deal
- wideangle lens - questionable quality from the ebay deal
- battery - not Canon branded, but still could be just as good quality

I ended up just getting my T1i off of amazon and got all my extras (prime lens, battery grip, battery packs, remote control) at about the same price compared to an ebay deal I really wanted. Although I did get a free full-size tripod and camera bag from family so I didn't need to expense those.

[mike93704]

These are not good deals, and any photographer would give you the same advice. You are replacing the kit Canon 18-55mm IS lens with mediocre lenses and the Tamron 28-80 will not be anywhere as useful as the 18-55 in most uses. You also would not slap a wide angle or telephoto adapter onto your nice DSLR camera lens to get something wider than what is provided with your 28-80 Tamron. You lose a LOT of quality trying to get a wider angle by screwing on a wide angle lens adapter onto your Tamron 28-80. You would almost never need a 500mm mirror lens. Plus, the telephoto adapter would NOT fit on it.

Stick with the deals that are posted here for the T1i with the 18-55 IS lens (with free printers after rebate, too) for around $800-$900.

You can look for the Canon 55-250 IS lens for around $200+. You can get SD memory cards cheaply from lots of places ($20 should buy plenty of storage). You can buy better quality UV filters for your lenses on eBay or elsewhere on internet. If you really need an external flash, you may be better off getting a good deal on a Canon flash or a better quality generic flash than what they are offering as part of their eBay package. Camera bags, tripods, lens cleaning kits, etc., are not worth th extra expense they charge you with. Buy them later when you find that you do need them and look for better prices.

[onehitonder]

Be very careful buying camera equipment, if the deal looks too good to be true it usually is.

A lot of people actually sell the Chinese models which have no warranty that's usually where you get the huge discounts. Also, be weary of knock-offs

When buying photo gear I usually stick to B&H unless there is a good deal at a reputable merchant. Its not worth risking it to me anyways.

[vtecb20coupe]

if you do decide to purchase through ebay, look up auctions from beach camera. they're an authorized canon reseller and you don't have to worry about buying a printer and hoping to resell it to make your money back. you may also visit beach's site thru bing. they offer cb directly as well.

[Peterock]

if you're going to go with ebay, use Cameta Camera or Beach camera. Both reputable shops that are authorized resellers for Canon. I actually purchased my Canon T1i from Cameta through ebay and used Bing cashback to save more. I had a good experience using them, as have many others. However, there are some decent deals lately on the T1i in the Hot Deals forum without having to use ebay.

I agree with jabbin about the extras not really being a great bonus. Don't kid yourself about the tripod, lens cleaning kits, or any of the other trinkets. They are just meant to entice you.