Canon seems to be having a good deal on some of their refurbished cameras + lens kits. Standard shipping is free, 14 calendar days to request an RMA from date of delivery for defective items (seems really small of a window).
Refurbished EOS Rebel T100 EF-S 18-55MM F/3.5-5.6 III Lens Kit $199 https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/...lens-kit-1
Refurbished PowerShot V10 (Black) $219 https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/...ershot-v10
Refurbished EOS Rebel T7 EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS II Lens Kit $249 https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/...i-lens-kit
Refurbished EOS Rebel T7 EF-S18–55 II + EF75-300 KIT $329 https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/...75-300-kit
Refurbished Speedlite EL-5 $179 https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/...dlite-el-5
Here's the list of refurbished in stock:
https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/di...=price_asc
There's some other deals to be found (I think) in the refurbished in stock items. My experience purchasing from Canon refurbished years ago is they ship in canon cardboard boxes, but I've had no issues with my refurbished lenses or cameras from them (albeit mine were always under the $1000 price point).
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Sure, it'll take perfectly fine photos, with effort. But unless you have a background in photography (who has time for that?), then your photos will be amazingly lackluster compared to even the most basic $30 smartphone. There's so much computational photography going on in every "modern" camera -- welcome to what decades of improvements can bring. Sometimes, the future is good.
Where with one button press, I can have a perfectly exposed image -- AND it tastefully uses HDR to properly expose both the highlights and shadows. And you can do it in silence. On a device you can fit into your pocket. While uploading/backing up automatically to multiple services. And in three years, you get a new & better one when you upgrade your phone - something you were going to do anyways!
DSLRs? Not so much. You have a mechanical shutter and mirror flap -- it's loud and has multiple wear points from moving parts. The megapixels of some of these older DSLRs are actually quite low, compared to even budget mobile phones. DSLRs have next to zero computational photography quality-of-life features, so you need a 1970s-esque education in calculating exposure....instead of worrying about "just simply taking the photo".
DSLRs are obviously big and bulky. Socially obtrusive. Banned in most areas as "professional" cameras, though you can get FAR better results 99% of the time from the latest "I"-Phone!!!
DSLRs are single use devices. They mostly don't do video (or they do it so poorly, you're seriously wasting your time with them in 2025). They can't automatically upload and backup themselves -- you need to connect them to a computer (or worse, take out the memory card and put it into a specialty card reader -- and that card is ONLY compatible with that camera too).
Yes, DSLRs can give you more options in terms of zoom. Except most zoom lenses are really REALLY bad in quality (just look at reviews of canon's EF 75-300 lens - bundled in some of the above)...so you're either using GIANT national geographic lenses or you're stuck with prime (non-zooms). Wait, isn't that what we call the same thing on one's phone, a non-zoomable lens? You're not going to be hauling around several pounds of camera body and several pounds of several-thousand-dollar lenses with you on a daily basis, right? I mean, if so, then you're not buying this stuff via slickdeals.
And the above are entry-level kits. The worst possible lenses, worst possible bodies. Nothing "worthwhile" or "noteworthy" about them -- not weather/dust sealed, not waterproof, not durable, etc.
Now, some "mirrorless" cameras mitigate the above concerns -- but for the average person/most people, they too are entirely the wrong thing to use. It's like suggesting a national news broadcast studio to someone who simply needs a 1080p webcam for Zoom.
[and the icing on the cake? Mobiles excel at wide-angle lenses....whereas on DSLRs and mirrorless, they are quite expensive. Even if you do use a DSLR/mirrorless camera, it's not uncommon for pros to whip out their "I"-Phone for a wide-angle shot, non-ironically.]
Let's take a look at prices, shall we? Maybe you THINK you can get one for $100....but welcome to the year of our gourd, 2025.
(All of the below are 35mm AF lenses, priced from MPB. Used condition, lowest price, functional -- but ignoring the condition or if it had moisture/fungal damage. In short, I'm being VERY generous by choosing the cheapest available.)
Canon EF - $300.
Nikon F - $229.
Sony E (f/1.8) - $199.
Olympus M43 (17mm @ f/1.8, which is a 35mm f/3.6 equivalent) - $149.
With the exception of M43, I'm assuming 35mm on a full frame. I'm not researching 22mm for APS-C equivalency.
These were first-party lenses. I'm also not looking into any third party lenses, as those can be hit or miss. I don't feel like doing all the research to suss out a "good" 35mm from all the absolute junk -- and to be honest, I've done enough of your homework proving $100 is a joke price meant to provoke me. Well done, it worked.
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We're in 2025. Times change. Tech changes. But by all means, cling onto your carriages and horse whips.
Show me a modern professional that unironically uses today a Canon 5D mk II or Canon 1Dc for everyday, professional videography. Not happening. Let's even go with two of the best DSLRs -- Canon 5D mk IV or the Canon 1DX mk III. Still...not really happening. Anyone "serious" is already on mirrorless.
Now show me someone who uses the "I"-Phone 16 Pro/Max for professional work. You'd run out of space listing them. It's SUPER common. Many of your news broadcasts are using "I"-Phones for field work...not those clunky over-the-shoulder camcorders. Welcome to 2025!
And you can slip that "I"-Phone right into your pocket, unlike those cumbersome DSLRs!
That said, the problem with this post is that today's cheapest canon crop mirrorless camera, r100, has similar dynamic range before iso 300 with FF DSLR 5dmkIV. There was huge difference in price between 2000d($549 2018)and 5dmkiv($3499 2016), and for the same quality upgrade it is between $249(T7 kit refurb) and $329(R100 kit refurb). Why are you not paying for the $80 upgrade in image quality that was costing almost 3k?
That's the problem with this generation. They're asking the right questions, but seemingly have no idea that they're asking them to the wrong person.
note: I'm recommending nikon d5300, d5500, d5600, d7500, (d750, d800,d810 if you are lucky) on the second hand market. Way better value than those in this deal post.
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We're in 2025. Times change. Tech changes. But by all means, cling onto your carriages and horse whips.
Show me a modern professional that unironically uses today a Canon 5D mk II or Canon 1Dc for everyday, professional videography. Not happening. Let's even go with two of the best DSLRs -- Canon 5D mk IV or the Canon 1DX mk III. Still...not really happening. Anyone "serious" is already on mirrorless.
Now show me someone who uses the "I"-Phone 16 Pro/Max for professional work. You'd run out of space listing them. It's SUPER common. Many of your news broadcasts are using "I"-Phones for field work...not those clunky over-the-shoulder camcorders. Welcome to 2025!
And you can slip that "I"-Phone right into your pocket, unlike those cumbersome DSLRs!
It's quite clear that you know almost nothing about cameras. Cameras today are more capable and smaller/quieter but they don't produce photos that are any better than yesterday's cameras. Photography is pretty simple when it's boiled down. It's capturing light. You can do that with a Canon R3 or you can do it with a Canon Rebel XT. You gain some abilities like better low light performance or faster burst speed but the basic formula is the same. Light enters a lens and gets recorded on a sensor. 90% of a good photo (pre-editing) is the lens, not the body. And there's still a ton of pros using 1Dx-II/IV or 5DII-IV.
Video is a different story but that's not what these are for. People still take still photos. Have any picture frames in your house? How about the background on your phone? Ever seen a TV screen showing videos at art museums? But omg, you might actually have to EDIT them to get the best results. The horror.
Seriously, you're over here arguing someone interested in gaming needs a $4k custom built rig with 128gb RAM & a RTX5070 or they may as well stick with their phone when they just want to play Minecraft.
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