Digital Camera Auctions

I have been asked what I think of buying older, used digital cameras from online auctions such as Ebay. The question relates to models that are now a couple of years old or more and the question is are they likely to offer value for money.

When I took a look at Ebay I concentrated on used cameras available for less that £100.

Some of the digital cameras that were selling included a Kodak Easyshare DC240 that was sold for £20 plus £6 postage. There were also a couple of other Kodak digital cameras where people had bid under £20. The problem was that these cameras did not meet the auction reserve price and therefore were not sold. I also saw an Olympus C-765 selling for £91 + £10 postage. This is a fairly advanced compact with a long zoom lens.

So would any of these cameras be consider good value for money. This depends on the condition of the camera, but I would say spending £20 for the Kodak Easyshare DC 240 would be a very good piece of business. At that price it certainly gives people the opportunity to pick up a digital camera that they could not otherwise afford.

Also sold was a Canon Powershot S45 for £67 + £6 postage. The Powershot S45 would still be quite an advanced digital camera so again I would say it was a good deal.

Another camera sold was the Fuji Finepix A101 for just £5.50 + £6 postage. Well if you would like a digital camera I’m not sure you will be able to find anything cheaper than that!

The camera I am not quite so convinced about is the Olympus C-765. Personally I feel some of the current super zoom cameras offer better value albeit at a higher price. So you do need to be a little careful about what you buy.

What do you need to take into consideration?
This may sound strange, but I don’t think there has been a great advance in picture quality over the past couple of years. The type of photo I am talking about here is the standard snap shot taking in decent lighting conditions.

Areas where cameras have changed include offering more megapixels, longer zoom, faster shutter response times, better battery consumption, larger LCD screens and they have also tended to shrink in size. You will also find longer and better quality movies with sound, an improvement in some lowlight photography and shorter macro focusing distances. Therefore you need to weigh these factors up when considering whether or not to pick up a cheaper, older model.

When buying an older camera it is hard to tell just how many miles are on the clock. Digital cameras are fairly delicate machines and there is always a risk involved when buying out of warranty.

To sum up there are some bargains to be had, especially for those who are looking for cameras available for less than the cheapest current models. You do need to think about the factors that are important to you personally before jumping in.

If you would like to check out the latest auctions to find a cheap, used digital camera then follow this link: Low Price Camera Auctions