How much should I offer for a canon 40D

[Lid]

Hi folks - I've been planing to buy a Canon 40d for a while now and in fact have been bidding on a few on e-bay this week. However being quite tight with my cash, I haven't won one yet and now Ive been offered one of a pair from my neighbour, who is a professional. He doesn't take loads of photos, so the camera is not hammered and in fact he is going to lend it to me for a couple of weeks anyway, so I can check it over.

 

So the big question is what sort of money should I be offering him do you think.

[Clifftop]

Hi folks - I've been planing to buy a Canon 40d for a while now and in fact have been bidding on a few on e-bay this week. However being quite tight with my cash, I haven't won one yet and now Ive been offered one of a pair from my neighbour, who is a professional. He doesn't take loads of photos, so the camera is not hammered and in fact he is going to lend it to me for a couple of weeks anyway, so I can check it over.

 

So the big question is what sort of money should I be offering him do you think.

 

 

well you know what they sell for on ebay, you know what you where willing to pay at the time IE your bid.

 

So either offer the Ebay price or what you were prepared to pay or somewhere in between.

 

Personally i would ask him what he wants for it, let him decide the price then you accept or decline.

 

I find it a bid odd that as a professional he doesn't take many photos.

 

 

Cheers Fred

[Lid]

Thanks. However ebay is not very helpful because all the completed listings are for new, as new or immaculate.

 

Regarding usage, what I meant was that he does not use them every day. He tends to do events and school portrait sitings. So plenty of pictures are taken, eg 1000 at a school for instance, but there are periods when his cameras are not being used.

 

I already have a figure in mind, but I am interested know what others think it should be. He has asked me to propose the price.

Edited March 17, 2009 by Lid

[jeepster]

He has asked me to propose the price.

 

That's never a good start to negotiation! I'd push him to tell you how he values it, he must have some idea, and you must also have some idea what you're prepared to pay.

[Lid]

Given that I can get brand new body only for £560 (see here), I was thinking of offering £275. He's also got a 20D for sale and when he lends me the 40D to try out, he's going to lend me a 70 - 200 L class lens (which is not for sale though).

Edited March 17, 2009 by Lid

[jeepster]

The only reason he wants you to name a price is that he doesn't know himself and hopes you'll go in high, so the only answer to that is to go in low, maybe very low and force his hand, make him name his own price, though you never know, he may accept your low offer

[Clifftop]

Ebay AU

completed items

body only

1 x $900 = 421 pounds

1 x $1049 = 491

1 x $921 = 431

1 x $939 x = 439

 

 

so offer him 300 quid and see what he says, remember on ebay bidders get carried away and the price gets pushed up. what have you got to lose, as jeepster says the guy is hoping you will offer a real good price, more that he would get on ebay. he is a nieghbour not a mate, he is trying to make a quid you're trying to get a bargain.

 

good luck OOPS just realised you were going to offer 275, so go for it.

 

Cheers Fred

Edited March 18, 2009 by Clifftop

[Sutton Warrior]

Think more in terms of what would he get as a trade in? as a business man he will have writen the camera down to near zero on his books. 1000 shots per sitting . . . personaly I'd see it almost as a liability . . . why's he selling? Trade-in, from a pro, looking well used . . . against the new price, I suspect he would be lucky to get £200???? Yeah I'm a tight old git as well

[medwaygreen]

The average sell price used seems to be in the region of £450, the link you listed is out of stock, you have to be careful on low prices as to are they actually available, but I have found supplies at around the £560 to £590 range.

So the key is not so much how many actuation's the camera has clocked, but as it been looked after and kept well. if so then you could go as high as £350 and still get a bargain. As Jeepster say's get him to name the price first you are on the front foot then. Good luck and it's a great camera.

 

Edit,

Also remember when you try the camera, the lens that you will be using costs around £800 new so the performance will reflect that.

Edited March 18, 2009 by medwaygreen

[Lid]

Thanks. Yes I used to have a 20D a few years back, but currently I still use my 35mm EOS 5! As to new prices, a new 40D with the 17 85 USM goes for around £750 on e-bay. If you allow £300 for that particular lens, then in that combination, the camera is only going for £450 and I ideally need a new lens too.

 

I will have to wait to see what the trial of this 40D reveals.