Buying a camera will not be difficult for a person who is well versed in this technique, but for the buyer of his first or even third camera, the marriage may not be at all obvious.
First step
The first thing to do before buying is to find information on the model you have chosen on the Internet: sometimes whole lots with the same marriage get to the market, and you need to know about the likelihood of meeting a similar one in advance.
In the shop
Feel free to spend as much time checking the camera as you need. The seller's task is to sell you a product, even with a marriage, but your task is to buy a working model. Take the camera in your hands and carefully inspect the case: there are no scratches, or the screws are not touched. Check the buttons, covers, whether the battery is securely seated.
Prepare in advance and take your laptop with Exif-O-Matic installed. Take a test shot, open it in this program and find the Exposure Sequence Number parameter: this is the number of frames taken. If the number is small, the camera may have been used in a store. But a large number most likely indicates that the camera was bought, used, and then returned to the store. Ask for another copy.
Check for broken and hot pixels. Set the following values: shutter speed 1/60 sec, ISO 100. Take a picture of a white sheet of paper, examine it on a laptop: if you see black dots, these are dead pixels. Then remove the lens, cover the camera with the cap and take another shot: the white dots are the same dead pixels. Hot pixels can be detected as follows: alternately set the shutter speed of 1/3 sec and 2 sec (if there is a noise reduction function, it must be turned on at this shutter speed) with ISO 100. Images to find damaged pixels should be viewed at 100% magnification. You can remove damaged pixels in the warranty service, but if their number is large, you should immediately ask for another copy.
The last thing to notice is the focus work. As a rule, in stores you can find special tables to check the work of focusing, but you can use a regular ruler and a match. The ruler is placed vertically on a white sheet of paper, the match is perpendicular to it, in the middle. Take a picture of the match and the ruler at a 45-degree angle. Focus on the near or far end of the ruler - focus error. If the focus is, as intended, the match, pay attention to the depth of field: it should be approximately the same above and below the match.
Purchase process
A camera is a complex and fragile technique, and the more reliable your salesperson is, the more likely you are to avoid a defective or used model, as well as get service on time and easily. In specialized stores, the price of a product is often overpriced, while in electronics hypermarkets, it is necessary to carefully check the camera for defects before buying. Be sure to check the documents and the warranty card, the appearance of the packaging.
Ordering from an online store will be a certain risk: if there is no alternative, do not spare money for the good name of the seller and good courier delivery.
