In this article I will tell you all the secrets of how most accurately you need to check the camera when buying in a store from a technical point of view, so that in the future there will be no problems with the repair of this device.
Checking the camera when buying for all possible problems with it begins when we take the goods into our own hands in the store, and this is where we start. I'll tell you right away, I'll tell you about the example of buying a DSLR, but the principle of checking a regular soap dish is identical.
What to look for when buying a camera
First of all, you must definitely ask the seller to give you a new copy, and not from the shop window as many people like to do, and do not try to buy goods from the shop window. Let's start checking the camera in the store, first of all, inspect the entire body, there should be no scratches or mechanical damage.
All details should work like clockwork without squeaks, especially check how the lens extends, there should be no difficulty or friction when focusing. If friction is present, refuse immediately and ask for another copy for verification.
How to check the camera matrix upon purchase
It is very easy to check the matrix when buying a camera, in any specialized store selling equipment there are testing computers. To check the matrix, you need to take several pictures in complete darkness and in the light, for example, take a picture of a lamp.
Next, connect the camera to the computer and at the same time check the problems of synchronization with the computer. Having opened the photos in full screen, you check very well for dead pixels of the matrix, they will differ in color, I gave an example of dead pixels in my article on choosing a camera for travel.
You can check dead pixels on a SLR camera on any uniform background, either blue, or green, or red. In any of these colors, a broken pixel will immediately reveal itself and the camera will go to marriage.
How to check a used camera when buying on a run
If you decide to buy a camera hand-held or used, then the first thing when checking the technical condition of the camera you need a laptop or computer to see the real mileage of this product, sellers like to lie to those who are not very versed in this technique.
A special downloaded program from the Internet will show you how many pictures were taken during the entire period of being in the hands of the seller. But before that, you need to check the camera for mechanical damage, chips, scratches, scuffs. Just think, if the apparatus fell, then what was happening inside it.
When the camera falls, at least the soldering of the microcircuits on the motherboard could fall off, a crack on the mirrors, by the way, when checking, be sure to remove the lens and check if there are any cracks on the mirrors, if there are any scuffs or the mirrors may be stained.
The next step is to check the battery, for this you need to ask the seller to charge the camera completely to 100 percent. Then you turn on live view and start shooting a video, for about ten minutes or watching a video for the same time.
The battery discharge standard for ten minutes of video recording should be about 5-8% out of 100, if more, then you can safely throw off the price tag for the purchase of a new battery. Next, we also check the shooting speed and freezing when processing the captured photo.
If an extraneous noise is heard during high-speed shooting, then most likely the shutter breaks down and the mileage of such a camera is already in excess of its spent resource, on a conventional SLR camera the shutter resource is 100,000 frames. Freezing during processing of the captured image also indicates problems in the memory chip.
How to check a new camera when buying in a store
Most of the problems have already been considered, now it is worth deciding on the brand of the camera, you need to proceed from the fact that in your city there may not be an authorized service for this brand, and if the camera suddenly breaks down, then it will have to be taken far, and this is additional costs for the so expensive repair of the SLR camera.
When buying, be sure to check the package contents and damage to the box itself, ask the seller to fill out the original warranty card with the seal and date of sale, I will repeat the original one, and not the usual A4 paper with which any service center will refuse to service you.
If the seller does not want to fill out the original warranty card, then be sure that the camera is "gray", which was not officially imported into the territory of the Russian Federation in another language, stay away from such equipment.
Usually, checking a new camera when buying in a store on your own does not give a result, since in joy you will not think much, for this take a person with a technical bias as your partner, there must be someone with you who is not interested in buying a thing.
And forget about the number of megapixels when choosing a camera, a huge number of megapixels will not affect the quality of shooting in any way. Remember, a person takes pictures and a camera is just a tool, when you master all the basics of shooting about which I wrote, then beautiful artistic photographs will be obtained.
And the number of megapixels is just a marketing ploy for ordinary people to get more money out of us. So do not lose your head when checking the camera in the store and do not buy such equipment from your hands, it is better to pay extra and buy new, used equipment is not just sold, think about it.
If you are going to buy a lens for your new camera, then I have already talked about the right choice and gave recommendations on which lens to buy is best. That's all, write your comments, ask and subscribe to the newsletter of instructive articles from me and travel-picture.ru
