So, you are about to buy a new camera. How to properly check a camera before purchasing so that you don’t get a defective one, and how to avoid becoming a victim of deception? In this article we will look at the basic rules for checking cameras. We will mainly talk about models with interchangeable optics. However, most of the advice will also be valid for checking compacts.

Getting ready to buy

To make a successful purchase, it is better to prepare at home before going to the store to buy a camera.

Be clear about the model. Make sure it is not outdated and still relevant. Study the information about it on the manufacturer’s website: have newer models of the same class come out with better characteristics? Study customer reviews about the selected camera on the Internet. Finding reviews is very easy. Just open any search engine and type “Camera such and such reviews” in the search bar.

Where to buy a camera? To minimize the risk of fraud when purchasing, it is best to buy a camera in stores whose reputation you do not doubt. You should not buy where it is suspiciously cheap. Most likely, they sell goods from “gray” batches that do not have an official guarantee, or even used items under the guise of new ones.

Don’t expect sales assistants in a regular store to really help you choose something. It is important to understand that their task is not to find you the best camera, but to make the most profitable deal.

The best store option is the manufacturer's company store. Here you will definitely not have any problems with the warranty. The sellers are professional and always ready to help.

If you are new to photography and do not yet have a very good understanding of photographic equipment, you should not buy used cameras. It is quite difficult to check them; they may have many hidden defects. If you decide to buy a used camera, you need to check its mileage: how many shots have already been taken with it. We will talk about this below.

When checking a camera, it is better to have an understanding of its controls. Download the instructions from the manufacturer’s website and study them. See how shooting modes are selected, how shutter speed, aperture and light sensitivity are adjusted, how to enable burst shooting, how autofocus is turned on and off, how image quality is adjusted, and how focus points are selected. If you are a beginner and do not yet know anything about shooting parameters, it is better to invite someone with you to the store who can help you set up the camera for a complete check.

Keep in mind that cameras are almost always sold without a memory card included. Make sure you have a memory card with you.

It is more convenient to check the quality of test images on a large screen. If possible, take your laptop with you to view images on it.

Checking the camera

So, we're in the store. In front of us is a box with the desired camera. How to check the camera yourself? Let's figure it out.

Visual inspection

Inspect the box: there should be no mechanical damage. Find the warranty card in the box. Check that this is the official warranty card of the manufacturer, and not a guarantee from a third-party service center, as is often the case with unofficial “gray” supplies of photographic equipment. Check the serial numbers on the packaging, camera and warranty card. Check the package. There should be no traces of use on the equipment. Everything should be wrapped in bags. There should be no fingerprints on anything, much less scratches. If traces of use are found, do not listen to the seller’s comments, but simply request another copy without traces of use.

If you buy a camera with a lens, check the lens lenses for scratches or dust inside. Install the lens on the camera. There should be no play: the lens must be fixed tightly.

Testing camera mechanics

After the visual inspection, we move on to testing the camera.

Install the battery and memory card, turn on the camera. If the battery is discharged to zero, it is worth charging it at least a little. Take a few test shots in automatic mode. Check if the built-in flash is working.

Check operation during continuous shooting. Turn on continuous shooting, hold down the shutter button: the camera will continuously take pictures while the button is held by the photographer. Take a small series of pictures - five or six. This way we will check the functionality of the camera shutter.

Checking the camera for defective pixels

It is important to check the camera sensor for dead and hot pixels. What are dead and hot pixels? You may have already encountered them on computer monitors. A dead pixel is a non-working element of the camera matrix. In photographs it will appear as a bright dot in all photographs. A hot pixel will not be noticeable under standard shooting conditions, but when shooting at a slow shutter speed or high ISO, it will turn into a colored dot in the photo. The appearance of a certain number of hot pixels is acceptable when shooting at high ISO values ​​and when using multi-second shutter speeds, but it is a warning sign if they appear already at fairly low ISO values ​​and when using shutter speeds around 1/60 s.

How to check your camera for dead and hot pixels? Here is a detailed algorithm of actions:

Cover the camera lens with a cap. Shooting must be done with the lid closed to get a black frame. On a black background, all defective pixels will be clearly visible.

Turn on your camera's shutter priority mode (S).

Set the image quality to JPEG at maximum quality.

• Disable autofocus: it will not allow you to take a picture with the lens cap closed.

• Set the shutter speed to 1/25 sec and minimum ISO. Typically this is ISO 100.

Take a photo. Examine it at 100% scale (this is important: otherwise the defects will not be visible). If extra dots appear on the black field of the photo, you should refuse to purchase this copy of the camera.

Now let’s complicate the task for the camera: lengthen the shutter speed to three seconds (on the camera screen it can be indicated as 3”) and raise the ISO to 800 units.

• Let's study the resulting frame. It is possible that hot pixels will appear on it: multi-colored dots. If there are one or two of them, it’s okay. If the bill goes into the tens, you should refuse to purchase this copy of the camera.

Examples of test images. Such images must be obtained by shooting with the lid closed at the above parameters. They must be viewed at 100% magnification to see the difference.

View illustrations in full scale.

By the way, defective pixels can be not only on the camera’s matrix, but also on its screen. Look carefully at the camera's LCD screen to see if they are there.

Back focus and front focus. What it is?

This is an autofocus error when the lens systematically focuses not at the specified point, but behind it (back focus) or in front of it (front focus). If you focus incorrectly, there may be no sharpness at the point you were focusing on. Only DSLR cameras have back and front focus. Compact and mirrorless cameras do not suffer from this defect, because their focusing system is designed differently. Back and front focus are not so scary for owners of top-end DSLR models: Nikon D7000 level or higher. In these cameras, you can fine-tune autofocus through the menu.

How to check the camera and lens for back and front focus?

Keep in mind:

Only a specialized service center can accurately diagnose the presence or absence of front and back focus. By the way, manufacturers do not consider it a defect. In a service center, autofocus can be easily adjusted.

It is important to understand that in practice, the photographer almost always “misses” with focusing (you also need to be able to focus correctly), while the camera does everything correctly. Therefore, if you systematically get blurry shots, think about whether you are handling the device correctly.

If you buy a camera complete with a lens that has a low aperture (for example, “whale” lenses 18-55 mm with aperture F/3.5-F5.6), then the presence or absence of front or back focus is unlikely to work notice both in the store and during further photography. Due to the large depth of field, possible focusing errors are leveled out. So owners of devices with “kit” lenses (with which the devices are sold as a set) should not worry about the problem of back and front focus.

However, if you buy a camera with a fast lens that requires greater focusing accuracy, you can check it for your own peace of mind as follows.

To do this, we just need to photograph some object with small details at an angle of 45 degrees. The test is best performed in natural daylight.

Let's set up the camera: set the mode to “A”, set the aperture to the openest. ISO can be set to “auto”.

Autofocus must be turned on.

Let's select a central focus point.

Let's select an object for shooting: it can be a piece of paper or a box with some letters, a newspaper, a ruler or a special test target.

Let's focus the central point on a predetermined place. It is important to remember exactly where you focused. In the case of a test target, it is necessary to focus strictly on the place intended for this. Usually this place says “Focus here”. We will use a sheet of paper in a square, drawing a straight line in the center of it. This is what we will focus on.

Let's take a few shots, about a dozen. We strictly make sure that the focusing point is exactly where we need to focus. Please note: Once the camera has focused, it cannot be moved forward or backward. After all, if the distance between the subject and the camera changes even by a millimeter, the focusing will be lost and the test will not be accurate. If you suspect that the camera is still making a mistake with focusing, take a few more test shots to make sure that the error appears systematically.

Let's study the pictures: if the focus on most frames of the series turned out to be exactly at the point on which we focused, then everything is in order. If the focus in all pictures has shifted forward or backward from this point, then the autofocus is missing.

How can you make sure that the camera you are selling is new and not used? How to see the mileage of a camera?

There are often cases when, under the guise of new equipment, unscrupulous sellers sell used equipment: display samples, devices returned by buyers. If you have suspicions that the camera being sold to you is not new, or you have deliberately decided to buy a used camera and want to evaluate its quality, it is worth checking the number of frames captured on the camera. In the case of a new camera, their number should be close to zero. In the case of used equipment, the higher the mileage, the worse the overall condition of the device and the more you can reduce its price when bargaining with the seller.

So, how can you see how many frames have already been taken on the camera? In the case of Canon cameras, checking the mileage is quite difficult: you will have to connect the camera to a computer and use special programs such as EOSinfo or the eoscount.com web application; here you need to study the issue separately for each camera model. In the case of Nikon devices, everything is much simpler. Just open any test image from the camera you are studying and look at the EXIF ​​data. It is important that the image you are studying is taken in Jpeg. You should not edit the test image in graphic editors: this way you can lose the necessary data. EXIF is shooting information written to a photo file. How to view EXIF ​​data? Brief information from EXIF ​​can be viewed in many programs, but we need to display detailed information. It is convenient to do this through web services. For example, through this regex.info/exif.cgi. Let's just upload the tested image there and the service will show us the EXIF ​​of this frame. We are interested in the “Shutter Count” column. It will record how many times the shutter was fired.

Manufacturers declare the operating life of the camera shutter: how many times a given shutter model can operate on average before its operating life is exhausted. This figure is very average: nothing prevents the shutter from working twice or three times longer forever. However, only by it can we judge the overall reliability of the shutter and, in general, the entire contents of the camera as a whole. Of course, the more serious the device, the longer the life of its shutter.

In the case of amateur cameras, the shutter life is usually about 50-100 thousand operations. More advanced models have around 100-150 thousand operations. And professional equipment has more than 150 thousand. If you buy a used camera and see that its mileage is close to the stated shutter life, then most likely such a camera will not last long and will soon need repairs.

How to check a DSLR camera when purchasing

From time to time I get asked questions “how to check a DSLR?”, “what to check?”, “how to find out the mileage”, and now while I was writing an answer to a similar question I received the following message:

I think this reminder will be useful.

I'm one of those people who doesn't like to spend more money if I can save it. I only bought new DSLR cameras in a store twice (and this was because the price had already jumped, and in our city they had not yet updated the price tag). One way or another, I prefer to take a working camera from an adequate person for 20-40% cheaper than the cost of a new one. The question always arises: “how to check the camera?” There was a case when I bought a camera myself, and the matrix in it was damaged (it was burned out when shooting a video, thanks to lasers for that), by the way, it shot no worse, I just put a patch in LR and synchronized it frame by frame.

WHERE TO START?

For many, having all the receipts and documents is important (I’m not one of them, but it’s always a nice bonus), if this is important to you, then check that all the numbers on the pieces of paper match the numbers on the camera. Nikon (just write/call technical support) and Canon () have online camera checks for their “dullness”.

APPEARANCE

First of all, you should inspect the camera. If there are abrasions, chips, or dents, you need to clarify how they were received, don’t be afraid of stupid questions.

On my camera with a mileage of 350,000 frames, the rubber bands came off (hello, Nikon! This is a standard problem for them), there were small scratches on the bottom (when you put the camera on the table, willy-nilly, small scratches remain), abrasions from the belt and unloading, and there were also a couple of stripes on the flash. Those. nothing special, it doesn’t affect the way she shoots, just aesthetics. You definitely need to check all the switches and displays, everything should work flawlessly.

BATTERY

Modern SLR cameras do not have problems with power supply; even a simple modern digital SLR camera can take 800-1000 frames. Even if the battery discharges quickly, there are now many good analogues that cost an order of magnitude cheaper than the original, so this is not the most important point. But the condition of the contacts inside the battery compartment should be inspected for rust (if you fill the camera with water, you won’t expect anything good).

CAMERA RUN/SHUTTER TEST

But now you need to find out the mileage of the cameras (the number of shutter times). The shutter itself is a very reliable thing, for example, on my Nikon d700 camera it lasted about 350-380 thousand operations, then I sold the camera, and it is still alive, another example - the Nikon D3s holds and does not assemble, but on its The account already has 800 thousand positives. In general, it’s worth looking at the statistics here - statistics on shutter releases for SLR cameras.

How to find out Nikon shutter mileage

Nikon does not hide data on how many shutter releases are made; in exif you can view this data using the ShowExif_06-16beta () program

We see that the mileage is only 209,539 frames, for Nikon D4 this is nothing.

For MAC OS users, there is a standard program “viewer.app” - open the image in it and press the command + I combination, go to the “Nikon” tab and look at the “number of releases” item.

How to find out Canon shutter mileage

It's not that simple with Canon. Only when connecting the camera to a running computer.

A little theory.

Mainly used in digital SLR cameras phase detection autofocus. There is a sensor installed in the camera, and it is with its help that phase focusing occurs. This is a fairly complex system that should work in harmony, but sometimes deviations occur. The result of these deviations will be repeated autofocus errors, which are called back-focus and front-focus.

Back focus— the camera regularly focuses not on the object, but behind it. Front focus, the camera regularly focuses in front of the subject.

It is worth noting that the presence of back and front focus means systematic errors with focusing; if one frame turns out to be sharp and the other is not, then the problem should be looked for elsewhere.

A clear problem with back and front focus is visible when working with high-aperture optics (especially portrait ones, for example, 50mm, 85mm, etc.) - the depth of field will be very small, in this case, disturbances in autofocus operation will be clearly noticeable. Errors in focusing can be compensated for by a large depth of field (), for example, if you set it to f/3.5, f/5.6, f/8, and so on.

By turning on Live View mode in your DSLR camera, you can use contrast autofocus type, with this type of focusing there cannot be back and front focus, since its operation does not require separate sensors; focusing goes directly through the matrix of the digital camera.

CHECKING FOCUS ACCURACY

Adequate a conclusion about the presence or absence of back and front focuses can be given by an authorized equipment manufacturer service center. But preliminary You can do the testing yourself, it’s not difficult, here is a simple way to check:

As mentioned above, if you see a repeating focusing error in all frames, then most likely you have back or front focus - this can be easily fixed in a service center, and some advanced cameras have fine-tuned autofocus (if there is no I’m too lazy to tell you about this someday, but I’ll tell you the secret right away - the whole procedure is described in the instructions).

If there are other problems with autofocus than those described above, I recommend studying the problem in more detail and thinking about buying a camera. The best thing to do is send the camera to a service center.

PS. There are targets for testing, for example, spyderlenscal (4500-6000 rubles).

If in doubt, ask competent people for help. Good luck!

How to properly check a camera when purchasing it. Nobody wants to buy a new camera only to find it is defective! I will try to outline in this article the basic rules for checking cameras. We will mainly talk about models with interchangeable lenses. Although, most of the points are also relevant for checking so-called “soap boxes” or compacts.

Before purchasing, try to decide on the model yourself. Don’t trust sellers - their job is to sell more profitably, and you need a camera for specific purposes and tasks. It is better to contact a large store with a stable history of existence. Perhaps in your city there is a branded store of a certain manufacturer - it’s more reliable there. Inquire about the availability of service in your city and the possibility of repairing this model.

Professionals sometimes take a laptop with them to the store to check the quality of shots. Not sure if you will do the same, but keep it in mind. If they allow you to check, take a laptop.

How to check the camera. Visual inspection

Start your inspection with the packaging box - mechanical damage even on it is not a very good sign. Make sure you have a manufacturer's warranty. This is not the same thing as a service center guarantee. The presence of a service center warranty in the absence of even mention of the manufacturer’s warranty indicates most likely the illegal origin of the product. Carefully check the numbers in the model and serial number on the camera and on the warranty card.

There should be no marks on the camera body itself, the packaging bags are intact, the screen is protected with a sticker. There should be no traces of fingers or scratches. Inspect the screw connections; you will not see any tool marks if everything is in order. Make sure the memory card and battery compartments open and close easily. Internal compartments must have intact seals. There are rubber pads in the grip area, so they don’t come off.

The slightest deviation from the parameters listed above is a clear reason to be wary. In principle, if such signs are detected, you can safely demand a replacement of the camera. If a separate lens is purchased for the selected camera, we perform the same operation with it.

When you are satisfied with the appearance, move on to the next stage. We put the lens on the camera. We check for any backlash.

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Mechanical check

Mechanical testing includes the following:

• We check how freely the battery and memory card are installed.
• We turn on the camera.
• The battery charge may be at zero, then you need to recharge a little.
• We take several shots in “automatic” mode and check how the flash fires.
• We turn on burst shooting, hold down the shutter camera until 5-6 frames are taken in a row (this is done to check the functionality of the shutter).

How to check the camera matrix

Checking for dead and hot pixels

When wondering how to check a camera when purchasing, you definitely need to remember to check the pixels. In simple terms, dead pixels are non-functioning pixels that will appear on your photo as small colored dots. They are bad because they will be present in absolutely all frames in the same place. Usually you won’t even notice this if you don’t know about the presence of such a problem. But sometimes it happens that they overlap some important object.

To check the camera matrix for dead pixels:

You need to disable noise reduction through the camera menu (if you don’t know how, ask the seller), after checking, do not forget to enable this function.
Set the camera to manual shooting mode “M”
Switching the focus to manual "MF" mode,

The test is performed with the lens cap closed. The sensitivity is ISO-800, the shutter speed is a few seconds, meaning you need to press the camera's shutter and take a picture.

If you find a small number of colored dots, then remember their location and set other settings: ISO-200, shutter speed - 1/800 or shorter.

How to check a camera for dead pixels - examples of these are circled

Look at the resulting image again. If the dots remain, these are “broken” pixels and they will be in these places in all your pictures. If they have disappeared, these are “hot” pixels, and they will appear only at long shutter speeds and high ISO values, i.e. when the matrix gets very hot.

Depending on their number, decide whether to buy a camera.

Stains or dust on the sensor

In order to check the matrix for dust or stains, which can occur even on new cameras, you need to:

• Find a plain, light-colored surface - for example, a white A4 sheet.
• Take a photograph of this surface.

The resulting photo should not have any dark spots, the surface should be the same monochromatic as in life. If there are stains, do not buy this camera, since cleaning the matrix is ​​a paid service, and there is no point in starting to use the camera with this.

Checking autofocus performance

You need to turn on auto mode. Switch the camera to spot focus mode (if you can select a focus point in the viewfinder, then it is already selected).
Select a center point.

The center focus point looks like this

Aim the center focus point at your chosen subject and press the shutter button halfway. The camera will focus, then press the button all the way and take a photo.

Focus on different objects one by one, and choose different options to remove these objects. Those objects at which you were aiming (the place where the focus point was pointed in the viewfinder) should be sharp, closer and further ones may be blurred.

You can do the following experiment. You will need to take a dozen frames at an angle of 45 degrees of some object with small details. The test is best performed in natural daylight.

Let's set the mode to “A”, set the aperture to the openest. ISO can be set to “auto”.

Autofocus must naturally be turned on.

Let's select a central focus point.

Let's select an object for shooting: it can be a piece of paper or a box with some letters, a newspaper, a ruler or a special test target.

Let's focus the central point on a predetermined place. It is important to remember exactly where you focused. In the case of a test target, it is necessary to focus strictly on the place intended for this. Usually this place says “Focus here”. We will use a sheet of checkered paper, drawing a straight line in the center of it. This is what we will focus on.

We strictly make sure that the focusing point is exactly where we need to focus. Please note: Once the camera has focused, it cannot be moved forward or backward. After all, if the distance between the subject and the camera changes even by a millimeter, the focusing will be lost and the test will not be accurate. If you suspect that the camera is still making a mistake with focusing, take a few more test shots to make sure that the error appears systematically.

Let's study the pictures: if the focus on most frames of the series turned out to be exactly at the point on which we focused, then everything is in order. If the focus in all pictures has shifted forward or backward from this point, then the autofocus is missing.

Correctly. It can be seen that the focus is exactly where we were aiming: on the black line

Front focus: focus “ran” forward.

Back focus: the focus was behind the line, not on it.

How to check the mileage of a camera?

There are cases when, under the guise of new equipment, an unscrupulous seller sells used equipment. This can be a display sample or a return from the buyer. To avoid this situation, it is worth double-checking the number of frames captured. If the camera is new, then the number of frames should naturally be close to zero.

You can verify the number of frames on different cameras in different ways.

• In Canons this is very difficult: you need to connect the camera to a computer and use special programs like EOSinfo or the eoscount.com web application.
• In the case of Nikon devices, everything is much simpler. Just open any test image from the camera you are studying and look at the EXIF ​​data. It is important that the image you are studying is taken in Jpeg. You should not edit the test image in graphic editors: this way you can lose the necessary data. EXIF is shooting information written to a photo file.

How to view EXIF ​​data? Brief information from EXIF ​​can be viewed in many programs, but we need to display detailed information. It is convenient to do this through web services. For example, through this regex.info/exif.cgi. Let's just upload the tested image there and the service will show us the EXIF ​​of this frame. We are interested in the “Shutter Count” column. It will record how many times the shutter was fired.

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I received several questions about the camera verification algorithm. I can’t say that I have much experience buying cameras, but I will try to model the situation based on my experience. I’ll say right away that a lot will be “transferred” from the article about lenses.

Before going into a tedious description of the verification process again, I would like to discuss one issue and make one quiet statement.

The basic question of philosophy as applied to the amateur photographer is: “New or used?” This applies to almost all possible purchases related to the hobby of photography. But when applied to cameras, the question sounds most intrusive. The situation with digital cameras over the past couple of years has been reminiscent of the computer market, where the “life cycle” of a new product is literally measured in months, and the differences in the next product are often so insignificant that they seem only an excuse to increase the price.

But “keeping one or two steps behind the new products,” unlike the computer market, is almost impossible in the camera market: sales and production are calculated in such a way that after the release of a new model, there is no old one left. Therefore, there are no stores with “stale” cameras from last year’s model at a sweet price.

So is it worth buying a new camera and paying a premium, knowing that the next model will be released in just a few months? The answer is clear only for people who are pathologically intolerant of second-hand things J

Used camera.

Arguments against":

There is a possibility of buying a “dead” camera, with its service life almost exhausted (the main danger lies in the “mechanical” parts: the shutter and the shutter button).

Lack of warranty (although cameras with remaining warranty are often sold)

Hidden faults. (The camera was repaired, does not work correctly in some modes, was “dried out” after getting wet + a thousand other possible ones).

Arguments for":

Money saved (will allow you to buy another toy or, in the worst case, will compensate for repairs if something breaks)

Cost of ownership (significantly less money will be lost by selling the camera. And in 90% of cases the camera will be sold J)

Lack of warranty (paradoxical, but this is also a plus: you don’t need to contact service centers, waste time on bickering - and what kind of warranty repair in Russia is there without bickering? A private master can easily be found, who for money incomparable with the service center and - again - with more responsible for making repairs as soon as possible).

Psychological barrier. (A serious argument in favor if your acquaintance with photography is just beginning: there is no fear of a new thing - treating the camera immediately as a tool)

New camera:

Just turn over the pros and cons of a used one and add to the “cons” the possibility of buying a defective camera, and to the “pros” the positive emotions of a new thing.

What conclusion did I draw for myself? I haven’t done it yet... Or rather, at the level of logic, I’m in favor of buying a used camera. But on the emotional level - I went and bought a new Canon 5D mark II - well, I really wanted to... Although there was an excuse: the time had come for my son to “transition” to a full-format sensor - he got my Canon 5D (by the way! – bought second-hand).

Enough of the lyrics. Now to the statement.

I declare: It is impossible, either in a store or at an appointment to purchase a used camera, to FULLY test a modern SLR camera. The number of functions, settings and abilities is such that you need to spend more than one day to thoroughly check them.

It remains to determine which main functions you need to pay attention to. So, on to checking the camera.

The first rule: don’t be afraid to seem “boring”: immediately discuss the possibility of checking the camera and the time required for this. Choose a place that is convenient for checking. I already stated the reason in “Tips for checking lenses”:

Photography for me is a hobby that brings a lot of joy. But frankly speaking, a hobby also requires financial expenses. The thoroughness of the check is caused precisely by the desire to receive joy, and not a lot of negative emotions due to the purchase of an “unsatisfactory” camera at best, and at worst an obviously defective copy, of which - believe me - there are very, very many both at flea markets and in stores.

So, what would I take with me for testing:

Laptop. In principle, it is difficult to see anything on the camera monitor, and my eyesight has also let us down. So only with a laptop. And when buying a camera, you definitely need to check whether it works “correctly” with the computer.

Magnifying glass

Small LED flashlight

An empty memory card of the appropriate type (be sure to format the card with an external card reader, and format it again in the camera you are testing)

Now the algorithm itself:

Carefully inspect and test the camera before checking functionality. Spend 5 minutes turning the camera in your hands. What to look for?

Completeness. For a new one: the presence of everything that should be present (bayonet cap, belt, battery, charger, cord for connecting to a computer, warranty card). For a used one: how close is the completeness to the store-bought item? Is the eyecup present and are all plugs in place? It is not a fact that a “store” kit will guarantee careful handling of the equipment; the opposite may also be true: the camera was bought by a professional for the purpose of further resale after active use, but even in this case, it is still more pleasant to buy the item as a complete set. For me, completeness (the presence of boxes, receipts and documents, even old ones) is also important as proof that the camera is not stolen: the likelihood of a lens being stolen with a box and documents is much lower.

Appearance. Rubber bands, abrasions, scratches, integrity. Pay special attention to the place where your hand “grips” and the shutter button. The polished plastic clearly shows that the camera has been heavily used - no matter what the seller says. The abrasion of the “shoe” of the external flash (especially on older Canon models, where the shoe was originally painted with black paint) should not be embarrassing - on the corners the paint wears off after 10-20 uses of the flash. On Nikon cameras, the sore spot is the peeling rubber bands on the body. Pay attention to belt: “worn” should correspond to the declared mileage. Look at the elastic band of the eyecup. Using a magnifying glass for inspection, look carefully at the bolts on the body - sometimes you can understand by the torn slots and scratches that the camera has been disassembled, which means it has been repaired. Turn the camera in your hands , is there any part loose inside? Look at the bayonet mount - have you often changed the lenses on the camera?

External functionality. How to attach the lens? Is there excessive play where the lens mounts to the camera? “Turn” the wheels and “switch” the levers: there should be no looseness or difficulties. How the battery compartment and memory card compartment covers open/close (special attention to the latter).

Internal view. There's not much to see, but a flashlight will still come in handy. It is unlikely that the owner will allow you to look inside the camera: whether you buy it or not is not yet clear, and after looking at it he will probably have to clean the matrix... Shine a flashlight inside the memory card compartment: look carefully to see if the “antennae” have been bent - repairing this unit is not cheap, but They “bend” their antennae very often.

This is where the lyrics end and physics begins... Ideally, you need to find the user manual for the camera you plan to buy in advance (it’s easily found on the Internet) and study it for a day.

Let's start checking the functionality.

Be sure to take with you the lens that you use most often, the accuracy of which you are confident in the alignment (unless you are afraid of the process of “re-aligning” all lenses for a new camera). If you don’t have a lens, ask the seller to grab one for checking; if that doesn’t work, borrow it from a friend. Checking a camera without a lens is like checking a car with an empty gas tank: only the appearance, the operation of the starter and battery.

On/off. While checking the camera with the lens attached, turn it on and off several times. Look at the image on the camera display to see if there are any dead/hot pixels: it doesn’t affect the functionality of the camera, but it will be annoying later, and it’s a good reason to “bargain” if you’re buying a used camera.

Look long and carefully through the viewfinder to see if you can see dust particles or other debris. Again, it doesn’t affect functionality, but it’s annoying, it’s not easy to clean it yourself, and it’s a reason to bargain...

Focusing. The process repeats the process of checking the focus and sharpness of the lens (see the section “How to check the lens?”) with one addition: check at least two focusing points (the central one and any other of your choice) and the functionality of the autofocus tracking.

Works in fully automatic mode. Even if you are a “sophisticated” amateur photographer and the very thought of shooting “automatically” is abhorrent, switch to the hated “green” sector and take a few photos. One of them is in a dark scene, when the built-in flash (if present) should fire automatically.

White balance. Take multiple photos of the same scene (no longer in automatic mode), changing the in-camera white balance settings. The pictures must be different.

Excerpts. Go to shutter priority mode (Tv for Canon) and take several pictures at different shutter speeds. In this mode, take a couple of pictures to check for dead and hot pixels on the matrix: set the shutter speed to 3 - 5 seconds, ISO 800, focus on some object and - holding the shutter button half-pressed - put the lens cap on the lens, then press the button .

The same check, but for the aperture (Aperture priority mode Av for Canon). And in this mode, take a couple of pictures to check if the matrix is ​​dirty: aim at a light, uniform object at aperture 22 and take a picture.

Set the shooting mode to “Serial” and take a series of photos.

Turn off the camera. I hope you remember which snapshots you took to test which section of functionality? No? It would be a good idea to record as you go... Turn off the camera, connect the USB cable and start downloading photos to the laptop (by the way, we’ll also check the connection to the computer). Some camera models are not visible to the computer as removable disks and you can download photos from them only with the appropriate drivers. If this is your case, then a card reader will help.

The computer must have the following programs: showexif or a similar viewer (located and downloaded on the Internet), dead&hotpixeltest (also on the Internet), programs for checking the frame counter taken by the camera (you need to search on the Internet, and it’s not a fact that you will find it) . By the way, if you buy Nikon, then the number of shutter operations can be easily found at the bottom of the exif viewer, but for older Canon models no program will help - only the service can “pull out” this information.

Have you downloaded it? Now look at the accuracy and performance of autofocus, at the difference in pictures with different white balance settings, at the presence of dirt on the matrix.

Run “Dead and Hot Pixel Test” and check for dead and hot pixels. Some amount may be present. “Remapping” hot and broken pixels will cost you from 1000 rubles. The verification algorithm is described in the corresponding article - about broken and hot pixels.

The process has already dragged on for an hour, right? You probably did everything that could be done in the field. If there are no complaints, buy it. Yes, refuse and look further. The number of functions in the camera is such that simply “sorting through” them will require more than a working day, so it’s a lottery. By following the procedure described above, you have increased your chances of winning.

When buying a camera, new or second hand, it doesn’t matter; any sane person has a legitimate question: how to check a camera when purchasing? Of course, if this is a digital camera, then everything is quite simple, but what to do if you are buying the first DSLR in your life? Checking a DSLR camera when purchasing can cause natural difficulties. Today we will talk to you about what to look for when buying a new compact or DSLR camera. We will talk to you about how to check a used camera when purchasing it in a separate article.

Appearance

Yes, even new devices need to be checked for external condition. There should be no chips, dents, cracks or abrasions on the body. The camera should look like new. Even now, there are cases of fraud when, instead of a new camera, unscrupulous sellers push a used copy to a gullible buyer. To prevent this from happening, try to buy cameras in trusted and popular stores.

But even if the seller has proven himself for a long time, be more careful. Those who have ever seen boxes of digital equipment being unloaded will understand why. Let's just say that this is usually not the most careful process, during which boxes can fall, become deformed, and so on. This may not affect the equipment in any way, but it’s worth checking again.

Controls

Everything is simple here: the buttons must be pressed and work correctly, the display/displays must display information correctly. It is especially worth paying attention to the main (for compact cameras - the only) display. Take a photo and see if there are any defects in its display on the screen.

Sometimes digital displays exhibit so-called “broken” and “burning” pixels. Take a photo at the lowest ISO in a dark room or with the lens cap on, and then view the image on the display. If you see green/red dots on it, then you should consider a different camera. Of course, dead display pixels are not such a serious problem; they are more annoying than anything else, but why do you need these unnecessary worries, because you are buying a new camera, which means everything should be fine with it.

Performance

The next type of camera check when purchasing is a test of its performance. Try to photograph everything around, evaluate the performance of the focus and the camera itself. If you want to do a more thorough check of your DSLR camera when purchasing, here's what you need to do next.

Check the matrix for dead pixels. These are not at all the dead pixels that may appear on the screen. The bottom line is that dead pixels of the matrix will appear as green/purple dots in the resulting image. Do you understand? This is much worse than dead screen pixels. How can you find out what state the matrix is ​​in? In general, everything is simple. You need to shoot a black image with minimum ISO settings and noise reduction turned off. To get a black image, just cover the lens with a cap. Then the resulting image should be viewed on the monitor (ideally). If the dots are visible, then you should look towards another instance of the camera. It is worth noting that sometimes they talk about a certain “acceptable number” of dead pixels. This means that if you find dead pixels after purchasing a camera and there are only a few of them, it is unlikely that they will exchange your camera for another one. Therefore, be careful when purchasing.

Check the camera-lens combination for back/front focus. A favorite topic for many. Simply put, this is a check that when taking photographs, autofocus works as it should - it hits exactly the objects you are aiming at. If objects that should have been in focus turn out blurry in the photo, then one of the possible reasons for this is improper autofocus operation. A simple test for this problem is to simply shoot at the widest aperture. For close and distant targets. If there are no complaints about the sharpness of the main objects in the frame, then most likely everything is working correctly.

However, there are many more labor-intensive ways to check the camera for back/front focus. The simplest of them is as follows. You take and print a special target (focus test target - full size), install the camera on a tripod, place the target on a horizontal surface, tilt the camera so that the angle between it and the sheet is 45 degrees. After that, focus on the central point at the very center of the target and take a shot. Or better yet, a few frames. You need to refocus before each shot. Is there an autofocus shift and how strong can you see in the image?

I took a photo as an example. I did it by hand. In general, the result is not bad, but you need to understand that sometimes even cameras with correctly working autofocus in the hands of a beginner can miss these targets. Therefore, it is always better to check against real objects.

How to check a camera when purchasing?

We looked at the main points of checking a camera when purchasing, focusing on SLR cameras. If you buy a point-and-shoot camera, many of the checks will not be needed: checking the matrix, back/front focus - this is not relevant for compacts. And checking a SLR camera when purchasing after this article should become a more understandable process for you. I hope you found this article helpful in some way. Good luck with your choice!

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