Hellobee Boards

I bought my Canon rebel xsi refurbished off adorama. That was 2 years ago and no problems with it. I almost want to say it's better, because you know it's been inspected to work properly. I also bought a used lens off Ebay about a month ago with no problems.

Yay for getting the new D3200! Big fan of Nikon. =) There are a few points to be aware of when buying new or used DSLRs on the web, and refurbished DSLR equipment in general:

1. When buying new OR refurbished DSLRs online, it pays to stay with AUTHORIZED sellers of cameras.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en_US/IMG/Images/Corporate/Where-to-Buy/Nikon_Authorized_Dealers.pdf

These places will honor Nikon warranties, and will also carry Nikon-refurbished gear that carry the 90-day warranties that can give you additional peace of mind when getting a refurb.

2. Watch out for places that sell new DSLR gear for a few hundred less than all of the other stores: there exists a ton of "bait-and-switch" stores (based out of Brooklyn, NY, apparently) where they claim the best prices, almost close to refurb prices, for new gear. They charge your card, then tell you that it's out of stock and force you to either purchase a higher model, or make you wait indefinitely to refund your card. A nightmare that lots of budget conscious families have succumbed to (since Google Shopper and search engines show them as the best prices. Beware of those stores!

3. The easiest way to avoid these is to go with the best, most reputable stores for DSLR purchases:

-Amazon (make sure you're ordering from Amazon.com as the supplier)
-Newegg
-Adorama
-B&H
-Cameta Camera

The last three are well known in photography circles as having excellent customer service a their brick & mortar stores, and that carries over to their online business. Buying a refurb is pretty safe with these stores, without a doubt.

4. As for refurbs themselves, for camera bodies, a refurbished Nikon camera is completely safe, as long as they carry the 90 day warranty. If there are any serious problems with the camera body, it will likely appear within those 90 days: if not, it's likely that your camera will be functional like a new one. Some people feel that refurbs are even better than new in that they've been inspected twice and much more closely to bring it to saleable, functional condition. I'd be less inclined to buy a refurbished lens (glass is far more delicate and susceptible to permanent damage).

So yeah! Glad to hear you're getting the camera...! One thing to remember though, is that the D3200 does NOT do wireless file transfer by itself - that function is optional and requires the WU-1a adapter (around $60 dollars), a separate app for your phone, and the adapter sticks out of the camera as you have to have it plugged in.

Transfer of pictures to your phone is smooth, but using it for anything else (remote trigger, settings change, live preview) have had some mixed reviews. Just a heads up: it's such a new technology that Nikon might still be working out the kinks! Hope this helps. =)

@PrincessBaby: Yay! very excited for you... that setup will practically shoot amazing photos by itself! be sure to post pics... =)

You know my opinion, I just wanted to pop in to say that I can't wait to see all of the awesome pictures you take of H.

@PrincessBaby: sweet deal on the body... and yep! that is the right lens you're looking for. go for it!

... lol: shopping while in the wine... a very dangerous way to shop for exciting camera gear. heh. =)