buying from KEH

Nope. At least, not necessarily.

Keep in mind, however, that KEH criteria are merely cosmetic. If the item looks good and seems to be working well, they'll call it as they should: EX. They have other scales, of which BGN is a strange one: items marked as such (BGN=bargain) may be a bit rough looking, but in perfect condition otherwise. In other words, if you remember that they're mostly addressing looks, you'll do fine.

Again, EX doesn't mean necessarily that you'll need to send the item for a CLA.
 
I have made several purchases with KEH and find that their grading system is very conservative. If you buy something that is described as "Excellent" or "Excellent +", it will be in excellent condition throughout, both cosmetically and funcionally. I have never had any problems with KEH and all second hand equipment I bought is functionning as it should and very clean. What most sellers would describe as "mint", KEH will rate as "Excellent +". Several years ago I bought a Bronica lens in "Excellent +" condition and I could honestly not distinguish it from a new lens, save for the missing box and warranty papers.

Buy with confidence. I understand they have a great return policy in case you find their description doesn't match what they sent you, although personally I've never had to request a refund. Expect a CLA only for "bargain" grade equipment.
 
As the people above me have described, buy with confidence. I only buy from KEH unless my local store has something neat. I bought a 35mm 2.5 nikkor in LTM in their bargain condition and could not be happier. Also my summicron "yellow glass" in LTM was bargain condition and it is the best lens I have ever owned. KEH is wonderful with purchases, I recommend them to everyone. Best of luck, Ben
 
We have sold a lot of stuff to KEH over the years, many thousands of dollars. The buyer visits us, and he does a cursory evaluation and general operational check on each item - hey it will be THEIRS.

Most items we sell to them rate as excellent, and that is how I generally rate stuff we take in on trade.

Most items you have in your collection would rate EXC unless they are REALLLLLY NICE (or bad), and this is how we view most items we take in.

The differences between EXC+ and EXC can be very small, in fact, almost indistinguishable in my experience.

Any item rated as EXC or above should be operational, the meter may be off a smidge, since generally there is no easy way to check that in the field, for example.

Our experience and that of our customers is that KEH is pretty straight and generally fair in valuations. However, I don't think personally, a $30 offering for a Nikon N65 (Canon Rebel G) is 'fair', but that is where the market is these days.

Pretty hard to complain about the cost of even good 35mm gear these days. I remember, not long ago, when a Nikon N65 retailed for at least $100 new.......
 
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I recently bought an EX Leica camera from KEH. It looked it as it had new top and bottom covers, but some of the innards are worn, and frame spacing is off and overlapping. So this one needs more than CLA. But KEH is nice on the phone, and accepts returns or 6-month warranty repair. I think they have every intention of selling you a properly working camera. If a clinker makes it to you through their system by mistake, they will make good.
 
Even so, KEH guarantees a properly working camera. If you buy an older camera, it might work properly, but not as smoothly as it possibly could—proper versus optimal operating condition. I think it is a good idea to save some money aside for a CLA if you are hoping for optimal working condition, which also ensures the best lifespan for your camera. If you don't need the CLA, great.
 
suedgar said:
how much does a CLA usually cost?
Click to expand...

$150-$250 on a body, depending on what kind of camera is it and who fixes it (some shops charge more than others). $25-$100 on a lens depending on the same factors above. Some lenses are much easier than others to take apart and work on....hence the big price spread.
 
I've purchased several EX and EX+ M/R items from KEH over the last few years and I've never been disappointed by either the cosmetic or the functional state of anything.

I've seen stuff at Adorama graded at either E+ or "demo" that's not come close to the EX lenses and bodies I've gotten from KEH.

Never had to send anything back to them, but it's a nice safety net to know that it can be returned without a hassle.
 
I've bought some MF stuff from KEH - all EX or better - and frankly most of it looked almost new. Everything was fully functional. I'd say you can rely on this except possibly with really vintage gear that may have seen a lot of wear, in which case you *might* consider a CLA necessary, or just return it.
 
thanks all. I am convinced and have placed my order.

However,:bang:, UPS shipping to Singapore where I live is very expensive, almost a quarter of the camera price. Can anyone tell me if USPS is reliable enough to do the job?
 
UPS shipping outside the US via KEH is expensive! The most expensive dealer I've come across.

You should be fine with USPS. I've had items shipped to Australia no problem but expect two weeks to receive goods, as opposed to 3-5 working days with UPS.
 
My experiences with KEH are the same as others, excellent. I now check KEH before bidding on the auction site. KEH's prices are competitve and often lower than the final bid and, unlike most sellers on the auction site, KEH gives a warranty
 
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