Used nikon d4 with 15k actuations?

swamesp

Found an ad at a nearby location for a Nikon D4 with 15k actuations, what could be a ball park amount that I could ask for?
I'm gonna go for a quick inspection, anything specific that I should look for?

The photo on the ad has scratches on the body, not worried about it as long as it's not abused. Any suggestions?

thanks!

Golf007sd

What is the D4 being listed for? I would not pay more than $4600 for it.

swamesp

Yeah it's the D4... I think the value listed is too good to be true. The asking price is around 50% of what you have mentioned...

I've texted the # in the ad, let me see what kinda scam it turns out to be.

Thanks!

Golf007sd

It is a scam. If you do meet them..make sure it is in a public area and do not take any cash with you until you have fully examined the body. Get the serial number and make sure it is also not an import model unless you are living out of the USA yourself.

Do not become a victim.

ThomasHorton

Deals that are too good to be true.. are.

Postman

At the very least I expect there to be something seriously wrong with the body that you can't necessarily see.

I recently sold a D800 that had impact damage. It would have cost me £1400 to fix (I sent it to Nikon to have a look at) BUT it worked perfectly 95% of the time and externally, you simply couldn't tell.

P.S. I sold it and was totally up front with it's condition by the way! Someone got a bargain.

spraynpray

You have to temper the urge to grab with the thought: Why would anybody sell a bonafide camera for half its value? It isn't like it is hard to sell stuff on ebay...

Prolly stolen.

kanuck

Golf you bang on for the price they are selling used with low actuations like this (remember they are rated for 400,000 now not 300,000) for about $4600 now that the D4s is out. I have seen some as low as $4200 but that was Hong Kong and on Ebay. Shops in my city here are offering 1 yr left warranties, boxed full kit for $4600 with 15,000 shots so basically mint. For weeks I have been very close to trading in my D800e and 14-24 lens for a D4 straight up at my local trusted shop. He has a mint used D4 boxed for $4600 and I was considering the move before the June 25th release of the D800s, which will discontinue the D800/D800e line and significantly drop their values. I have shown restraint and have not pulled the trigger though.....

kanuck

My guys shop is called Kasancamera and I have been using them for years here in Seoul. You can google them even just add the .co.kr ending. Prices obviously in Korean won but after converting to dollars you will be shocked to see a D4 mint with full kit for this price range. I have bought high end Leica Summicron lenses, Gitzo tripods, 14-24, 24-70 and D800 bodies from him over the years so he can be trusted. I agree though with the above posters, most deals especially online are too good to be true at some prices that are listed....I guess I am lucky because the only markets that can maybe compete with Seoul for prices on camera gear is maybe Hong Kong or New York that's it.

swamesp

It is a scam. If you do meet them..make sure it is in a public area and do not take any cash with you until you have fully examined the body. Get the serial number and make sure it is also not an import model unless you are living out of the USA yourself.

Do not become a victim.

Thank you Golf, I'm definitely gonna take my colleague along when I plan to visit. Like you said, will see if they agree for a public place like walmart or a mall.

The person responded saying it's in excellent working condition, powers right up, I guess the camera has to do more than that. As per the serial number on the ad (from the photo), I've been looking around on the forum for stolen, couldn't find. The photo also shows that it's "Made in Japan", how to find if it's an import model?

I'm smelling something fishy, as the person says that it's an awesome camera would not let go if not for the shortage of funds. Let's see, i'm just curios to see the person who would let go of their stuff for such a low price!!!

swamesp

You have to temper the urge to grab with the thought: Why would anybody sell a bonafide camera for half its value? It isn't like it is hard to sell stuff on ebay...

Prolly stolen.

Yeah could be unless the person is dead broke and need to make some quick cash. I don't wanna acquire bad karma buying a stolen cam.

I know how it hurts to lose a camera and some douche-bag trying to sell it as well!!!

swamesp

P.S. I sold it and was totally up front with it's condition by the way! Someone got a bargain.

That's what I'd do as well. Looks like lot of gentlemen/women here around!!!

spraynpray

If the guy is short of funds, he would want the max for it so would not be selling cheap. One week on ebay and he would have nearly double what he is asking.

Looks to me like you're falling for it swamesp!

swamesp

Looks to me like you're falling for it swamesp!

No I'm not... I don't have enough funds, have to wait for my paycheck. Most of the scams that I have heard of is people from remote country or someone who is deployed elsewhere wants me to send money and stuff like that.

This person is responding, I'm also thinking to report to cops, cos if he is selling a stolen camera then that's a serious thing to look into. So got to know before I walk in that direction.

TaoTeJared

-------------------FYI to all-------------------

The original D4 listed is no longer available and replaced with a D4s. It may have been a fire sale to get the last stock inventory off the shelf.

Ironheart

Or the floor demo unit...

swamesp

The person stopped responding, either listening to our forums or must have sold it...

Ironheart

You mean fenced it ;-)
You can't sell something that doesn't belong to you in the first place

Msmoto

A good place to do business when exchanging cash in large amounts is in the local police station. They generally have no problem with folks doing business in the lobby and for sure if someone is planning on robbing a potential buyer they most likely will not show up at a police station.
When selling, one can go to your local bank, especially if a cashier's check is offered in payment as your bank can verify the authenticity of the check before you give up the goods.

Ade

When selling, one can go to your local bank, especially if a cashier's check is offered in payment as your bank can verify the authenticity of the check before you give up the goods.

That's a good advice.

However, as a rule only the issuing bank can validate the cashier's check (or similar instruments) in a timely fashion. In the US, due to Regulation CC, banks are required to accept a cashier's check and release funds by the 2nd business day unless they already suspect that the check is fraudulent.

E.g., if you bank with Wells Fargo but the buyer presents a check from Chase, you have to go to a Chase branch to validate the check. Your bank will likely just accept the check without questions and release the funds to comply with Regulation CC. Then, possibly up to two weeks later, they can reverse the credit if the check turns out to be fraudulent, leaving you with a big mess.

Golf007sd

In the past, whenever I was acquiring a specific camera good(s) from a seller, in person, I would always meet at local Starbucks, where by my bank was within the same location. Upon full inspection, I would then walk into the bank with the seller, write out the check (for tax purposes) to him, and then process to see him cash it. This type of transaction only would happen after a few exchanged emails and phone conversations. If a seller is legit, they too are cautious in not getting screwed.

Msmoto

Re: Banks authenticating checks. Where I do business, I ask one of the officers to call the bank upon whom the check is drawn and get a confirmation. Usually they have someone they know or a contact with whom they do business so this does not present a problem. If, however, you are not known at your bank, this authentication may not be a service they will provide. I owe so much to them they are really friendly to me, LOL.

The unfortunate situation regarding cashier's check is there are a lot of folks printing their own on banks randomly selected. One key is the phone number on the check is usually a cell phone not correlating with the city the bank is supposedly located in. In investigating internet scams I have acquired several invalid instruments, some of which are so sloppily manufactured so as to be clearly evident as forged/improper documents.

Fritz

Cash of course is iffy but you can get a verification pen from most office supply stores so you have some assurance that the money is real. The couple of times that I've sold a camera privately I've spent time with the prospective buyer to let them have actually use the camera so they are satisfied as to the accuracy of my description. I would think that any legitimate seller would be willing to work with a buyer to that extent. But I do live in a rural area and life here is far less complex than in the city. In any case, "Cash makes no Enemies"and I would not accept a check of any description from someone I did not know. If I were worried about my safety, I would bring a friend with me to a public place to meet the buyer (or seller). I would ask for ID and I would demand a written bill of sale. Above all, if the deal made me nervous I would walk away. And yes, I did once buy a color tv from a guy hawking them from the back of a box truck in an abandoned parking lot. It was a great tv and the price (cash only) was really cheap!

TaoTeJared

A good place to do business when exchanging cash in large amounts is in the local police station. They generally have no problem with folks doing business in the lobby and for sure if someone is planning on robbing a potential buyer they most likely will not show up at a police station.
When selling, one can go to your local bank, especially if a cashier's check is offered in payment as your bank can verify the authenticity of the check before you give up the goods.

That is why you should use Paypal. You don't have an issue then. Technology has far surpassed the older forms of payment when it comes to fraud. Digital breadcrumbs are easy to track.
There are many fraud cashier's check rings everywhere. I just don't accept them as payment for anything.

Ade

Unfortunately there is no Paypal protection for items you are selling locally (in person), such as the situations described above by Msmoto, and pretty much all Craigslist transactions.

Photobug

+1 on Golf's price.

I looked at a D4 with similar shutter activations from a pro. He was asking $4,900 and he included a training video. He just got it back from Nikon so it was under their warranty. Of course, that price was before the new model was released.

+1 to everyone on their comments.