Buying a used X100

benlees · 06-13-2012

The X100 has been tormenting me and am thinking about getting one. There is a local one available at a good price. Normally, saving hundreds of dollars is a no brainer but the Canadian warranty is not transferable and all this talk about aperture blade trouble has me spooked!

Tell me what to look for in terms of potential trouble. Any sounds of impending doom? Stuff like that?

gavinlg · 06-13-2012

Run the aperture through from f2 to f16 on a table/tripod in a place with constant (not changing) light and see if the photos get more and more overexposed as you stop down on the screen.

I'd personally just buy new. They're not that expensive - one of the sponsors here was running new ones out the US for $999 and you get fujifilms full support if it does have problems.

btgc · 06-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by gavinlg

I'd personally just buy new. They're not that expensive - one of the sponsors here was running new ones out the US for $999 and you get fujifilms full support if it does have problems.

With X100 I'd do just that. There are cases when sticky aperture manifests itself month or later after buying used. Not that seller were dishonest - just flaw decided to appear at that time. Do math yourself which route is cheaper, considering risk of hitting the bug is high.

steveniphoto · 06-13-2012

i bought mine used a couple months ago and havent had an issue. i am, however, very worried that something might develop. i would rather pay extra for peace of mind.

gavinlg · 06-13-2012

Or alternatively - find one that has had the new lens unit fitted to it, and buy that. Mine got the sticky blades and I returned it for another one (back when the problem wasn't so well documented), and the second one developed the problem soon after. Sent it into fuji, talked to a tech and he confirmed 100% it would have a new lens unit put on it, and it would 100% not happen again. 5000-10,000 exposures later and not a single hiccup.

btgc · 06-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by gavinlg

Or alternatively - find one that has had the new lens unit fitted to it, and buy that. Mine got the sticky blades and I returned it for another one (back when the problem wasn't so well documented), and the second one developed the problem soon after.

There's space for misunderstandings - seller may think fault is eliminated after receiving camera back from Fuji, but without knowledge if it's another camera, or lens unit replaced for another flaved or reworked one. Fuji would just send package with a pink ribbon and best wishes.

gavinlg · 06-14-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by btgc

There's space for misunderstandings - seller may think fault is eliminated after receiving camera back from Fuji, but without knowledge if it's another camera, or lens unit replaced for another flaved or reworked one. Fuji would just send package with a pink ribbon and best wishes.

Certainly - but they did include a receipt with my x100 that specifically said - lens unit changed.

btgc · 06-14-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by gavinlg

Certainly - but they did include a receipt with my x100 that specifically said - lens unit changed.

People have reported same fault even after lens unit being replaced....or I have misread? Good if replacement unit is of "new type".

Nigel Meaby · 06-14-2012

Surely as a recognised fault Fuji will replace the unit FOC, in or out of warranty?

zwarte_kat · 06-14-2012

I can only say i bought a used one last year and have had no problems, nor do I worry about it. If you worry, then buy it new I would say. I can afford to replace it if needed.

On the other hand, I am not sure after how much time these problems usually appear.
For an external harddrive (unrelated example, I know), the biggest chance of failure is within 2 or 3 months, because a factory error slowly (but "quickly") breaks it.
Maybe if a 2nd hand x100 has been working for 6 months, the chance of the sticky blades is lower than with a new one.

OwenStegemann · 06-14-2012

Fwiw when I sent in my x100 which I bought used on amazon, I didn't send anything anything but the camera, no proof of purchase or anything like that. I did call before I sent it and spoke with the repair dep. and explained that it had developed the SAP and I expected them to replace the lens unit, which they did quickly and without question.

jsrockit · 06-14-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Meaby

Surely as a recognised fault Fuji will replace the unit FOC in or out of warranty?

I would think so...

boomguy57 · 06-14-2012

It depends on how much you're saving. Replacing the lens unit, from I understand, costs upwards of $300. If you're saving more than that, the risk is probably acceptable. If not, or if it's really close, buying new might be a better idea.

But the X100 is a fantastic camera. Enjoy it.

benlees · 06-14-2012

Thanks for all the replies. Lots of good info. The price is more than $300 off the best price I can get locally, so we'll see. I am going to have a look at it Friday so will have some time to see if Fuji does goodwill repairs in Canada.

Shade · 06-14-2012

I personally like buying used items as well. Not only I save money, but I usually make new friends along with the purchase...

However there was a case of sticky apertures when I sold mine and the person who bought it from me notified me. Thankfully the warranty is not an issue and he got it fixed. It happened after about 2-3 weeks after his purchase.

So the problem doesnt happen right away, but rather unexpectedly..

bhop73 · 06-14-2012

Mine has had the sticky aperture blades twice. Both times repaired under warranty, and they DID ask for proof of purchase. The fine print on the warranty says they only fix it with the proof of purchase. Obviously, from some of the replies in this thread, they don't always ask, but personally I wouldn't risk it with this camera.

benlees · 06-14-2012

Yeah, even with my cheap, miserly ways, I'm thinking of buying brand new and seeing if they will throw in an extended warranty. The OM-D is looking better and better...

Richard G · 06-14-2012

Mine was replaced recently with a recent build date camera and there is an improvement in the stiffness of rotation of the exposure compensation dial. And they gave me a new 12 month warranty. Fuji are a pretty good company for service from what I can see, but I dealt with them through my dealer which was likely a great advantage. Indeed, if Fuji hadn't offered a new warranty, my dealer was going to.

Oldskewl808 · 06-14-2012

I bought my X100 second hand and it developed the sticky ap issue. I contacted Fuji CS to talk to them about the problem and was up front about not having a receipt.
What they told me was at this time since the camera has been out for over a year, they are taking all the sticky aperture cases as a case by case basis. One of the determining factors was the letter in the serial number noting where the camera was manufactured. If the # starts with "A" that means the camera is a USA model and is a candidate for the lens replacement.
I guess it just boils down to what the protocol is for non proof of purchase repairs at the time you call or maybe how you go about inquiring for repair.
I was able to have my camera fixed with a lens replacement and it is now working fine.
My X100 had been acting up for quite a while and the only reason I had it repaired was because I was thinking about selling it to fund a lens for my DSLR, and I did not want to sell a faulty camera. I was perfectly happy with using the camera at F2 all the time!