Canon T90 prices

[michr]

I've been looking on eBay for a Canon T90. Can anyone tell me why prices are all over the map? So ignoring the like new ones from Japan, or the ones with a guarantee, why would someone pay $120 for a working model when the $20 model is just down a couple of rows? I've looked at a lot of cameras on eBay and generally can tell why there is a price skew. Is there something not obvious about the Canon T90 to look for when buying one?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

A T90 going for $20!? I think for that price you'd get a camera for for parts or exploring. There are some excellent examples going for $300+, with or without a lens and/or dedicated flash. Those higher prices offerings would be a fairly good bet they have been looked after and professionally tested, but doubtless, never serviced (e.g. internal lithium battery replacement -- see a separate thread on this and other matters relative to the T90). You cannot user-service a T90 like you can a mechanical camera! If a T90 has one or numerous faults (known or unknown!) it will be a miserable and most unedifying experience. Buyer beware.

 

[michr]

Sure, those $300 cameras would be serviced, in great shape, but what about the $100 cameras? What things can go wrong with the T90 that I'd want to stay away from the cheaper ones?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I didn't say those $300 have been or are serviced, but they may have been, recently or in the past. And any appearance of the EEEE EE / HELP error message is an indicator of a service required, if replacing the 4x AA batteries does not clear it. Anything you see on eBay that looks too good to be true probably is just that. An expired internal battery can give rise to the Canon-speak EEEE EE, but as in another post, the battery could last 5, 10, 15, 20+ years and give no problems (I have proved this with a Canon E1 intervalometer back). The internal battery is one issue. Are there any others? Yes. How many and what? How long is a piece of string?? What about the shutter magnets? Easier to clean the magnet of a Pentax 67 than a T90, but... I think something advertised for $20 would be fun for parts and pulling apart to see what makes the thing tick. Go visit a dealer and scout around for a T90. Wisdom teaches me to go for the hands-on approach and inspect something with my own hands and accumulated knowledge of risks in buying on the used market (just like buying a car on the used market — you are potentially buying another person's problems!).

 

[michr]

I was able to determine from your comment that there are common shutter and battery issues with this camera. A google turns up lots of links about those issues, so that's definitely useful information. So I guess you sort of answered my question in a round about way. So basically, even if the camera looks pristine, if it's sat in a drawer for a decade, the shutter's probably dead because of some rubber washer and some magnets, from what I can find online. It also has an internal non user-serviceable battery that causes problems if its dead. I wonder if this is something I could fix myself and save a bundle.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

The BR1225 battery is on the underside of the flexiboard circuit that follows the contour of the top cover/prism area. It is soldered in-situ — not a simple drop-in and close-up like a Tissot watch. Anybody with skilled training in fine circuit electronics could "probably" manage it easily. Replacing the battery can sometimes give rise to erratic/unstable ISO defaults that require intervention. How and what is done by this is not known, but if the camera is serviced by e.g. Canon or a properly qualified service person, they would I imagine be aware of this and make the necessary checks to ensure the system is balanced after the battery replacement.