Condition classifications of used products

This guide has been created to help used equipment purchasing and to clarify the meaning of fitness ratings. The most important consideration when buying a second-hand product is surely its condition, as this tells you a lot about how much the product has been used and how well it has been looked after. We rate used equipment on a scale of 1 to 5 according to condition, the most commonly used ratings being K4 and K5. Generally, all used equipment is always checked and tested for functionality before being put on sale, so the condition rating is rarely about the functionality of the equipment. This rating is almost always used to assess the cosmetic aspect of the equipment, see below for more information on the exceptions.

If the product has a major trace of use, it will be mentioned separately in the product description. For example, if there is dust inside a lens that does not affect its usability, this is always mentioned separately. The same applies to scratches on the lens surface or any imperfections such as a missing lens hood.

We cannot accurately assess the condition of the batteries and memory cards, they are tested, but no further assessment is available.

Condition class K5 = excellent (new equivalent)

K5 is the highest of the ratings and products in this category are in excellent or near-new condition. Of course, all second-hand products are second-hand as the name implies, i.e. they have at least been tried out in use, but in principle the products in this category are in near-new condition. There are no marks on the camera screens or lens surfaces and the equipment is generally very clean and tidy. The cameras generally have a very low shooting volume.

Below are a few examples of K5 rated cameras.

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Fitness class K4 = good

Most of the equipment used is in category K4. Products in this category are in good condition and have a clean overall appearance. Lenses and cameras may show some minor normal paint wear. There may be small hairline scratches on the camera screen, which are not visible when the screen is on and do not affect operation. Sometimes we also use a 4.5 rating in our reviews, where the product is in generally excellent condition, but there is evidence of a single small mark or otherwise the overall impression is not quite up to a K5 rating.

Below are examples of equipment in this fitness category. In the first picture from the left, the lens finish is slightly worn from the bottom of the zoom ring, this would be rated K4. In the second picture, the finish is worn from the bottom, this could be mentioned separately in the product description, but the condition rating would be K4. In the third picture, a small mark on the bottom of the camera, this camera could be rated K4.5 if this is the only sign of use.

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Fitness class K3 = satisfactory

The equipment in this category is in good technical and functional condition, but the exterior surfaces clearly show signs of wear and tear. We also use a rating of 3.5 for the assessment, where the product often shows clear signs of wear and tear, but is otherwise in a generally cleaner condition.

The first two photos are from the same camera, as there is wear and signs of use in several places and the overall appearance of the camera is slightly untidy, the condition rating for this camera would be K3. The camera in the last photo is cleaner in overall appearance, but there is clear wear in several places, the condition rating would be K3.5.

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Condition class K2 = fair

The K2 category is quite rarely used, and equipment in this category may already have a functional fault, i.e. a minor usability problem. Overall, a very used-looking product. The defects and condition are always mentioned separately in the product description. As a rule, we do not sell products with a K2 condition rating at all, we always try to repair the products before sale.

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Fitness category K1 = poor

The worst of the ratings is K1, and we do not sell these devices at all. The product may have a major functional defect and the overall appearance is very used.

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You can view all our interchangeable equipment here