Refurbished Digital Camera

Discover the benefits of purchasing a refurbished digital camera.

In 1972, Willis Adcock designed and patented a filmless, electronic, but non-digital camera that allowed photographs to be stored in the camera instead of on film. Officially built in 1975, the eight-pound camera relied on CCD image sensor chips, recording and storing black and white images on a cassette tape. Since the capture time exceeded 23 seconds and resolution was a mere .01 megapixels, the camera was never mass-produced.

In 1990, the first publicly available digital camera was the Dycam Model 1 or Logitiech Fotoman. Using the same CCD image sensor, the camera stored pictures internally and directly connected to a computer for downloading, storing, and printing. These first digital camera models were exceedingly expensive which is generally the case for most new technology devices.

Since that time, prices have come way down and digital cameras have become much more compact, have a variety of advanced features, and can store hundreds of photographs. While these cameras are more affordable than ever, certain models can still be quite pricey depending on the included features. Fortunately, many manufacturers like Nikon and Canon now offer refurbished digital cameras for sale at steep discounts. These refurbished digital camera models are factory inspected and typically come with warranties, so they are truly a great way to get an unbeatable deal on a camera.

What Are the Most Popular Refurbished Digital Camera Models?

The factory-reconditioned Nikon Coolpix L20 is a 10.0 megapixel digital camera that offers a 3.6x Optical Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens. With EXPEED image processing, the refurbished Coolpix L20 can produce sharp and colorful photographs. Additional features include a 3-inch high-resolution LCD screen, a process to fix red-eye, and face priority. The motion detection device on this refurbished digital camera automatically controls shutter speed so shaking and subject movement blurring is dramatically reduced. The Coolpix's Easy Auto Mode takes the guesswork out of picture taking by automatically selecting the best settings for the scene you are photographing.

New L20 models cost about $120, but a factory-refurbished Coolpix costs about $80 and includes a 30-60 day warranty.

The factory-reconditioned Canon PowerShot A1100 IS digital camera is the same type of camera as the Coolpix, but offers additional features, including a four gigabyte memory card, 12.1 megapixels, 4X Optical Zoom and a high-quality 2.5 inch LCD for on-camera viewing. The PowerShot A1100 also sports a Smart AUTO function, which bases picture taking on 18 predefined situations to ensure high-quality photographs. This refurbished Canon camera can also take videos in AVI format, and both videos and photographs are easily downloaded to most computer systems.

Newly purchased PowerShot models can cost about $160, but this refurbished PowerShot digital camera costs about $130 and comes with a 30-day return policy.

If you are searching for a high-performance refurbished digital camera with advanced features, the Canon Digital Rebel XTi SLR with attached 3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens is an excellent option. The Rebel sports Canon’s own 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and a DIGIC II image processing system. The large 2.5 LCD monitor contains a user interface and can be used for wide-angle viewing.

With a fast three frames-per-second shooting option, the Rebel can undoubtedly produce crisp, clear, precise, and high-resolution photographs even when your subject is in high motion. The cost for a new bundled Digital Rebel XTi is about $800, but the XTi refurbished digital camera model costs about $399 and come with a 90-day warranty.