Should I buy a refurbished Canon camera

Refurbished Canon camera
(Image credit: Canon)

If you're curious about buying a refurbished Canon camera, we don't blame you. A refurbished camera will offer exactly the same specs as a brand new camera, but it'll come complete with an often significant discount. If you're tempted by the saving, but apprehensive about buying anything other than brand new, we're here to put your mind at ease. 

One of the best aspects of buying a refurbished Canon camera is that it comes with an identical one year warranty to the new cameras. This means that you have exactly the same protection as if you'd bought an 'ordinary' camera. 

There are only two real downsides to buying a refurbished Canon camera. The first is that if you're looking for a specific camera, you might not find it on your first search. In fact, if you're searching for a somewhat rare bit of kit, or something that's only just come out, you may have to wait a little while before it shows up. However, if you're looking for something such as a Canon EOS RP or a Canon EOS M50 II, then you're more likely to find what you want.

The only other tiny downside is purely aesthetic – when you receive your refurbished Canon camera, it won't be in an 'ordinary' box. While it'll have everything it should have inside, the box itself will likely be a nondescript white box. This potentially might mean that your gear will have a slightly lower resale value if you later decide to sell it on, but it shouldn't be by much.

However, the fantastic upside of buying a refurbished camera is that you can knock off at least $100 off the retail price of one of the best Canon cameras – and often more! While you might not get the official box, you will get a fully functioning camera that works just as well as its brand new counterparts. 

According to an interview with Canon's Director of Service Operations, any Canon cameras selected to be refurbished and sold on "undergo a rigorous refurbishment process. Our trained Canon technicians perform comprehensive quality assurance inspects, replacing any needed components with genuine Canon parts. Before being offered for sale… the refurbished product is subjected to a comprehensive technical evaluation, which includes functional testing and assessments…"

The refurbished camera market moves pretty quickly, so there's no guarantee that you'll be able to find exactly what you're looking for. However, it's definitely worth checking out the Canon refurbished pages below to see if you can find a great deal for you. 

Refurbished Canon cameras

Refurbished Canon cameras
Canon USA usually has lots of exciting refurbished Canon cameras to explore, potentially including a Canon EOS RP with 24-105mm f/4 lens, or a Canon EOS M50 II. Take a scroll through the latest cameras available here!

Refurbished Canon lenses

Refurbished Canon lenses
It's even harder to predict what kind of lenses you could see in the refurbished Canon lenses section, but there are definitely some cracking deals to be found. Keep a look out for some discounted RF lenses – and some EF wildcards as well!

Refurbished Canon flashes

Refurbished Canon flashes
There don't tend to be a huge amount of refurbished Speedlite flashes, but you can sometimes find some discounted gems. If you've been looking for a new photographic challenge, or you simply want a back-up flashgun, the refurbished Canon flashes page might just be the answer you've been looking for.

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Louise Carey

With over a decade of photographic experience, Louise arms Digital Camera World with a wealth of knowledge on photographic technique and know-how – something at which she is so adept that she's delivered workshops for the likes of ITV and Sue Ryder. Louise also brings years of experience as both a web and print journalist, having served as features editor for Practical Photography magazine and contributing photography tutorials and camera analysis to titles including Digital Camera Magazine and  Digital Photographer. Louise currently shoots with the Fujifilm X-T200 and the Nikon D800, capturing self-portraits and still life images, and is DCW's ecommerce editor, meaning that she knows good camera, lens and laptop deals when she sees them.