Compact cameras are back in demand, and the ones people sell us are often ten years old and have been to a lot of beaches. The lens that folds into the body is where most problems hide.
That is the whole list for now. Older point-and-shoots - IXUS, Cyber-shot, Lumix TZ and the like - are not on it. Send a photo and the model name on LINE and we will tell you plainly whether we can price it; we would rather say no in a chat than waste your trip. A compact has its lens built in, so its price covers the whole camera; there is no separate lens step.
Switch the camera on and watch the lens come out, then zoom from one end to the other and back, and switch off. It should move smoothly and retract fully, with no grinding and no "lens error" message. Sand in the barrel is the most common fault on a compact that has been to the beach, and it is better to find it before the meeting than at the pickup check.
A compact's front element is small and unprotected. Look at it under a torch for scratches and for the film of fingerprints that builds up on cameras used with one hand. On the X100F, take the adapter ring and filter off if you fitted them and look at the glass itself. Bring the ring and the filter.
Dust does get inside fixed-lens cameras, and there is no way for an owner to reach the sensor. Zoom in fully, set a small aperture such as f/8, shoot a plain bright sky and look at the file on a computer. Soft dark spots that stay in the same place are inside. Say so; do not send the camera for a clean just to sell it.
On the G7 X, flip the screen up through its full range and check the hinge; pop the flash up and fire it once. On the X100F, move the viewfinder lever between the optical and electronic views and check the diopter is not cracked. On the P1000 and P950, check the eyepiece viewfinder and the tilting screen.
Most compacts do not show a shutter count, and we do not ask for one. What helps is a plain description: how long you owned it, how often it was used, and whether it has been dropped or wet. The condition questions on the site cover this. What actually decides a used camera's price explains why an honest description costs you nothing.
Compact batteries are small and often the first thing to give up. Bring every one you have, and the charger. Many compacts charge over USB in the camera, so the cable counts as an accessory too. Case, strap, box and the lens cap on the X100F all belong with the camera.
Charge the battery, take the card out, unpair the camera from your phone and run the settings reset. The steps are in how to reset and wipe your camera before you sell it. Then pick your model above, or see all camera prices.
Pick your model and see the price on this site, or send a photo on LINE and we will answer by hand. Camera prices are for the body only; lenses are quoted separately.
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