Condition grades

How I grade condition

Each camera and lens has a grade for how it looks, written on its record. Here is what each grade means, best first.

Brand new: Unused, with its original box and everything that came in it. Anything missing is listed.
Top Mint: Looks unused. I can’t find a mark on it, even under a bright light.
Mint: Like new. At most the faintest handling traces, which you would only find by looking for them under a bright light.
Near Mint++: Very close to Mint: one or two tiny marks that you need to look closely to see.
Near Mint+: Lightly used and well kept: a few faint marks on close inspection, such as fine hairlines or light rubbing on an edge.
Near Mint: Light signs of use when you look closely, such as fine hairlines or light rubbing on the edges, the mount or the strap lugs. Clean at arm’s length.
Near Mint-: Clean overall, with more of those light marks, or one small mark you will notice, such as a small scuff.
Excellent+: Used, with wear you can see at a normal distance, such as edge wear, light brassing on high points or small scuffs. The cleaner end of Excellent.
Excellent: Clearly used: visible wear, with small dings or scuffs.
Excellent-: Heavier wear that is easy to see, such as brassing, dings or worn covering.

How to read a grade

A plus means the better end of a grade and a minus the lower end. Near Mint++ is the best of the Near Mint grades.
The grade is only about how it looks. Any fault, missing part or modification is listed under “Please note”, never hidden in a grade.
If a lens has haze, fungus, separation or scratches in the glass, I list it under “Please note”. If you would like a photo of the glass, ask me.
A set can have one grade for the body and another for the lens, for example “Excellent- (body) / Near Mint (lens)”.
The photos are of the actual item. The grade is my summary; the photos and the written record are the detail. If you would like another photo, ask me.

Freshly refinished: A body that has just been repainted. Instead of a grade, the listing says what was done, such as the paint and a CLA.
Original black paint with natural brassing: Wear on original black paint is part of the camera’s history, so instead of a grade I describe the wear and show it in the photos.