• 10 Brand new and unused. All original packing, instruction books, accessories, and warranty cards are included.
• 9+ Brand new and unused. All original packing and accessories are included, but warranty cards or instruction books may be missing.
• 9 Used, but only a few times and well cared for. Things may be in orignal packaging, but probably not. Optics and mechanics are perfect, and the equipment could be considered "like-new".
• 9- Very lightly used. There may be a one or two VERY MINOR cosmetic flaws, but the equipment looks almost like-new. Optics and mechanics are, of course, perfect.
• Note: very little equipment on the market qualifies as 9- or higher. I have a hard time believing anyone, dealer or private seller, when they describe a peice of equipment in 9- or higher condition.  Unless you have seen the equipment (or a number of detailed photos), consider the rating inflated and the equipment to actually be in 8 to 8+ condition.
• 8+ Above average condition. Equipment in this category was used lightly or was well cared for. It will be very clean, and have only a few minor cosmetic flaws. Optically and mechanically perfect.
• 8 Average condition (aka "excellent"). This equipment was used on a regular basis, and shows signs of use, but everything is still in excellent condition. Mechanically an optically, things are perfect. This is the condition most used equipment is in.
• 8- This is equipment that has seen higher than average use, but is still in good condition. There will likely be some brassing and scratches, but nothing excessive. Mechanically and optically the equipment should still be perfect.
• 7+ This is what I call "a good user". The equipment will show signs of heavy usage - brasing and scratches, but no dents. Optics are still excellent - wipe marks are allowed, but there may be NO major flaws such as scratches or chips. Mechanics must also be perfect. Something in this category may not look too pretty, but it still functions the way it should.
• 7 Cosmetically, the equipment shows signs of heavy usage - significant brassing, scratches, and maybe a few minor dents.  Optically, there will be some scratches on the glass which may affect picture quality (but not too badly). Mechanically, the equipment must be in complete working order.
• 7- Battered, but it still works. Mechanics must be fine (though they may not be perfect - rough advance or some similar problem), but there will be some noticeable optical or cosmetic flaws. All flaws must be clearly described.
• 6 Ugly, but somehow the thing still functions. The equipment may need some repairs (broken meter, certain shutter speeds don't work, etc), but it can still be used. All flaws must be clearly stated, but any camera in this condition will likely have a number of problems - scratched glass, dents, etc.
• 1-5 Parts cameras or cameras in need of major repairs. Known flaws should be stated, or the camera should be listed as inoperative.

Medium Format Cameras - User's Guide to Buying and Shooting
by Peter Williams is now available from Amherst Media!! [1/2001]