Camera Condition Grades Explained: Which Grade Is Your Camera?

Updated: 16 Sep 2026 · Camera Sell Online

On the "Select Your Camera's Condition" screen, Camera Sell Online gives you four grades. Each grade card carries four short lines of wording, and those lines are the whole definition; there is no hidden checklist behind them. This page repeats that wording exactly and adds a practical self-check, so that the grade you pick at home is the grade the camera turns out to be at pickup.

The four grades, in the site's own words

How the grade fits into the quote

The grade is the last question before the OTP. Before it, the site has already asked for the model, the lenses you include, the five original accessories (Bag, Battery, Bill, Box, Charger) and the age bracket (1 To 6 Months up to Above 24 Months). The selling price shown after the OTP is built from all of those answers together. At pickup, the camera is checked against exactly what you selected; the site's FAQ says dents and scratches can reduce the resale value depending on the severity, and that prices follow the current market value. An honest grade means the number you saw on screen is the number you are paid.

Self-check: which grade is your camera?

Do this in daylight or under a bright lamp, with the lens off and the body cap on. Turn the body slowly and look at the corners, the grip rubber, the base plate, the rear screen and the viewfinder eyepiece.

Flawless

• Bought less than a year ago, and you have the box and the bill; the grade wording lists both.
• No mark that you can see or feel with a fingernail on any surface, including the base plate and the tripod socket.
• Grip rubber tight, no shine from hand wear; screen and eyepiece clear, no scuffs.
• Everything the camera shipped with is present. If the box or bill is missing, the wording no longer fits; choose Good.

Good

• Used, but carefully: a few light scratches you have to look for, faint wear on the strap lugs or the hot shoe, nothing on the screen.
• Rubber grips still firmly attached; all dials click cleanly; no dents on the corners.
• This is the grade for most cameras that have been in a bag, used on weekends and stored indoors.

Average

• Clear signs of regular use: scratches you notice at arm's length, scuffed corners, a shiny grip, a screen with light marks.
• Rubber may have started lifting at an edge; paint worn through on a corner or the base plate.
• Everything works, but the camera looks its age.

Below Average

• Visible scratches or dents across the body, heavy wear on the grip and edges, marked or scratched screen.
• Loose or missing rubber, a cracked port cover, a battery door that does not latch, a worn tripod thread.
• If you are deciding between Average and Below Average, the deciding line in the wording is "visible scratches" and "high wear and tear": if a buyer would notice the marks from across a table, it is Below Average.

Things the grade does not cover

• Working condition. The four grades describe use and cosmetic wear. Faults such as a sensor with dust or spots, a dead pixel cluster, a stuck button, a loose card door or a port that does not charge are found at on-site verification, so test them first with the 8-check body test. If something does not work, say so on WhatsApp before booking the pickup; the FAQ points to WhatsApp or a call for anything the form cannot capture.
• Shutter count. The site does not ask for it. Wear on the body is what the grade measures.
• Lenses. Each lens you include is a separate line on the "Choose Lenses" screen; a scratched front element or fungus in a lens is not part of the body grade.
• Accessories. Whether you have the Original Bag, Battery, Bill, Box and Charger is its own step, before the age and condition screens.

Before you pick a grade: clean, do not repair

A blower on the body and a microfibre cloth on the screen show the camera's real condition; both are safe. Do not try to re-glue lifting grip rubber, paint over worn corners or polish scratches; a repair that fails at pickup reads as a hidden defect, while honest wear is simply the grade you chose.