used equipment - What should I look out for when buying a second-hand DSLR body?

I'm considering buying a DSLR from a friend. I've read the used lens question elsewhere on this site, but I was wondering what I should look at on the body to assess the condition?

Answer

A couple of things:

1. Make sure the obvious stuff like autofocus, aperture control, shutter speed actually work.


2. Check number of shutter actuations. Most bodies have a mean time between failure (MBTF) number for this, so check how close it is.


3. Make sure all connections work. USB, HDMI (if present), Video out.


4. Battery, charger. Be aware you might need to replace it, depending on the amount of use it has seen.