You always have the capacity to sue in small claims court, which is a different issue from whether you'll win.
You also need to sue in a proper court, which is probably the one for the jurisdiction 200 miles from your home.
You were told this by your lawyer? Your neighbor? By an organ grinder at the circus?Quoting idahome
What you would want to focus on here (no pun intended), from what you've told us so far, is that you noticed a problem and that the photographer misrepresented the condition of the camera to you in order to convince you to complete the sale, and that you relied upon his misrepresentations to your detriment -- i.e., fraud.
I can't comment on them.Quoting idahome
Can he file such a counterclaim? Sure. Would he win? Not one single penny. None of those costs are recoverable by a defendant.Quoting idahome
Your discussions with him about the camera cannot constitute any form of defamation, as by definition defamation involves making statements to a third party.Quoting idahome
How much is the cost of repair?

