Canon EF 300mm F/4 L ...what's a fair s/h price?

Hello everyone,

 

I hope to come to frequent this site with more useful contributions in future

but first off I'm going to dive in with a question and I'd appreciate your

input please.

 

I am a beginner and currently I have a Canon EOS 350D with the EF-S 17-85mm.

I've been offered a second hand Canon EF 300mm F/4 L to buy, which has

currently been lent to me and I'm getting a lot of enjoyment from (operating

at 480mm I guess because of the smaller sensor).

 

However neither myself nor the seller has a clue on what is a fair price for

this lens, I'm not sure of its age maybe 15 years or so and cost about ﾣ1000

new I believe? I've trawled the archives and google groups etc and found

various varying prices over the years but nothing to really give a handle on

what it would go for now.

 

So with the IS version out (which the seller is looking to get as a

replacement and recoup some money by selling on the non-IS to me) how much

should I be looking to pay for the non-IS version? I'm looking at ﾣ but even

if you can give me a handle in dollars or anything as a guide that would be

appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

John

Have you checked <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">eBay</a>?

Yes thanks, I should have mentioned I also looked on Ebay. There were none in the UK and only 1 in the US (was last at ~ﾣ300) or Canada I believe when I last searched, I will keep checking but there just don't seem to be many in circulation, and I think ebay doesn't store closed auctions for very long so I can't search back through them unfortunately.

In the last 30 days, <a href="http://search-completed.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&fcl=3&from=R10&amp%3Bsspagename=h%3Ah%3Aadvsearch%3AUS&catref=C5&frpp=50&satitle=%22ef+300mm%22+-IS&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&a25563=-24&a41840=-24&a14=-24&a41842=-24&a10244=-24&gcs=1826&pfid=2595&reqtype=1&pfmode=1&alist=a25563%2Ca41840%2Ca14%2Ca41842%2Ca42078%2Ca10244&pf_query=%22ef+300mm%22+-IS&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=49503&fis=2&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D2"> several sold on eBay in the $609-680 range</a>

<P>You could also check <a href="http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx">KEH</a> to see what they would pay for one.

Mifsuds have a used one at 499 GBP

(and an IS version also, at 779 GBP)

 

http://www.mifsuds.com/

Paul - Thanks for the input, that's sort of what range I've found historically too. It looks like a direct exchange rate conversion would make that pretty cheap, especially given what Richard has found below, but they are a commercial outfit. I hadn't heard of KEH, I will register for that later and see what they say, I dont have the lens handy right now to do the required inspection!

 

Richard - Thanks for adding that, it's a useful figure to have from a proper outfit selling used goods(who I hadn't heard of before so thanks for that too)...I at least have a top figure now.

 

So with the figures I've seen so far we seem to range (exchange rate permitting) between GBP 300 - 500...so I suppose around the 400 mark could be acceptable. (any idea why the GBP pound symbol doesn't stay in the message btw?)

In the US, around $700 is a fair price. In the UK I've no idea. Buying from the US you have to add shipping, import duty/VAT etc.

Much appreciated Bob, $700 according to xe.net is ﾣ367 so with the extra added on I'd be getting past the ﾣ400 middleground. Looks like you've got quite a good site there too, I've bookmarked it for future reading, thanks.

Hi John

 

I bought a knackered and tired looking (but fully functional) 300mmm f/4 for GBPﾣ315 a couple of years ago. I would say the lens was toward the bottom end of acceptable.

 

I'm pretty keen on prices, and wouldn't pay more than ﾣ550 for a really nice one - when if you shop about, you could pick up the IS version for ﾣ700.

 

So if you have an old but good condition lens, with very good optics (and the lens is a cracker IMHO), would expect to pay around ﾣ400 for it.

 

HTH

About a nine months ago I paid $800 for an EXC+ model from keh.com. Its date code was from 1993, and I consider it a good buy. On eBay it tends to be priced close to the newer IS model because its is considered to produce higher resolution and to have lower manufacturing variation than the newer replacement, the lack if IS notwithstanding. That means somewhere in the $800-$900 range. All denominations in US currency.

 

I affirm your pleasure with using this lens -- its moderate weight, fast autofocus and high resolution make it a joy to use. It mates well with the 1.4X teleconverter to produce images that compete with those from the 400 f/5.6 L lens. You also get good results with the 2X converter, but they are noticeably less sharp.

 

Bruce

PS: eBay has a mini "Market Research" facility that will let you look up prices of some number of items for the past 30 days or so for about $2-$3 I think. If you avail yourself of this service, be sure to specify the non-IS version. Also be aware that you may draw a blank if they haven't sold any, or only one or two, in the past month.

 

However, I think keh.com is a better option if they have any in stock.

 

Bruce

David - Hi, thanks very much for that UK specific input. It does seem in pretty good nick, no real marks on the body, the tripod mount has the paint off on the corners though. I did a little search on dating lenses and it has the code UH0101 on the baffle which apparently means it was made in Jan 1993. The glass looks good, but there is what appears to be a bubble on the rear glass, I'm hoping that's removable residue, but either way it doesn't show up on photos...much like the eyelash that got inside my 17-85 (it bugged me because it was there, but can't see it in pictures!). So with that in mind I guess it is again suggesting the 400 pound mark, thanks.

 

Bruce - Thank you for your posts. This lens matches your 1993 production year (mine's UH0101) and I would also say it was in good condition, but I am no expert on that! Your price would put that at 417GBP. I have also been playing with the 1.4x and 2x teleconvertors, I'm not sure whether I want to spend the money on those really, although the 300mm x2 x1.6 (small sensor)... = 960mm?! has allowed me to sit up here in the top of Twickenham stadium:

 

http://www.eddievalentino.com/images/stadium_high_800.jpg

 

and then get this close handheld from the same place:

 

http://www.eddievalentino.com/images/winners_800.jpg

 

Novel to a beginner if nothing else ;) Do you think the 2x is too much for a 350D? Thanks for the tip about the marketplace on Ebay, I wasn't aware of that. I don't want to stretch to a new full IS model because I am loving it all at the moment and am also considering the newish EF-S 60mm macro lens...and I don't have an infinite budget. So I need to consider this lens, maybe convertors, and the macro.

 

You've all certainly helped me to get a ball park figure and then narrow that figure down - thank you all very much - John

Nice shots! Especially of the team in apparent ecstatic rapture over what one has to assume was a victory :-) (A team that giddy over a loss was probably too giddy before the game to win it anyway :-)

 

I think a 2X is great for a 350D if you like the results it produces. It needs a good lens like the 300 L to be worth the investment. If you're always up in the nosebleed section, it might be a good buy for you. I have the older Mk I version, but to be honest I don't use it enough to justify the $200 I paid for it. For me, the 1.4X has been a much more useful acquisition.

 

Cheers!

Bruce

Thanks Bruce, the first one isn't much of a shot, but my way of justifying the lower quality of the second picture by saying "but look how far away I was!" ;) hehe...and unfortunately that wasn't my team winning the title!

 

I think the results are a little soft, I'm not always in the nosebleeds but you lose the autofocus on 2x and I'm not good enough to nail the shots...I like these two pics but think they could have been caught better, how much is my fault and how much is lens/extender/MF/handhold I'm not sure, I'm still learning...

 

http://www.eddievalentino.com/images/photography/lineout_800.jpg

http://www.eddievalentino.com/images/photography/lined_up_800.jpg

 

I think extenders are something I'll have to mull over a little more, but I think the 300mm for ﾣ400 is a good buy. Thanks again.