Would You Buy a Used Lens?

<p>When reading about the different lenses and customer reviews I came upon a lot of talks about returning a copy or even two to finally get a good one (or get a different brand/model all together). With that in mind, why would one want to buy a used lens? Some lens are not that much lower than buying a new one. But at least with the price of a new lens you get the warranty.</p>

<p>I've purchased refurbs but there's a guarantee/short term warranty to them and often time you can extend the warranty. But if you buy used, what's the chance or how do you know you'll get a good copy. Just trust the seller? I mean some have no clue why they bought the lens to begin with. I wouldn't want to trust that type of person.</p>

<p>Don't get me wrong. I love used stuff. I am a consignment type of person and most of our furniture are vintage but for lens I'm a bit leary since it seems like there's a good chance that you might get a bad copy. So I'm posting this to better understand the used lens arena.</p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

<p>If you buy a used lens on eBay, you take your chances -- though lately I've been buying old manual focus Nikon lenses very cheaply for use on my new G1, and these lenses are way beyond any kind of warranty anyway.<br>

If you buy from somewhere like KEH.COM, they have evaluated the lenses and they have a return policy within the first two weeks, so your chances of being stuck with a bad copy are slim, assuming you test the lens yourself in the first two weeks for obvious defects.<br>

It seems to me buying used lenses is no different than buying anything else used. You pay your money and you take your chances, and on average the good deals hopefully outweigh the occasional lemons. </p>

<p>My main lenses at the moment are: Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, Nikon 17-55mm f2.8, Nikon 28mm PC, Sigma 30mm f1.4, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR, Nikon 80-400mm VR, Nikon TC-17E. Of that list, only the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 and 80-400mm VR were purchased new, mainly because the spread between new & used wasn't big enough. I've had no issues with any used lens I've ever bought, and that includes the four Bronica 645 lenses and four LF lenses. I agree that KEH is highly reliable and have bought a few lenses from them, mostly LF.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>If the outer lens surfaces are free from abrasions, aperture blades are clean, snappy in action and dry, there's no mold and not much dust on inside elements, and if the focusing collar turns smoothly and the mount looks clean, with no bent or sticking pins, and nothing rattles inside, it ought to be alright. Finally, will the seller commit to giving your money back if it's not right? </p>

<p>I bought my D700, 17-35/2.8 and 28-70/2.8 off of Creigs Lost (edited to avoid the photonet filters) in FTF transactions. No regrets at all and I saved a bundle. In fact I could sell the lenses any day for way more than I paid for them.</p>

<p>I've bought a couple of lens from KEH and both were as advertised. And they have a return policy as been discussed. I would be very hesatent to buy anything of real value on ebay or one the other auction websites.</p>

<p>I have bought lenses on ebay, and even the occasional one on the photo.net classifieds - all MF Canons, Zuikos and Nikkors - maybe 20 in total. I have returned one because it was simply more "battered" than described. All of the others were as described or better than described. While I accept that you never can tell what you've bought until it arrives at your door, my experience with used lenses has been overwhelmingly positive.</p>

<p>I buy my used lenses from places that offer warranties and have decent return polices. When I bought the latest lens, I took my camera into the store and tried out two 24mm lenses and bought the one that seemed sharper. I also bought Hasselblad lenses and a body and a back from them, and returned one of the Hassy lenses (kept two). With Craigs List, buy local, and try out on your camera before actually buying the camera (I prefer the store, actually, because I know where to find them if I want to take the lens back and they will take anything back in the first 14 days without question).</p>

<p>Sometimes, people sell lenses because they're crudded up inside or scratched. Sometimes, and especially with manual lenses in the autofocus age, people sell lenses because they're not autofocus. And some older autofocus lenses won't work on the cheaper digital cameras. My D300 had taken less than 500 shots -- I think it was traded in for a D700.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have bought several Nikon lenses used, some ebay, some FtF, one Adorama.<br>

Saved a lot of money.<br>

20mm f/2.8D<br>

35mm f/2D<br>

50mm f/1.4D<br>

60mm f/2.8D<br>

85mm f/1.8D<br>

17-35mm f/2.8D<br>

28-70mm f/2.8D<br>

70-200mm f/2.8G VR<br>

80-400 f/4-5.6D VR<br>

Almost no problems. The 17-35mm had the expected focus squeak.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses. Very enlightening and that website is one I've never been too. Looking at KEH, do you go for EX or better?</p>

<p>I have purchased a lot of lenses used - from B&H, KEH, and ebay; I also sold a quite a few lenses and I describe them as good as I possibly can - so far, everyone liked what they purchased from me. About half the lenses in my bag were purchased used. The only problem I had was with the first copy of a 17-55 purchased from KEH - AF stopped working within 15 minutes of me receiving the EX+ lens. KEH took it back without a problem, refunded the purchase price and overnighted me a second EX+ lens. I intentionally did not look for the 17-55 on ebay - prices were almost as high and thus the risk too great. A 50-135 lens I received (and intended to sell off) with the purchase of a Nikon FA off ebay was full of fungus - I took a bit of a hit selling it to someone who wanted to try and clean it (and succeeded). </p>

<p>I could not afford to buy all my lenses brand new - so I buy used with caution. Checking the records of the seller and thorough inspection of the lens has been important to me. </p>

<p>I bought two lenses on Ebay. The first, an AF-D 20mm f/2.8, was promptly delivered and exactly as described by the seller and at a fair price.</p>

<p>I had less luck the second time around. I bought an AF 24mm f/2.8 for around $150, which I considered at pretty good price. However, the focus ring was stuck. The seller 'trackbarron' said that it must have happened after he sent it. He obviously lied, because the ring was in the same stuck position on the pictures he had published on Ebay. I returned it, but he claimed he never got it. I guess I could have had a refund from Ebay if I had been a little more active.</p>

<p>I bought two lenses on Ebay. The first, an AF-D 20mm f/2.8, was promptly delivered and exactly as described by the seller and at a fair price.</p>

<p>I had less luck the second time around. I bought an AF 24mm f/2.8 for around $150, which I considered at pretty good price. However, the focus ring was stuck. The seller 'trackbarron' said that it must have happened after he sent it. He obviously lied, because the ring was in the same stuck position on the pictures he had published on Ebay. I returned it, but he claimed he never got it. I guess I could have had a refund from Ebay if I had been a little more active.</p>

<p>I bought only one used lens, my 55mm f3.5, but it's been great, and it's a 30-year-old lens.</p>

<p>Would I? Is this piece of string long enough? Buy used if there's a big enough difference in price, and even then only with a warranty.</p>

<p>Savitri.....I buy from KEH all the time. You can buy from Bargain on up when it comes to lenses. Bargain on KEH is just that......a good bargain. I've gotten Bargain stuff from KEH I swear it looked like it came out of the box the day before. Never had "bad" optics from them at bargain level....few nicks on paint, smal cosmetic stuff like that on occasion.....but the glass is always good.</p>

<p>For me the question is whether I'd ever buy a new lens, buying new is a great way to waste lots of money. I've sent 2 ebay lenses back and 1 back to a second hand dealer but every other lens has been great.</p>

<p>I currently have six lenses and purchased all but one secondhand and all of them from ebay. All the lenses are excellent my AI'd 85mm 1.8 is older than I am. </p>

<p>The benefit to me has been the exceptionally low cost for the second hand gear. I was not going to list my lenses but I want to explain my reasoning and experiences. I have: 20mm 3.5, 35mm 2.8, 50mm 1.2, 85mm 1.8, 135mm 2 dc (new), 2x TC and an 80-200 f4.</p>

<p>My first camera a few short years ago is a second hand FE and I purchased the 35mm and a 50mm 1.4 to go with it, not really understanding much of anything I purchased faster lenses as I did not like the effects of flash I saw in my friends photos so I wanted to use natural light.</p>

<p>Even though I did not yet have a zoom I loved using my primes and was soon looking for others. I remember fighting off other people in an auction at 4am for my 85mm lens as it finished then. </p>

<p>I was having a great time taking some landscape with the 35 and candid shots of my friends at parties and such with the 50 and 85.</p>

<p>I have not purchased a bad piece of gear from ebay I know enough now to know I have been very lucky, my photographer friends told me they hated me when I said my 85 cost me $100 including freight from the US. :) (they did ask first. I did not volunteer the info.)</p>

<p>I have been willing to take the risk of the goods being damaged, misrepresented or lost for the cheaper price for my lenses and it has certainly paid off. Until the advent of the D700 manual focus primes were very cheap. The market has tightened up considerably since then. </p>

<p>My one attempt to purchase a new lens from a shop ended without purchase. After I had paid the first shop they declared the lens to be out of stock and I would have a 3 month wait whilst Nikon manufactured more.</p>

<p>This is the 135mm F2 DC. They refunded my money when asked and I have done more business with them and had only good experiences. When I initially rang around looking to check prices and availability several shops told me it was in stock. When I rang to purchase they had no stock, one store told me it had eight of them two weeks earlier when I rang.</p>

<p>So I went looking on ebay and found a Hong Kong seller with, at the time, 22 thousand positive feedback. I felt that I REALLY gambled on this purchase and ordered the lens. It arrived in less than a week. </p>

<p>So as others have mentioned check the feedback and see if there is a return policy. I have had a great run and am happy to recommend ebay as a purchasing step, you just have to be careful. The ebay store is chinaarts if anyone is interested.</p>

<p>i'm a little less enthusiastic about buying an AF-S lens used than an MF model. my one attempt to do so was unproductive. KEH sent me a 300/4 AF-S lens that looked absolutely beautiful, but it had internal troubles. KEH took it back, no questions asked, of course -- which is their policy, so you lose nothing but shipping if your purchase doesn't work out. as for MF lenses, a 24/2.8 AI had a major abrasion on the front element, rendering it useless. since it came from my local brick-and-mortar dealer, i simply returned it.<br>

compared with many whose experiences i read about here on PN, i think i'm pretty much a chicken. i read their amazing stories and think, i could never do that! every person has his/her own comfort level...</p>

<p>I have 14 lenses and so far have only purchased one new. <br /> <br /> I have purchased 15 lenses in my life and I have only had one go south on me, a 50mm f1.8 ai lens after about 8 years of use.</p>

<p>Absent fungus or scratches or serious damage from being dropped (focus ring damage is something to look out for), not much can go wrong with a manual or screw-driven auto-focus lens that can't be fixed fairly cheaply.</p>

<p>I buy used lenses when available in almost like new condition and at a lower price than the same product new. I haven't had bad experiences with used - but I avoid the beaten up copies.</p>

<p>I've bought probably 50 used lens over the past 10 years and had had only one intstance where the lens did't perform as advertised. In fact, the only new lenses I have purchased have been an 18-200 and a 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor. If you do your homework and buy only from online sellers with good feedback you probably won't get burned. Be wary of anyone who starts an auction listing with "I don't know anythjing about cameras (or lenses) but. . ."</p>

<p>Another vote for KEH. I have two, three lenses right now that came used from them and they are as good as new and substantially cheaper. KEH is acknowledged as the best place out there to buy used gear because of their rating system (very conservative), their return policy, and their general excellent customer service. I MIGHT buy a lens from Cregs Lost but not without trying it first. The auction site - no way. I won't buy a used lens form anyone except KEH, or maybe Adorama without trying it out first.</p>