Did anyone buy some lenses on KEH with BGN condition?

[jerry_bokunewicz]

<p>I have not purchased lenses but I did purchase a Nikon D70s last week from KEH along with several accessories(extra batteries, memory,..etc). I had an excellent experience. The product delivered was cleaner than I had expected. It worked flawlessly at a horseshow last weekend. I would recommend them. </p>

[zeb_lisik]

<p>I've bought several BGN and their condition seemed pretty good, I, too think their BGN rating is conservative.<br>

A great place to buy used lenses I think.</p>

[fred_labounty]

<p>i've bought several iems from KEH. None that I have bought were rated as bargain, but all were better than expected...and better than they were rated. Their prices are a little high but I've never been disappointed.</p>

[akochanowski]

<p>They have a deserved great reputation. I've deal with them for years, and agree with others that their grading system is conservative. I bought a Fuji 690II from them last year rated EX, one grade down from LN, and it arrived looking like new with the frame counter showing it had run a total of 25 rolls of 120 film. I have no idea why that camera wasn't listed as LN. I have never had a bad experience with that company.</p>

[Landrum Kelly]

<blockquote>

<p>"2 rules to follow. Rule #1 Don't buy anything from KEH regardless of condition and rule #2 don't forget rule #1. If you break the rules don't tell me that I didn't warn you."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I've had only good experiences with KEH going back some years now. I usually don't buy bargain condition, but I would still second what Doug Herr says: "KEH BGN is almost always much better condition than you'd expect."</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

[chris_mills1]

<p>I have bought 6 lenses, two bodies and a bunch of filters from KEH since 2005. 3 of the 6 lenses were labeled as BGN.<br>

Of the 3 BGN lenses, all 3 are free from optical defects. One of them has a slightly loose mount, and all of them show normal wear marks on the outside of the lens barrels. Functionally, however, they are great. I have no qualms about buying BGN marked lenses from them.<br>

Sometimes they make mistakes. On one occasion I got an empty box marked "58mm circ. pol., B+W, EX" rather than a box containing the filter described, but I called them and they sent me what I was supposed to get without any hassle. I have also returned a used (LN-) lens about 10 days after I got it (I decided I wanted the IS for the 70-200/2.8). The return went quite smoothly. So, overall I'd say customer service is not perfect, but it's more than good enough for me.</p>

[james_brand]

<p>I have bought many Hassablad and Nikon items from KEH and things have always been fine. Mail ordering $1,000 used lenses can be nerve-wracking, but their ratings are conservative and I was always happy with the condition. I never contacted them by e-mail, but I have had some phone conversations where the sales reps have steered me towards an item that better matched my needs (saved me some money by convincing me to buy a bargin qr plate and then the next time advised me against buying a bargin SWC due to scrathces on the glass).</p>

<p>I have noticed that their shipping costs are getting high for small items. Should a $6 lens cap cost more than $6 to ship it?</p>

[frank.schifano]

<blockquote>

<p>I have noticed that their shipping costs are getting high for small items. Should a $6 lens cap cost more than $6 to ship it?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Yeah, it is a little ridiculous. But don't blame KEH for that. Look to an increase in the cost of packing materials and more to increased minimum shipping charges from the carrier.</p>

[guy_e]

<p>Ok... I guess e-mail is not the way to go then when contacting them for pre-sales support. I sent a couple of mails a few weeks ago asking for serial numbers for a few Hasselblad camera bodies, and got no reply. Unfortunately where I work it is very difficult for me to make personal phone calls during the day, so I generally rely on e-mail for this sort of thing. Since I got no reply, I assumed they weren't interested in my business, and just decided to go with eBay instead (which I did not regret one bit - got a beyond mint condition kit for a very good price).</p>

<p>I will give them another try in the future if I find myself purchasing more used gear, but this time over the phone only.</p>

[j. esford]

<p>I've also made several purchases and have had no problems!</p>

[boinkphoto]

<p>In general the KEH "bargain" lenses look better than pretty much any lens that I've bought new and had for more than a couple of years. That is, they look pretty dang clean.</p>

<p>Optically, regardless of grade, except "ugly", you can be sure that the optics are in perfect shape, at least from a basic visual inspection. What they do not grade however, and no one can really know until it's on a camera, is if say the elements are in alignment or properly colimated. I have gotten lenses that were off in that regards. However again, that could be equally true of a lens that was "LN-": you really can't know (and they can't easily either), if the elements have been jostled around by the prior owner.</p>

<p>Also, sometimes you'll get lenses that have creap or are otherwise not tight. I'm not sure if that is factored into the rating or not, but I believe mostly their rating is based on the outside look of the lens (others can correct me).</p>

<p>That said, you can always return them. The postage can add up, but I've swapped numerous lenses, no questions asked. You have 14 days to do so (though, I've heard some complain that 14 days starts when they ship, not when you receive, but it's never been a problem for me).</p>

<p>I think they're a great company and highly recommend them and their "bargain" grade.</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Four things I have discovered about KEH over about 12 years of dealing with them.<br>

1 They are the most reliable source of used equipment that i have found in north America and as almost everyone has said their grading is conservative. I tend not to buy BGN as EX (while more expensive is almost always safe).<br>

2 The (six sales staff) do not actually see or grade the equipment that they sell to you - they rely on an inventory application<br>

3 The best way to contact them is by phone unless you have the individual email of one of the sales staff. their sales staff turnover is fairly low and they are quite knowledgable.<br>

4 Their inspection is more physical than it is electronic so they may not catch every issue. that said I have never had a problem with a refund or a return. the only issue is that you do have to pay to send it back - this could be expensive from the UK.</p>

[jimmckinnon]

<blockquote>

<p ><a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=704898">Bill Clermont</a> <a href="http://www.photo.net/member-status-icons"></a>, May 27, 2009; 12:48 p.m.</p>

 

<p>2 rules to follow. Rule #1 Don't buy anything from KEH...</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Bill must have some pretty strong feelings on this, to suddenly post for the first time in over 2 years! I think his unqualified rant can be ignored, safely!</p>

[rf1]

<p>KEH is very reliable. Their rating system is top notch and BGN grade is what other sellers might consider to be good/very good. Usually the BGN item is functional....may not be pretty but working.</p>

[lisa_lowden]

<p>hi. i bought 1 bgn oly om lens from them in this cond. there was some black paint brassing, very minor but the glass was immaculate like brand new quality. i also bought some ex and ex plus lenses from them. the lenses looked almost new and all work flawlessly. the brgn lens i bought made me really surprised as to its quality. ll</p>

[pat trent]

<p>I, too, have had positive experiences in purchasing items from KEH--the only place I buy used equipment, although I have also purchased new equipment from them as well. I trust them.</p>

[lisa_lowden]

<p>yeah i hardly get any replies from them but laura is good at returning emails if you email her directly. calling them is usually good also. i have bought many things from them and their shipping is top notch also. ll</p>

[rroberto]

<p>Nothing but positive experiences with KEH. I have to do all purchasing by mail since we have no camera stores closer than a 2 1/2 hr. plane ride.<br /> But I have always called and spoken to a person, they have been a little slow in answering emails.</p>

[lisa_lowden]

<p>one other thing to remember...the email you get about your order price is always higher than what your credit card is actually charged. at least that is the way it is done for me. i am sure you have seen that also. so that is a good thing to know. also some of my orders have gone out 2 day air even when i requested ground shipping. ll</p>

[lisa_lowden]

<p>i also bought from their kehoutlet on ebay. just as good. i highly recommend them also. i bought a used f4s from them for 199 in brgn cond. hardly any real bad brassing, just minor. no lcd bleed. and the unit is tight and works great. the focusing screen was a little worn and dirty and i replaced it for just 8 bucks. all in all one happy customer. ll</p>

[kbg32]

<p>I bought a BGN 135/3.5 Canon Serenar from them. Really quite nice. Glass is clean and free from scratches. Exterior is excellent.</p>

[jkelly04]

<p>I bought a collapsible Summicron 50mm from KEH a couple of years ago for $126. It was graded UGLY but I took a chance on it. Turns out it only had a minor nick in the front ring, but otherwise the glass and the rest of the lens was in perfect condition. One of my favorite lenses. That was quite a bargain.</p>

[gary burdette]

<p>I have been doing business with KEH for almost 27 years. I owned a commercial studio and purchased all my equipment from them. It's still going strong today. I even entered the digital world with equipment purchased from KEH. They have been great to me and I can honestly say that I have never had a bad experience with that comapny.</p>

[bravin_neff]

<p>I've purchased many things from KEH and have found them to be the single most satisfactory place to do business on the internet as far as used items are concerned. I recommend them without hesitation.</p>

[scott_paris4]

<p>There's not much I can add that hasn't already been said. Their prices are a little high, but what you're paying for is very conservative grading and the peace of mind of knowing that they will accept the return of anything that doesn't please you.<br>

They are the gold standard of used photo equipment.</p>