buying used Nikon wide-angle 12-24mm...need advice

[drew_r]

<p>Hello,<br>

New to photography...new to these forums. So please go easy on me!<br>

I recently purchased a Nikon D7000 and have quickly fallen in love with landscape/seascape stuff. I've been renting the 12-24 DX on the weekends and want to buy one. They're a bit out of my price range new, but I found one online for $550. Talked to the guy and he seems legit...he's getting rid of hit to move on to FX.<br>

My question is related to the number of shutter clicks. The guy advertised the lens as "lightly used." It is a little over a year old and he says it has between 2000-3000 clicks.<br>

Is that a reasonable amount of clicks given the time he's owned it and the price? How many clicks can one expect to get in a lens' lifetime?<br>

Thanks in advance!</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>LOL:))</p>

<p>There are off brand 12-24mm for less, if budget is tight. FWIW I sold my tokina version 1 for less than $350. Don't worry about clicks...</p>

[drew_r]

<p>why is that LOL? it was actually a serious question...</p>

[lornesunley]

<p>ummm, a lens does not have a shutter in it so the number of "clicks" doesn't really indicate anything about the condition of the lens. The lifetime of a lens is not usually affected by shutter actuations.</p>

[drew_r]

<p>Well then...in that case I should probably delete this post to save myself further embarrassment!</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>Everyone make mistakes, LOL isn't so bad...It wasn't meant to be harmful:)</p>

[drew_r]

<p>Thanks Leslie...wasn't offended just confused. Have a good one!</p>

 

[CoryAmmerman]

<p>If you are buying locally, you should inspect the lens beforehand. Check that the focus and zoom rings move freely. There is a tab at the back of the lens that closes the aperture down. move this by hand and make sure there are no snags in the movement and that the apeture blades snap back shut quicly. That's about all you can do. With a lens of that vintage, fungus shouldn't be a problem, but you can look though the lens for that if you want. </p>

<p>Like others have said, shutter clicks is more of an issue with camera bodies than lenses. </p>

[SCL]

<p>Also check the diaphragm blades for any oil or other substances on the blades....they should be clean. Lastly, shine a flashlight thru the rear and front of the lens (look at the front when shining from the rear and vice versa)...you will probably see a slight amount of dust particles, but beware of lots of dust, moisture or fungus. Check this way also for scratches and cleaning marks. Make sure everything moves smoothly without hesitation or unusual friction, which could indicate a dropped lens.</p>

[georges_pelpel]

<p>+1 for checking the front and rear lenses, and the aperture tab near the rear lens.<br>

This is a good lens, very well made. It can last for years. Just sold mine because I am also moving to FX, otherwise it would still be in my bag.</p>

[drew_r]

Perfect...will do. Thanks everyone!

[bjorn_burton]

<p>Drew i shoot landscape and used a DX body for several years i will have to say if you want the best UWA lens for your DX body get the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. Its the sharpest Ultra wide DX lens i used and i used them all from the nikon 12-24 to Tamron to the other Tokina and it just rocks! It is also cheaper then the Nikon 12-24 and its Faster and its built like a tank. Im actually sad because im moving to Full Frame and im selling all my DX including my Tokina 11-16mm.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<blockquote>

<p>How many clicks can one expect to get in a lens' lifetime?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>if you're skilled at picking up clicks, the possibilities are infinite as long as you keep them in focus.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Maybe another option worth considering, as it can be found new (with warranty) for the same price as you now pay for the Nikkor: Tokina 12-24 f/4. Perfectly fine lens, great build quality (so no worries about its lifetime, it can take a knock or two).<br>

The Nikon is said to be better at f/4, my Tokina I usually use at f/5.6 to f/11, so I actually do not know, but well, the Tokina works really well for me.</p>

[CvhKaar]

<blockquote>

<p>ummm, a lens does not have a shutter in it so the number of "clicks" doesn't really indicate anything about the condition of the lens.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Kind of... , shutter clicks for a (D)slr lens means opening and closing the aperture, and zooming in and out, for AF-lenses, This mecahnical movement causes wear 'n tear to the mechanisms activated for that, and when used intensively / extensively over a long period or in harsh conditions, can lead to maintenance and repair cost.<br>

2000-3000 "clicks" is almost nothing for a quality lens, so no worries there i'd say<br>

There have been multiple comparissons between / dsicussions on the tokina vs nikon 12-24's, one of the here on PHN : <a href="00D6Mt">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00D6Mt</a> <br>

I guess you need to decide for yourself whether a used 12-24 nikkor is the better choice or not depending on what you think is important for you...</p>

<p> </p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>That's a great deal. I'd jump on it, after testing the lens. I'd bring my own camera and a laptop so I can shoot a few test images at every aperture at least down to f13 or f16 and open them up and zoom in on the corners to see how they look.</p>

<p>I ended up with the 11-16, but as much a fan as I am of that lens, for most people, it doesn't go "long" enough, and the 12-24 is a good bit more versatile.</p>

<p>Get it.</p>

[michaelging]

<p>Drew, Lenses eventually do wear out but its a much higher number than how many shutter clicks that a camera can take. I bought a used 15 to 35mm 2.8 zoom lens about 10 yrs ago. I have no idea how many exposures that the lens had on it before me, but I used it for years as my primary working lens with film cameras, then more than 600,000 on a D3 full frame camera, and another 300,00 with a D3s. I did have to take the lens in last fall and have new aperture blades replaced on the lens as they had worn out, for the price of less than $100, and its a good as new. The posts above are not meant to make fun, just to inform. In my experience off brand lenses, other than Nikon lenses, are just as sharp as any nikon lens when new, but they seem to have less quality tolerances and seem to loose their sharpness quicker than a nikon lens over time. They also seem to be a little more fragile as far as weather and any little bumps. If you decide to go off brand and used, be sure to check the lens out for corner to corner sharpness. </p>

[rob_mulligan1]

<p>Echoing what everyone else has said, clicks are almost meaningless on lenses. I shoot about a thousand pictures a month (and pros do much more than that) and I've never worn out a lens. As for a lens recommendation, If you're going to stay with DX, consider the Nikon 10-24mm. The extra two millimeters on the wide end is actually quite a lot. My personal super wide is a Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6. The price is right, and I have absolutely NO complaints. (Read Thom Hogans review.) You don't need a "fast" lens for landscapes because you'll usually be shooting around f8-f11 anyway.<br>

DON'T FORGET YOUR GRADUATED ND OR YOUR CIRCULAR POLARIZER!!!!! <br>

Just a thought... You may also consider shooting multiple vertical pictures with good "normal" lens and stitching. The cheap Nikon 18-55mm is razor sharp stopped down.</p>

<p>Good luck and enjoy!</p><div></div>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I have Nikon lenses that are 35 years old that keep on going and going and going. I've never had a lens wear out even when I was shooting daily for newspapers (though I have known people who have had that happen.) The 12-24, both by Nikon and Tokina, is a relatively new model. Hasn't been on the market long enough for the lens to be likely to have age-related issues. As long as it hasn't been damaged it should be fine.</p>

[Landrum Kelly]

<p>Just so you'll know, Drew, there are some lenses with shutters:</p>

<p>http://www.largeformatphotography.info/shutters.html</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

[eric_arnold]

<blockquote>

<p>In my experience off brand lenses, other than Nikon lenses, are just as sharp as any nikon lens when new, but they seem to have less quality tolerances and seem to loose their sharpness quicker than a nikon lens over time. They also seem to be a little more fragile as far as weather and any little bumps. If you decide to go off brand and used, be sure to check the lens out for corner to corner sharpness.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>extremely subjective statement there. off-brand lenses lose sharpness over time? impossible to prove that, since that would depend on individual lenses and individual use. 3rd party glass more fragile? well, tokina 12-24 has a metal build, nikon 12-24 is polycarbonate. corner to corner sharpness better with OEM? again, depends on the lens. FWIW, tokina 11-16 reputed to be sharper than nikon 12-24 and 10-24.</p>

[jwallphoto]

<p>I have the Nikon 12-24mm and would recommend you ask the seller if the filter threads are in good condition. The threads are part of a plastic assembly, not metal. You don't want to find out too late that you can't securely attach a filter.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<blockquote>

<p>off brand lenses... seem to loose their sharpness quicker</p>

</blockquote>

<p>had to think about this one for a minute. what would possibly cause a lens to 'lose sharpness'? after all, optical glass and aspherical elements dont degrade over time, and there are plenty of sharp film-era lenses out there still going. s' possible front element coatings might degrade (especially if you clean them with rubbing alcohol), but that could also depend on whether you use filters,how often you clean the element, etc. nano-crystal coating (or 3rd party equiv.)? apparently that's applied to the interior of a lens.</p>

<p>the only thing i can think of which would maybe affect IQ over time would be misalignment, which could impact AF mechanism or the lenses' ability to focus, period. there have been reports of VR and AF-S systems getting out of whack, but not moreso with 3rd party equiv. than with nikon's implementation. ok, low tolerances and poor QC could conceivably affect IQ over time. However, Tokina AT-X, Sigma EX, and some Tamron SP lenses (17-50 and 28-75 but not 70-300 VC) are all made in Japan; some of the Nikon consumer-grade glass-- like the 18-55, which is held together with masking tape-- originates in Thailand.</p>

<p>in any event, my tokina 12-24 is just as sharp to my eyes as it was when i got it in 2007. If lenses did lose sharpness over time, i would imagine they would have to be less expensive. </p>