AI Now Generating Ebay Listing Descriptions of Lenses Etc

[John Seaman]

I browse ebay a lot for camera kit, and have been puzzled recently by the descriptions. A lot of them are in similar chatty style - although from different sellers - with rather flowery and over the top claims about the item. All Well I was listing an item earlier, and noticed something new – an option to "Use AI Description". I tclicked on it and my careful description, including postage details etc, was immediately replaced by one of these chatty generic descriptions.

Thus,my original listing: "A USSR Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 M42 screw prime lens, serial number 0433394, a Zeiss Sonnar design said to be good for swirly Bokeh. It's in poor condition as described below, I'm selling it for spares or repair but it still makes nice pictures, as examples attached with it adapted to a Canon DSLR. This version has an 8 blade preset aperture- the front click stopped ring pre-selects the taking aperture, and the rear ring swaps between full and taking apertures. In this lens the front pre-selecting ring is completely seized. The rear ring turns freely but it's only possible to turn it from full aperture down to around F/8. Optics have no obvious haze or fungus, minor internal dust. There are multiple faint cleaning marks to the front and rear elements as pictured. Focus action is smooth and light."

And the AI version:"This Helios 44-2 lens is a fantastic option for photography enthusiasts looking to capture stunning portraits and full-frame shots. Its manual focus type and prime focal length of 58mm allow for precise control over your images. The lens is compatible with M42 mount and filters sized at 49mm, making it easy to integrate into your existing gear. This particular lens was manufactured in the 1970s in the Russian Federation and weighs only 250g. Although it has some wear and tear, it can still capture beautiful pictures. Whether you're a professional or amateur photographer, this Helios 44-2 will help you achieve exceptional results."

Has anyone else noticed this? Any thoughts?

Edited November 15, 2023 by John Seaman

[SCL]

For years Ebay has incorporated glowing descriptions for a number of items, and when proposing a sale you could select one of these canned descriptions. I never did, offering, like you, my own accurate description so buyers weren't mislead.

[ericphelps]

A Fuji X100F is currently for sale on that site for $14,500...........Shite doesn't need any tech help.

[Rick Helmke]

Sounds like Siri wrote that description.

 

Rick H.

[Nick D.]

I remember that lens, was hard to focus it on Zenit, and it was soft properly focused anyway. Cheaper and smaller pancake Industar 50-2, 50/3.5 has been sharper.

50/3.5

 

[John Seaman]

6 hours ago, Nick D. said:

I remember that lens, was hard to focus it on Zenit, and it was soft properly focused anyway.

I think there's sample variation between USSR lenses, this Helios 44-2 seemed pretty sharp despite the cleaning marks. They are much sought after because of their alleged "Swirly Bokeh" but it sold for only £12.50 due to the awful condition. Here's a picture taken with it adapted to a Canon DSLR:

Edited November 18, 2023 by John Seaman