50mm 1.8 vs 1.4

[cardonalj]

The canon 1.8 50mm is only $85 shipped on amazon.com

I still don't understand why people are paying close to $100 on ebay for the same lens.

Although the 1.8 is extremely cheaper compared to the 1.4, the 1.4 is built better than the 1.8. Sure you could go for the 1.8, but when it breaks on you because its not made the same (plastic body I believe and problems with the focus ring) you're going to wish you had bought the 1.4.

 

[ANDS!]

Why are people buying new? Especially lenses. Never got this.

 

[TheSon]

Cardonalj what made you think I would buy a 1.8? I was just making an observation.

My (and other peoples) earlier posts say the same thing that you stated.

Oh and Ands all of my lenses are used. I have never paid over $60 for a lens (I'm thrifty).

 

[cardonalj]

Oh. I thought you meant why would people buy the 1.4 when the 1.8 is substantially cheaper. My Bad.

ON a side note, where do you guys buy your used lens? Online or specialty stores?

 

[ksmattfish]

I bounced a Canon 50mm f/1.8 mkII off a granite floor from shoulder height. It didn't break. The rumors of fragility for the fantastic plastic lens are greatly exaggerated.

 

[potownrob]

Although the 1.8 is extremely cheaper compared to the 1.4, the 1.4 is built better than the 1.8. Sure you could go for the 1.8, but when it breaks on you because its not made the same (plastic body I believe and problems with the focus ring) you're going to wish you had bought the 1.4.

Not that I use my 50mm 1.8 AF-D much but it doesn't feel like that cheap a lens to me, even though it is a very plasticky lens. Maybe if you used it a lot on an old MF camera, changing the aperture all the time, maybe it wouldn't hold up to that. At least on mine the focus ring feels pretty sturdy. I know the older non D models had a cheaper focus ring probably similar in feel to the 55-200 VR's focus ring; maybe that one is the one that has problems?

 

[Dao]

Why are people buying new? Especially lenses. Never got this.

If nobody buy new, how can we buy used lens? j/k

Yes, all my lenses were bought used.

 

[ANDS!]

ON a side note, where do you guys buy your used lens? Online or specialty stores?

Online. Although the number of places you can go to do this is slowly dying for Nikon users. Within the last few months NikonCafe and Nikonians.org classified sections have gone the way of the dodo: NikonCafe shut their classifieds down when they overreacted to the threat of "litigation" on the part of a burned forum member, and Nikonians cheaped out and shut off "For sale" forums for non-paying members.

For Canon users, you are still in great luck as somehow, despite having WAY MORE active users at any one time, their Forums remain open to the general public. Lucky you.

FredMiranda still exists for general photo needs. Its only Nikon users who are hurting these days.

 

[TheSon]

Online.

EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY

Get the point? I just watched a 28-200 MINT Tamron Canon lens sell for $65.

I can go on and on... I check it almost every day. Way more lenses than there are buyers.

 

[inTempus]

The canon 1.8 50mm is only $85 shipped on amazon.com

I still don't understand why people are paying close to $100 on ebay for the same lens.

Welcome to the madness that is eBay.

I stopped using that site 8 years ago when idiots kept driving prices on bids up well over what you could buy things new for.

If you're looking for anything even remotely popular, eBay is the last place I look. If you want some obscure trinket from 1931 that you and maybe 10 other people on the planet are looking for, you might get a sweet deal on eBay.

 

[fiveoboy01]

I want the 1.4 AF-S lens... I have actually used one, and though I'm somewhat of a noob, I was still impressed with it's performance and the AF ability to track moving objects.

I've scoured ebay for a used one to no avail yet... When it comes down to it I'll probably end up buying a new one.

Just curious, but wouldn't it be desirable to have AF capability with whatever lens you get? Maybe I'm remembering wrong but I thought Beth was going to go with a D40/D60...? Eh maybe I have it wrong.

 

[Beth81]

Why are people buying new? Especially lenses. Never got this.

I buy new because I don't know what I'm doing yet and I'm always scared of purchasing anything from someone I don't know especially if it's person to person (like ebay). I never know when I can trust someone. There are no camera stores in my area that i could even go purchase anything at. :er: I have an account with ebay but when I tried to sale my iphone around xmas time last year. I kept receiving emails that told me to ignore the bids I was getting because they were fraud. Also, when my phone finally sold, I received another email stating that the person that bid highest on my phone was a fraud and was trying to steal my information. So how can we trust anything like that? Now I'm to nervous to try buying used for sure.

 

[TheSon]

Well... I have never really had an experience like that on ebay Beth, and I've been selling/buying for about 7 years on there. (I have sold many cell phones on there)

How can you trust the seller? Feedback rating... How good their description is... Pictures and Accuracy. Plus I'm protected by paypal and ebay with all of my purchases (for free). I bought my almost new Canon 50-200 USM lens for $45 on there, my Sigma AF wide angle for $35, and a LOT more (I just bought my 159 snowboard for $45 shipped). I even bought my car (audi) on ebay (for half of the bluebook value) that I've had for 8 years now almost maintenance free.

Oh and how can a buyer on ebay "steal your information"? All you give them is your email address to pay you via paypal, or your home address for a money order (which they can get from a phone book). Nothing more.

 

[Beth81]

I don't know...All I know is ebay sent me an email telling me not to give any information to the highest bidder because they were considered what's called a "seeker" hence seeking information. I do have a paypal account as well so i don't know anything about ebay but I know I received these emails and it scared me. Don't get me wrong....I would love to save money buying used pieces. I just don't want to buy something and it be scratched or messed up or anything

 

[Dao]

I don't know...All I know is ebay sent me an email telling me not to give any information to the highest bidder because they were considered what's called a "seeker" hence seeking information. I do have a paypal account as well so i don't know anything about ebay but I know I received these emails and it scared me. Don't get me wrong....I would love to save money buying used pieces. I just don't want to buy something and it be scratched or messed up or anything

For the safe side, never trust the email you received from ebay. However, I will consider those message you see in ebay.com once you login (not thought links from email) are usually legit.