Need a little bit of advice

[PaulWog]

I've been offered $460 for my 16-85mm VR for the second time now. I forgot to take it off of Craigslist, and I ignored the first offer a month ago thinking I wanted to keep the lens after all (second thoughts).

I forgot about the ad, and received another e-mail from someone else today. I thought about it for another time, and realize that my only intention for my 16-85mm VR is for the 16-24mm range. I haven't even had the chance to go out and do any landscape shots or the like with it.

I'm about 9/10 of the way to e-mailing back and making a sale, but I thought I'd post this to get a little input. I'd be losing about $270, but I'll be getting $460 which I could set aside for a wide-angle lens. I feel like an all-around lens is convenient, yes, but it defeats the purpose of a DSLR in other ways: if I want all-around, I've got a smartphone, or an S95 pocket camera with RAW capabilities.

Talk me out of it? Talk me into it? It's a really tough decision because I know as I learn I find more purposes (or sometimes less) for particular gear.

 

[DNel928]

In my opinion don't sell it until you are positive you don't want it. I have sold lenses before thinking I wouldn't miss them at all, and find myself reaching for them.

 

[acparsons]

I have made the mistake of selling lenses at a loss. I wished I had those lenses now, as my photography develops, I am finding new uses for old lenses that I did not realize before.

 

[480sparky]

I've taken to keeping lenses that in the past I would have sold. This way, I'm slowly building up a stable of 'spare' lenses.

 

[sk66]

A general purpose "all around" lens on a DSLR is not the same thing as an iPhone/S95.... it definitely has it's place. And I agree, it will be more expensive to replace it later if you decide selling was a mistake.... unless you bought one used and then it should cost about what you're getting
The real mistake was already made, you bought a lens you didn't have a use/need for. If you haven't used it in 6mo- 1yr, it's probably a good idea to sell it.

 

[tirediron]

Buy lenses = good. Selling = not good. He who dies with the most gear wins, right?

 

[PaulWog]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to give it an hour or so & then decide whether to respond. I really do like that wide-angle option, but I don't think I've used the lens in the past 6 months except for one day. I've been wanting to go out and do some landscape photos though, and that's what my biggest dilemma is: I'm excited to do some landscape photography. I could see myself getting into more stitched-together landscape shots, but a 24mm field-of-view equivalent is good. From the point-of-view of money, $460 is a lot and I could use that right now. But looking at it from that point-of-view, it's just a loss of $240-ish from my pocket (but then again, $240 lost out of the $2000 I've spent isn't so bad... looking at it from that perspective, it's a small price to pay to learn in photography).

Weighing the options now.

 

[robbins.photo]

Buy lenses = good. Selling = not good. He who dies with the most gear wins, right?

Sell? Lenses? A kidney maybe- my firstborn? Sure. But lenses?

Lol

Sent from my LG-LG730 using Tapatalk

 

[PaulWog]

Well, decided to settle for $440. As much as I love the lens (it was my first lens!!), I quickly saw it becoming a lens that I used less and less. I love the VR, I love the sharpness across the focal lengths, and I love the 16mm wide end, but that's where it stops. I overspent for the lens, and I bought based purely on advice without knowing anything about photography (back when I got the lens).

I've found myself loving prime lenses more and more, and really respecting wider focal lengths more and more. This has left me always reaching for my primes whenever I'm walking around.

For the "all-around" purpose that this lens fills (daytime photography, on-the-go, casual, and landscape), I feel as though there are some fairly nice mirrorless options (ie. my girlfriend's Nikon 1 J3) that fit the ticket. Not-so-much for landscape, but it really does manage on-the-go photography quite well. For me, carrying around something like that makes sense -- not that I would buy one... she's got one! And I usually am with her when I care to do that kind of photography That said, usually on those on-the-go outings, I love my 50mm, 85mm, and (still not fixed because Nikon's service center is only open between 6am and 12pm during work days and I refuse to use the mailing system) 35mm 1.8G.

So that's the long of it: I loved and still love the lens, but what it has become to me is a 16mm lens with the ability to quickly snap longer shots if I can't pause to switch my lenses out in my bag. If I come to love landscape & other wide photography enough, I might at the end of the year get a lens specifically for that ... but until then, I think a good tripod, and stitching shots together using the 35mm 1.8G will make for a nice experience considering I rarely go out to do landscape shots & that equipment alone should suffice to see some amazing results.

I'm chocking it up to $344 lost (jeez! I forgot there was tax on top of $700!), out of a $2900+Tax spent on the hobby total. I'm lucky enough to have received nearly 1/3 of that as gifts. That's a ~12% loss for beginner's learning mistakes. I usually consider when it comes to any serious hobby that resale is inevitable if one takes to the hobby quickly.

 

[sk66]

I overspent for the lens, and I bought based purely on advice without knowing anything about photography (back when I got the lens).

Wisdom... the result of surviving our own stupidity...
You are now (more) qualified to give advice to those who follow in your footsteps...

 

[PaulWog]

I overspent for the lens, and I bought based purely on advice without knowing anything about photography (back when I got the lens).

Wisdom... the result of surviving our own stupidity...
You are now (more) qualified to give advice to those who follow in your footsteps...

Too true (the first part). The second part, yep -- although such a qualification isn't something I care to spend money on I'm not happy selling the lens, but over time I'll be happier. It has been on the back of my mind for quite a while.

I was hoping I'd be convinced that my decision is excellent here, or compelled that the lens is awesome and I will absolutely love it. Instead, I'm just more conflicted, but going ahead with what I feel is best.

Hopefully after consoling myself over the sale of this lens, the sale goes through properly tomorrow hahaha.

 

[bc_steve]

I sold my 70-300 on ebay after I bought a 70-200 f/2.8. It was a great lens, but with the 70-200 I had no reason to use it anymore.

American money went into my paypal and I just left it there rather than deal with conversions. Now after 4-5 months, I've needed to use Paypal to buy a few things. Because I forgot all about it, it feels like I'm getting stuff for free now

Much more useful than a lens I don't need, collecting dust.

 

[PaulWog]

Got my money today. I'm now without the lens. I don't miss it. Although I do miss the gap of money I spent between new purchase vs used sale.

I'll be shopping for wide-angle lenses sometime down the road.