Opinion of used lenses.

[sambrody44]

Is an 18 month old used lens a bad investment?

The current owner estimates about 1000 exposures on it.

 

[Dao]

I guess it depends on the type, conditions and cost of the lens.

 

[sambrody44]

Take a look.

 

[Mystwalker]

Pricewise, close to $250 is pretty good deal.

I believe new one goes for about $470 or so.

1000 exposures is not a lot - I have over 1K on my 28-135 and nothing wrong with it. But this all depends on the user and condition used.

The "peacock feathers" looks a bit fuzzy to me, but then I'm comparing that to some of the macro shots I've seen here, and I've never seen feathers that close-up so maybe it's the feathers and not the lens. That chef shot looks right on to me.

 

[dEARlEADER]

I've bought a some used....

as far as shutter counts and softness you can forget all that.... there is no way to verify shutter count and even with soft lenses you will always have a few good samples to provide to showcase the lens...

for me personally... if the lens retails for $1000 or under I'll risk used.... if i'm paying for a big lens I'll pay retail and take the warranty...

you can always sell the lens if you don't like and your loss will pretty much be contained to shipping... sometimes you can even get more....

even though I might not be able to use it... I still look for single owners who provide the original receipt and warranty card.... I will offer less if the lens have gone through several owners because the risk of a soft copy generally increases with this behaviour....

 

[djacobox372]

I've bought a some used....

as far as shutter counts and softness you can forget all that.... there is no way to verify shutter count and even with soft lenses you will always have a few good samples to provide to showcase the lens...

for me personally... if the lens retails for $1000 or under I'll risk used.... if i'm paying for a big lens I'll pay retail and take the warranty...

you can always sell the lens if you don't like and your loss will pretty much be contained to shipping... sometimes you can even get more....

even though I might not be able to use it... I still look for single owners who provide the original receipt and warranty card.... I will offer less if the lens have gone through several owners because the risk of a soft copy generally increases with this behaviour....

Some good points, but one thing to keep in mind is that $1000+ lenses typically have a build quality that makes used versions more likely to be problem-free.

I for one would stay away from used "budget lenses."

 

[usayit]

most of my lenses are used.....

Just like purchasing a used car, just go into the deal with care.

 

[usayit]

for me personally... if the lens retails for $1000 or under I'll risk used.... if i'm paying for a big lens I'll pay retail and take the warranty...

I'm the opposite. If the lens is under $1000 bucks, I'll might as well buy it new. Build quality is going to be lower as well as durability therefore the few extra $$ for new is going to go a long way.

If the lens is well over $1000 bucks, I'll buy used if and only if the difference is large enough to make the risk worth it. Often, the cost of any repairs will be smaller than the difference.


So far.. I've never been disappointed.

 

[dEARlEADER]

I'm the opposite. If the lens is under $1000 bucks, I'll might as well buy it new. Build quality is going to be lower as well as durability therefore the few extra $$ for new is going to go a long way.

If the lens is well over $1000 bucks, I'll buy used if and only if the difference is large enough to make the risk worth it. Often, the cost of any repairs will be smaller than the difference.


So far.. I've never been disappointed.

good points... but I'm in Canada... Nikon won't even SERVICE non cdn product...so that limits the amount of used pro glass...

On the Nikon board I semi frequently see pro's having to send a lens in for recalibration.... I won't take that risk.....

Whereas my sigma 105 i picked up used for $300... think it retails $600... worth the risk and great savings too


something like my sigma 105 i picked up used for $300... i think it retails $600... too me this is worth the risk and the investment is minimal...


An example a used Nikon 24-70 2.8 is on the market for about $1500 right now.... a new one is $1800....

I bought the new one and have a legit warranty for the next five years..... IMO worth it... I want comfort when spending good money...