Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 75 total)
  • How much is 'new' worth for SLR lenses?
  • molgrips
    Free Member

    Used £150
    New £200

    Which would you get?

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Depends on condition dunnit?

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Well they say ‘good’ condition.. can’t see any flaws in the pics.

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    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    If it was as new in original box and described as fully working and unmarked then that would be about right. If it was heavily used then way too expensive.

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    The new one based on that price difference. At least you can get it fixed/returned if it’s got focus or alignment issues.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Good point, hadn’t though of that.

    olympus
    Free Member

    Whats the lens? What fit? Zoom or prime?

    £200 for a new lens is quite cheap anyway, if its a prime then there’s less that can go wrong compared to a zoom. But saying that £50 for the new one which gives you warrenty etc would appear a good deal.

    I just sold a £360 lens for £180, and it was as new, perfect condition, always had a UV filter on it, and carried in lowepro bags, to me it was worth £360 but they buyer doesnt get the assurance of the ‘new’ bit. So I had to be prepared to lose money on it. Saying that the I made much more than what I lost on the lens from selling the prints the the lens produced!

    molgrips
    Free Member

    This:

    Olympus 25mm f2.8 pancake.

    Am I to assume you are an Olympus user olympus? Let me know if you’ve got owt else to sell 🙂

    olympus
    Free Member

    That lens is cool! I have toyed and toyed with the idea of buying that for my e410 as it would then fit in a coat pocket and be a lot smaller than my e30 + 12-60 setup!

    I am an olympus user, it’s good to meet a fellow olympian, we’re a rare breed!!

    Try googling “ebay flash camera”, this guy, Iain, sells new lenses from Scotland, at almost US prices, so I guess he imports. If he doesnt have what you’re after, send him a message and he can get it within 12 days or so. No customs tax to worry about as that’s his risk. I’ve bought 2 lenses from him, one of which (the 50mm f2) is the best lens I’ve ever used in my life.

    Getting back to your lens, £50 is £50, its upto you whether its worth the same as piece of mind. Ask the person selling if they have a flickr account so you can see some examples that theyve produced with the lens. Don’t just look at those though, look at all their photos. Do they take photography seriously? Not necessarily are they a great photographer but are they trying to be? If the answer is yes then they probably care about their hobby and kit, so the lens is well looked after.

    From Olympus point of view, their lenses are fantastic, the build quality, even the kit lenses is far greater than Canikon lenses, so I’m sure the second hand one will be fine.

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    If the answer is yes then they probably care about their hobby and kit, so the lens is well looked after

    Or they bought 2 to compare and are selling on the duff copy 😉

    molgrips
    Free Member

    it’s good to meet a fellow olympian, we’re a rare breed

    Yep, 🙂 On here I think 5thElefant uses a Pen and PePPeR is the only other E system user. Every time someone comes on here asking about DSLR they get the usual Canikon advice, I always mention Oly and post links to amazing bargain bundles but no-one has yet bought one on my advice 🙂

    I almost bought that lens as soon as I got my E600 but kept putting it off, partly cos it’s not that quick and partly because of dpreview’s reservations about IQ. However I’ve been learning about managing noise for higher ISO and also the scarcity (and cost) of decent fast primes, and I’ve also been wishing for something I can easily take with me biking, maybe even strap to my front so I can just stop and snap, so I reckon it’s a goer.

    So far I’ve got

    E-600
    14-42mm f3.5-5.6
    40-150mm f3.5-4.5
    70-300mm f4.0-5.6
    35mm f3.5 macro

    This and the 9-18mm wide angle should cover everything I feel like doing I reckon. The lenses do seem to be excellent vfm I agree – although there’s naff all second hand their ‘standard’ range is so good that you can just buy new 🙂

    PS I almost bid for a Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 on eBay the other day.. went for £570 in the end…

    TijuanaTaxi
    Free Member

    Or buy s/hand from a shop, still cheaper and a chance to inspect before buying with usually some sort of warranty too

    molgrips
    Free Member

    TT, there are four camera shops in Cardiff and only one 4/3 lens between them. It was this same one I am after actually for only £100 but it had a massive glob of crud in it. Wouldn’t have affected the picture probably but it made me feel all panicky and itchy just looking at it! Out, out!

    nbt
    Full Member

    Try googling “ebay flash camera”, this guy, Iain, sells new lenses from Scotland,

    I’ve dealt with him, he’s known as Kerso and has a good rep on loads of camera sites

    olympus
    Free Member

    If you’re on flickr theres a group called Olympus E-system community, they have a deal thread where people sell 2nd hand lenses. Thats where I sold my 18-50mm f2.8.

    I went for the Sigma 10-20 (not the 3.5 one) cos the 9-18 wasnt out then, its a great lens and a bit cheaper than the 9-18. It’s bigger though.

    If you ever consider upgrading you’re standard kit lens, take a look at the 14-54mm f2.8-3.5, great lens. I would have got that had I not been in the states and able to get the 12-60.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Way down the line I might upgrade my kit lens, I was thinking of the 12-60mm like you have.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    molgrips – Member
    TT, there are four camera shops in Cardiff and only one 4/3 lens between them.

    And you wonder why people suggest Canon/Nikon?? 😉

    As for the new/old lens thing, if I could try the 2nd hand one out I’d go for that one (so long as it was OK).
    But, if it was an eBay purchase or similar, I would buy new for the sake of £50. For me it’d be worth the extra to get something nice & new & have the reassurance of some comeback if there’s any issues.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    And you wonder why people suggest Canon/Nikon?

    Hehe.. no, I know why, and I admit it. However to balance that you can just order the new ones from Amazon and they are almost as cheap as the second hand kit and very good indeed. So it’s swings and roundabouts, really. Less choice, but the choices you have are excellent (in most areas) and cheap.

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    Less choice, but the choices you have are excellent (in most areas) and cheap

    Certainly not cheap. What’s the word I’m looking for? Expensive. That’s the one.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I paid £100 new for my 40-150. Is that not cheap? Also, can you get an effective 600mm f5.6 for Canon for £350?

    olympus
    Free Member

    Yeah Zuiko stuff is expensive. But its better than the equivalent ranges IMO, in terms of build quality etc.

    The fact the weather seal the Pro grade and Super High grade stuff is what sold Olympus to me. Theres a lot of pros use E3s and E5s for the weather sealing alone.

    That said, if I was starting out again, I wouldve gone down the Nikon road I think. But I’ve thousands of pounds inversted in 4/3s now so tough! I’ll switch when I eventually go full frame, but that is a distant horizon at the moment.

    If only Olympus had a large market share there would be a big 2nd hand market, or even new market! But if you’re buying its hard to find stuff, and if your selling its hard to find more than one person to buy, so price is an issue, so ya knackered both ways!

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    I paid £100 new for my 40-150. Is that not cheap? Also, can you get an effective 600mm f5.6 for Canon for £350?

    If you’re going to convert the field of view you’ll need to do the same with the depth of field. So that’s a 600mm f11.2. But that’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s a kit zoom lens.

    A cheap kit zoom for £100 is more or less what you’d expect to pay.

    £200 for a slow prime is expensive. Everyone else has them for £90-£150.

    The same applies to most Olympus lenses. They’re relatively expensive and little choice exists on the used market.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    The main reason I went with Olympus indirectly was the lack of popularity. I’d been shopping around for ages, mulling it over, and more or less decided to go for Sony, when I found Curry’s selling off its Oly stuff half price, so my mid range E600 was only £329. Only a smidge more than the basic Sony. I went outside, googled on my phone to make sure it wasn’t a turkey then bought it 🙂

    I’m fairly pessimistic about the future of my kit, which is a downer, but I don’t intend to be replacing stuff for a long time yet. My last compact lasted me 6 years and it was old when I got it. If I feel like a change I might end up doing something like getting another brand for general photo use and keeping the Oly stuff for its strengths – small size and long zoom maybe. Perhaps something to take biking or travelling.

    Re second hand stuff – it always seems to go for close to full price when I look. Few bargains around!

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    The only thing 4/3 and m4/3 has in it’s favour is size. Everything else is inferior. But… not by much. So if size is important (m)4/3 wins. That’s my rationale.

    And now I’ve discovered c-mount lenses I can actually get fast lenses for very little. Which helps cancel out a couple of gripes I had despite the size advantage.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    If you’re going to convert the field of view you’ll need to do the same with the depth of field. So that’s a 600mm f11.2

    No, cos f5.6 is still f5.6 in light gathering terms, just not DoF. In this case a deeper DoF at 600m is good because you are less likely to miss focus imo. It’s already very narrow, any narrower and you’d end up with bits of your subject out of focus.

    £200 for a slow prime is expensive

    Its main job isn’t as a fast prime, it’s as a pancake. Is there an equivalent Canikon tiny thing?

    It’s a kit zoom lens

    The 70-300mm is not the kit lens btw.

    Anyway, the bottom line is that Oly is something of a niche – small, light, weather sealed (at the top end), cheap long zoom capability (if you want it) and I think good vfm.

    In all fairness I’d not recommend it as much if it wasn’t frequently kicking around the net for cheap…

    grum
    Free Member

    I usually buy second hand because then if I decide I want to sell at some point I won’t lose much if any money. Decent SLR lenses are one thing that seems to hold value amazingly well. Given the way new prices keep rising I think it will stay that way for a while too.

    olympus
    Free Member

    I’m with molgrips when defending the 70-300mm. its 600mm f5.6 for just over £300, which I think is probably the best value for money lens you can get for any camera.

    And it is f5.6. The smaller sensor increases the DoF but at 600mm eqiv. DoF is in no way an issue.

    And it certainly isnt a kit lens. There aint many kit lenses that I’m aware of that comes with a metal mount!

    It’s bagged me some very lucrative shots that I would never have got without silly amounts of money


    Puffin with fish by Dru Dodd, on Flickr

    Big-Dave
    Free Member

    I’ve just bought a DLSR body second hand and given the cost saving over new and the condition of it I’m puzzled as to why more people don’t buy second hand. If you go to a reputable dealer in second hand camera equipment you should be able to save some money on a lens that works as well as a new one.

    I got my DLSR from a place in Brighton and I’m very impressed with their range of stock and prices.

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    I’ve just bought a DLSR body second hand and given the cost saving over new and the condition of it I’m puzzled as to why more people don’t buy second hand.

    Mainly because a new camera is twice as good as a two year old camera, but depreciation doesn’t reflect this. A new entry level camera will usually be better than a used mid-level camera, and cheaper, and have a warranty.

    grum
    Free Member

    I got my DLSR from a place in Brighton and I’m very impressed with their range of stock and prices.

    MPB Photographic? They are very good IME.

    A new entry level camera will usually be better than a used mid-level camera, and cheaper, and have a warranty.

    Dunno if I agree with that – I’d probably rather have a used 40D than a new 450D or whatever.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    A new entry level camera will usually be better than a used mid-level camera and cheaper,

    I’ve just bought a 450D with kit lens for around £250. The comparable ‘new’ model to the 450D seems to be the 1100D, which is the same sensor resolution (12MP) and image processor but brings video recording and a considerably higher upper ISO limit (6400 vs 1600) for your £450.

    To put that into perspective; I can get a used 450D together with a couple of additional lenses for the price of a new 1100D. Not bad for a three year old camera.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I’m puzzled as to why more people don’t buy second hand.

    Snobbery?

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    Amazingly you’re right 😯

    That 1100D is no better than the 450D. What’s even more weird is that the specs for the 1100D are what you’d expect from a camera 3 years ago.

    EDIT: Interestingly the 1100D doesn’t really bring higher ISO at all. You could underexpose 2 stops and lift the exposure in RAW processing and get exactly the same result with the 450D.

    lodious
    Free Member

    I’m puzzled as to why more people don’t buy second hand.

    Because there are a significant number of people who think it’s their right to lie about what condition their gear is in to get the best price for it.

    Buying s/h to save £50? I think your mad to even consider it.

    Big-Dave
    Free Member

    MPB Photographic? They are very good IME.

    Yes indeed. Only just recieved the body I ordered but very impressed with them and the quality of the stuff they sell so far. For the record I bought a 400d for £199 and you would be hard pressed to tell it is second hand.

    Snobbery?

    Quite possibly although I quite like knowing I spent less on something that will do the job as well as a camera several times more expensive. Not sure if that makes me a sort of inverse snob or just smug.

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    I can’t see any difference between the 400D and the 1100D on paper either (although it won’t show AF differences etc). 😯

    Comparison…

    Don’t canon update their consumer lines beyond BNG?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I can’t see any difference between the 400D and the 1100D

    I think the 1100 is to the 450 as the 1000 is to the 400.

    http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-1100D-vs-Canon_EOS_450D/specs

    http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_EOS_1000D-vs-Canon_EOS_400D/specs

    “BNG”?? Big Number Game?

    grum
    Free Member

    Yes indeed. Only just recieved the body I ordered but very impressed with them and the quality of the stuff they sell so far.

    Yup I’ve bought a few bits from them. They offer a 6 month warranty too (and they are good about honouring it on the one occasion I needed it).

    HTTP404
    Free Member

    I have the 25mm pancake.
    Nice and portable bit of kit.
    Suffers from CA a wee bit which kind of spoils the fascination with std. lens a bit for me but it’s nice, light and relatively fast.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I’m with molgrips when defending the 70-300mm.

    And for that reason, I’ve added you as a friend on flickr 🙂 Fantastic pics btw 🙂 Is it your job?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 75 total)

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