06-30-2009, 03:29 AM
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worth buying second hand lenses?
I just decided that I HAVE to have a Canon EF 85mm F1.8 Ultrasonic lens.
This is all in response to my thread ages ago asking question about taking indoor sports photos. I've revisited the thread. Thanks so much for all the advice. I reckon I'm ready to go... DH even seems prepared to buy the lens for me for Christmas! But I did a little eBay search and found one for sale. What are the pitfalls of purchasing second hand. Is it worth it? You don't want a lens that is scratched or has mold/fungal growth. What else should one watch out for? Esther
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Camera: Canon 7D and Panasonic Lumix TZ1 (point and shoot) Lenses: Tamron F2.8 28-75mm, Canon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 and 50mm f/1.8 Software: CS4.0, LightRoom 2.7, ACDSee Platform: PC My blog: snippets  
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06-30-2009, 09:18 AM
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I think it's a good idea if you buy from certain places. I wouldn't trust anyone except B&H for this.
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Amy my gallery My stuff: Nikon D700; f2.8 24-70mm, f4.0-5.6 55-200mm VR, and f1.8 50 mm lenses; Photoshop CS5, iMac, MacBook
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06-30-2009, 10:30 AM
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If they are a reputable seller I might give it a try, just be cautious
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06-30-2009, 11:33 AM
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I have two second hand lenses and they are both fantastic. BUT I bought them both from a local well-respected photography store with lots of guarantees.
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Denise Gormish Mom of Jackie (15) Jenny (12) and my English Cocker Spaniel puppy Cody My English Cocker Spaniels in my heart forever: Auld Sod Red Magic Merlin CGC CD OA OAJ OAC NJC (Merlin) Elan's Surprise Surprise CGC NA NAJ (Arthur)
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06-30-2009, 01:11 PM
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I guess you'd want to make sure that it focuses correctly in addition to being clean & scratch-free. Try it out before you pay, or make sure there is a well-defined return policy in case you have "lemon" issues.
Good luck!
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06-30-2009, 07:34 PM
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Oh, thanks. It was just a private seller on eBay (only sold 10 things in total). Sounds too risky! Shame.
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Camera: Canon 7D and Panasonic Lumix TZ1 (point and shoot) Lenses: Tamron F2.8 28-75mm, Canon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 and 50mm f/1.8 Software: CS4.0, LightRoom 2.7, ACDSee Platform: PC My blog: snippets
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06-30-2009, 09:29 PM
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KEH Camera is also reputable, at least recommended by the technical moderator on dgrin. I have decided not to buy any more lenses for my camera and instead sell my kit and save for a better body.
Good luck! Sports photos are fun when you nail them!
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Sarah  Equipment: Canon T2i (550D) with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, 55-250mm f/4-5.6, 50mm f/1.8, and 400mm f/5.6L lenses Software: Windows 7, PSE 6.0 (Editor and Organizer), and PSCS 4
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06-30-2009, 10:49 PM
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The very first telephoto I purchased was used. My husband does ebay (old hand tools) and I jumped right in without his guidance or advice, so missed certain "key" words. Needless to say, I got what I paid for. But there was a silver lining ... the lense did not auto focus very well, if at all, so it made me manual focus. I rarely manual focus any more (just too slow), but I know I can if I have to! I buy from B&H now.
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Carol my gallery my flickr Gear: Canon 40D, 50 mm f/1.2L, 24-70 mm f/2.8L, 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS, 100mm f/2.8L macro IS Software: CS5
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07-01-2009, 11:46 PM
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Great question. I always wondered this.
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Michele Captures Sunlight Sketches: A 365 Project My Gear: Nikon D60 w/ 18-55 VR lens & 55-200 VR lens My Software: Photoshop CS4, Lightroom,  
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