Do most used, digital-compatable lenses hold their (used) values well?

[Naboo32]

As someone who's fairly new to the photographic scene, I haven't really been monitoring equipment prices for more than 9 months or so. What I have seen in that time though, as have we all , are some horrific increases in the prices of almost all camera bodies and lenses - even "third party" ones !

My question goes out to those of you who've been around the DSLR scene for a while and have kept a close eye on the prices of (new and used) lenses, in particular. Quite simply, I'd like to know if you think that the more popular makes, models and focal lengths of lenses are likely to retain their current used values, or if they will just slide back into the mud once this recession ends and/or newer models come along :shrug:? It's very difficult for me to judge, as I don't know how often lens designs change and what the useful lifespan of a DSLR lens design is .

I ask because I have a few lenses, which are not getting an awful lot of use right now and have been (or will be) partially replaced with "better" versions and I wonder if I should be rushing to sell them off now, or hanging onto them until I'm absolutely sure that I have no need for them and then selling them at a later date (possibly, for a better price )!?

Just to give you an idea (ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT A THINLY-VIELED FOR SALE THREAD), the kind of lenses I'm talking about are the Nikkor AF 18-35mm f3.5-4.5, the Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR and the Sigma HSM 50mm f1.4. They are mostly "popular" lenses, but will there always be a demand for these, or will they soon be "yesterday's news"?

We all know just how expensive this hobby can be and I would simply like to try and keep my losses to a minmum :|. So, I'd love to know what the "old hands" think about the secondhand gear market in general and how they see the future developing.

Opinions welcome .....

 

[Flash In The Pan]

I'd say most of your lenses were "safe", the 18-135 has slipped a wee bit in value lately, but other than that you'll not lose much when sale time comes around.

Nikon Pro glass tends to hold it's value well, the problem is the initial purchase price, it takes a huge leap of faith to go from a £300 lens to a £1300 one

 

[fracster]

Good glass holds its brass...........if it`s looked after.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Good glass holds its brass...........

 

[Naboo32]

I'd say most of your lenses were "safe", the 18-135 has slipped a wee bit in value lately, but other than that you'll not lose much when sale time comes around.

Nikon Pro glass tends to hold it's value well, the problem is the initial purchase price, it takes a huge leap of faith to go from a £300 lens to a £1300 one

I know that only too well, Stan . I've just bought the 17-35mm f/2.8 Nikkor and am now looking at the 70-200mm f/2.8 as well .

With the 18-35mm, I made the mistake of being impatient and buying one of the first ones that came along on (German) eBay, as I'd heard that it was discontinued but still a good wide angle lens. I paid 340GBP for that one (with no box ), so I'm definitley going to lose something there .

Thanks for your input. I feel a bit better about laying out four figure sums on glass, if I know that they're likely to remain in four figures .

 

[fracster]

Yeah,"Stan" is correct in what he posts...sometimes anyway....

Edit..the 80-200 is a lot cheaper and is a very good lens.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Yeah,"Stan" is correct in what he posts...sometimes anyway....

Edit..the 80-200 is a lot cheaper and is a very good lens.

I Stand by what I've said

The 80-200 is a brilliant lens, a couple of years back it was the bargain of the Nikon lens as new it was only a couple of hundred more than a 70-300 VR, but the iq is light years ahead.

 

[Naboo32]

Thanks for the tips regarding the 80-200mm, folks .

I had considered it, but I reckon that I would really use the VR on the 70-200mm quite a lot (especially as I plan to use it with a TC for the occasional wildlife stuff) and besides, I think that it'll probably hold it's value better, assuming that I can get a minty used one for around £1,000 - 1,100 :|!?

What I have learnt already with this hobby, as well as with others before it, is that it's usually best to "buy right and buy once"! I could find the money to buy this lens, so I think that I might as well, rather than spend less on the 2nd place contender, spend months using it and feeling that I'm maybe missing out on something and then selling it on again (at a loss) only to buy what I wanted in the first place . I'm afraid to say, I'm like that .

Using this lens as an example then, is it reasonable to expect that a mint condition, used Nikkor 70-200m f/2.8 VR bought for £1,100 today would still be worth about the same in, say, three years from now :shrug:?

In the world of bass guitars (my previous, expensive hobby ), it was quite normal for sought after (not even "vintage") models to just steadily rise and rise in value over the years. Is it a similar thing with "classic" lenses, I wonder !?

Any other input on this one .....

 

[puddleduck]

is it reasonable to expect that a mint condition, used Nikkor 70-200m f/2.8 VR bought for £1,100 today would still be worth about the same in, say, three years from now

I don't think so... there is a bit of a bubble right now price wise.. last year £1100 was unrealistic.. I remember it being down to £929 from OneStop and just over £1k from some UK sellers new.

£900 is probably the real value for a used one... and probably in 3 years a newer one will be out, causing a bit of re-adjustment.

I think the 70-200 VR is over-priced at £1100 in all honesty...

 

[cowasaki]

I spent £900 on three lenses from Hong Kong nearly two years ago. They were a 18-200vr, 105vr macro and a 50mm f1.8 They have really held their value and are probably now worth the same as I paid possibly even very slightly more.

 

[Naboo32]

is it reasonable to expect that a mint condition, used Nikkor 70-200m f/2.8 VR bought for £1,100 today would still be worth about the same in, say, three years from now

I don't think so... there is a bit of a bubble right now price wise.. last year £1100 was unrealistic.. I remember it being down to £929 from OneStop and just over £1k from some UK sellers new.

£900 is probably the real value for a used one... and probably in 3 years a newer one will be out, causing a bit of re-adjustment.

I think the 70-200 VR is over-priced at £1100 in all honesty...

Thanks Andy!

Yes, even when I got my D700 in January, this lens only cost around £1,130 (new) in most places - now it's £1,540 !

For info, these are the final sale prices on the last few good, used examples that I've tracked on eBay, over the last 4 weeks:

£1,260, £1,156, £1,150, £1,040, £1,050, £1,021 and £1,121.

I have the same fear of "the bubble" effect that you mentioned and this is why I want to try and time my sales/purchases a little better, if possible.

I spent £900 on three lenses from Hong Kong nearly two years ago. They were a 18-200vr, 105vr macro and a 50mm f1.8 They have really held their value and are probably now worth the same as I paid possibly even very slightly more.

I live in Germany and have been absolutley hammered on import taxes (and other spurious fees ) by German Customs, on every single item that I've imported from outside of the EU in the last 3 years. It's really a false economy for me to buy from Japan, as I save almost nothing at all and then go and lose a bundle when I try to sell it on with non-UK/German paperwork . Personally, I think that with the recent interest rate changes and stepped-up Customs activity, the Glory Days of importing stuff from the US and Japan, are pretty much over !

You obviously caught the tide though, cowasaki . Good on ya!

 

[cowasaki]

I live in Germany and have been absolutley hammered on import taxes (and other spurious fees ) by German Customs, on every single item that I've imported from outside of the EU in the last 3 years. It's really a false economy for me to buy from Japan, as I save almost nothing at all and then go and lose a bundle when I try to sell it on with non-UK/German paperwork . Personally, I think that with the recent interest rate changes and stepped-up Customs activity, the Glory Days of importing stuff from the US and Japan, are pretty much over !

You obviously caught the tide though, cowasaki . Good on ya!

when I bought them (from digital rev) the 105vr was on a special "we pay any import duty" scheme plus it came with a 7 year international warranty. It was caught by customs and dr paid the £18 fee plus the vat on it so I only paid vat on the nifty fifty and 18-200 and no fee which worked out at about £60 but I included that in what I said

 

[Naboo32]

when I bought them (from digital rev) the 105vr was on a special "we pay any import duty" scheme plus it came with a 7 year international warranty. It was caught by customs and dr paid the £18 fee plus the vat on it so I only paid vat on the nifty fifty and 18-200 and no fee which worked out at about £60 but I included that in what I said

Great deal !

In Germany, they first add an import tax (about 5%), then they add the cost of the product, the delivery fee and the import tax and then charge you VAT on top of the total. Over here, VAT is a wopping 19% !!!

IME, it just doesn't pay to do this any more :|. But then, that's almost certainly the way that our Government wants us to think, as it's not helping the European recession much if they let these kind of purchases slip through the net .