Questions about Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR

[ShawWellPete]

I ordered a Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR from Aperture photographic at 4.00pm yesterday and it arrived at 10.00am this morning.

They described it as excellent condition and it cost £1000 including delivery. I ordered by phone and he said that there were a few little scratches on it but other than that it was fine.

I noticed straight away that there is a small crack on the little window that shows the focus distance and this wasn't mentioned to me. It is about 1cm long in a 2cm window

Obviously it wont effect image quality but should I complain? the problem is that I don't really want a refund, how much will it effect the resale value?

My other question is what does the normal/active switch do?


Cheers,

Pete

 

[puddleduck]

"Excellent condition" and you say its got scratches, and its a got a crack.. well I won't be ever buying anything used from them!

Having said that, as long as its sharp and takes good pictures I wouldn't worry about.

Thinking about re-sale value 1 hour in is probably a little premature

I've had lenses like that (in fact I've got one right now) and that sort of thing doesn't bother me.

Active is for shooting on moving vehicles / boats.

 

[ShawWellPete]

Thinking about re-sale value 1 hour in is probably a little premature

I almost waited for the long awaited replacement, but I thought I'd buy it now and maybe upgrade a few months after the replacement comes out. I guess selling it is on my mind more than my other lenses which I plan to keep for ever!

Active is for shooting on moving vehicles / boats.

Thanks,
So what does it actually do?

 

[Twentyten]

Get back in touch with them, and explain the situation to them.

Your not happy with the condition of the lens and fell they misled you, if they don't take off an extra £insert suitable amount, then they can give a refund and they can arrange collection at their expense.

Or does that not happen in the real world.

That crack was not put there by you, but it is going to affect the resale value, why not get a discount now, then when you sell it it won't be so bad.

Or I'll give you a tenner for it

 

[Paulie-W]

I know it's a pain. But a crack is a crack. It could well have been whacked at some point and have underlying damage.

 

[jonnyjogpants]

i personally would not except that a excellent condition.

i would feel mislead.

but i can be very wary when buying second hand....

 

[bigbigblue]

If you do decide to go for a reduction or refund, the law is fairly and squarely on your side. The item was not as described as they didn't mention the crack and the law says you are entitled to one of three resolutions (the choice of which is YOURS, not the sellers) :

1. A full refund
2. A reduction in the price to account for the fault (this is of course subject to negotiation between the buyer and the seller, the law does not prescribe anything);
3. A repair or replacement.

Also, as the item is not as described, the seller is responsible for return postage (and any risk associated with the carriage). You do however have a responsibility to take reasonable care of it whilst you have it and take reasonable care in packing it for return (if that's what you choose to do).

Regardless of the undisclosed fault, you have a right under the distance selling regulations (DSR's) to return the item within 7 days of receipt for a full refund, even if the reason is simply that you have changed your mind. Even in this situation, unless the seller stated prior to the transaction being entered into that return postage is at the buyers cost in the event of a return under the DSR's, then the seller is responsible for the return cost - not exactly fair to my mind, but it's the law.

As for resale value, any fault will reduce it - and if there are lots of pristine ones available used (I know there are not at the moment), a lens with a fault may be difficult, if not impossible to sell.

Also, was the crack caused by it being dropped, and could there be further future issues with the lens as a result?

 

[ShawWellPete]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have called them and they did offer a full refund, I think I'll live with it though. Apparently it would cost £40 to repair and would be fairly straight forward so I'm going to stop worrying about it and enjoy the lens.

For what it's worth he was very apologetic and took responsibility for not mentioning the crack.

It's a real beast of a lens, as long as my Sony 70-200 2.8G with the 1.4x t/c attached!

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Was it described as "exc" or "exc+" or "exc++"?

From what I can gather "exc" in photo-retailer terms means basically that there are no marks on the optics, but otherwise the item can be well-used looking, but this is obviously open to interpretation, one man's "exc++" is another man's "exc"....

At £1000, delivered from a dealer I think quibbling over something like that is probably being a bit on the picky side

 

[ShawWellPete]

Was it described as "exc" or "exc+" or "exc++"?

From what I can gather "exc" in photo-retailer terms means basically that there are no marks on the optics, but otherwise the item can be well-used looking, but this is obviously open to interpretation, one man's "exc++" is another man's "exc"....

At £1000, delivered from a dealer I think quibbling over something like that is probably being a bit on the picky side

It was described as
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G AF-S VR + hood Sold Exc+++ £990

If he had described the crack when I bought it, I would have bought it anyway. I'm happy that it was an oversight rather than a deliberate attempt to misinform so I'm relaxed.

I think the sunshine is making me too laid back...

 

[boyfalldown]

I almost waited for the long awaited replacement, but I thought I'd buy it now and maybe upgrade a few months after the replacement comes out. I guess selling it is on my mind more than my other lenses which I plan to keep for ever!

This lens has been rumoured for replacement for a while now - I've either missed something (always possible) or you may be waiting longer than you think

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Flash In The Pan]

It was described as
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G AF-S VR + hood Sold Exc+++ £990

If he had described the crack when I bought it, I would have bought it anyway. I'm happy that it was an oversight rather than a deliberate attempt to misinform so I'm relaxed.

I think the sunshine is making me too laid back...

It does sound more like an oversight, but considering most dealers are charging £1200+ for used 70-200s nowadays it matters not a jot

 

[hiddybiddy]

I almost waited for the long awaited replacement, but I thought I'd buy it now and maybe upgrade a few months after the replacement comes out. I guess selling it is on my mind more than my other lenses which I plan to keep for ever!


Thanks,
So what does it actually do?

As for the condition its not as described so I personally would send it back and get a refund. A crack could mean its being dropped against something and as you will no doubt hear when your lens is in use its a bit noisy with its VRjiggery pokery going on. Lots of precise moving parts!

As for active. It tries to reduce to zero, the up/down and side/side movement. As PD states for use in boats, helicopters etc, ,when you are not panning and moving as much with the shot.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

As for the condition its not as described so I personally would send it back and get a refund. A crack could mean its being dropped against something and as you will no doubt hear when your lens is in use its a bit noisy with its VRjiggery pokery going on. Lots of precise moving parts!

Cracked focus windows are fairly common on Nikon lenses, unless there are obvious signs of damage to the finish around the window, like scuffs or gouges, indicating there has been some sort of incident, then I wouldn't bother if the lens works as it should.

At any rate it's under guarantee....

 

[puddleduck]

Cracked focus windows are fairly common on Nikon lenses, unless there are obvious signs of damage to the finish around the window, like scuffs or gouges, indicating there has been some sort of incident, then I wouldn't bother if the lens works as it should

Agreed, I've seen plenty with them - my 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S had one, I've had an 18-35 with one, and a current lens I have right now has one.

Seems to be just one of those things that happens.

 

[ShawWellPete]

Thanks for the advice guys