The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

[LongLensPhotography]

I know T at f are different as I've been at this over 50 years now but that's not all that's going on here as regardless of transmission and exposure settings the depth of field in pictures taken with different 35mm lenses should be similar at the same aperture settings. When pictures are taken at the same distance the diameter of the physical aperture at each f stop affects the depth of field and this is a fundamental thing. If all I was seeing was a difference in transmission / exposure the depth of filed could be expected to still be similar at the same f settings and it isn't. This piques my interest and I wonder why it seems to be so far out and I suppose there are just a number of possible explanations, either it's sloppily made, components are out of spec or someone is being less than honest, or a combination or all of that.

As for why I'd use the Pergear ahead of other lenses I have, it's much much smaller and much lighter than any other 35mm f1.x I have and for me that could be reason enough although the cost could well come into it as well. If it is indeed effectively a f2.x lens then my Sony 35mm f2.8 then becomes stiff competition for it but the Pergear is believe it or not the more enjoyable lens to use as it's an old style metal lens with an aperture ring and distance markings and it is very tactile and just a joy to use compared to the soulless AF lenses of today.

1. Do you clearly see aperture move between all stops looking from both sides of the lens? And particularly from the rear roughly where the sensor would sit.
2. When you say the DOF doesn't change, have you checked it both ways on a graded scale? There are focus shifts... and sometimes very dramatic going from wide open to one stop down.
3. This lens appears to annoy you enough despite of all the "positives" and this is where I draw the line for gear that does this. For a peace of mind ebay listing would be opened as soon as the next listing offer comes through. Alternatively, you just need to accept this behaviour as an intricate part of the product.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I disagree but each to their own.
A number doesn't mean much if real life usage isn't being impacted by it.
I would be happy with that lens any day. You are literally the only person that I have come across has a problem with DN on this basis and also you haven't actually even used the lens.

perhaps it is THE reason I don't own this lens but the older non-DN version.

Let's see the actual reviews and what they say other than its light and generally very sharp

One Big Problem. Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art Review

The Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art is a nearly perfect portrait lens for photographers shooting E Mount or L Mount mirrorless cameras.

www.thephoblographer.com

Unfortunately, the Sigma falls just short of perfection due to its severe pincushion distortion.

ouch. The article title is literally 'one big problem'

This comes from Nikon adapter user on dpreview. So this is essentially non-adaptable.

I have the Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art and it has horrible distortion. I shot a beautiful car from about 20-25 ft away and the whole front of the vehicle bends like a frown. Maybe it's a Sigma/Nikon (Z6) incompatibility - and I shot JPEG. But it is VERY pronounced and ruins the shot. It cannot be corrected in post.

edit: I have attempted to apply DN profile to a random image, and distortion is greyed out. So with Sony and perhaps also panasonic bodies you can only bake in distortion correction in camera. So 100% no adapting this this lens, no cine work, none.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Review

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art may be the new gold standard in portrait lenses for mirrorless cameras. Michael Topham investigates

amateurphotographer.com

Interestingly my comparisons revealed the lens displays greater pincushion distortion than Sigma’s 85mm f1.4 DG HSM Art so some users may want to apply a small amount of manual distortion correction in post.

Please note this in reference to distortion remaining AFTER corrections.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art review

Perfect for portraiture, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a high quality, super-sharp lens that produces beautiful bokeh

www.digitalcameraworld.com

The level of pincushion distortion can be noticeable in architectural and product photography but isn’t really an issue for portraiture.

Now I think this is key observation. For portrait work wide open this may indeed be a better [marginally or substantially - that I can't say] lens over the old version. However for anything else and over f/2.8 the tables appear to be clearly turned.

Review: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art - phillipreeve.net

Is the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art the best 85mm lens for you Sony a7/a9 series camera? Read on to find out!

phillipreeve.net

That quite an interesting one. Sharpness crops look very much like my own DG version.

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 suffers from a high amount of complex pincushion distortion, a trade off it shares with the Viltrox 1.8/85. The Lightroom profile does a good job in most cases, but for architecture shots with many straight lines I would rather not use tise lens. Sharpness stays at a very high level after correction as well.

Ouch. complex distortion again.


So you see this is not something that *I* made up. The lens is OK, and if you shoot portraits you are fine with it. For a mixed case commercial work also involving architecture and products I conclude this one may not be ideal for me. And hopefully Sigma has already taken note of these comments not not release in another "correct it in post" half-ART lens. Just call it Contemporary sunshine, that's your own terminology that you came up with just a few short years prior.

 

[snerkler]

I am sorry but 5% for a short telephoto prime simply is insane, and unrivalled figure considering the MSRP of the lens.


My perhaps over-simplified understanding of Sigma's ART and Contemporary lines was:
ART - fast, ultra-high performance glass without any intentional compromises (zero distortion, low vignette, flare, aberrations, very high level of resolving power, clean rendering of OOF areas)
Contemporary - slower, lighter, even higher value, still great performance but with certain compromises made at design stage such as correctable distortion or vignette

Now it would appear Sigma has been playing around with their ART formula with 85mm DN representing the low point in my view. It seems they got their act back up together with 50mm which appears to be an all out worthy upgrade that I am looking to get, unless I win a lottery and get F/1.2 instead. Sadly 20 and 24mm ART also appear to be a bit of a failure - in sharpness department this time; Contemporary being the far superior versions.
So I would strongly welcome 20, 24 and 85mm ART II versions fixing their respective issues and with the new linear motor. I appreciate this may not happen as soon as '24 or even '25.


The only setting where it could potentially be much better is wide open right at f/1.4. The old lens has a bit of visible haze or lack of contrast. I am sure for some clients that is an ADVANTAGE. At f/2 that's mostly gone and corner sharpness is reasonable but not stellar at 8K (and nothing to worry about on 6K). At f/2.8 and onwards it would be very difficult to noticeably to better these results. Maybe £3K f/1.2 lens is noticeable better overall. That's 5x more expensive.

Now I have spent more time than is reasonable looking at the charts and I am actually struggling to pick a sharper one overall

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Image Quality

View the image quality delivered by the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens using ISO 12233 Resolution Chart lab test results. Compare the image quality of this lens with other lenses.

www.the-digital-picture.com

So distortion and heavier vignette basically become the deciding factors. As I said, screw the weight. I am not swapping ALL of my bag at £10,000s of cost when I can lose more weight on a LOO on a given occasion . An extra dose of vitamin C and dried eco apricots seam to help without fail.


Frankly I couldn't give a toss about whether it is 85.000mm or 86.791mm. You will find this discrepancy is even greater with Canon RF glass where the fancy f1.2 is suspected to be somewhat closer to 100mm side giving that extra smooth background rending a bit more like 105mm ART. And likewise nobody gives a thing about it. You take a step back and get on with it.

perhaps it is THE reason I don't own this lens but the older non-DN version.

Let's see the actual reviews and what they say other than its light and generally very sharp

One Big Problem. Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art Review

The Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art is a nearly perfect portrait lens for photographers shooting E Mount or L Mount mirrorless cameras.

www.thephoblographer.com

ouch. The article title is literally 'one big problem'

This comes from Nikon adapter user on dpreview. So this is essentially non-adaptable.

edit: I have attempted to apply DN profile to a random image, and distortion is greyed out. So with Sony and perhaps also panasonic bodies you can only bake in distortion correction in camera. So 100% no adapting this this lens, no cine work, none.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Review

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art may be the new gold standard in portrait lenses for mirrorless cameras. Michael Topham investigates

amateurphotographer.com

Please note this in reference to distortion remaining AFTER corrections.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art review

Perfect for portraiture, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a high quality, super-sharp lens that produces beautiful bokeh

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Now I think this is key observation. For portrait work wide open this may indeed be a better [marginally or substantially - that I can't say] lens over the old version. However for anything else and over f/2.8 the tables appear to be clearly turned.

Review: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art - phillipreeve.net

Is the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art the best 85mm lens for you Sony a7/a9 series camera? Read on to find out!

phillipreeve.net

That quite an interesting one. Sharpness crops look very much like my own DG version.

Ouch. complex distortion again.


So you see this is not something that *I* made up. The lens is OK, and if you shoot portraits you are fine with it. For a mixed case commercial work also involving architecture and products I conclude this one may not be ideal for me. And hopefully Sigma has already taken note of these comments not not release in another "correct it in post" half-ART lens. Just call it Contemporary sunshine, that's your own terminology that you came up with just a few short years prior.

We'll have to agree to disagree. It does appear on a quick glance that you are glossing over certain aspects to fit your narrative. No-one is disputing that there's heavy distortion, however they are all saying that this is correctable so IMO a total none issue. Titles like "one big problem" are just click bait, the article is generally fully of praise and nowhere does it say that the distortion is such a problem they'd advise not buying the lens. In fact, here's the conclusion from said article


What most reviews also say is that the new lens is sharper, particularly in the centre (where it matters most in a lens like this for most people), it has better autofocus, better contrast and flare resistance. For me all this, as well as size and weight, far outweighs the fact that it has (correctable) distortion. YMMV as you clearly value lack of distortion over all other aspects, which is of course completely your perogative This isn't a lens that would be my first choice for architecture, and to be quite frank I'm amazed people would buy a lens like this for architecture, every day's a school day

 

[trevorbray]

I took hardly any pictures over the Christmas period.
My Collie hoping to get lucky..
A7Rv Tammy 28-75 G2 @F2.8

Brody waiting for the good stuff by Trevor, on Flickr

 

[imattersuk]

So

perhaps it is THE reason I don't own this lens but the older non-DN version.

Let's see the actual reviews and what they say other than its light and generally very sharp

One Big Problem. Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art Review

The Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art is a nearly perfect portrait lens for photographers shooting E Mount or L Mount mirrorless cameras.

www.thephoblographer.com

ouch. The article title is literally 'one big problem'

This comes from Nikon adapter user on dpreview. So this is essentially non-adaptable.

edit: I have attempted to apply DN profile to a random image, and distortion is greyed out. So with Sony and perhaps also panasonic bodies you can only bake in distortion correction in camera. So 100% no adapting this this lens, no cine work, none.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Review

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art may be the new gold standard in portrait lenses for mirrorless cameras. Michael Topham investigates

amateurphotographer.com

Please note this in reference to distortion remaining AFTER corrections.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art review

Perfect for portraiture, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a high quality, super-sharp lens that produces beautiful bokeh

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Now I think this is key observation. For portrait work wide open this may indeed be a better [marginally or substantially - that I can't say] lens over the old version. However for anything else and over f/2.8 the tables appear to be clearly turned.

Review: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art - phillipreeve.net

Is the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art the best 85mm lens for you Sony a7/a9 series camera? Read on to find out!

phillipreeve.net

That quite an interesting one. Sharpness crops look very much like my own DG version.

Ouch. complex distortion again.


So you see this is not something that *I* made up. The lens is OK, and if you shoot portraits you are fine with it. For a mixed case commercial work also involving architecture and products I conclude this one may not be ideal for me. And hopefully Sigma has already taken note of these comments not not release in another "correct it in post" half-ART lens. Just call it Contemporary sunshine, that's your own terminology that you came up with just a few short years prior.

Sounds like you're firmly stuck in the past, I do hope you don't use software to edit your perfect out of camera images

 

[woof woof]

1. Do you clearly see aperture move between all stops looking from both sides of the lens? And particularly from the rear roughly where the sensor would sit.
2. When you say the DOF doesn't change, have you checked it both ways on a graded scale? There are focus shifts... and sometimes very dramatic going from wide open to one stop down.
3. This lens appears to annoy you enough despite of all the "positives" and this is where I draw the line for gear that does this. For a peace of mind ebay listing would be opened as soon as the next listing offer comes through. Alternatively, you just need to accept this behaviour as an intricate part of the product.

1 and 2. I know what I'm doing.
3. A part of this hobby for me is trying different kit so I can't say I'm annoyed as such and I have sort of enjoyed the testing but I do wonder how someone could get this so far wrong. And no, this will not be going on ebay. If I decide not to keep it it'll go back for a refund.

 

[mav]

Hi Mav, I really wanted a smaller set up, I was not taking it out enough with the wife and dogs, I had also lost my mojo and thought an A6700 and 70-350 would be ideal, it was a lovely little setup but after a Z9 it just did not cut it when the SEO’s turned up, I picked up a 200-600 and then decided to get an A1 as it matches Z9 but in a much smaller body, I was very tempted with a Z8 and if I had not sold all my Nikon lenses I would have had one.

Cheers
Be interesting to see how you find the Sony compared to the Z9 for
Birds

 

[JohnMcL7]

I don't know how the A1 compares size wise to the A9 but I've been surprised the Z8 is a good bit bulkier than the A9. Not enough to make a difference in use although the A9 does feel quite neat now.

 

[AdamSi]

@snerkler @myotis @wookie6262 thank you for your help and posts, I have spent some time this afternoon with the camera, setting it up while the weather outside is horrific, I used the screen shots, advice and video links.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

1 and 2. I know what I'm doing.
3. A part of this hobby for me is trying different kit so I can't say I'm annoyed as such and I have sort of enjoyed the testing but I do wonder how someone could get this so far wrong. And no, this will not be going on ebay. If I decide not to keep it it'll go back for a refund.

Well you were definitely going on about it on a daily basis like it's the most pressing global issue at the moment

 

[LongLensPhotography]

So

Sounds like you're firmly stuck in the past, I do hope you don't use software to edit your perfect out of camera images

you will actually find I'm probably the one pushing computational end of photography the farthest in this whole forum but don't let this spoil it for you

 

[LongLensPhotography]

We'll have to agree to disagree. It does appear on a quick glance that you are glossing over certain aspects to fit your narrative. No-one is disputing that there's heavy distortion, however they are all saying that this is correctable so IMO a total none issue. Titles like "one big problem" are just click bait, the article is generally fully of praise and nowhere does it say that the distortion is such a problem they'd advise not buying the lens. In fact, here's the conclusion from said article
View attachment 410619

What most reviews also say is that the new lens is sharper, particularly in the centre (where it matters most in a lens like this for most people), it has better autofocus, better contrast and flare resistance. For me all this, as well as size and weight, far outweighs the fact that it has (correctable) distortion. YMMV as you clearly value lack of distortion over all other aspects, which is of course completely your perogative This isn't a lens that would be my first choice for architecture, and to be quite frank I'm amazed people would buy a lens like this for architecture, every day's a school day

Well let's just say that's a pretty distorted interpretation of my post. You must have been looking at the forum through a sigma 85mm dn lens with correction disabled
I will leave this at that, because nobody is benefiting from this discussion going forward

 

[woof woof]

Well you were definitely going on about it on a daily basis like it's the most pressing global issue at the moment

I initially posted because I thought others may be interested.

I've also repeatedly replied to your repeated posts out of politeness.

If you've been trying to help... Thank You... but I really don't need any help with this. Seeing how lenses perform is a part of the enjoyment for me.

And with that you should really move on before one of us gets banned

 

[woof woof]

As it's very nearly new year...

Is anyone making any photography related or even not New Year resolutions?

I think I'm going to cut back on buying stuff and I think I might actually try and slim down my gear. Most of my film era lenses might go and some MFT kit too and I could think about selling my almost never used Fuji X100f as I always seem to chose something else over it.

So my resolution might be "Be more sensible."

Whilst I'm here. Another Voigtlander 35mm f1.2 picture.



There's a patch of light on the left hand side which I didn't see when taking the picture. Maybe someone turned their car headlights on.

And one at f2 with the light starting to fade.

 

[LeeRatters]

I initially posted because I thought others may be interested.

I've also repeatedly replied to your repeated posts out of politeness.

If you've been trying to help... Thank You... but I really don't need any help with this. Seeing how lenses perform is a part of the enjoyment for me.

And with that you should really move on before one of us gets banned

It is interesting Alan More interesting than some discussions. I look forward to you getting to the bottom of the issue when you get the chance.

 

[LeeRatters]

As it's very nearly new year...

Is anyone making any photography related or even not New Year resolutions?

I think I'm going to cut back on buying stuff and I think I might actually try and slim down my gear. Most of my film era lenses might go and some MFT kit too and I could think about selling my almost never used Fuji X100f as I always seem to chose something else over it.

So my resolution might be "Be more sensible."

Whilst I'm here. Another Voigtlander 35mm f1.2 picture.

View attachment 410662

There's a patch of light on the left hand side which I didn't see when taking the picture. Maybe someone turned their car headlights on.

And one at f2 with the light starting to fade.

View attachment 410663

No. I've never made new year resolutions!!

 

[nandbytes]

I have never made any new year resolutions. Mostly just planning the next year....

But next year I hope to have the last year of massive swapping and changing of gear/lenses.
By end of next year hoping to have a fairly static setup whatever that might be... Won't have much bandwidth after that to spend time on gear. I'm already struggling for time, so I'll spend the time on travelling to new places and photography.

 

[f/2.8]

I am debating a bit if a change for work. Have been thinking for a while at shooting more wide stuff so am looking at lenses at the minute trying to find something to suit.

On the flip side of that have also been debating picking up one of the Fuji medium format cameras and using that for portraits.

It’s good to change things up a bit sometimes and I have done the whole switching from 35/85 to 20/50 back to 35/85 and then 35/50.

 

[Mike.P]

As it's very nearly new year...

Is anyone making any photography related or even not New Year resolutions?

In the last few months I have sold all my Pentax gear and the majority of Canon stuff. I don't think I have taken a picture since October but must admit I am quite tempted by the Sony 400mm f/2.8 in the classifieds. it would have to come down to a more sensible price first though.

 

[snerkler]

I don't know how the A1 compares size wise to the A9 but I've been surprised the Z8 is a good bit bulkier than the A9. Not enough to make a difference in use although the A9 does feel quite neat now.

Using the A1 I don’t notice any difference over the A9II, it’s only when comparing with one in one hand and the other in the other hand you notice a very slight difference in weight. Coming from the A9 the A1 will likely feel quite different do to the bigger difference in the grip

As it's very nearly new year...

Is anyone making any photography related or even not New Year resolutions?

I think I'm going to cut back on buying stuff and I think I might actually try and slim down my gear. Most of my film era lenses might go and some MFT kit too and I could think about selling my almost never used Fuji X100f as I always seem to chose something else over it.

So my resolution might be "Be more sensible."

Whilst I'm here. Another Voigtlander 35mm f1.2 picture.

View attachment 410662

There's a patch of light on the left hand side which I didn't see when taking the picture. Maybe someone turned their car headlights on.

And one at f2 with the light starting to fade.

View attachment 410663

No resolutions per se as I don’t believe in them, but I am going to be changing my lifestyle as I need to lose weight and get healthier. It’s not a new years thing, it’s just an I need to stop being a pie thing

 

[T_J_G]

I am debating a bit if a change for work. Have been thinking for a while at shooting more wide stuff so am looking at lenses at the minute trying to find something to suit.

On the flip side of that have also been debating picking up one of the Fuji medium format cameras and using that for portraits.

It’s good to change things up a bit sometimes and I have done the whole switching from 35/85 to 20/50 back to 35/85 and then 35/50.

I’ve rocked 24/85 for 2023, but thinking about going 35/50 or 85 for next year. Sometimes it’s not so much the gear but the change of gear that makes the difference and makes you rethink the way you work.

 

[LeeRatters]

Using the A1 I don’t notice any difference over the A9II, it’s only when comparing with one in one hand and the other in the other hand you notice a very slight difference in weight. Coming from the A9 the A1 will likely feel quite different do to the bigger difference in the grip

No resolutions per se as I don’t believe in them, but I am going to be changing my lifestyle as I need to lose weight and get healthier. It’s not a new years thing, it’s just an I need to stop being a pie thing

I hope you didn't get too many chocolates & biscuits for Christmas!!

 

[snerkler]

I hope you didn't get too many chocolates & biscuits for Christmas!!

Far too many

 

[snerkler]

I’ve rocked 24/85 for 2023, but thinking about going 35/50 or 85 for next year. Sometimes it’s not so much the gear but the change of gear that makes the difference and makes you rethink the way you work.

I’ve got 35mm, 50mm and 85mm and I’d say the 85mm is by far the least used, but I don’t do weddings and I do very little portraiture.

 

[LeeRatters]

Far too many

Same!! And we didn't buy ANY ourselves in the Christmas shop because I knew!!

 

[f/2.8]

I’ve rocked 24/85 for 2023, but thinking about going 35/50 or 85 for next year. Sometimes it’s not so much the gear but the change of gear that makes the difference and makes you rethink the way you work.

35/50 has worked great for me but absolutely it’s good to switch things up now and again.

 

[nandbytes]

In the last few months I have sold all my Pentax gear and the majority of Canon stuff. I don't think I have taken a picture since October but must admit I am quite tempted by the Sony 400mm f/2.8 in the classifieds. it would have to come down to a more sensible price first though.

Quite a few of these up for sale now, I guess it's because of the new 300mm f2.8

There still one in LCE
Couple in MPB
One on eBay
One of here

LCE one is the cheapest at £8K
And it's been there for at least two months now if not longer. I bet they'll be willing to haggle a little to move it on now.

 

[NewBeetle]

'You want some?'

DSC05262-Edit by A Andrades, on Flickr

 

[woof woof]

Using the A1 I don’t notice any difference over the A9II, it’s only when comparing with one in one hand and the other in the other hand you notice a very slight difference in weight. Coming from the A9 the A1 will likely feel quite different do to the bigger difference in the grip

No resolutions per se as I don’t believe in them, but I am going to be changing my lifestyle as I need to lose weight and get healthier. It’s not a new years thing, it’s just an I need to stop being a pie thing

All my life I've had the opposite problem as I struggle to keep weight on. Years back I went through a phase of trying to bulk up by force feeding myself and exercising and I did gain a little weight and muscles became more defined but it was very hard to keep all that up. In recent times with all the family trouble I've lost weight again.

Good luck with it.

 

[woof woof]

I am debating a bit if a change for work. Have been thinking for a while at shooting more wide stuff so am looking at lenses at the minute trying to find something to suit.

On the flip side of that have also been debating picking up one of the Fuji medium format cameras and using that for portraits.

It’s good to change things up a bit sometimes and I have done the whole switching from 35/85 to 20/50 back to 35/85 and then 35/50.

This popped onto my screen last night. Wide angle wedding photography.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCBBUH8Q4_M

 

[Mike.P]

Quite a few of these up for sale now, I guess it's because of the new 300mm f2.8

There still one in LCE
Couple in MPB
One on eBay
One of here

LCE one is the cheapest at £8K
And it's been there for at least two months now if not longer. I bet they'll be willing to haggle a little to move it on now.

Never had any luck haggling with the London store, all the rest seem really open to it but not them for some reason. I tend to go onto MBP and get a quote from them as if I were selling a mint copy which gives an idea of what a used private one is worth and then add an appropriate amount to make it worthwhile to them.

MBP offered a surprisingly low price

 

[trevorbray]

Far too many

No such thing..

 

[T_J_G]

I’ve got 35mm, 50mm and 85mm and I’d say the 85mm is by far the least used, but I don’t do weddings and I do very little portraiture.

85 is my preference, there’s some weddings where I’ve shot more 85 than wide. But most of the time it’s the 24 with the majority of shots. It rarely leaves one of the cameras

 

[nandbytes]

Never had any luck haggling with the London store, all the rest seem really open to it but not them for some reason. I tend to go onto MBP and get a quote from them as if I were selling a mint copy which gives an idea of what a used private one is worth and then add an appropriate amount to make it worthwhile to them.

MBP offered a surprisingly low price

That's because things sell easier and quicker in London.
I have haggled them down too in the past but only on items they don't feel will sell any time soon. They also know me quite well which helps.
As you can see they have already discounted the price by £500 because it hasn't moved.

Higher the price of the item, larger the margin will be between the trade-in and sell price.
The items don't sell as quickly so they need to account for that.
Sending such an item is not easy fully insured when selling privately. So they know moving the items on your own going to be a struggle in general. So they use that to their advantage.

All in all you get ripped off if you just go via. the trade in route and on the other hand selling it yourself is going to be a massive problem.

This is the main reason I haven't bought one of these lenses to "just it try out". As you may have seen I don't have a problem with buying and selling lenses in general and I change my lenses a lot. But even for me such a lens is prohibitively expensive to deal with.

 

[f/2.8]

This popped onto my screen last night. Wide angle wedding photography.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCBBUH8Q4_M

I have the 24mm G.M and I have the Tamron 17-28, but I want to go very wide. I have been looking at the new Iaowa 10mm that is due to hit soon and the Sony 12-24mm G.M.

 

[Mike.P]

This is the main reason I haven't bought one of these lenses to "just it try out". As you may have seen I don't have a problem with buying and selling lenses in general and I change my lenses a lot. But even for me such a lens is prohibitively expensive to deal with.

Maybe I should just get the A1 instead as for me it's all about the reach rather than the speed of the lens and the 200-600mm still does a great job. Having had 500mm primes in the past I know it's very unlikely that it would get much use anyway.

 

[nandbytes]

Maybe I should just get the A1 instead as for me it's all about the reach rather than the speed of the lens and the 200-600mm still does a great job. Having had 500mm primes in the past I know it's very unlikely that it would get much use anyway.

A1 was a pain to sell on as well for the same reasons I mentioned above. Privately hard to sell and trade in prices were rather low.
Luckily found a forum member who gave me a fair offer. So I moved it on when I could.

I think I'll get an A1 again. I saw one recently go for £3200. So just waiting to find one sub £3k.

I don't even carry the 200-600mm unless I'm going out specifically for shooting wildlife.
I'd love to carry a telephoto with me more often than I do now.
So hoping the 300mm f2.8 with 2x TC is at least as good as 200-600mm. If that's the case it's well worth it for me.

Edit
MPB have a number of excellent condition A1 for £3.6k.
So not far off from getting down to £3k for private sales?

 

[LeeRatters]

A bit of colour! Not taken in the past few weeks!!


*** by Lee, on Flickr

 

[woof woof]

I have the 24mm G.M and I have the Tamron 17-28, but I want to go very wide. I have been looking at the new Iaowa 10mm that is due to hit soon and the Sony 12-24mm G.M.

As you might have read here before, at one time a Sigma 12-24mm was my most used lens on Canon DSLR's. These days I'm pretty much 28-50mm. I do think wide lenses are some of the most difficult to use well but if you do use them well they can give you some very special results

Good luck with it and I hope you can post some examples at some point.

 

[snerkler]

A1 was a pain to sell on as well for the same reasons I mentioned above. Privately hard to sell and trade in prices were rather low.
Luckily found a forum member who gave me a fair offer. So I moved it on when I could.

I think I'll get an A1 again. I saw one recently go for £3200. So just waiting to find one sub £3k.

I don't even carry the 200-600mm unless I'm going out specifically for shooting wildlife.
I'd love to carry a telephoto with me more often than I do now.
So hoping the 300mm f2.8 with 2x TC is at least as good as 200-600mm. If that's the case it's well worth it for me.

Edit
MPB have a number of excellent condition A1 for £3.6k.
So not far off from getting down to £3k for private sales?

Sub £3k for an A1 would be an unbelievable price, condition depending of course.