used lenses

Claudio17177

Claudio17177

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Claudio
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Hi,

I am not so keen in buying second hand glass, however can ignore the possibility to get something better for a cheaper price, does anyone know if mpb site can be trusted for used lenses, I am sure I have heard good stuff about it, however i thought i d ask
 
You're new here so will give you benefit of the doubt :) Use the search facility and you will see many of us trust mpb. I have had several items from them and all came exactly as described, in fact possibly slightly better than expected. There are also people selling glass in the ads section. In general, you will see few disputes, and most people walk away quite happy at acquiring a lens approx. 30-50% below a new price. if you wnat a full warranty and peace of mind you should buy new.
 
Most business sellers also offer warranty on s/h gear, although often 6 months. By the way I can recommend MPB having used them.
 
Thanks, I knew that many people here bought from mpb happily, in a way i was also wary to start this thread cause i thought people could give me a hard time for it, but i just wanted to be extra sure about it, anyway think i am gonna go for it, what i am after is a nikon 50mm f/1.4 selling for £184, against £289 new, or the alternative was until yesterday a new 35mm f/1.8 for £159.00 in Jessops, any suggestion in what you would do?
 
Claudio17177 said:
Thanks, I knew that many people here bought from mpb happily, in a way i was also wary to start this thread cause i thought people could give me a hard time for it, but i just wanted to be extra sure about it, anyway think i am gonna go for it, what i am after is a nikon 50mm f/1.4 selling for £184, against £289 new, or the alternative was until yesterday a new 35mm f/1.8 for £159.00 in Jessops, any suggestion in what you would do?
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I would weigh up the pros & cons of the items for sale against your specific requirements, research any feedback on the forums, take into account what other members have previously posted and make a decision. I would not make any specific suggestion to you as ultimately it's your money & your choice. (and I mean that in the nicest possible way).
 
PetethePrimate said:
I would weigh up the pros & cons of the items for sale against your specific requirements, research any feedback on the forums, take into account what other members have previously posted and make a decision. I would not make any specific suggestion to you as ultimately it's your money & your choice. (and I mean that in the nicest possible way).
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I know, i have been already posting a lot about the 35mm on the forum and i got a lot of good review, if after 3 weeks of prime len obsession I still havent bought is because of money, and it is also because i had initially discarded the idea to buy the 1.4, dont really have 300 to spend, but now i saw this s/h 1.4 on mpb and I am thinking about it again.

am I ever gonna buy a fast prime lens, or just gonna debate about price pros and cons?
 
I think all but one of my lenses are second-hand - never had any issues with purchasing - as long as you keep your head and research the seller properly, it's doubtful you'll have any real issues.

Buying from enthusiasts (or very careful professionals - lol) is my preferred option as the equipment is less likely to have been mishandled. Amateurs tend to baby their equipment whereas for Pros they're just tools. One guy I know who work for PA in London, just dumps all his kit loose into the boot of his car at the end of a working day. Lenses and camera-bodies jostle for space alongside small step-ladders, tripods and a folding chair.
Pros tend to be less precious with equipment even though they also pay for the majority of it out of their own pockets. If you care about the cosmetic appearance of lenses (assuming optical perfection, of course) then steer clear of press photographers as their kit gets a battering.
Wedding and social photographers are less likley to be diving onto concrete with their camers slung nonchalantly over the shoulders.
If buying from a retailer, then you have the advantage of using your plastic to make the purchase, adding an additional layer of security to the transaction.
 
Don't make your decision based purely on price - decide which lens you want, then look for the best price.

A 50mm and a 35mm are (obviously) not the same. You'll probably be happy with either if it's your first prime, but you'll get more joy if you choose a focal length suited to your photography.

Whilst what you shoot might change once you get a prime, there's no harm in looking at the photos you take already and seeing if you shoot more at a 35mm length or a 50mm. Alternatively, check out some Flikr galleries using each lens and see what interests you more.

As a rough guide, if you're using a crop sensor camera (as you are with a D3000), 50mm is probably more suited to portraiture as it's not really wide enough for 'street' photography. Conversely, the 35mm is probably a little too wide for portraits.


FWIW, I own a D5000 and have the 35mm. I find it to be an excellent lens, and I'm sure the 50mm is too. Whatever you buy, enjoy :)
 
I bought my Canon 100-400mm from MPB and it's fantastic!!

There are a few marks on the lens hood but the body is unmarked, I don't think you'd ever know it was used equipment.

The way I looked at it is I can't imagine many people would spend £1200 on a lens and mistreat it ;)
 
Ive bought a few things from MPB (70-200mm f4 L for example). Its perfect and is a great saving on new lenses.

New lenses are a bit like cars. The minute you take them from the dealer their value deprciates massively. Second hand is, as far as i'm concerned the way to go.

With a 6 month warranty too, it gives ample time to find out if there are lens problems.
 
Claudio17177 said:
Hi,

I am not so keen in buying second hand glass, however can ignore the possibility to get something better for a cheaper price, does anyone know if mpb site can be trusted for used lenses, I am sure I have heard good stuff about it, however i thought i d ask
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Excellent firm. They went above and beyond for me and did so with no fuss whatsoever. (y)
 
The price for the 50mm 1.4 on mpb assume that you're going to part ex an older 50mm 1.4. If you missed this, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Typically 50mm 1.4g's go for around £250 used :(
 
gad-westy said:
The price for the 50mm 1.4 on mpb assume that you're going to part ex an older 50mm 1.4. If you missed this, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Typically 50mm 1.4g's go for around £250 used :(
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i didnt miss that, I still thought that you contact them if you want to part exchange, otherwise you can just pay the displayed price:bonk:
 
Russ77 said:
I bought my Canon 100-400mm from MPB and it's fantastic!!

There are a few marks on the lens hood but the body is unmarked, I don't think you'd ever know it was used equipment.

The way I looked at it is I can't imagine many people would spend £1200 on a lens and mistreat it ;)
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Don't start me off, my used 100–400L that I bought from MPB is back with them for repair. Advertised as slightly stiff from 300–400. It was so stiff through the focal range that it started to leave score marks on the body, the focus ring was very stiff and the AF at 400mm was way out. Another member here also saw the lens and agreed that it is a lemon. I am allowing 10 working days for the lens to be repaired and returned in full working order then I will ask for either a replacement or a refund. I'm not happy because it's now obvious with the advertised sticking problem, it was faulty in the first place and it seems like a lack of testing was done before it was either traded in or sold to me. I'm just glad of the 6 month warranty and that MPB paid for the return cost.
 
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