"Well used" Canon 70 - 200 2.8 IS

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NeilSkinner

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I am thinking of taking the plunge on a second hand Canon 70 200 2.8 IS listed on a reputable on-line site. The Item is listed as "well-used".

Frankly I'm not bothered about the odd chip to the casing or lens hood or tripod collar because I know these things are built like tanks. The glass is said to be clean, there is no fungus or moisture etc.

My only alarm bell is this description: "The lens mount is well used and shows significant wear." Not having owned any L lens before is this something to be concerned about. Is this likely to cause issues down the line that I would have to have repaired after my six month warranty - leaving me with an expensive bill!

Thoughts and advice welcome. I could either bag a bargain or have a nightmare!
 
IMO the question might be more a case of are there still parts for it and does Canon still support it (some older versions of L lenses get deemed "end of life"). Yes, there are third party repairers that could undertake such work but if parts are limited or even now not available.........then might you have bought something with an unknown lifespan i.e. a gamble!
 
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Quite some time back I bought a well used 600 F4 L IS and the mount was far from perfect. Back at the end of 2013 (after using it for a few years) I replaced it with the 800 F5.6 L IS. the 600 is still working just fine. Apparently the lens mount is fairly cheap and easily replaced. I have not replaced the mount on the 70-200 F2.8 L IS but I have removed and replaced the mount on a non L lens. It is just a piece of brass held in with a few screws, remember to be gentle with the ribbon cable that goes to the contacts as they can get a bit fragile with age and to use JIS screwdrivers as Phillips do not fit properly.

Plenty of spare mounts on Fleabay.
 
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I would be wary based on support for the lens. Its a fantastic lens - I have the same lens (mk1 70-200 2.8 IS with an AF issue) and canon deem it end of life and no longer offer support for it and advise parts are no longer available for it. I tried with all the other major canon authorised repairers who say the same thing so if something does go wrong its pretty much new lens time unless you can find somewhere who still has parts for it.
 
NeilSkinner said:
I am thinking of taking the plunge on a second hand Canon 70 200 2.8 IS listed on a reputable on-line site. The Item is listed as "well-used".

Frankly I'm not bothered about the odd chip to the casing or lens hood or tripod collar because I know these things are built like tanks. The glass is said to be clean, there is no fungus or moisture etc.

My only alarm bell is this description: "The lens mount is well used and shows significant wear." Not having owned any L lens before is this something to be concerned about. Is this likely to cause issues down the line that I would have to have repaired after my six month warranty - leaving me with an expensive bill!

Thoughts and advice welcome. I could either bag a bargain or have a nightmare!
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These used gear sites copy and paste the description pretty much across the board for items under the same rating. Look at any lens on there in 'well used' condition and I guarantee it says same. They just add to that c&p when there's something very specific like a mark on the element or a crack on the body of a lens etc
 
the reservations i would have about the lens mount with it stating it is well worn is that it locks into place and stays locked
i have an absolutely mint condition non IS version of this lens in a cupboard that fell of the camera body twice, first time no damage , second time completely ruined the lens. it landed on the mount on concrete and made a mess of it, i replaced the mount but the aperture blades are stuck making the lens unusable i'm not sure if it's worth trying to get it fixed

another thing to look out for is the AF motor they can get tired and refuse to snap into focus near infinity
if it has warranty you will be able to check these things out and return it if somethings not right with it so it won't be too much of a risk
 
Thank you all. Some really great advice there. May be a bit of a risk. It's a lot of money even in that condition and I can't afford for a problem 6 months down the line when the warranty ends. Decision made I think.
 
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