buying lens

[Johnwirwin]

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Im looking to buy a few used lens for my M9 and i am wondering if people have had much luck buying in forums like this one or steve huff photo etc...How do you keep from getting ripped off..Im not even crazy about ebay but at least it is sort of regulated!!! thanks

[lars_bergquist]

The best way is to have a local dealer who you know to be reliable because he wants to keep your custom. This way you can inspect the lens (provided that you know what to look for) and even check focus if you have a digital camera.

 

The next best is to find a photo mail order house which does a steady trade in used gear, which has an understandable quality grading scheme, and a good reputation to lose. And if you find it, cultivate the relationship. When I buy, I do it at Leicastore of Vienna, which are co-owned with the Westlicht auction house; I have no experience from the other side of the Atlantic.

 

I would never under any circumstances buy anything, least of all a Leica lens, from eBay! Scammers flock to it like flies to rotten meat. Selling Leica lenses or photo gear in general takes expertise.

 

The old man from the Age of the Box Camera

[57andrew]

Im looking to buy a few used lens for my M9 and i am wondering if people have had much luck buying in forums like this one or steve huff photo etc...How do you keep from getting ripped off..Im not even crazy about ebay but at least it is sort of regulated!!! thanks

 

I am not sure how regulated eBay really is. I used to buy old natural history books through eBay and by and large it was trouble free. If you find a good dealer you stick to them. When something did go wrong, fortunately for a small sum, eBay seemed to disown the whole process. I would describe it as :self regulating" as bad apples get thrown out PDQ. On the rare occasions I buy kit second hand I buy from a dealer I know or on personal recommendation.

[euston]

Im looking to buy a few used lens for my M9 and i am wondering if people have had much luck buying in forums like this one or steve huff photo etc...How do you keep from getting ripped off..Im not even crazy about ebay but at least it is sort of regulated!!! thanks

 

eBay doesn’t get a very good press on this site but my experience has been highly satisfactory.

 

I used to buy old manual Pentax lenses for very little on eBay. I got some spectacular bargains. In about half a dozen transactions I never had a bad one. I don’t expect bargains when it comes to M mount lenses but I’ve bought two on eBay - one Leica, one Zeiss. Both transactions went without a hitch and I’ve been delighted with my purchases.

 

eBay is OK provided you’re patient, only buy from established sellers with plenty of sales and a 100% feedback rating, don’t pay more than the lens is worth to you and only ever pay by PayPal. That’s my recipe for success and it hasn’t failed me yet.

[newtoleica]

I've bought and sold on ebay (100% feedback x 300 over 10 years), and on Nikonians, and this forum.

Its fine, but you need to stick to a few simple rules to avoid scams.

1. If possible ask for personal exchange for cash and meet IN A BANK for the exchange (you can pay the cash straight in).

2. If not possible ask for scanned ID for the seller (passport, driving license, utility bill), before transferring any cash by bank transfer.

3. If seller not willing to do that (reasonable as its ID), then you MUST use Paypal and make sure you are covered by their guarantee scheme for that transaction. Probably a good idea to use a credit card with protection as well.

4. Insist on fully insured tracked postage.

I've had problems twice, with quite large sum items (>€5000) and in each case I received a full refund via Paypal after about 30 days.

Whichever site you use you must take precautions to both check out the seller and cover yourself. As for selling, don't send the item until you know you have the money AND track postage to prove you sent it.

I don't usually buy from dealers, as they either don't have what I want, or I can get it much cheaper via this site or ebay. This means you can buy, try and sell on used lenses etc with minimal cost.

[johnwolf]

John

 

Why not buy from a used Leica dealer that has a good return policy? No risk at all that way. Just watch for the restocking fee.

 

I know for example that Tamarkin and KEH give you two weeks, no questions asked. If you need a list of some of them, let us know.

 

John

[250swb]

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From what I have seen of prices recently buying at a good dealer can be cheaper than through LUF or Ebay (although bargains can sometimes be found).

 

Private sellers often have a false sense of what something is worth and consider that just because its only a year old and been used ten times its still 'new', and they want absurd prices. My local Leica dealer is listing a new Summilux 50mm for less than most Ebay auctions selling second hand ones (not that a new one is necessarily available when you want one). And you get a warranty buying through a shop.

 

Steve

[jamesk8752]

eBay doesn’t get a very good press on this site but my experience has been highly satisfactory.

 

I used to buy old manual Pentax lenses for very little on eBay. I got some spectacular bargains. In about half a dozen transactions I never had a bad one. I don’t expect bargains when it comes to M mount lenses but I’ve bought two on eBay - one Leica, one Zeiss. Both transactions went without a hitch and I’ve been delighted with my purchases.

 

eBay is OK provided you’re patient, only buy from established sellers with plenty of sales and a 100% feedback rating, don’t pay more than the lens is worth to you and only ever pay by PayPal. That’s my recipe for success and it hasn’t failed me yet.

 

My experience with using eBay has also been satisfactory, on the whole. In several hundred transactions there I have had only a few cameras and lenses arrive in poorer condition than advertised. In all cases the seller refunded my money when I returned the item.

 

Your cautionary advice is very appropriate, and if followed rigorously, will significantly reduce the chance of a bad buying experience..

 

Regards, Jim

[neli]

hi

 

I've bought 1 lens and sold 2 lenses through this forum and it went rather well.

Ebay has been a very good, except where Leica M Gear is concerned. The Lux 50 I ordered never arrived and I was refunded by the seller, but it took some threats both from me to sue, the process of which I had already brought underway, and a barring from ebay themselves.

Other than that I've sold quite some things on Ebay and have bought maybe 10 things, all without a problem.

I do recommend finding a good dealer, both meister camera in berlin and hamburg have been excellent for the items I bought there, as was Foto Pro Ganz in Zürich (the Rennweg branch).

 

Good Luck and which lenses are you planning to buy?

[IkarusJohn]

I have bought lenses from Meister Berlin, eBay and Ken Hansen.

 

Meister were fantastic to deal with, but they currently have little stock available. The eBay purchase actually went very well (very good feedback on the seller, and I used PayPal), and the price was very good (75 APO Cron Asph for USD 2,000 in perfect condition).

 

Ken Hansen has been fantastic - unfortunately, no tax free sales, coming form the US, but he has been able to provide me with the new 50 Lux Asph and the 21 Lux Asph. Great guy.

 

Cheers

John

[menos I M6]

I have bought all, but two of my Leica lenses second hand.

The two, I bought new just were not available second hand at the time and just popped up at the right time for the right price.

 

Apart form general good safety measures, buying second hand (especially online), especially rangefinder lenses (but also SLR lenses with fixed infinity focus) have one issue, that mostly shies me away from buying unseen.

 

Most lenses (that reads indeed "m o s t") did not fit perfectly to my calibrated cameras and lenses.

This would add the amount (time and hassle) of having the newly bought second hand lens shipped and adjusted by a professional to the second hand price.

 

Very often, this virtual price does make the original offer not very tempting the hassles.

I do exclusively buy second hand lenses after trying and comparing on my cameras and with my other lenses.

This can be sometimes difficult enough, to do in a cramped little store. Sometimes, I find an issue only after deep testing, which makes a good refund policy very valuable.

Dealing with a handful of reliable vendors helps a lot as well.

 

I would not buy unseen without secure (and cost neutral - shipping and insurance) refund policy.

This way, I also sell my photo gear - I encourage buying after seeing personally!

No misunderstandings and disappointments can occur this way.

 

Good luck with your journey ;-)

[roguewave]

Ken Hansen has been my dealer for over 30 years. He is the best. I also strongly suggest the items for sale on the Forum. I have purchased some very fine lenses at fair prices, while supporting our community. It's always nice to know you are dealing with someone truthful & that will offer support & information, as well as being trusted & truthful. That's been my experience with members on the Forum. Good luck in your search.

[myshkine]

I have bought my Leica gear (Leica M6TTL and Summicrin 50) on ebay without much problems at reasonable prices, and also a full Olympus OM 1 system in separate deals including a beautiful Zuiko 28mm like new. You have to be cautious of course, but if you do your homework and follow some basic rules you should not have any serious problems, at least I did not (until now at least).

On his site, Ken Rockwell has what I found a useful guide to buying on Ebay.

 

How to Win at eBay

[lct]

I buy mainly on e**y from professional sellers. Just check that they have an actual shop and offer a warranty. No problem at all.

[earleygallery]

'Buying from ebay' is a term lots of people use, but is factually wrong.

 

You are buying via their site, the sale can be as basic as buying via a classified advert in a paper or magazine, or the same as buying direct from a retailer with all the warranty and returns protection as if you went into their shop.

 

I've bought a few Leica lenses via e bay, mostly from private sellers, and I've been satisfied with the purchases. The important thing is (beyond the usual precautions) to have clear photos of the actual item and ask direct questions if the sellers description is in any way ambiguous.

 

If you don't like the 'risk' of e bay, buy direct from one of the dealers who list their s/h stock on the web.