Do you regret selling lenses & do you buy on absolute condition?

[Chubkins]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

For me monetary value only comes into the equation when I buy. I am not a seller and I don't collect for investment purposes, even though the fact that Leica lenses hold their value gives me a certain sense of security. There are some who say that one should never sell a Leica lens. There have been instances of 'seller's remorse' shown on this forum. Its a big world, though, and their is room for everyone in the Leica camera/lens 'world'. Each to his own etc.

 

 

It's nice to see you that you agree with me that monetary value is intrinsically linked with collecting.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Chubkins

[pgk]

You may remember my article about the 19th Century Grubb lenses made in Dublin.....

 

William

 

Fascinating. I've missed that one - do you have a link please? Thanks.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[colint544]

In 2006, I spotted a Noctilux E58, complete with the original hood and caps, in the window of Quiggs camera shop in Glasgow. They wanted £900. I had a good look at it. Focus was nice and smooth, but there was a fair bit of oil on the aperture blades, and there were small spots of damage to the coating on the front element - "cleaning marks" some people call them. The serial number indicated the lens dated from 1978. The shop owner was candid - he said the lens had already been sold over the phone, and the purchaser had returned it, unhappy with the condition. I had a lot of gear to trade in, and I took a punt on the lens, because I'd heard much about the Noctilux, and I had my M6 to use it on.

 

Anyway, what a lens. I just couldn't get it to flare. The pictures I got were beautiful, the backgrounds were dreamy and melting, and I found it to be razor sharp at F1.0, if correctly focussed. Really really loved it, but it was a very heavy lens.

 

To cut a long story short, I sold the lens in 2012. Got £3200 for it. Couldn't believe how much it had rocketed in value. I now have a 50mm Summilux ASPH black chrome edition, and a 50mm Summicron v5. I do sometimes miss the Noctilux, but not very often. It did go a little against the Leica ethos of compact and portable.

 

I read now that the E58 Noctilux has become very collectable. They're going for more that double the £3200 I got for mine in 2012. 

 

There's a lesson or two in all that.

[albertknappmd]

Over the years, I have sold a few lenses here and there usually for upgrades such as 50mm f/1.4 in favor of the 50 f/2 AA. No regrets..

Albert      

[Ecar]

The only lens I kind of regret selling was a Konica UC-Hexanon 35/2, but it's fair to say that I'm more of a hoarder and have bought many more (Leica or other) than I sold...

 

The only thing I am picky about when buying is the glass condition: so-so cosmetics can be overlooked if the price is right, and everything else can in most instances be fixed by a proper CLA.

 

Monetary value is important only to the extent that (like everyone) I'd rather not lose money, but I'm not expecting the value of my lenses to increase - although on average it probably has.

[Narsuitus]

Does anybody else have thoughts onselling/buying/condition of gear? 

 

I have bought and sold many lenses for different reasons.

 

I sold poor performers such as the Nikon 43-86mm f/3.5 zoom.

 

I sold lenses that I replaced with a better version such as my Nikon 35mm f/2 that I replaced with a Nikon 35mm f/1.4.

 

I sold lenses when I abandoned the system such as all the lenses I had for my Mamiya TLR system.

 

I sold focal lengths that did not work for me such as the Nikon 20mm f/3.5 that I replaced with a wider Nikon 18mm f/3.5 and a faster Nikon 24mm f/2.

 

I sold lenses that did not agree with me ergonomically such as the Nikon 45mm GN that was too small for my hands.

 

I have never regretted selling any lenses.

 

I have never sold any Leica M-mount lenses.

[Jeffry Abt]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I have never sold a Leica M lens without feeling regret later. Several years ago I vowed to myself that I would never do it again.

So far I’ve been a good boy...I’m keeping them all!

[willeica]

Fascinating. I've missed that one - do you have a link please? Thanks.

 

Here you are, Paul. http://macfilos.com/photo/2017/4/9/grubb-and-parsons-optical-and-engineering-giants?rq=Grubb . This article has also been published in the magazine of the Irish Astronomical Society who are planning a 150th anniversary celebration for the Grubb telescope at Dunsink near Dublin. For those that are interested, Carleton Watkins who took photographs of Yosemite in the 1860s, many years before Ansel Adams, used a Grubb landscape lens.

 

William

[ianman]

So far I’ve been a good boy...I’m keeping them all!

 

Which begs another question... how many M mount lenses do we each have?

[jdlaing]

10

[jdlaing]

Wait........

 

12

[ianman]

Did you just win 2 on ebay?   

[pico]

I sold poor performers such as the Nikon 43-86mm f/3.5 zoom.

 

I was so unhappy with that lens (first version) that I left on our company workbench with a Steal Me sign. When I came back the next day there were two of them!

[Pyrogallol]

Over the past ten years since I got back into Leicas I have bought and sold quite a few, usually for a profit. Some I regret selling, but I offset the profit against the latest purchase and now have some nice lenses/bodies that I can say cost me nothing or very little. For example I have a 35mm F2.8 Schneider Xenogon screw lens that cost nothing, a 35mm Summicron that cost half what I paid for it, a 21mm f4 Super Angulon screw that cost less than half the “full” price and a Leica 3a with Elmar that cost nothing.

 

I try to make a rule to buy things to use, not just to “collect”, but do not always stick to that rule.

I made another rule in the past year of “buy nothing that does not work, sell nothing that does work”, but have not quite stuck to that rule either, I just bought an early folding 28mm viewfinder SUOOQ with a big crack in the glass ! But it does work and goes with my 28mm Hektor. As an aside, I got a 34mm screw in wide angle lenshood for it direct from China via e-Bay for £4.38 now waiting to use it and see if it is really wide enough, a lot cheaper than buying an original hood.

 

I should add, that I prefer equipment that looks old and well worn but working, not looking like new. The same goes for pre 1970’s fishing tackle.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Pyrogallol

[willeica]

I was so unhappy with that lens (first version) that I left on our company workbench with a Steal Me sign. When I came back the next day there were two of them!

 

Breeding lenses, now there's a new career for us all.

 

William

[ianman]

Do they start off at 12mm and grow up to 90mm ?

[pgk]

I was so unhappy with that lens (first version) that I left on our company workbench with a Steal Me sign. When I came back the next day there were two of them!

 

The 43-86 Nikkor has the accolade of being the lens that you can see its distortion on on an enprint (6" x 4"). Barrel was awful at one end and substantial pincushion at the other. Much used by press photographers nevertheless and when I worked in London I saw some hammered examples as a result. Dirt cheap today.

[LocalHero1953]

Do they start off at 12mm and grow up to 90mm ?

Only if a Summilux walks past

[james.liam]

Which begs another question... how many M mount lenses do we each have?

Non-Leica included?

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[ianman]

Only if a Summilux walks past

 

Well he'd better keep his hood on anyway!!