What to look out for when buying used glass?

[Landiah]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Aside from the obvious fungus haze and optical impurities, is there anything else more subtle to look for when buying used lenses? Is it possible that some lenses are not calibrated correctly or anything may me off? How to check? 

[Advertisement]

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

[pgk]

Plenty. Ideally you need to try out a lens or buy it with approval so that you can send it back if at all possible. Look for any obvious signs of misuse. Impact damage might not be obvious though and might have optical consequences such as misaligned elements, showing up as unsharp areas in the image, may have stiff or varying resistance when focussing, the rangefinder adjustment being incorrect and so on. Look for cleaning and other marks on the glass, check there is no oil on the diaphragm blades, ensure that the aperture stops down evenly and click stops are positive. In other words you need to check that the lens looks alright and that all the functions work as they should. I've bought one or two which had to be returned or were cheap enough to have faults sorted out. The costly problems can be fungus, distortion due to impact and scratches or coating damage. Most is possible to fix but a service and/or repair soon mounts up and will substantially devalue a lens which needs them. Significant damage can be uneconomic to repair. (Some minor dust in a lens is almost unavoidable by the way - not a problem unless significant.)

If in doubt don't buy, or alternatively buy from a good dealer with a reputation for selling equipment which is well checked over and one which offers a warranty.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

If you are buying an unseen lens, I have bought a few off E**y be sure to read the entire documentation. Just made this mistake, Lens was titled Excellent +++++, I received the lens and it had internal fungus. The seller said that he had mentioned it in the description and that he had only listed the condition as used. The price was cheap (a clue, I know), so I could afford a CLA of the lens, but if I had payed the standard rate for the lens, I may of had difficulty sending it back. 

[pgk]

1 minute ago, tommonego@gmail.com said:

If you are buying an unseen lens, I have bought a few off E**y be sure to read the entire documentation.

And 'print' a copy as a pdf file if possible as evidence. This should include any web advertisement.

[spydrxx]

I'd be ultra diligent on specifics the seller either mentions or answers in response to my questions. IMHO most reasonable sellers are well capable of detecting dust, haze and fungus, but less knowledgable about how operation of a particular lens should FEEL...ie stiff, well damped, easy, etc. Likewise, calibration may be an issue (I just ran into this issue). Wherever possible there should be an opportunity for you to return the item, no questions asked, unless the price is so low mitigating the risk and assuming you will need a cla. In over 20 years of buying and selling used camera lenses I've only encountered unexpected issues 3 or 4 times, and it was always because I either didn't ask enough questions in advance of an agreement to buy or failed to examine the goods in detail. Unfortunately today many sellers are asking unreasonably high prices for goods in average or below average condition, because unwitting buyers are willing to freely part with their cash. Nevertheless, if time and diligence are on your side bargains can be found, especially if you are good at negotiating.

[AndreasG]

Check the tiny tool slots (in the photo at 6:00 and 12:00) for damages and wear - could be an indication for repeated or laymen's repair, and if you got access to the lens, take a filter and check the thread.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[pedaes]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I have found even 'good' dealers rate with age very much factored in, so Excellent++ etc. may lead to over-expectation if judged against a new new lens. All older lens suffer from dust and probably haze to some degree, and some of the adoration of certain lenses (eg "Rigid' Summicron) dosn't face this reality.

[pgk]

10 minutes ago, pedaes said:

I have found even 'good' dealers rate with age very much factored in, so Excellent++ etc. may lead to over-expectation if judged against a new new lens. All older lens suffer from dust and probably haze to some degree, and some of the adoration of certain lenses (eg "Rigid' Summicron) dosn't face this reality.

"Good condition for age" is always a worrying statement. Early M lenses are older than many of their users, including me and I'd be fraudulent describing myself as being in 'mint' condition sadly. Some dealers though, are very precise in their grading and descriptions even if their prices are still high.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

Just received my 105 lens back from its CLA, very clean, not etching from the fungus. So I ended up paying about $100 more than the average price, but I have a very clean lens with focus and aperture controls silky smooth.