Would you buy second hand?

[Olaf_ZG]

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To be clear, till now, I mostly bought second hand, except my m10m and the sl35apo. The latter is going out and I am considering the 24/90. New around 5k, used around 2.5/3k which is still a lot of money. For a m-lens I would not mind, but for a SL lens i am not sure.

As I am trading in my apo, I can afford a new one. However, when buying a used one, I could buy some other nice stuff.

Would you buy new or used, and why? (Regarding a SL lens). Thanks.

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[Martin B]

Only bought all of my Leica gear used since the new price tag is too high for my taste. 7 M cameras (2 digital, rest film cameras). Also all my Leica M and LTM lenses. Used reputable online distributors as well as private sellers. Always made a good experience. 

To lower the price tag even more, I also look at and consider third party lens manufacturers. There I have purchased both new and used lenses. 

[tom.w.bn]

I buy used stuff, but only from companies with company warrenty and a great company repuation (local shops, ebay, whatever). I never buy from a private person except if it's a friend where I can kick his butt, if the stuff does not work 🙂

Edited September 27, 2023 by tom.w.bn
wrong word used

[earleygallery]

Absoultely I would buy used (often do) but for an expensive item I would only buy from a reputable dealer who offers a decent period of warranty.

[Sandokan]

24 minutes ago, tom.w.bn said:

I buy used stuff, but only from companies with company warrenty and a great company repuation (local shops, ebay, whatever). I never buy from a private person except if it's a friend where I can kick his butt, if the stuff does not work 🙂

Just try! 

I prefer to buy digital cameras 2nd hand when a new model is released, but so far I have bought the M10M, SL and two S1Rs new (B&H error that they duplicated my order ... but I sold the spare to a mug who didnt know any better  ). A bunch of other digital cameras, including the 907x were bought 2nd hand. Lenses - the hard to find ones I buy new (Noctilux, 90 S'lux, 75 apo summicron (when it came out) and a bunch of Sigmas and Voigtlanders) but others such as SL 90-280, 24-90, 50 S'lux I bought 2nd hand. 

[MFT-Lehrling]

I only buy used, so iam used to it 😂.

The SL-Zooms have some problem zones i think, some losen on the barrel?
But i would never buy new SL-Zooms, or at least not the premium ones from Leica. (The Sigma/leica 24-70 was available at a reasonable price with the SL2-S brand new <-- considering this a "non premium" leica zoom) They are just too expensive for what they offer, if you compare them to the market and factor in their weight and size.
Used on the other hand, they deliver a nearly reasonable approach 😇.
 

[AeroMirage]

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I bought a used 24-90 and don't regret it. Cost was $2999, a savings of $2796!! (48%)

I bought it from a reputable Leica dealer who included a `1 year warranty. I have had no issues with it whatsoever. 

I would only buy used gear from a reputable source. (Leica stores, B&H, Adorama, Hunts camera.) They offer great savings and inspect the equipment, so you know what you are getting.

I also got my SL2 used. $4200 versus $6995 saving $2795 on it. (Leica Miami Store)

$12,900 rig cost me $7,199 a savings of $5591 overall.

[Geoff C. Bassett]

All my Leica gear has been purchased used. Leica SL2, SL2s, 24-90, 90-280. Would not purchase them full price. 28mm & 75mm SL are next. Voigtlander lenses and others under $1000 I buy new.

Massive price savings make it worth it, and I test the gear when I receive them. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Geoff C. Bassett

[robb]

I would buy a 24-90 in used condition no problem.  

but I would not sell any of the apo primes…

Robb

[Olaf_ZG]

@robbi know you won’t, and because of you I am doubting. That said, I should have bought the 50 instead of the 35.

May be, instead of buying a new zoom, I should indeed buy second hand, so I can buy a secondhand 50apo as well.

[satijntje]

The price of used SL 24-90 went down a lot due to the availability of other alternatives.
Last year I picked up from a Leica dealer a mint SL 24-90 fully boxed for half the price.
Last year on my 2 weeks Island holiday, 95% of my pics were made with the zoom.
So very recommendable 
 

[Guest]

Absolutely.

At Leica prices it is the only way. And I think it is safe to do so, because I assume most people treat their Leica stuff well. Preferably buy from a reputable dealer and pay that premium, but not the premium premium of a Leica Store. However, Leica make nothing that I want or need for how and what I photograph, and I am only on this forum because I inherited a Leica R-E with two lenses and I needed to get some information. I normally use Fuji X (X-T2, X-T3, X100T, X-Pro1 IR), but in the near future will change over to a Nikon Z8. For my EDC I have a Sony RX100M6 and an Olympus TG6.

[robb]

14 minutes ago, Olaf_ZG said:

@robbi know you won’t, and because of you I am doubting. That said, I should have bought the 50 instead of the 35.

May be, instead of buying a new zoom, I should indeed buy second hand, so I can buy a secondhand 50apo as well.

You gotta go with your favorite focal lengths.  I am continually amazed at my 75 apo…. Truly remarkable sharpness and clarity like all the apo’s.  But the 75 really is how I view life.  I Gotta have a little compression.

the 50 apo can do it all and you can find those also at great used prices.  It also really acts more like a 1.4 with the background blur.  So it will definitely look different from the 24-90 if you shoot it at f2.  I was out today with a 35 and 75 apo’s and kept it simple.  Last week I shot a charity event with pretty much just the 28 apo.  

my apologies that I haven’t posted recent work.  Been meaning to.  But life and work can get in the way when you are shooting 5 days a week.  Sometimes the forum photo updates get a lower priority.  I’ll try to get some new things up…

It’s actually fun to just pick a plan to go with a minimal setup and rock and roll with whatever you brought.  My 24-90 is finally on the way back to me from Germany.  I should have it back early next week.  But its single lens weight will keep me from making it my “first choice” for pretty much anything.  I’d rather take two apo summicrons even if that combo weighs more overall, because the weight in hand is what I sense.  And I like shooting with the 24-90 if you don’t want to change lenses or keep the extra lenses to a minimum.  I’m not convinced that images shot with it at over 50mm really can compete with the apo’s at all.  So the question to me is when to grab it.  It’s been gone to service for several months and I haven’t really missed it because of have the rest of the summicrons.

I’d be pretty happy shooting ANY Leica glass.  Life is def good for ll of us here.
I’d also entertain the SL 50 1.4 and 24-90 combo as also a great option.  They are both still plenty sharp.  Similar form factors and filters.

Main things I like though are the lighter weight and size in your hand of the apo summicrons and seeing the unrivaled results.  Makes shooting more fun I think.  I shot canon and Nikon for many years so the Leica 50 1.4 or 24-90 or 90-280 aren’t any heavier than the other Dslr zooms.  I always laugh when users on the forum complain that the apo summicrons are heavy or too big.  They’re absolutely a perfect size and weight.

Go for the used 24-90 and pick up your favorite 50.  You will love both.

Robb

[dynaerik]

I got the SL 24-90mm used at the local Leica store. With buying it used I still had budget to get the SL 75mm APO ... also used. And because of buying at the dealer I got 1 year warranty. That gives me peace of mind AND great lenses  

[Martin B]

23 hours ago, tom.w.bn said:

I buy used stuff, but only from companies with company warrenty and a great company repuation (local shops, ebay, whatever). I never buy from a private person except if it's a friend where I can kick his butt, if the stuff does not work 🙂

In more than 20 years, I have never used a warranty with photo gear. If stuff didn't work, it occurred instantly which can be simply returned or exchanged (had this happen very few times). Therefore this whole warranty thing is overblown - it might make more sense in countries with longer warranty terms but less so in the US in my opinion where warranty is 6 months to one year max. 

Ebay as mentioned as example is a no-go for me regarding photo gear purchases. Highly overpriced and now dominated e. g. by Japanese resellers where import customs are additionally required. I made very good experience with Craigslist - meeting the seller close to a police station parking lot for example for safety and asking upfront for sale documentation to avoid thievery goods. Craigslist works well in or close to bigger cities where more used items are offered and traded. Best deals I got from private people whom I didn't know or met before. They all wanted to trade in fast (with certified purchase documents) offering good deals often for private reasons - one got his Leica as graduation gift but didn't enjoy using it since he was more into underwater photography and wanted to buy a wedding ring. Another private seller sold me her Leica 28/2.8 lens much cheaper than I could find anywhere online since she only used it on her Leica M film camera in the past (which she sold separately) and assumed it would be too outdated to be used on digital. 

I purchased a few lemons - they all came from reputable online sellers. Return was never a problem there since the issue was obvious directly after receiving the items.   

[trickness]

The only thing I wouldn’t buy secondhand is an M11. That thing is hot garbage.

Just make sure you pay with PayPal and don’t use friends and family if something shows up and it’s not as described or it doesn’t work, you’ve got a very good chance of getting your money back. And I always try to have a conversation with the seller over the phone to get a sense of how they are and whether or not they know about the gear and where they acquired it. If somebody seems sketchy or clueless, I move on.

[Olaf_ZG]

Thanks for feedback, will start looking for a used one, from a Leica dealer.

[Guest]

🤔

Edited October 1, 2023 by Neuhier99
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[Olaf_ZG]

31 minutes ago, Neuhier99 said:

🤔

?

[Jean-Michel]

On 9/30/2023 at 7:09 AM, Olaf_ZG said:

Thanks for feedback, will start looking for a used one, from a Leica dealer.

Since you are in Europe, you are likely best to purchase from a Leica dealer close to you. I am in Canada, and my preferred Leica dealer has had a used 24-90 available for some weeks already ( and other L lenses ); they want CDN$ 4885, or about 3395 Euros. I imagine that your local dealers also provide a real warranty of a year or more, as does mine.