Good idea to buy used lens?

[myjohnson]

What do you guys think about buying used lens?

I'm looking to get a nikkor 60mm/2.8 and can't decided between getting a new one with the 5 year warranty or just get a used one with no warranty.

Is the warranty needed on lens generally?

[arlon]

I have dozens of old used lenses and have never had a problem with one yet but they are almost all old manual focus lenses with very little to go wrong in the first place.

Unless there was a killer price difference I'd look for a lens coming from someone with at least a return policy. I wouldn't touch a used AF lens unless it was a $50 kit lens without at least being able to return something that was DOA. I just got a 50mm F1.4 AF lens that was a factory refurb. It had less warranty but enough for me to test the lens pretty well. Got a pretty good price on the refurb. First refurb I've gotten but won't hesitate to go that way again.

[RickD]

Peace of mind. If you are concerned about warranty, then get the new one for peace of mind (you can't put a price on that), otherwise, you can always send it in to the manufacture.

I'll buy used gears with/without a warranty. It depends on my instinct.
Lastly, there are reputable sellers (on this forum) who you can trust, but even they can't predict.

[tml]

I have had very good luck with Leica lenses through eBay. I look at the seller's rating and what other items they have for sale which gives me a good idea on their knowledge and rating of their listed items. I always try to buy a lens that still has the original box, paper, and pouch. "GetDPI.com" and "Rangefinder.com" are also good sources. Good luck. Tri

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Used camera Buyer resells on ebay and they have a warranty of I believe 90 days on their lenses- I've bought several from them and they were all as described or better. (there are third party warranties out there that can be bought that would cover replacement or repair even on used items).

But like mentioned before there should be a decent price difference between used and new.

[ChrisTX]

I wouldn't buy from a person without trying it out on MY camera first, but some online vendors offer warranties on used lenses. I bought a lens from one of those vendors, and it had a back focus problem. When I sent it in for repairs under warranty, they claimed there was nothing wrong with it, so I requested a refund. Some poor sucker's gonna get a junk lens and not know any different.

[bgpro611]

I've bought a number of used autofocus lens from people here on the forum, never had a problem with any of them. I've sold my share too. Kind of like a car purchase the original owner takes the depreciation hit so the next person to buy gets a pretty darn good deal. I prefer to deal FTF in Houston so this forum is the perfect place to shop. One last time: "thanks to all you good people who have sold me a lens in the past few years". And thanks to Abel for this great source of infromation as well as the Buy/Sell sections.

[Cope]

I have bought and sold used lenses for years. I have only bought one bad lens (eBay seller) and seller promptly refunded my full purchase price plus return shipping. He actually paid me for the return shipping as soon as I told him I had shipped it back.

[SCone]

It's a gamble you have to be willing to accept. Is the amount staying in your pocket worth the "possible" need for repair that would not be covered under a manufacturer's warranty? Things like dropping, water, and such are NEVER going be covered. So do you save the cash and take the gamble? It's up to you....

[toverman]

I currently own just four lenses, with one of them being used (a Canon 17-40 f/4 bought from a TPF member). Was helpful that I was able to meet the person, see the person's behavior/level of expertise on the forum, reseller ratings here and also handle/test out the lens before buying it. Not sure if I'd have the same level of confidence buying something online, but it would depend on the seller. Both my camera bodies, which have more to go wrong in general, were also purchased used from TPF members. They have been excellent!

[swjim]

I bought my first used lens, a Canon 100 f/2.8 USM macro, back in September, it was from someone on POTN who had sold quite a few lenses and had great feedback. The lens looked like new and performs flawlessly and it saved me $125 over buying new. I would say if you're buying from someone reputable you will most likely be alright.

[ArenaCreative]

I never had any issues buying used, thankfully. Go by feedback ratings, and only buy from sellers with exceptional ratings. That's one thing you can do to ensure accurately described gear.