Introduction

A big advantage of using a SLR (Single Lens Reflex) or DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera is the ability to swap lenses to suit the job at hand. If you need to take shots of your buddies at a football game, you can use a telephoto lens to capture their finest moments from afar. And when you see a beautiful flower on the way back to your car, just replace the telephoto lens with a macro lens and you are set!

The flexibility of SLR and DSLR cameras cannot be denied. You can literally swap dozens of different lenses either from your camera's manufacturer or third-party manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma. Even if the lens is an old hand-me-down, it will work as long as the lens is compatible with your camera's mount. However, one problem of such flexibility is the high cost.

Lenses are not cheap and that's a fact. Good lenses can cost anywhere from a thousand dollars to a few thousand dollars. Budding photographers will discover that the cost of the SLR or DSLR body is nothing compared to the cost of buying lenses for the camera. Even cheap telephoto and wide-angle lenses can cost hundreds of dollars each.

So, is SLR or DSLR photography out of reach of all but the rich and professional photographers? Not exactly. Canon and Nikon made DSLR photography affordable with their ground-breaking EOS 300D and D70 DSLR cameras. Both cameras (and their successors) were sold with kit lens at less than a thousand dollars, with street prices even lower than that! But what about lenses?

Well, the good and bad news is both Canon and Nikon are now making cheaper lenses available. This is good news because you can now buy these lens at a lower price. The bad news is these cheaper lenses generally have a poorer build. The use of polycarbonate and plastic optics, instead of metal and glass, make these lenses lighter and cheaper. They are less rugged as a result and may produce softer pictures with less contrast.

While these cheap lenses are good for amateur photographers to play with, eventually you will probably want to move up to the professional-grade lenses. Unfortunately, these lenses continue to command a significant price premium. So, what can you do if you want professional-grade lenses at bargain prices? Nothing much, if you want them brand-new. But if you do not mind used lenses, why... you can get your hands on professional-grade lenses for about the same price consumer-grade lenses!

In this guide, we are going to take a look at the pros and cons of buying second-hand lenses and what you should look for when you buy second-hand lenses. As these lenses are often no longer covered by the manufacturer's warranty, it is very important for you to inspect them properly before parting with your money. We hope this guide will help you make informed choices about second-hand lenses and allow you to have an enjoyable experience with them.