Buying Used Lens Online

It is relatively safe to buy used lenses at a camera shop because you can personally inspect them before buying. However, the lure of online auctions cannot be denied. Online auctions or sales open up a huge number and variety of lenses to you. You will no longer be restricted to the limited number as well as quality of used lenses available at your local camera shops.

Of course, while there's a much wider range of used lenses to choose from online, they also come in a wide variety of conditions. For example, if you are looking for the popular Nikkor AF-S 80-200mm ED-IF lens, you will find quite a few being sold in eBay at any one time. However, they are not all the same. If you check each auction out, you will see that they range from brand-new lenses to broken lenses that can only be used as spare parts.

Therefore, you must be careful in reading the listing of each auction. Good sellers will often provide copious details as well as pictures of the lens. This makes it easier for you to evaluate its condition and determine how much you are willing to pay for it.

But if the seller did not leave much details or even a picture, then he/she is either inexperienced or may be trying to hide something. You should contact the seller and ask him/her to describe the lens in greater detail. Personally, whenever I'm interested in an online auction, I would ask the following questions about the lens :

• Are there any scratches or blemishes on the front or rear lens elements?
• Is there any oil on the aperture blades? Do they snap quickly in place?
• Is there any fungus or dust inside the lens?
• Does the lens come with the hood, both lens caps, manual and box?

If the seller is evasive about answering your questions, you should be wary about buying the lens. You can persist with your questioning or turn elsewhere. The good thing about buying lenses online is that there is always an influx of good lenses for sale. So, you can always wait for a better deal.

If the lens comes with a certain flaw, you should request more details about the flaw. If possible, get a close-up picture of the flaw. This allows you to make a better decision about the lens. Again, you should be 100% confident about the item before you bid for it. Remember - you can always wait for a better deal.

Now, before you plunge gleefully into the online auction world, please remember to do some research before you bid!

More often than not, there are individuals and even shops who will try to sell you lenses (either used or new) for more than they are really worth. If you check PriceGrabber, you will probably find new lenses being sold for less than what these scammers are selling their used lenses!

I have seen people paying ridiculous prices for used lenses in questionable condition. Many of these buyers were probably influenced by over-enthusiastic or exaggerated reviews. So, it pays to do a little market research before actually bidding. You can often find good deals on new lenses using PriceGrabber.

Finally, make sure you take the shipping costs into consideration. Sometimes, the seller will charge ridiculously high prices to ship the lens to you. For example, one disreputable seller wanted to charge US$50 to ship a single lens to any state in the US using USPS Priority Mail. The actual shipping cost would not cost more than US$10. This was merely his way of getting you to pay more for his lens.

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