Purchasing second hand gear is great for photographers on any budget. It allows you to obtain lenses that may be out of production or simply unavailable new, such as old manual focus lenses for filmmaking (for example the incredibly sharp Sigma 8mm fisheye). Alternatively it can enable you to purchase high quality back up gear when your main kit needs replacement. Regardless of your motivation it is important to do your homework before you part with hard earned cash. This is especially true when buying used lenses, as there are plenty of fakes out there looking to take advantage of unsuspecting buyers.니콘중고렌즈

It goes without saying that buying from a reputable store or private seller is the best way to avoid being taken advantage of. Camera shops will generally have strict policies on how their used stock is presented and often come with a warranty that you won’t get when buying privately. They also tend to use photos of the actual lens that you are purchasing, not some staged generic publicity shots.

There are a few other things that can be done to help prevent being duped when buying used lenses. For example, bringing a laptop is a good idea for checking the images on the screen and can be very helpful in identifying any problems. It is also a good idea to bring a camera body that can be mounted with the lens you are considering, in order to test it out on your particular system. It is also a good idea to ask the seller why they are selling the lens; this can be very illuminating and can save you a lot of grief down the road if something turns out to be wrong with it that wasn’t obvious from the photos.

One final note: when purchasing used lenses it is always worth asking about the condition of the lens and checking to see what accessories are included with the sale. Many times a lens will have a small amount of light damage (often from someone trying to mount filters incorrectly) and even though this won’t affect the optical performance it is important to know about it before you buy. Also make sure that the threads on the end of the lens for accepting filters are intact, as these can be easily cross-threaded and be a costly mistake to fix down the road.

Finally, try to buy locally if possible. Not only does this cut down on shipping costs but it also increases your chances of a trustworthy transaction. If the buyer and seller know each other or at least travel in the same photography circles it exponentially increases the odds of an honest and above board purchase. Happy hunting! – Rob Cox, Founder, The Image Hunters. Rob Cox 2019. All rights reserved. Powered by Squarespace. The Image Hunters is a website devoted to helping photographers find the tools they need to achieve their goals and grow their business. It’s free to join, and contains a wealth of articles, podcasts, video tutorials and more.럭키카메라