DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Five things to look out for when buying a used lens

May 11, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic Add Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

As we all know, lenses can be pretty expensive, and a good way to save some cash is buying them used. To help you make the best choice, Artur Fin shares five things to look out for when buying a used lens. These tips will help you to make sure that you spend less money, yet get the lens that’s in a good condition and that you’ll use for a long time.

1. General visual inspection

Before you start checking the details, make a general visual inspection. Look for scratches, dents, and anything that would indicate that the lens wasn’t actually treated gently. If the lens has been dropped or abused, the chances are that some of the glass elements are damaged or that something doesn’t work properly.

2. Optics

After the general inspection, remove the front and the rear cap and look through the lens. Search for dust particles between the optical elements. In older lenses, the fungus can often appear between the optical elements too. So if you’re buying a vintage lens, always make sure to check this too.

Of course, make sure that there are no scratches on the front and back elements of the lens. However, Artur points out that it doesn’t have to be the end of the world if the lens is scratched a bit. He shares a video that demonstrates it, but still, personally – I’d rather stick with an unscratched lens.

3. Loose joints

As Artur explains, many people overlook this. But, no matter if you buy a prime or a zoom lens, the zoom ring and the focusing ring tend to turn loose with time. In addition, it can be a good indicator that the lens has been dropped or used a lot.

To check this, take the lens and move the focusing and the zoom ring around. If the lens has an extending focusing element, move it around to see if it’s loose. Artur points out that his Canon 18-55mm kit lens moves a bit although he hasn’t used it a lot, so the assumption is that some movement is normal. The same happens to my Nikon 18-55 mm, but I used that lens for ages before buying my second lens. Anyway, use your best judgment here.

4. Focusing and IS motors

If the lens has AF and image stabilization, you want to check the motors. Attach the lens to your camera body and take a couple of photos at different focal lengths and different focusing distances. Listen to the focusing/stabilization motor. If it makes weird cracking sounds, it means it’s going to fail soon. Keep in mind that a loud motor doesn’t mean that it’s broken because not all lenses have a quiet AF. Just pay attention to the cracking noises.

5. Aperture blades

This is another thing many people forget to check, according to Artur. So here’s a reminder for you when buying a used lens. Attach the lens to your camera and open and close the aperture. Make sure it opens and closes without any hesitations.

And finally, Artur gives an extra tip: pay attention to a plastic bayonet on cheap lenses or some older models. Make sure that it’s not damaged and that doesn’t move around when you attach it to your new camera.

Do you guys buy used lenses or rather go for new ones, despite the higher price? Are there any tips you’d share for buying used lenses that Artur forgot to mention? Feel free to share them in the comments.

[5 Things To lOOK OUT For When Buying A Used Lens | Artur Fin]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Five tips for buying your first film camera Five tips to step up your portrait game without buying new gear Best Tips for Buying Used Lenses $35 superzoom lens on a smartphone: is it even worth buying?

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: Artur Fin, buying used lenses, Lenses, used lenses

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Photographer turns models into amazing optical illusions using only make-up and props
These are the four best lenses for food photography »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Botched selfie escalates to draining of reservoir
  • Panasonic PanaTrack is a big bendy motorised camera slider
  • Once again, tourists are getting too close to bison for photos
  • Fujifilm announces shipping delays for the new Fuji X-S20
  • International Photography Awards reveals breathtaking 2022 winners (mildly NSFW)

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy