I did the whole eBay thing last winter and got some good deals, although at the time I didn't realize how good they were!
50mm A f/1.7 - ~$35
28mm A f/2.8 - ~$50
Sears 135mm f/2.8 (with the 'A' setting) $12 (yep, 12 bucks!)
Vivitar 28-210mm f/4.5-6.7 Autofocus ~$15 (great walkaround lens, but SLOW at long end) I think B&H at the time had this lens for $179! Mine came from some pawn shop type operation and listed 'As-is' so it was a bit of a risk, but it came in perfect condition (except for the hood) AND with a Polarizer filter
Pentax F 100-300mm ~$45
Sigma DL Macro 70-300mm ~$25
Grr...Am I the only one who consistently fails to get 50s beyond F2? haha.
After the XR 50/2, I got an M 50/2 off an ME auction. Then an A50/2 off a P3n auction.
LOL - because of all the sniping, I decided to just bite the bullet, called around the Henry's stores and picked up my M50/1.7 Got it for $60 CDN at Oakville.
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Alvin (A Nikon D200 owner, but the heart is still with Pentax)
I have read that prices have increased. On the other hand, last few times I looked there were about 3X more lenses for sale than when I was tracking.
My point is that if you are in the ebay racket, it pays to research: I recommend track lens auctions for about a 1 month period before actually bidding.
Originally Posted by Donald
28mm f2.8 A $72
auction won high = $147 / auction won low = $46 ---> it pays to research!
I noticed knowledgeable sellers as well as sellers who didn't have a clue. Several who bought camera-lens sets then relisted the lens in a new auction, and it worked, selling the lens for more than the set. Deals pop up in strange ways: an auction won for $244 included a 28, 35, 50-1.4A and 105-2.8 all Pentax set from a "retiring amateur". What a set of lenses for a fantastic price!
Talk about lucky finds. An uninformed seller recently sold both a K85/1.8 and a K18/3.5 on ebay for BINs of $125 and $185 respectively!!!! I had a pit in my stomach after I saw the completed auctions.
The sickening thing about it is the bargains didn't even go to an enthusiast - some "reseller" snapped them up and sold them a couple of days later on flea-bag for $$$$$$$$$
Personally, I used to do the Ebay thing, but now I tend to go though shops or private sales - it's getting ugly on the bay
Thats a good sign. Too bad the lenses are black and not silver. I liked the ol' FA* telephoto days. Those lenses looked great!
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Pete - K200D
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You know you got a pretty serious case of LBA when you end up buying the same lens twice...
How bad has the eBay Pentax insanity gotten? Hmmm, let's see:
SMC-F 50mm f1.4
Winning bid: US $268.50 (!!!!!)
Granted -- it's the only SMC-F (not FA) 1.4 I've seen since I started looking, but... well, it's enough to break my heart! And THAT still hurts since I checked out FotoConnection's reviews AFTER placing my order for a K10D...
How bad has the eBay Pentax insanity gotten? Hmmm, let's see:
SMC-F 50mm f1.4
Winning bid: US $268.50 (!!!!!)
Granted -- it's the only SMC-F (not FA) 1.4 I've seen since I started looking, but... well, it's enough to break my heart! And THAT still hurts since I checked out FotoConnection's reviews AFTER placing my order for a K10D...
*sigh*
How insane is that bid? If you're patient, B&H still gets brand-new FA 50/1.4's from time to time at $219.95 (and there's still a rebate on it!). That F 50/1.4 is at least 16 years old - the FA replaced it in 1991.
If you want one, you have to know when they get them, and be quick to order when they do. The easiest way to do this is to set up a wish list at their website, and check it frequently (it shows in-stock status). It's faster than drilling down through menus every time, and more reliable than their e-mail notification (if they sell out quickly, they don't send out a message). I was able to snag an FA 35/2 last week with that method.
Great forum, BTW. Happy I found you folks.
Welcome aboard! Just started here myself. Did you post at "Welcomes and Introductions" yet?