Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
02-09-2012, 06:40 AM   #61
Forum Member




Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 95
Are you guys using primarily evilbay to score these deals, or? Most of the stuff i find on ebay are seriously overpriced, it seems.

02-09-2012, 07:21 AM   #62
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
paulh's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 33,091
QuoteOriginally posted by morpho Quote
Are you guys using primarily evilbay to score these deals, or? Most of the stuff i find on ebay are seriously overpriced, it seems.
All of my used lenses were gotten thru the PF Marketplace or Craigslist. I'll use Fleabay to grab a lens hood, or some cheap accessory.
02-09-2012, 08:24 AM   #63
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Lowell Goudge's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 17,869
QuoteOriginally posted by morpho Quote
Are you guys using primarily evilbay to score these deals, or? Most of the stuff i find on ebay are seriously overpriced, it seems.
I visit local pawn shops, camera stores that sell used gear, thrift stores etc, to get my used lenses. I have only made one purchase to date from E-Bay and one from a forum member
02-09-2012, 10:05 AM   #64
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NewYork
Posts: 899
QuoteOriginally posted by morpho Quote
Are you guys using primarily evilbay to score these deals, or? Most of the stuff i find on ebay are seriously overpriced, it seems.
I live in a smaller dieing town so I'm of stuck with ebay. I never find anything locally. I can no count how many times I have seen stuff sell high or for too much but I have seen plenty go cheap too. RioRico's strategy is bid often, bid low, loose 99% of them. Mines a little different. I fill my want list with hundreds of potential items and anything that still cheap the last day to day in a half goes on sniping software for a low bid (and I still loose plenty). I often target listing errors, auctions that end at a bad time etc. I recently won a vivitar 90mm 2.5 "bokina" (if you are not farmiliar with it, its considered legendary quality) fro 45$ shipped. It is canon fd mount and in perfect condition, but it was listed as a vivitar 62mm (the filter size) macro lens. 3 in canon fd mount sold in the last 15 days for 175$, 175$, a179.99$.

Th vivitar series 1 70-210mm olympus mount I got for 15$ was listed as a sky light filter. One recently sold in olympus mount for 70$.

I recently won 2 promaster flash control modules for olympus that sell for about 50$ (and I have matching flashes to sell with them), a promaster 58mm wide angle (front mount) and 3 slr type teleconverters for 18$ or about 3$ ea. everything was new in box. I have got other teleconverters (slr type) for 3$, 4.13$, 5$, .7.50 and 8$ (mostof tose a still on t way . All were ebay except the 8$ one was b&h (prices include shipping so some were basically cost of shipping).

I have been accused of scraping the bottom of the barrel and have got total garbage before, but the majority were good to great. If you look at the total cost, and divide by the good stuff, price per lens for the good ones was pretty low.

Edit to add a little more now that I'm at a keyboard that works.
Worst was a camera with lens that looked like it had been buried in the back yard for a couple of years (seriously, even the aluminum was corroding away). It was crammed in a small flat rate box, and the box was all taped up because it wouldn't fit, even without any padding. The lens was broken in half when it arrived. The strange thing was he had been a seller for 5 years and then all of a sudden started screwing people over (6 bad feedback in a month killed his account).

The reason for all the teleconverters is I am experimenting with making adapters and have gone a little out of control buying (anything cheap and a decent brand, any mount). I need to stop and stick to looking for 1.5/1.4x ones which is what I really want (the only one so far is a kiron 1.5x which was the 8$ shipped one from b&h).


Last edited by ripit; 02-09-2012 at 10:24 AM.
02-09-2012, 11:09 AM   #65
Pentaxian
mikeSF's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East Bay Area, CA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,612
lots of great lenses under $100. I like:

Helios 44/2 58mm
Pentax M-50 1.7 a must buy, imo
S-M-C Takumar 50/1.4 - good bokeh, great low light/fast lens
S-M-C Takumar 105/2.8 - good medium tele, also becomes a great macro lens with extension tube.
Vivitar 28mm (i like the Komine and Tokina variants)
02-09-2012, 11:11 AM   #66
Veteran Member
RioRico's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Limbo, California
Posts: 11,263
QuoteOriginally posted by hoanpham Quote
You win old man: You make money from them.
Back in my early eBay frenzy, after I'd bought by K20D and was blowing an inheritance (Thanks for dying, Mom!) on odd lenses, I'd grab batch-lots of miscellany, for one or two pieces, and stash the rest, hoping to sell it eventually. Well, the inheritance ran out and I still wanted more lenses. So I had a pile of Canon FD glass for which I'd paid US$9 per lens: FD and SSC 50/1.4 and 200/4, FD 24/2.8 and 135/2.8 and 35-70 and 70-210 and others, which sold at auction for an average of US$50 each. THAT is what convinced me to become a lens trader! Similar story with a batch of LTM Industars and Jupiters.

QuoteQuote:
As I have the sony nex with different mounts, it's even harder to sell...
Yeah, if I'd had a short-register APS-C cam a couple years ago, my lens overflow shelves would be spilling over.
02-09-2012, 11:38 AM   #67
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NewYork
Posts: 899
QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote

Yeah, if I'd had a short-register APS-C cam a couple years ago, my lens overflow shelves would be spilling over.
That could be dangerous for someone like me, more dangerous for someone like you. At least you can potentially make money off it. I think I have the "I'll use it some day" kind of addiction that keeps me from selling stuff. I have been wanting to save for a newer body with better hi iso performance (gonna have to stop buying lenses or it will never happen). I wished that the k-01 would have wound up being something that natively took k mount lenses but could be adapted to other lenses (shorter register distance with a full functional adapter tube for k mount or something like that). Were I to get one though, that would open up a whole new world of lba for me (sure I can convert but the hassle in that limits my buying in different mounts).

02-09-2012, 12:08 PM   #68
Forum Member




Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 95
QuoteOriginally posted by ripit Quote
I live in a smaller dieing town so I'm of stuck with ebay. I never find anything locally. I can no count how many times I have seen stuff sell high or for too much but I have seen plenty go cheap too. RioRico's strategy is bid often, bid low, loose 99% of them. Mines a little different. I fill my want list with hundreds of potential items and anything that still cheap the last day to day in a half goes on sniping software for a low bid (and I still loose plenty). I often target listing errors, auctions that end at a bad time etc. I recently won a vivitar 90mm 2.5 "bokina" (if you are not farmiliar with it, its considered legendary quality) fro 45$ shipped. It is canon fd mount and in perfect condition, but it was listed as a vivitar 62mm (the filter size) macro lens. 3 in canon fd mount sold in the last 15 days for 175$, 175$, a179.99$.

Th vivitar series 1 70-210mm olympus mount I got for 15$ was listed as a sky light filter. One recently sold in olympus mount for 70$.

I recently won 2 promaster flash control modules for olympus that sell for about 50$ (and I have matching flashes to sell with them), a promaster 58mm wide angle (front mount) and 3 slr type teleconverters for 18$ or about 3$ ea. everything was new in box. I have got other teleconverters (slr type) for 3$, 4.13$, 5$, .7.50 and 8$ (mostof tose a still on t way . All were ebay except the 8$ one was b&h (prices include shipping so some were basically cost of shipping).

I have been accused of scraping the bottom of the barrel and have got total garbage before, but the majority were good to great. If you look at the total cost, and divide by the good stuff, price per lens for the good ones was pretty low.

Edit to add a little more now that I'm at a keyboard that works.
Worst was a camera with lens that looked like it had been buried in the back yard for a couple of years (seriously, even the aluminum was corroding away). It was crammed in a small flat rate box, and the box was all taped up because it wouldn't fit, even without any padding. The lens was broken in half when it arrived. The strange thing was he had been a seller for 5 years and then all of a sudden started screwing people over (6 bad feedback in a month killed his account).

The reason for all the teleconverters is I am experimenting with making adapters and have gone a little out of control buying (anything cheap and a decent brand, any mount). I need to stop and stick to looking for 1.5/1.4x ones which is what I really want (the only one so far is a kiron 1.5x which was the 8$ shipped one from b&h).
I, too, live in a small town in a small country. There are no camerashops here, but there are two stores that sell cameras; general electrical appliances-chain stores, and they sell mostly P&S and the cheapest CaNikons for thrice the price. So i'm stuck with ebay, too But ebay is good in many ways, except for some of the prices. Been looking for a prime in the 85mm range, but...scary.

So far i've scored two M 50 1.7, for 51$ and 45$, one M 28 2.8 for 41$ and a 100m f4 Macro for 81$. I haven't received the last 50 yet, but all of the rest have been really nice, and i think well worth the price. But since i'm not a millionaire, getting more lenses for less money is appealing to me. And hunting them down is half the fun!

I see now, after reading yours and RioRicos tactics that i've been looking at this the wrong way. I've tried to search for whatever i want, and getting it as cheap as possible, while you apparently scan for anything remotely connected to pentax - and thats of course how to score bargains; by buying from someone who doesn't know what they are selling, or buying something that the majority of buyers don't know is good. I gave your tactic a shot, and so far i've made a ridiculous bid on a DA35, and a much bigger bid for a DA14. How much would you guys pay for a nicely used DA14?
02-09-2012, 12:51 PM   #69
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NewYork
Posts: 899
I haven't got any da lenses much less know what they are worth (typically outside of my price range so I don't look). The 10 or so autofocus lenses I have are all full frame film lenses except for the kit lens that came with my camera. A few years ago (lived in Dallas, 2 income family) I could have afforded them but didn't know any better or know what to buy and certainly didn't know I would wind up low income in a few years (live in niagara falls where the only camera shop closed a few years ago and day care is far too expensive to have a 2 income family). About the most I have even considered spending on a lens recently is 100$ but I'm more likely to try and find a 100$ lens for 50$ or less.

Regardless, to an extent, good bidding practices should work to a point on any lens unless it is rare (and it still can work), or for that matter, anything out there camera related or not. The longest I waited trying to get a rarer lens is a kalimar 35-70mm 2.8 constant. I got a bad one, wanted another but didn't want to pay the close to 100$ they were selling for (much better lenses available for the money), 4 months later I got one with a camera body for 18$ with a camera body and another bad lens (the kalimar and camera body was fine). I have been hunting for a tamron 28-200mm AF for even longer (lost one a few days ago for 30$, bid 29$, should have bid higher but another will come along). I did get a sigma 28-200mm AF in the mean time to tide me over for 14$.

When I search for lenses, I use search terms such as 72mm, 62mm, vivitar, lens, lenses, lot, 2.8 and such generic terms and often advanced search for items ending within a short period of time, sorted price plus shipping lowest first. Seems if I am looking for a particular lens, I don't find hot deals like I do when I search everything for anything I might be interested in.
02-09-2012, 01:09 PM   #70
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Lowell Goudge's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 17,869
QuoteOriginally posted by morpho Quote
I see now, after reading yours and RioRicos tactics that i've been looking at this the wrong way. I've tried to search for whatever i want, and getting it as cheap as possible, while you apparently scan for anything remotely connected to pentax - and thats of course how to score bargains; by buying from someone who doesn't know what they are selling, or buying something that the majority of buyers don't know is good. I gave your tactic a shot, and so far i've made a ridiculous bid on a DA35, and a much bigger bid for a DA14. How much would you guys pay for a nicely used DA14?
I think the real idea is that if you are looking for unusual lenses, you have a "grab bag" of possible ideas or things you want to try, and if you are reasonably responsible financially, you have a budget for it. It can be a real buyers market if you have several lenses or focal lengths on the radar, but a real sellers market if you want just one lens, or one focal length.

You also need to be prepared fr the unexpected. I had been thinking about a 500mm+ lens or combo with a TC for a long time, and nearly tripped over a tamron 200-500mmF6.5 zoom with PKA adaptor (plus 2 nikon ones) in the case with both the 95mm front filter and 38mm rear filter, plus the 2x TC all in origonal case. After some negotiation, got it for $350 which was I consider a good price. This type of thing was always in the back of my mind but i was not actively searching, just aware of what to look out for AND prepared to buy when I found it at a good price.
02-09-2012, 01:35 PM   #71
MSL
Pentaxian
MSL's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Greater Toronto Area
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 4,721
I just want to thank all you lens buying addicts who have kept me from making any ebay purchases through your active purchasing. Since I probably don't have a real clue as to what I (want) need, but at least have the good sense not to get into a bidding war you have collectively saved me from becoming a true addict.

More seriously, I'm struggling with the idea of whether to buy a manual focus lens or not, on the assumption that I'm not going to rush out to buy a focusing screen - but that is a discussion for another time and place.
02-09-2012, 01:39 PM   #72
Senior Member
cajun0518's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Bacoor, Cavite
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 133
Just received my M 50mm f1.7 ($50) and K 55/1.8 ($85)

Last edited by cajun0518; 02-09-2012 at 01:44 PM. Reason: added price
02-09-2012, 01:51 PM   #73
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NewYork
Posts: 899
QuoteOriginally posted by MSL Quote
I just want to thank all you lens buying addicts who have kept me from making any ebay purchases through your active purchasing. Since I probably don't have a real clue as to what I (want) need, but at least have the good sense not to get into a bidding war you have collectively saved me from becoming a true addict.

More seriously, I'm struggling with the idea of whether to buy a manual focus lens or not, on the assumption that I'm not going to rush out to buy a focusing screen - but that is a discussion for another time and place.
You don't necessarily have to have a focusing screen. The camera will tell you when it is in focus, and if you set it up for trap focus, it will not even let the camera fire unless it is in focus. Some decent manual lenses can be had quite cheap if you want to just try one out. My eye site is off a bit more than the camera can adjust for (not bad enough I have bothered to get glasses) and my camera doesn't have a split focusing screen and I manage fine with manual lenses.
02-09-2012, 04:30 PM - 1 Like   #74
Veteran Member
RioRico's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Limbo, California
Posts: 11,263
QuoteOriginally posted by MSL Quote
More seriously, I'm struggling with the idea of whether to buy a manual focus lens or not, on the assumption that I'm not going to rush out to buy a focusing screen - but that is a discussion for another time and place.
I have a zillion lenses. 95% of them are MF and I use them A LOT. My eyeballs are delaminating; with some lenses, in some situations, I can barely see to compose, let alone focus. How do I do it? A combination of tricks.

1) Right after buying the K20D I got a cheap katzeye-clone focusing screen. This is useful with contrasty well-lit subjects. It often gets me into the vicinity of focus.
2) The green-hex Focus Confirmation signal tells me when I'm slipping into and out of focus. So, that takes me to a critical point.
3) CIF (catch-in-focus) is what I depend on. It nails the focus for me. And that's my troika of thin-DOF focus.

But I don't always need thin-DOF focus. So I use other older tricks.

4) Zone focus / hyperfocus. Set the aperture and focus for a desired DOF range. If DOF extends to infinity, it's called hyperfocus. Easy to do with old MF lenses.
5) Pace-off or guesstimate or actually measure the focus distance. I've done this for decades with old folders lacking a rangefinder. Or use an external RF.

And a newer trick.

6) LiveView. Stabilize the camera, throw a black cloth over the camera and my head, enlarge the image, and focus till it's sharp. Pretend the dSLR is a viewcam.

I shot for close to 50 years before possessing an autofocus camera. (And about 40 years before my first zoom.) Manual focus ain't no big thang. Photography had nothing BUT manual focus for its first 1 1/3 centuries. Generations of naive n00b snapshooters had nothing but. Eh, kids today are so lazy. [/me grumps away]
02-09-2012, 04:44 PM   #75
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NewYork
Posts: 899
Fyi catch in focus and trap focus are the same principle. Your camera will show a light and beep when in focus, and can be set to only fire when the camera detects it is in focus.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
k-mount, lens, lenses, pentax, pentax lens, ricoh, rikenon, slr lens, slr lenses
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Manual SLR lenses on D-SLR or Mirrorless AntonV Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 14 02-09-2012 01:58 PM
Favorite K-Mount Camera for Takumar Lenses Pentastic Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 17 12-14-2011 02:24 PM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax Program Plus SLR, M 50/2, A 70-210/4, Ricoh 28-100/4 (US/CAN) nbu Sold Items 8 01-30-2011 12:45 AM
What are your 3 favorite lenses? Leya216 Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 56 10-04-2009 10:10 PM
Favorite lenses madisonphotogrl Pentax DSLR Discussion 19 03-14-2008 02:57 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:36 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top