warning, long post
I have already won them on ebay but did so in a bit of anger, irritation and frustration, lol. I'm still second guessing myself due to the circumstances and I'm just curious about if others think its a good deal and opinions on the lenses in general.
The back story is that I have been trying to get a tamron 28-200mm for months (at first just bidding low on ebay in no rush). Something went wrong every time. Bid low, get out bid, bid medium, get outbid, bid high, get outbid. I have seen plenty go for 30-40$ but I can not get one for 60-70$. I decided to just buy on keh. Anytime I had the money and was ready to buy, they didn't have one (any time they did have one I was broke). They had promaster versions for 50$ (went back later that day after some research to buy and they were gone). They had older tamron versions for 70-80$ on an off but never when I was able to buy one. So I finally win one on ebay and cheap (35$ shipped). Its the same (571d) that keh had for 70-80$. I get it and it has nice glass and seems to work well, but the front and rear portions are starting to separate (no infinity focus below 50mm unless you gently push back on the front of the lens). The guy packed it in a thin wall box 1/4" bigger than the lens inside with a few shreds of newspaper for padding. Then he ships parcel post when he promised priority to ensure it got banged around more. There was a small piece of plastic broken off the lens (from inside I assume as there was nothing broken off the outside). It was somewhat worn but had nice glass and looked like it would have been a nice lens had it not got broken in shipping.
So I'm impatient and irritated and bid high on this one.
First off, there are 5 versions I am aware of
71d? Very first, poor close focus but a dedicated macro adapter is available.
271d/571d better close focus, better image quality?
371d/471d claimed to be sharper at 28mm wide open plus I assume improved in other ways?
xr (a03 I think) major redesign, 62mm filter instead of 72mm, smaller, shorter, lighter, supposed to have all around better image quality (due to xr glass maybe?).
xr di (designed for digital, the current and much more expensive model, not sure the exact model number).
I didn't want the 71d. The 80$ ones and the 50$ promaster at keh were 271d/371d/471d/571d. I'm pretty sure the pentax brand version is the 571d but way more expensive. Any of the others were fine (the one I won that was broken was the 571d and I was happy with image quality).
keh has the xr for 119$ plus shipping with hood and caps (ex+ condition) and the pentax for 144-172$ (ex/ex+ condition).
So here is what I got. Paid 102.50$ plus 19.99 priority shipping
pentax zx-7 film body
tamron AF 28-200mm (thats all that was listed, not the model number but its 62mm and the picture matches the xr so its got to be the xr)
original ad03 lens hood
tamron front cap (not sure about rear, its mounted to the camera)
tamron 62mm skylight 1a (not sure if I have spare good ones that size and not sure if the tamron is good)
62mm hoya hmc circular polarizer (thats a bonus though I don't use them much)
pentax 100-300mm 4.5-5.6 (picture seems to match the F version)
tiffen 58mm haze 1 and caps
SMC Pentax-F 100-300mm F4.5-5.6 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
sony handy cam bag
I don't need the 100-300mm but its sold for 70-90$ shipped recently so its got some value. maybe its better than the 2 I already have. I probably don't need the accessories but its a bonus and I may or may not have similar items.
The 2 I already have
quantaray 70-300mm (sigma) I didn't think it was quite as bad as the reviews
quantary 70-300 1.4-5.6 LDO MACRO Lens Reviews - Quantaray Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
quantaray 100-300 (sigma?) maybe better but slower? I haven't used it much as the sigma is faster
Quantaray 100-300mm F4.5-6.7 LDO Lens Reviews - Quantaray Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
Should I make the post even longer guaranteeing no one will read it all?
I do not have them yet. Pictures looked good but no pictures of the glass (yea I'm stupid). The seller has been selling a few things here and there for years, and a lot more things in the last few months. 3 neg and 8 neutral received in 12 years (over 700 transactions), no neutral or neg in 5 years.
"Camera and lenses in working order - camera has been used 10+ times and otherwise stored in its case"
"The 100-300 lens and its filter saw the least use. There are no noticeable flaws to camera/lenses/case/etc.
Ready for a new loving home!"
All her listings say something about how many times it's been used so bs or its all her personal stuff?
I asked "Is the glass on the lenses free from scratches, fungus, haze etc? Do I understand right that the items are fully functional and in very good condition? Thanks"
Answer was (bought on my wifes account)
"Yes, ma'am. If for any reason you find it not to be, I have a 7-day return policy upon receipt. I like to work with my buyers to ensure their happiness."
All her other stuff is clothing, shoes, purses, collectibles (I know, stupid to pay that much from someone that may not be familiar with cameras).
So I keep second guessing myself that I should have bought the one from keh for maybe 15$ more (without the second lens and extras but guaranteed great condition and 6 month warranty).
Was it a stupid choice? any comments on if it was a good deal or the 100-300mm vs the ones I have? Comments about me being crazy posting this or stressing over it or even putting that much thought into it are welcome too (I usually score pretty good on ebay but this one has been my white whale)...