What is the most you paid for a lens?

**RKKS08** · 04-12-2012, 03:21 PM

It probably doesn't make sense to mention lenses I bought new back in the eighties - price levels and value of money are difficult to compare. It was also the time when I earned quite a lot of money.

Times have changed. Since I entered the digital age, the most expensive lenses were a SMC-A 2.8/28 (€69) and a 18-55 WR (€59), both plus postage/insurance of about €6.-, and both in mint condition (looked and felt unused). But for both, I had to take my time (eBay, and I set myself a limit which was only sightly higher than what I finally payed).

ripit · 04-12-2012, 04:38 PM

Originally posted by RKKS08

It probably doesn't make sense to mention lenses I bought new back in the eighties - price levels and value of money are difficult to compare. It was also the time when I earned quite a lot of money.

Times have changed. Since I entered the digital age, the most expensive lenses were a SMC-A 2.8/28 (€69) and a 18-55 WR (€59), both plus postage/insurance of about €6.-, and both in mint condition (looked and felt unused). But for both, I had to take my time (eBay, and I set myself a limit which was only sightly higher than what I finally payed).

It's kind of hard to value lenses like that unless you just go off what you paid (or what they are worth used now but that is very subjective). It would be interesting to see how that would change what bracket you fall into though. The only designed for digital lens I have is the kit lens. The next closest is a tamron 28-200mm xr. The newer xr di is designed for digital but so far as I can tell the only difference are the new di coatings. Every other lens I have is a full frame film lens including all my AF lenses. I suspect that if I were to go off new price adjusted for inflation I would fall into a much higher bracket.

RioRico · 04-12-2012, 05:19 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

...if I were to plot out all 46 of my lenses (how do yo spell LBA?

)...

I spell LBA as MORE THAN 100. And the A stands for ADRENALINE! Ah, the rush of scarfing-up another lens! Ooh ooh!

I haven't tried plotting lens counts vs price ranges. Yet. I know what primes vs zooms cost, total and average, and the same for Fifties and Twenties. I just eyeballed my database and see that just over 1/2 of all lenses I've acquired were under US$10 each. Ah, it's time to work on the spreadsheet again...

magkelly · 04-12-2012, 05:36 PM

At this point I can't remember which AF zoom cost more the Sigma or the Tamron but I paid about $55-60 for them. That's the most I've spent so far on any lens I own when you average them out including single lenses and whole lots of them. That's about my limit actually. I don't spend a lot on lenses. I can't afford to get to into doing that. $50 for a used lens is a lot for me and I think about it a lot before I even go there. Most of my lenses average $5-$20 for the most part. I'm still planning on adding the Pentax 55-300 to my AF lenses at some point. That's a major want that lens, but unless I come into an unexpected fortune at some point I'll still be buying it used and only if I can get a really good deal on it.

ripit · 04-12-2012, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by RioRico

I spell LBA as MORE THAN 100. And the A stands for ADRENALINE! Ah, the rush of scarfing-up another lens! Ooh ooh!

I haven't tried plotting lens counts vs price ranges. Yet. I know what primes vs zooms cost, total and average, and the same for Fifties and Twenties. I just eyeballed my database and see that just over 1/2 of all lenses I've acquired were under US$10 each. Ah, it's time to work on the spreadsheet again...

I think I might have to include some non slr lenses to qualify for that one (front mount teleconverters and such). Some were pretty expensive.

hangman43 · 04-12-2012, 05:44 PM

Tamron 70-200mm was 699.00

Sandy Hancock · 04-12-2012, 05:46 PM

DA* 300/4.0
Worth every cent.

Blue · 04-12-2012, 06:03 PM

Originally posted by RioRico

I spell LBA as MORE THAN 100. And the A stands for ADRENALINE! Ah, the rush of scarfing-up another lens! Ooh ooh!

I haven't tried plotting lens counts vs price ranges. Yet. I know what primes vs zooms cost, total and average, and the same for Fifties and Twenties. I just eyeballed my database and see that just over 1/2 of all lenses I've acquired were under US$10 each. Ah, it's time to work on the spreadsheet again...

I don't have a count.

ohce · 04-12-2012, 06:09 PM

I bought a used DA 50-135mm, no hood but with HOYA HMC UV filter.

**gofour3** · 04-12-2012, 06:51 PM

K1000/8.0

Phil.

MegaPower · 04-12-2012, 07:06 PM

DA* 60-250
FA* 80-200

BTW, what is the use of this thread?

mlatour · 04-12-2012, 07:08 PM

Used DA 12-24mm, 680$.

And 700-800$ for a new lens is about the max I'd pay.

**dadipentak** · 04-12-2012, 07:36 PM

Sigma 500/4.5

Julie · 04-12-2012, 07:50 PM

Was the FA* 200 /4 Macro, then Bigma (which was traded for DA* 50-135, which should be arriving soon

)

Tonto · 04-12-2012, 07:58 PM

$999 USD for my FA31, if we travel to Africa next few years this will go up with either a Bigma or DA 540

If I go pro I don't mind spending decent money on a DA*50-135 replacement or 70-200 should THAT happen

View Poll Results: What is the most you paid for a lens?
Under $100	11	3.99%
$101 - $200	14	5.07%
$201 - $350	23	8.33%
$351 - $500	27	9.78%
$501 - $750	38	13.77%
$751 - $999	66	23.91%
$1000 - $1500	58	21.01%
$1501 - $2000	16	5.80%
$2001 - $3000	7	2.54%
$3001 - $4000	3	1.09%
$4001 - $6000	6	2.17%
$6001+	7	2.54%
Voters: 276. You may not vote on this poll

04-12-2012, 05:19 PM	#33
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge ...if I were to plot out all 46 of my lenses (how do yo spell LBA?)... I spell LBA as MORE THAN 100. And the A stands for ADRENALINE! Ah, the rush of scarfing-up another lens! Ooh ooh! I haven't tried plotting lens counts vs price ranges. Yet. I know what primes vs zooms cost, total and average, and the same for Fifties and Twenties. I just eyeballed my database and see that just over 1/2 of all lenses I've acquired were under US$10 each. Ah, it's time to work on the spreadsheet again...

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04-12-2012, 03:21 PM	#31
RKKS08 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Frankfurt am Main Posts: 1,241	It probably doesn't make sense to mention lenses I bought new back in the eighties - price levels and value of money are difficult to compare. It was also the time when I earned quite a lot of money. Times have changed. Since I entered the digital age, the most expensive lenses were a SMC-A 2.8/28 (€69) and a 18-55 WR (€59), both plus postage/insurance of about €6.-, and both in mint condition (looked and felt unused). But for both, I had to take my time (eBay, and I set myself a limit which was only sightly higher than what I finally payed).

04-12-2012, 04:38 PM	#32
ripit Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NewYork Posts: 899	Originally posted by RKKS08 It probably doesn't make sense to mention lenses I bought new back in the eighties - price levels and value of money are difficult to compare. It was also the time when I earned quite a lot of money. Times have changed. Since I entered the digital age, the most expensive lenses were a SMC-A 2.8/28 (€69) and a 18-55 WR (€59), both plus postage/insurance of about €6.-, and both in mint condition (looked and felt unused). But for both, I had to take my time (eBay, and I set myself a limit which was only sightly higher than what I finally payed). It's kind of hard to value lenses like that unless you just go off what you paid (or what they are worth used now but that is very subjective). It would be interesting to see how that would change what bracket you fall into though. The only designed for digital lens I have is the kit lens. The next closest is a tamron 28-200mm xr. The newer xr di is designed for digital but so far as I can tell the only difference are the new di coatings. Every other lens I have is a full frame film lens including all my AF lenses. I suspect that if I were to go off new price adjusted for inflation I would fall into a much higher bracket.

04-12-2012, 05:36 PM	#34
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	At this point I can't remember which AF zoom cost more the Sigma or the Tamron but I paid about $55-60 for them. That's the most I've spent so far on any lens I own when you average them out including single lenses and whole lots of them. That's about my limit actually. I don't spend a lot on lenses. I can't afford to get to into doing that. $50 for a used lens is a lot for me and I think about it a lot before I even go there. Most of my lenses average $5-$20 for the most part. I'm still planning on adding the Pentax 55-300 to my AF lenses at some point. That's a major want that lens, but unless I come into an unexpected fortune at some point I'll still be buying it used and only if I can get a really good deal on it.

04-12-2012, 05:38 PM	#35
ripit Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NewYork Posts: 899	Originally posted by RioRico I spell LBA as MORE THAN 100. And the A stands for ADRENALINE! Ah, the rush of scarfing-up another lens! Ooh ooh! I haven't tried plotting lens counts vs price ranges. Yet. I know what primes vs zooms cost, total and average, and the same for Fifties and Twenties. I just eyeballed my database and see that just over 1/2 of all lenses I've acquired were under US$10 each. Ah, it's time to work on the spreadsheet again... I think I might have to include some non slr lenses to qualify for that one (front mount teleconverters and such). Some were pretty expensive.

04-12-2012, 05:44 PM	#36
hangman43 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hueytown, Alabama Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,508	Tamron 70-200mm was 699.00

04-12-2012, 05:46 PM	#37
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	DA* 300/4.0 Worth every cent.

04-12-2012, 06:03 PM	#38
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by RioRico I spell LBA as MORE THAN 100. And the A stands for ADRENALINE! Ah, the rush of scarfing-up another lens! Ooh ooh! I haven't tried plotting lens counts vs price ranges. Yet. I know what primes vs zooms cost, total and average, and the same for Fifties and Twenties. I just eyeballed my database and see that just over 1/2 of all lenses I've acquired were under US$10 each. Ah, it's time to work on the spreadsheet again... I don't have a count.

04-12-2012, 06:09 PM	#39
ohce Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 477	I bought a used DA 50-135mm, no hood but with HOYA HMC UV filter.

04-12-2012, 06:51 PM	#40
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,091	K1000/8.0 Phil.

04-12-2012, 07:06 PM	#41
MegaPower Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hong Kong / Irvine, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 636	DA* 60-250 FA* 80-200 BTW, what is the use of this thread?

04-12-2012, 07:08 PM	#42
mlatour Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal Posts: 197	Used DA 12-24mm, 680$. And 700-800$ for a new lens is about the max I'd pay.

04-12-2012, 07:36 PM	#43
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Sigma 500/4.5

04-12-2012, 07:50 PM	#44
Julie Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,069	Was the FA* 200 /4 Macro, then Bigma (which was traded for DA* 50-135, which should be arriving soon )

04-12-2012, 07:58 PM	#45
Tonto Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wellington Posts: 969	$999 USD for my FA31, if we travel to Africa next few years this will go up with either a Bigma or DA 540 If I go pro I don't mind spending decent money on a DA*50-135 replacement or 70-200 should THAT happen