[T.P.S.]

I've recently purchased a K-30 and have been approached by someone offering to sell me 3 Pentax manual lenses. When researching my K-30 purchase, I read that I can use any K-mount lens, so this is highly intriguing to me. The owner of the lenses doesn't use them any longer - she's a K-5 IIs user that has upgraded to all autofocus lenses. She's realistic and knows she's not going to get out of them what she put into them, but she has only told me to "make an offer". I don't want to insult her with an extreme lowball offer, so I'm looking for some input form the forum.

Here are the lenses:

• Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
• Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
• Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8

I have a good idea of individual pricing, but I'm just curious what you would offer for the trio.

Any feed back is greatly appreciated!

[crewl1]

I would check the marketplace 'sold' archive to get a sampling of current selling price for these.

[rbefly]

Hello UFCfanWI,
I agree with crewl1, our marketplace is a pretty good indicator of prices. Also the lens reviews have prices, but these seem to be somewhat lower than current sales prices, depending on how recent the reviews are and whether one reviewer found a 300mm f/2.8 at a garage sale for $20. Hey, it could happen!
Anyway, I'll throw out a number, on this condition; All three lenses are clean, optics unmarked, no fungus, aperture and focusing controls work properly, no damage of any kind except for normal wear and tear. OK?
$300.00 USD.
Here's my reasoning...The M28mm f/2.8 is very easy to find and inexpensive. $50-$60 if you're lucky. I've seen them go for $40 on eBay.
The M 50mm f/1.4 is a gem, fast and small, a very prized fifty. About $100.
The big dog in this race is the A 135 f/2.8. Bring your wallet. Somewhat hard to find and generally pricey when you do. The 'A' function alone adds 50% or more over a similar 'M' lens. The average price in our lens review section (remember, these are typically low) is $148. Not a chance, try $200 and up. I bought a good-condition copy two years ago and was happy to get it for $220, after being outbid (at the time my ceiling was $200) twice.
So, roughly $350 market value, deduct 50 smackers for a bundle buy, you could offer $250 but drift into insult territory if she knows prices.
JMO
Ron

[vanyagor]

She's realistic and knows she's not going to get out of them what she put into them, but she has only told me to "make an offer". I don't want to insult her with an extreme lowball offer, so I'm looking for some input form the forum.

Here are the lenses:

• Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
• Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
• Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8

I have a good idea of individual pricing, but I'm just curious what you would offer for the trio.

Any feed back is greatly appreciated!

My POV is when someone asks you to make an offer, the notion of an "insulting" offer just does not exist. It is natural that the same lens has different value for different people. For instance the M50/1.4 and the A135/2.8 are worth almost nothing to me because I have no use for them. Apparently she has no use for those lenses so they may be not much worth to her either.

I somewhat disagree with the previous suggestions to check the prices here to have a reference point. IMHO it does not matter at all what do these lenses go for here or elsewhere. (at least this shouldn't be the major point for you). What really matters is 1) what do you need/want 2) your options/alternatives 3) your budget. Not the market value of the item (unless you buy to resell)

It seems that all Pentax lenses are way overpriced (see price history). So unless you can't live without this particular lens, you probably shouldn't use the current value as your reference point.

Example. The M 28 f/2.8 Now you can probably find it for $45, however before people got it for $15 or even $10 sometimes. Now there is also alternatives (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina) which generally sell cheaper (between $15 and $35). So I would consider $20 to be an OK deal for me. The Pentax 28/2.8 may easily be more valuable, not to me though, since the cheaper alternatives are just as fine for me or I could wait for the perfect deal when the Pentax lenses drop in price again.

My answer to your question:

I would offer $20 for the 28/2.8 and mention that she can sell it for more through this forum probably.

If I needed the other 2, I would do the same analysis, look at the alternatives, evaluate how urgently I need the lens and if it is not urgent I would definitely look at the historic low rather than current average (as was suggested by others) based on that I would determine the value of those lenses for me. Really, the market value only matters if you buy to resell.

Definitely do not waste $250 on these unless this is what you really need. For $250 you can probably buy a lens you really need or at least save for the lens of your dreams

[T.P.S.]

Hello UFCfanWI,
I agree with crewl1, our marketplace is a pretty good indicator of prices. Also the lens reviews have prices, but these seem to be somewhat lower than current sales prices, depending on how recent the reviews are and whether one reviewer found a 300mm f/2.8 at a garage sale for $20. Hey, it could happen!
Anyway, I'll throw out a number, on this condition; All three lenses are clean, optics unmarked, no fungus, aperture and focusing controls work properly, no damage of any kind except for normal wear and tear. OK?
$300.00 USD.
Here's my reasoning...The M28mm f/2.8 is very easy to find and inexpensive. $50-$60 if you're lucky. I've seen them go for $40 on eBay.
The M 50mm f/1.4 is a gem, fast and small, a very prized fifty. About $100.
The big dog in this race is the A 135 f/2.8. Bring your wallet. Somewhat hard to find and generally pricey when you do. The 'A' function alone adds 50% or more over a similar 'M' lens. The average price in our lens review section (remember, these are typically low) is $148. Not a chance, try $200 and up. I bought a good-condition copy two years ago and was happy to get it for $220, after being outbid (at the time my ceiling was $200) twice.
So, roughly $350 market value, deduct 50 smackers for a bundle buy, you could offer $250 but drift into insult territory if she knows prices.
JMO
Ron

Thanks for the replies!

The owner of the lenses has been very up front with me. She's told me how much she paid for 2 of the 3 lenses back in December of '11. She says she paid $145 for the M 50 f/1.4 and $62 for the A 135 f/2.8. To be quite honest, I'm only really interested in those two lenses. Sure, the M 28 f/2.8 would be nice, but do I need it? Not really. I know the fast 50mm lens she's offering would be a great lens to own and, if the 135mm lens is as good as you say, I'd really be interested in it, too! Keeping her purchase prices in mind, I'll have to throw a number at her and see what she thinks. I'm thinking maybe around $150, but we'll see.

~UFCfanWI

[T.P.S.]

My POV is when someone asks you to make an offer, the notion of an "insulting" offer just does not exist. It is natural that the same lens has different value for different people. For instance the M50/1.4 and the A135/2.8 are worth almost nothing to me because I have no use for them. Apparently she has no use for those lenses so they may be not much worth to her either.

I somewhat disagree with the previous suggestions to check the prices here to have a reference point. IMHO it does not matter at all what do these lenses go for here or elsewhere. (at least this shouldn't be the major point for you). What really matters is 1) what do you need/want 2) your options/alternatives 3) your budget. Not the market value of the item (unless you buy to resell)

It seems that all Pentax lenses are way overpriced (see price history). So unless you can't live without this particular lens, you probably shouldn't use the current value as your reference point.

Example. The M 28 f/2.8 Now you can probably find it for $45, however before people got it for $15 or even $10 sometimes. Now there is also alternatives (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina) which generally sell cheaper (between $15 and $35). So I would consider $20 to be an OK deal for me. The Pentax 28/2.8 may easily be more valuable, not to me though, since the cheaper alternatives are just as fine for me or I could wait for the perfect deal when the Pentax lenses drop in price again.

My answer to your question:

I would offer $20 for the 28/2.8 and mention that she can sell it for more through this forum probably.

If I needed the other 2, I would do the same analysis, look at the alternatives, evaluate how urgently I need the lens and if it is not urgent I would definitely look at the historic low rather than current average (as was suggested by others) based on that I would determine the value of those lenses for me. Really, the market value only matters if you buy to resell.

Definitely do not waste $250 on these unless this is what you really need. For $250 you can probably buy a lens you really need or at least save for the lens of your dreams

Hmmm...

This is definitely worth considering. What you say about personal relevance (paraphrase) is very, very true. Case in point: I've been wanting a 50mm to play with so I've been watching eBay quite closely and lost a few bids because of my limited budget right now (just purchased the K-30 earlier this month). 2 days ago, I found an auction for an ME with an M 50mm f/2 listed for $9.99 in great condition. I just won the auction today for $10.49 and I should have it by the end of the week - $21.00 total with shipping. Did I need a 50mm lens? No. Did I want one to practice with? Absolutely. I know the M 50mm f/2 doesn't typically "score" as well as the M 50mm f/1.4, but that's alright... I'm still learning and it'll be a great tool to help me out.

You've both given me different perspectives to consider and I appreciate it. If I make an offer on the lenses and she accepts, I'll definitely report back here!

~UFCfanWI

[alijafary509]

In Pakistan 28mm f2.8 price in USD is about 15$, 50mm f1.4 for 30$ to 40$ and 135mm f2.8 for 80$ maximum. But still we think they are expensive!

[Aristophanes]

The M 28 is the easiest to use handheld. The 135 the hardest.

[Lowell Goudge]

I've recently purchased a K-30 and have been approached by someone offering to sell me 3 Pentax manual lenses. When researching my K-30 purchase, I read that I can use any K-mount lens, so this is highly intriguing to me. The owner of the lenses doesn't use them any longer - she's a K-5 IIs user that has upgraded to all autofocus lenses. She's realistic and knows she's not going to get out of them what she put into them, but she has only told me to "make an offer". I don't want to insult her with an extreme lowball offer, so I'm looking for some input form the forum.

Here are the lenses:

• Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
• Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
• Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8

I have a good idea of individual pricing, but I'm just curious what you would offer for the trio.

Any feed back is greatly appreciated!

I paid $100 for an M28/2.8 and M135/3.5

The A135/2.8 is worth more because it supports all the flash and exposure modes, and then there is the 50/1.4. I would guess z$200 is likely

[SyncGuy]

dude, just offer 20% lesser than what she paid for it back then.

[gofour3]

I've recently purchased a K-30 and have been approached by someone offering to sell me 3 Pentax manual lenses. When researching my K-30 purchase, I read that I can use any K-mount lens, so this is highly intriguing to me. The owner of the lenses doesn't use them any longer - she's a K-5 IIs user that has upgraded to all autofocus lenses. She's realistic and knows she's not going to get out of them what she put into them, but she has only told me to "make an offer". I don't want to insult her with an extreme lowball offer, so I'm looking for some input form the forum.

Here are the lenses:

• Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
• Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
• Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8

I have a good idea of individual pricing, but I'm just curious what you would offer for the trio.

Any feed back is greatly appreciated!

It all depends on the condition of the lenses, you need to inspect/test them first and then make an offer.

You might offer $200 for a mint boxed lens with original hood & case or $10 for the same lens that has lots of ware and fungus.

Phil.

[Just1MoreDave]

My POV is when someone asks you to make an offer, the notion of an "insulting" offer just does not exist...

I tried to buy a house from a "make me an offer" guy once. Some people don't really mean "make me an offer", they mean "pay me the exact price I have in mind or more, or I walk".

I was thinking $250 but I don't know the market for the A135/2.8 and have a long record of underestimating its price. Remember if you try to buy these lenses individually there will be shipping on each one, and you're buying from a user, not a reseller who may have not ever mounted the lens.

[T.P.S.]

Well, I ended up contacting my Dad to see if he had any manual lenses before making an offer for these 3. Turns out he's sending me a Takumar 50mm f/1.4 and a Takumar 300mm f/6.3. Both M42 screw lenses, so he's also sending me the adapter. :-)

Anyway, I made an offer of $60 for the Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 and the Takumar 135mm f/2.5 which she accepted. Turns out she only lived 90 miles from me, so I picked them up today. The Takumar 135mm works perfectly when I follow the common "green button metering" method of use in manual mode. I haven't scrutinized the photos as I've only been practicing so far. The Vivitar 28mm doesn't do quite as well. When I press the green button while using the 135mm, I can hear the camera "click" (I'm assuming to meter the light coming into the body so it can set the shutter speed), then I shoot. I don't get the same click when using the Vivitar 28mm. Is it possible they require different settings?

[stevebrot]

She says she paid $145 for the M 50 f/1.4 and $62 for the A 135 f/2.8.

Ouch!!!

The M50/1.4 would go for about half that in my part of the world. What she paid for the A 135/2.8 sounds about right. The M 28/2.8 would be worth $35-$45. Those prices assume excellent condition.


Steve

[Jean Poitiers]

In Pakistan 28mm f2.8 price in USD is about 15$, 50mm f1.4 for 30$ to 40$ and 135mm f2.8 for 80$ maximum. But still we think they are expensive!

At those prices, I will buy at least one of each ... thanks, J