[Neuse River Sailor]

While I can't photograph my toddler with a manual lens (it's like trying to photograph the wind!), I love manual for just about everything else.

I know the feeling, though mine are grandchildren. I like my SMC Takumar 55 f/2, stopped down and zone focused. I compensate by bumping up the ISO, if the light is low. When the boys sit still, I can open up the aperture and lower the ISO. It's amazing the ISO range of a modern digital camera. I don't know if you can do focus peaking with a Pentax body, but it's a huge help for me working with manual lenses.

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Last edited by Neuse River Sailor; 09-05-2018 at 06:23 PM. Reason: Add a picture

[Sandy Hancock]

Second-hand purchases (as far as I can recall):

Sigma 8-16 (now sold)
FA 20/2.8 (twice, one sold)
FA 20-35/4.0 (now sold)
FA* 24/2.0
F 28/2.8 (twice, one sold)
FA 31/1.8 (the MIJ silver one)
DFA645 35/3.5
FA 43/1.9 (twice, kept the silver one)
A 50/1.2
DFA645 55/2.8
DA 70/2.4 (twice, one sold)
FA645 75/2.8
FA* 85/1.4 (twice, one returned to seller)
A645 120/4.0 macro
Schneider-Kreuznach Cinelux-Ultra 125/2.0
FA 135/2.8 (sold, followed by regret)
K 135/2.5 (twice, one sold)
FA645 150/2.8
DA*200/2.8 (sold)

645Z
MZ-S (sold)
PZ-1 (sold)
LX (twice. One was in such poor condition that I nearly gave it away for parts)

The only bad second-hand experience I have had was the first LX.

Everything else has been bought new. Six crop bodies, two K-1's, three Q bodies and most of my lenses over the journey. I returned a bad copy of the DA 20-40/2.8-4.0, and exchanged a DA*55 with a dead SDM out of the box. I have had a DA*16-50 and DFA15-30 repaired under warranty.

[aikilink]

Used all the way when it comes to lenses! I miiiiiight make an exception for the DFA 85*, but I doubt I'll be at the point where I can drop that kind of money without blinking. On the other hand my wife might encourage that purchase!
I've never been burned at all on used purchases here on the forums, despite an instance or two of wondering if there was an unmentioned reason why a lens was sold.

I would be just fine buying a used body (I have for a few friends/relatives), but one way or another my three bodies all ended up being purchased new. I might change that in the future.

[MikeyBugs95]

All but one of my lenses are used. The only new lens I have is a Sigma 10-20mm f3.5.

[pixelvandal]

I stopped buying new gear about 10 years ago, since then I buy only used. Occasionally I have a bad experience, but it generally gets sorted with PayPal or the buyer. Just be smart when buying used online. Since used Pentax gear is rare in Australia compared to other brands, I don't often see much come up. Except for today, today I scored a deal and a half. A bright pink KR and a da21 for 165aud. (120us?)
So lens for me, and a bright pink camera for my partner, she might actually come along and get interested in my hobby with it.... Win win!

[UserAccessDenied]

I stopped buying new gear about 10 years ago, since then I buy only used. Occasionally I have a bad experience, but it generally gets sorted with PayPal or the buyer. Just be smart when buying used online. Since used Pentax gear is rare in Australia compared to other brands, I don't often see much come up. Except for today, today I scored a deal and a half. A bright pink KR and a da21 for 165aud. (120us?)
So lens for me, and a bright pink camera for my partner, she might actually come along and get interested in my hobby with it.... Win win!

Certainly a win-win!
Any time I've been able to plan a photography trip where my wife is just as excited as I am, I consider it a massive success!

Even better, when she plans a trip that is heavily focused on photographic opportunities!

Enjoy the DA21!
That's one lens I've been looking at for a while. For $120 USD I wouldn't hesitate!

[Craigbob]

Except for my K-1 and 28-105 which were bought new, all of my other lenses were bought used.

With the exception of my Bigma, and the 100 f2.8 Macro WR that I just won on eBay, none of the used lenses were over $200.

Pentax is great buy used.

[cyberjunkie]

Even my first Pentax camera (MX) was bought second-hand.
Since then almost all my cameras were purchased second-hand. The only exceptions were the Sfx-n, the Pz1, and in digital times the K-1 and K-01 (the latter was a close-out, great price). Both had a new standard zoom on them.
Of the huge number of my MF lenses, I remember only one bought new: the Sigma Macro 5.6/180mm (which is quite rare today, especially in PKA mount).
Even the relatively low number of AF lenses were mostly bought used.
One of the reasons was my faith in a future FF camera, even when few people believed it would ever happen. So I refrained from buying new crop format optics optimized for digital.
The K-01 came with the standard zoom. The only other new lens I remember is the Sigma 10-20mm. The Tamron 2.8/70-200mm was almost new, I purchased it at a discount because the box was opened, or something like that... but it's not a crop lens!

When I was a teenager I had little money and almost no chances to buy used equipment. I purchased two cameras: a Chinese copy of the Rolleicord, and a Fed rangefinder with three objectives (35mm, 50mm, 85mm). Later on, the former followed me on journey to India, by land.
It had a way to cock the shutter without advancing the film. By mistake I did a double exposure of a desert landscape and of the blue mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif, in Afghanistan. By accident it came out one of the best pictures I have ever shot