New lenses - pickup evaluation tips

JVM · 11-25-2009, 11:48 AM

Just arranged to meet up to get the below camera/lenses for $300CAD.

Any thoughts/tips on what I should look for/evaluate?

Thanks,

JVM

Pentax F 50 1.7
Pentax 28-80
Pentax 70-200
Sigma AF TELE 400mm 1:5.6

Peter Zack · 11-25-2009, 11:52 AM

Look for sticky aperture blades, Scratches on the glass, particularly in the rear, Smooth focus ring and zoom ring movement. No haze or fungus on the glass and no oil on the aperture blades.
Bring a camera to test each lens. There's a couple of nice lenses there.
What's the asking price?

JVM · 11-25-2009, 11:59 AM

$285usd ($300 cad)

Peter Zack · 11-25-2009, 12:10 PM

That's a very reasonable price if the lenses are in good condition. Take a magnifying glass with you to look inside the lenses for haze, fungus and oil. Make sure you 'flick' the aperture lever a few times to see that the apertures open and close faster than the eye blinks. Sluggish or slow blades are a sign of issues.

Check the rear for dirt and grime around the electrical contacts. Not a big deal but any corrosion could be. A little dust inside the lens is not an issue and normal.

If they look good and test well on your camera, buy the lot.
The 50mm and the 400mm are both nice. The 70-200mm is far to good. The 28-80 is average at best. The 50mm is worth close to $200 as a resale lens by itself. The 400 is around the same.

Peter Zack · 11-25-2009, 12:18 PM

Oh and a couple other things. Bring a small fashlight to check inside the lenses.
Make sure you bring a digital camera with you to test each lens for auto focus and exposure.

JVM · 11-25-2009, 12:25 PM

The 70-200mm is far to good.... meaning it's a good lense? I would have thought it's average like the 28-80 since it's a common lense.

Peter Zack · 11-25-2009, 12:53 PM

Sorry Typo "Fair to Good" better than the 28-80mm IMO

But you can get good use out of all of them.

JVM · 11-25-2009, 01:03 PM

Thanks again. My only AF lense is the Sigma 17-70 2.8-4.5. I have some other manual focus primes, 50 1.8, 28 2.8, 200 3.5 (crap), and the Pentax-A 35-105 3.5, so this set will fill most of the gaps.

Any guesses as to what's on the front of the 70-200?
Compare
SOLD!!! R U Kidding
to
Pentax Lens Review and Specification Database - 70-200mm F4-5.6

Full ad.
http://hamilton.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-cameras-camcorders-SOLD-R-U-Kidding...dIdZ171043113#

Eruditass · 11-25-2009, 01:09 PM

Yep, that's the lens, Pentax-F aka Takumar-F (sometimes different labeling). The thing on the front might be some kind of hood. One person on DPR liked the 28-80 quite a bit.

The 50/1.7 is excellent and sharper than the 1.4.

What 200/3.5 do you have that is crap? I have a Vivitar Komine (serial no. starts with 28) that I quite like.

Peter Zack · 11-25-2009, 01:09 PM

Looks like a rubber pull out hood (collapsed) that is screwed on the front.

JVM · 11-25-2009, 01:15 PM

Originally posted by Eruditass

Yep, that's the lens, Pentax-F aka Takumar-F (sometimes different labeling). The thing on the front might be some kind of hood. One person on DPR liked the 28-80 quite a bit.

The 50/1.7 is excellent and sharper than the 1.4.

What 200/3.5 do you have that is crap? I have a Vivitar Komine (serial no. starts with 28) that I quite like.

The name on the 200mm escapes me. I use it, because it's all I have, but it renders reds horribly and flat pictures. I couldn't find anything on the interwebs about it when I got it, it's a screwmount, I think I found out that they were made for department stores in Montreal or some such thing. It was free, so I didn't complain

.

Thanks for the feedback, I'm excited, new toys!!

Jeremy

JVM · 11-25-2009, 01:20 PM

Good call on the hood, looks like it to me. I'm also in need of a camera bag (currently using a small cooler), so I'm wondering what 'carry case' and 'more stuff' means.

Not getting much work done this aft

JVM

bdery · 11-25-2009, 01:57 PM

Since these are F lenses, also look to see if the plastic next and below the glass distance scale window is properly attached, apparently it sometimes come of.

The F50 f1,7 is amazing, I'm not too sure about the rest, but a 70-200 should be a good lens, I'd think.

Enjoy your new lenses.

JVM · 11-26-2009, 07:37 AM

Thanks all.

The final haul included

Pentax SFn1 body
Pentax F 50mm 1.7
Pentax 70-200
Pentax 28-80
Sigma 400mm 5.6 AF

and

Sigma 70-210 sigma-k

-Sigma camera bag to hold all the lenses
-A hard shell briefcase (like the ones poker chips come in) that has foam sections in it to keep the lenses seperate
-49 Filters
2x Polarizer
FLD
81a
Close up 1 / 2 / 3
Soft focus
Four point star
Y2
Diffusion
- lens cleaning stuff
- some colored plastic that looks to be for a flash of some sort

Not a bad deal for $300CAD

Peter Zack · 11-26-2009, 08:03 AM

Don't you just love it when you snag a deal like this? The extra Sigma lens is Pentax K mount? Is it an older manual focus lens?

I might be interested in the coloured plastic (gels). Care to post some pics of it and the sizes.

11-25-2009, 11:48 AM	#1
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10	New lenses - pickup evaluation tips Just arranged to meet up to get the below camera/lenses for $300CAD. Any thoughts/tips on what I should look for/evaluate? Thanks, JVM Pentax F 50 1.7 Pentax 28-80 Pentax 70-200 Sigma AF TELE 400mm 1:5.6

11-25-2009, 11:52 AM	#2
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Look for sticky aperture blades, Scratches on the glass, particularly in the rear, Smooth focus ring and zoom ring movement. No haze or fungus on the glass and no oil on the aperture blades. Bring a camera to test each lens. There's a couple of nice lenses there. What's the asking price? Last edited by Peter Zack; 11-25-2009 at 12:05 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
OK, so am about to do lens tests on my lenses - tips/pointers/suggestions?	JayR	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	9	09-05-2010 05:44 AM
lens evaluation	houstonmacgregor	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	9	08-11-2010 03:08 PM
tips on changing lenses	braver	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	12	03-04-2010 07:30 AM
Must A*300/4 lenses be stored with no caps in the beds of pickup trucks?	heliphoto	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	7	12-04-2008 07:39 AM
Tips using big mirror lenses like C5	barondla	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	29	07-04-2008 12:53 PM

11-25-2009, 11:59 AM	#3
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 Original Poster	$285usd ($300 cad)

11-25-2009, 12:10 PM	#4
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	That's a very reasonable price if the lenses are in good condition. Take a magnifying glass with you to look inside the lenses for haze, fungus and oil. Make sure you 'flick' the aperture lever a few times to see that the apertures open and close faster than the eye blinks. Sluggish or slow blades are a sign of issues. Check the rear for dirt and grime around the electrical contacts. Not a big deal but any corrosion could be. A little dust inside the lens is not an issue and normal. If they look good and test well on your camera, buy the lot. The 50mm and the 400mm are both nice. The 70-200mm is far to good. The 28-80 is average at best. The 50mm is worth close to $200 as a resale lens by itself. The 400 is around the same.

11-25-2009, 12:18 PM	#5
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Oh and a couple other things. Bring a small fashlight to check inside the lenses. Make sure you bring a digital camera with you to test each lens for auto focus and exposure.

11-25-2009, 12:25 PM	#6
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 Original Poster	The 70-200mm is far to good.... meaning it's a good lense? I would have thought it's average like the 28-80 since it's a common lense.

11-25-2009, 12:53 PM	#7
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Sorry Typo "Fair to Good" better than the 28-80mm IMO But you can get good use out of all of them.

11-25-2009, 01:03 PM	#8
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Thanks again. My only AF lense is the Sigma 17-70 2.8-4.5. I have some other manual focus primes, 50 1.8, 28 2.8, 200 3.5 (crap), and the Pentax-A 35-105 3.5, so this set will fill most of the gaps. Any guesses as to what's on the front of the 70-200? Compare SOLD!!! R U Kidding to Pentax Lens Review and Specification Database - 70-200mm F4-5.6 Full ad. http://hamilton.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-cameras-camcorders-SOLD-R-U-Kidding...dIdZ171043113#

11-25-2009, 01:09 PM	#9
Eruditass Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,207	Yep, that's the lens, Pentax-F aka Takumar-F (sometimes different labeling). The thing on the front might be some kind of hood. One person on DPR liked the 28-80 quite a bit. The 50/1.7 is excellent and sharper than the 1.4. What 200/3.5 do you have that is crap? I have a Vivitar Komine (serial no. starts with 28) that I quite like.

11-25-2009, 01:09 PM	#10
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Looks like a rubber pull out hood (collapsed) that is screwed on the front.

11-25-2009, 01:15 PM	#11
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Originally posted by Eruditass Yep, that's the lens, Pentax-F aka Takumar-F (sometimes different labeling). The thing on the front might be some kind of hood. One person on DPR liked the 28-80 quite a bit. The 50/1.7 is excellent and sharper than the 1.4. What 200/3.5 do you have that is crap? I have a Vivitar Komine (serial no. starts with 28) that I quite like. The name on the 200mm escapes me. I use it, because it's all I have, but it renders reds horribly and flat pictures. I couldn't find anything on the interwebs about it when I got it, it's a screwmount, I think I found out that they were made for department stores in Montreal or some such thing. It was free, so I didn't complain . Thanks for the feedback, I'm excited, new toys!! Jeremy

11-25-2009, 01:20 PM	#12
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Good call on the hood, looks like it to me. I'm also in need of a camera bag (currently using a small cooler), so I'm wondering what 'carry case' and 'more stuff' means. Not getting much work done this aft JVM

11-25-2009, 01:57 PM	#13
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Since these are F lenses, also look to see if the plastic next and below the glass distance scale window is properly attached, apparently it sometimes come of. The F50 f1,7 is amazing, I'm not too sure about the rest, but a 70-200 should be a good lens, I'd think. Enjoy your new lenses.

11-26-2009, 07:37 AM	#14
JVM New Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Thanks all. The final haul included Pentax SFn1 body Pentax F 50mm 1.7 Pentax 70-200 Pentax 28-80 Sigma 400mm 5.6 AF and Sigma 70-210 sigma-k -Sigma camera bag to hold all the lenses -A hard shell briefcase (like the ones poker chips come in) that has foam sections in it to keep the lenses seperate -49 Filters 2x Polarizer FLD 81a Close up 1 / 2 / 3 Soft focus Four point star Y2 Diffusion - lens cleaning stuff - some colored plastic that looks to be for a flash of some sort Not a bad deal for $300CAD

11-26-2009, 08:03 AM	#15
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Don't you just love it when you snag a deal like this? The extra Sigma lens is Pentax K mount? Is it an older manual focus lens? I might be interested in the coloured plastic (gels). Care to post some pics of it and the sizes.