Short story about a lens I bought on eBay

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Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #1448
    andyofne
    Participant

    Right after I bought my camera I picked up a Canon “Nifty 50” 50mm 1.8 lens from a guy on eBay.

    I had a problem with it right away. There was a big speck of dust that appeared to be inside the lens. The guy told me “it’s no big deal’.

    After about a month, I went to use the lens one day and the front optics came out of the lens when I went to remove the lens cap.

    It slipped back in and worked okay on the few occasions that I used it.

    Then today, I pulled it out of the bag and attached it to the camera. When I went to focus the lens it began grinding. Upon closer examination, the front optics were askew and fell out again.

    I couldn’t get the lens back together again and inside I found not only a tiny piece of broken plastic but a fingerprint.

    My guess is that the previous owner had a similar problem and decided to sell it once he got it back together again.

    What a jackass. Well, me for buying it and him for selling it.

    #19518
    orionid
    Participant

    When I was still using my old pentax MG for black and white film, I would buy lenses on the cheap where ever I could find them. Pawn shops were saturated with pentax mounted glass in the late 90’s. I did buy one lens on ebay, don’t recall the specs offhand, but it was a Sigma zoom/macro combo. The guy was local, so I went and played with the lens for about an hour, developed the film, liked what I saw, then placed my bid. Got the lens for $30 and it quickly became my favorite lens. I’m currently scouring ebay and craigslist for a steal on a fisheye, but I’m going to use the same tactic of staying local so I can go put hands on it and fiddle first.

    Just my $0.02

    #19519
    andyofne
    Participant

    Ah, well. Live and learn.

    #19520
    Killerclaw
    Participant

    My 50 broke the same way. I fixed it with superglue, I don’t use it unless I really need it because I’m afraid it will break again.

    #19521
    andyofne
    Participant

    My 50 broke the same way. I fixed it with superglue, I don’t use it unless I really need it because I’m afraid it will break again.

    I found two little pieces of plastic inside. Can’t tell where they come from.

    To be honest, I’ve probably used this lens about a dozen times since April.

    If I had to do it all over again, I’d not have bought it.

    #19522
    Killerclaw
    Participant

    My 50 broke the same way. I fixed it with superglue, I don’t use it unless I really need it because I’m afraid it will break again.

    I found two little pieces of plastic inside. Can’t tell where they come from.

    To be honest, I’ve probably used this lens about a dozen times since April.

    If I had to do it all over again, I’d not have bought it.

    The tabs once held the front element on. Get some super glue and give it a go.

    #19523
    nobigdeal
    Participant

    I bought my 50 off eBay. Works like a charm. The 1.8 is not a very well made lens, but they are cheap enough new.

    I also bought a 70-200L lens on eBay that is absolutely gorgeous and a 18-55 that is like new.

    Sucks when you have a bad experience on eBay because it hurts all of us who try to run an honest business on there.

    #19524
    soosh
    Participant

    I bought a 50 f/1.8, along with my other lenses and was less than thrilled. I don’t care if I only paid $85 for it, I shouldn’t have had to pay more than $35 for it. It had all the build quality of a Holga with none of the charm. I was seriously underwhelmed. Maybe I got a bad copy, but compared to a 85mm f/1.8, it wasn’t in the same ballpark. I have a $5 manual focus 50mm f/1.4 Yaschica lens that doesn’t stop down that I use instead, and I love the hell out of it.

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