Buy used lenses

[GuyWithANiceCamera]

Hello friends,

I'm not a particular genre of shooting ... I like it all. To me, photography is a "serious hobby". I guess you could consider it a side job for when I feel like working it. I occasionally shoot seniors, weddings, events, and family functions and landscapes. I have a full Nikon Full-frame kit with the holy trinities, some sigma primes, tamron wildlife lens etc. I just happened upon Fuji and purchased a x100v to be my "grab and go" for when I don't want to lug 20 lbs of equipment. You know, the random drive, the random birthday party, the church gathering, the parade, etc. so forth in which I'm not a paid photographer. That being said, the fuji colors and simulations knocked my socks off, as well as the performance. I tried Sony A7 when it first came out and had to sell it all off, the performance just wasn't there. I swore I'd never go mirrorless.

That being said, here I am! I immediately had to invest more in Fuji. I'm not getting younger and if I want to continue to shoot I need to lighten the load. I have purchased the X-T4 body as well as these lenses: the 16 f/1.4, the 16-55 2.8, and the cream that just came this week the 50-140 2.8 . The reason I purchased these are: I heard many people say the 16mm was their favorite lens of all time. It also has a VERY close focusing range. I can get by with using it as an almost Macro for some things I do (eBay / Amazon product shots, wedding closeups, etc). The bokeh for a wide is KILLER! Great lens for video too IMHO. The 16-55 and 50-140 is part of the trinity I will create, and will be looking to get the 100-400 at a later point in time for birding and wildlife. I will pick up a 14 2.8 or less maybe at some point for a wider foray to cover my bases and astro screwing around.

The main point I would make is that my 16mm and the 50-140mm were purchased used. I would encourage you to purchase used if you have a small budget. I picked up the 16mm at a "VG" rating and it is like brand new off a major retailer selling used lenses. There I saved almost $400 (purchased $620) from it priced new ($999 not on sale). I purchased the 16-55 new. The 50-14- I just got used off a private seller on ebay. He had lots of references and reviews. There I saved $500 ($1100) and it was as described as mint - never used. There is a small risk, at least in time and sometimes shipping, buying used, but of the ten lenses that I probably bought used, only 1 had to go back. And I sent it back to KEH with no questions asked (a small squeak they overlooked on a -LN lens). I would take a close look at reputable retailers and individuals who sell used. I would include Adorama, BH Photo/Video, and KEH.com . There is virtually no risk at any of them (check their policies) as you can return it with ample time with no questions asked.

TLDR; I purchased a 16mm 1.4 used, a 16-55mm 2.8 new, and a 50-140mm 2.8 used (private seller). If you want to save money I would suggest buying used. I haven't regretted it. A plus of bung used is if you go to sell a lens, you recoup a lot more money. It's a higher ROI normally. Kind of like driving a new car off the lot. lol. Your mileage and needs may vary. Good luck in your quest!

[Olaf W.]

Welcome here. Since your comment was quite off topic in the thread you posted it, I splitted it to a new thread