Buying LENSES online?

[Will Keir]

I've been on the hunt using this forum but I'd like to expand my search. I'm not a big fan of e-bay for 30-70k purchases. Is there another professional site that people buy and sell cinema lenses?

Best.

 

[Pawel Achtel]

Usually you can request lenses to be looked at by a qualified lens technician before it is shipped out by the seller.

Having said that, the best big-ticket glass purchase I've ever made was from a seller from South Korea, where I bought my set of cinevised Leica's Apo-Telyt R. I took the risk as all looked legit. They arrived in absolutely mint condition. In the past 5 years I have never seen those lenses come up for sale at any price. I guess I was lucky

 

[Jude Byard]

You were very lucky, Pawel. I've been burned.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

Ebay-Paypal and certified escrow services are the safest ways to go, if you dont live near the seller.

If possible, pay to have the lenses checked-out by a local lens tech or fellow Reduser.

Remember, for high ticket items like lenses and cars, it pays to have an expert appraisal and a third-party escrow service to ensure a positive outcome.

 

[Dave Blackham]

Ive done this quite a bit with some success. Id think you will have a 80 to 90% success rate of getting a lens thats good. Most sellers are honest but there are reports some arnt. Nationality and county of supply have nothing to do with it.
If they are untrustworthy supplier then it doesnt matter what the item is there may be an issue with it. Word gets round very quickly in this industry.

The main issue I am constantly reminded of (a lesson taught to me by my friend Phil) is every lens is an individual, some times you have to have a small batch of them to select the best, this can be true of new lenses too but obvious brands Zeiss, Leica, Cooke and Angenieux etc have much more consistent QC for new lenses and for used it depends on how its been looked after and maintained. It depends on how selective you want to be and what your standards are.

 

[Russ Fill]

So how much do you want for the leica's Pawel:blush:

 

[John Galeano]

At a 30-70k purchase.. I would spend an extra 1k for a plane ticket and pick them up myself!

 

[Pawel Achtel]

So how much do you want for the leica's Pawel:blush:

they are priceless, I would rather sell the Master Primes

Getting back to the subject: I remember buying a set of cine primes for 2/3" cameras from an eBay seller. I asked the seller to send them to BandPro for evaluation first and offered to pay all the costs if the lenses were as described by the seller.

 

[Will Keir]

Pawel, let's see some of this footage captured by your "priceless" lens. Please.

 

[Will Keir]

I was hoping there was another online forum I could post lens sales and purchases. Nothing else besides ebay and reduser comes to mind?

Ebay-Paypal and certified escrow services are the safest ways to go, if you dont live near the seller.

If possible, pay to have the lenses checked-out by a local lens tech or fellow Reduser.

Remember, for high ticket items like lenses and cars, it pays to have an expert appraisal and a third-party escrow service to ensure a positive outcome.

 

[Dave Blackham]

We have some of the Leica Apo Telyt's here too. I agree with Pawel, The only way any one is going to get these is from my cold dead fingers.

 

[Pawel Achtel]

Pawel, let's see some of this footage captured by your "priceless" lens. Please.

Attached shot with Leica Apo Telyt R configured to 580mm focal length and Epic out the window of my studio compared with P&S Canon picture of exactly the same scene...makes a little bit of difference

We have some of the Leica Apo Telyt's here too. I agree with Pawel, The only way any one is going to get these is from my cold dead fingers.

LOL, I think even then I wouldn't let go

 

[Chad Lancaster]

arg wish I had those lenses to go with my Leica 35-70 f2.8

 

[Mark Pedersen]

I've bought 13 Leica R lenses through eBay and only had to return one. The seller (in LA) was a professional photographer who was very understanding and let me return the lens for a full credit. Every other lenses were all pretty close to perfect. Although I had some sent in for a CLA prior to going to Duclos for cinemod. Lenses came from US, Germany, Hong Kong, Denmark and UK. I stayed away from glass that was coming out of Eastern Europe mostly because I didn't want to deal with returns if necessary. I also didn't shop for the cheapest lenses, and only bought the best lens in each focal. I looked very carefully at serial numbers, visual cosmetic condition, and asked questions of the buyers if the descriptions were too cryptic. My set goes from a 15mm ASPH to the 280 APO Telyt. I also own a set of Ultra Primes, but I feel like the Leica's are more precious because they are no longer made, and the best ones are getting hard to find -- at any price.

In terms of non-online sources, I bought my Ultras used from a used lens supply house. There are several listed online, http://www.visualproducts.com/ and http://www.cinematechnic.com/products/sales_lenses.html for example. In this case you have a real brick and mortar professional company behind their products. They buy and sell lenses. I assume you at least googled "used cinema lenses", right?

M

 

[Will Keir]

used lens supply house. There are several listed online, http://www.visualproducts.com/ and http://www.cinematechnic.com/products/sales_lenses.html for example. In this case you have a real brick and mortar professional company behind their products. They buy and sell lenses. I assume you at least googled "used cinema lenses", right?

M

Yup, been to both sites, googled "used cinema lenses." Was hoping for another forum I might be unaware of.