Who the heck is buying all the lenses?

[Victor Samou Wong]

Sir Honey.

You.

Are still watching ebay to be reassured that you weren't ripped off when you bought your last purchase... Either that or you need to buy less gear and take more pictures (as do I incidentally).

So far for my 4x5 I have a very sharp 127mm optar, I have a 240 ronar coming in... so now all I need is a wide angle ektar and I'm set......

Cheers
-vic

[David Honey]

LOL! You might be right, Vic. I still have eyes for some of those fancy Schneiders even though I sure as heck don't need 'em.

I'll have to be content with my 90 and 210mm Fujis for awhile.

(How DO you get off eBay?)

[David Honey]

'How DO you get off eBay?'

(Yeah I know, get off the computer and go and take some photos!)

[Ole Tjugen]

If it's less than 80 years old, it wasn't me!

[Scott Knowles]

Interesting post. I just bought a Schneider lens on E-bay (120mm Super Symmar HM) to start my LF system (camera due in January). The lens was highly recommended and the one in that focal length range I had initially decided to buy, but found it wasn't being made anymore. I paid less than retail and less than its newer equivalent (110mm version). I was surprised there was only one other bidder, so I don't quite understand the reason for your post, but I don't watch E-bay that much anymore.

My concern is that if there is a surge in interest in LF photography (like me as a post-retirement interest) what's happening on the film side. If camera and lens companies are still supporting to varying degrees, why aren't the film companies if only as a small side business. After all the high-end film and digital cameras don't make the companies rich, it's PR for the company. Too often it seems the mass market profits are overwhelming corporate decisions where small profitable interests are being dropped.

Just my take. I'll promise to watch my E-bay buying. My other two lenses will likely be new if they're not available used.

--Scott--

[David Honey]

' ...I was surprised there was only one other bidder, so I don't quite understand the reason for your post, but I don't watch E-bay that much anymore.'

Hi Scott.

Now and again I've seen a nice-looking lens with too high a starting price. It may be a fair price, but no-one will bid on it. I think people like to start bidding low -- it gives them the feeling they're not merely paying the asking price (they don't seem to mind that they may end up paying even more in the bidding frenzy!)

Anyway, glad to hear you're cured. Me too; I've been away from eBay for 8 hours now. oh wait I just got up...

;-)

[Steven Barall]

Ebay is all about democracy. Our elected officials are very important to every aspect our daily lives yet we often vote for them based on ideas planted in our heads by clever slogans and advertisements. Is it really so surprising then that we vote for unimportant things on Ebay for those very same reasons?

[William Mortensen]

I must confess that, like Ole, I enjoy buying older lenses for the, um, "personality" they can bring to an image. I also like the sense of history. But I've noticed that even lenses from Ebay are more likely to be scratched, hazy, fungus-damaged, have coating spots, etc., when compared to those from retail stores. I've also gotten "covers 8x10" descriptions that weren't true. Yes, you can usually send it back, but I haven't yet...

I figure that roughly 30% of the lenses are damaged beyond what the description indicates. Savings compared to retail are about 30%, so I guess it's a wash... The fun thing about Ebay is that the selection is so wide, sometimes you do get a real bargain, and, best of all, some of the lenses are just so darned weird!

[David Honey]

Mark, I would buy more older lenses if I knew a bit more about them. I'll learn in time. Now I'm more likely to get them from local photo swaps where I can at least see if I can make it fit the camera.. But yes, old glass is very attractive once you have a few nice new ones and know you can obtain ultimate sharpness when needed.. I would take a picture through the bottom of a Coke bottle if I could, just to see what it looked like!

[David Honey]

Er, just in case that wasn't clear -- I don't mean to imply that old lenses are necessarily like Coke bottles..!