n5jrn
Well-known
eBay is no longer the place where bargains can easily be had like it was, say, five years ago. I've often found I can do better by buying from established dealers.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
I agree with what others have said, to that I'd like to share an experience I've had with them.
I once bought a BGN grade 35mm Summicron ASPH, which at first looked excellent, however a few months later during a trip the optical element completely detached from the base and fell off, useless lens. I sent the lens for repairs and emailed customer service later, they didn't have their 6 months guarantee yet and at the time I had exceeded the regular guarantee that came with the lens, but the person who answered said that in all his years at KEH he had never seen a Leica break down like that and he extended the guarantee and paid me back the cost of repairs once I scanned him a copy of my repair invoice.
I say, buy with confidence !
I once bought a BGN grade 35mm Summicron ASPH, which at first looked excellent, however a few months later during a trip the optical element completely detached from the base and fell off, useless lens. I sent the lens for repairs and emailed customer service later, they didn't have their 6 months guarantee yet and at the time I had exceeded the regular guarantee that came with the lens, but the person who answered said that in all his years at KEH he had never seen a Leica break down like that and he extended the guarantee and paid me back the cost of repairs once I scanned him a copy of my repair invoice.
I say, buy with confidence !
Ken Smith
Why yes Ma'am - it folds
Dude - don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Lets just say the gear I've gotten from KEH has always arrived in better condition than my mind pictured it. And now with their 360 view of cameras - you can see what you're getting - front, back, and sides.
Last month I bought a Bargain Super Ikonta IV for a ridicously low price. It was bargain priced because it didn't work. Well - it arrived almost mint and it was definitely a Bargain buy - not because it didn't work, but because KEH didn't know how it worked. Fully functional classic last of the line Super Ikonta folder.
If their grading system is becoming more realistic - it's because they hang out here and read the comments pertaining to KEH.
juno_lau
Established
I do think there grading is based on cosmetic mostly.
Have had some defective items from them, functionally.
Which isn't a problem for me when I am in US,
but I once got a defective item when I was in other country...
Have had some defective items from them, functionally.
Which isn't a problem for me when I am in US,
but I once got a defective item when I was in other country...
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Just to clarify, KEH 360 view is not of the actual item but a merely representation of a like item. I asked when I noticed a few of their offerings used the same photos. See link:
http://www.kehblog.com/2011/12/360-views.html
paulfish4570
Veteran
i ordered a 50/1.8 OM lens marked as Ex. hope it's a good 'un ...
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
Whoa, thanks for pointing that out! From the emails they sent around when it was introduced, I was under the impression those were actual item photos.
Ben Z
Veteran
Lots of KEH purchases over the years, and agree with what others have said. Their rating is generally conservative but applies only to cosmetics. It's still important to check any item out thoroughly for unseen problems before heading out for important shooting.
In the past, KEH got the marjority of their stock traveling around the country buying in wholesale lots from camera stores. Most of those stores are gone now, and to top it off there's ebay, where private citizens can get a lot more than what KEH can offer. I have a sneaking suspicion that at least some of the gear being sold to KEH is because there's something amiss with it that the owner is afraid will come back to haunt him if they sell it on ebay. Things that KEH doesn't have the time to check for, like intermittent glitches in electronics, or lenses that don't focus accurately, etc. Thankfully the 14-day inspection and 6-month (used to be 2) guarantee is great, and KEH's customer service is exemplary. I consider ebay the best place to sell, and KEH the best place to buy from. Of all the used camera places I've bought from over the years, KEH ranks +1 by a wide margin.
In the past, KEH got the marjority of their stock traveling around the country buying in wholesale lots from camera stores. Most of those stores are gone now, and to top it off there's ebay, where private citizens can get a lot more than what KEH can offer. I have a sneaking suspicion that at least some of the gear being sold to KEH is because there's something amiss with it that the owner is afraid will come back to haunt him if they sell it on ebay. Things that KEH doesn't have the time to check for, like intermittent glitches in electronics, or lenses that don't focus accurately, etc. Thankfully the 14-day inspection and 6-month (used to be 2) guarantee is great, and KEH's customer service is exemplary. I consider ebay the best place to sell, and KEH the best place to buy from. Of all the used camera places I've bought from over the years, KEH ranks +1 by a wide margin.
Red Robin
It Is What It Is
Paul I see from a newsletter that KEH is having a "show" in Tampa next month. I have never been to a camera show but if I see a grade sheet I'll try to pick it up and post it.
Chris101
summicronia
I bought two lenses recently from KEH: a 35mm f/2, and an 85mm f/2, both BGN Zuikos. The 35mm was gorgeous, but the 85 looked very used. As it turned out, the aperture ring was not quite right, so I sent the 85 back, and exchanged it for an EX version for $20 more. Their salesperson couldn't have been more helpful (and those delightful Georgian accents, just up the experience.) The EX lens arrived (shipping was on them) looking - and working - as good as did the 35.
I am very pleased with my most recent KEH purchases.
I am very pleased with my most recent KEH purchases.
yossarian123
Sam I Am
Based on this thread, last week I decided to slum it on the KEH UG side of town. I've never bought UG before so I figured a little experiment wouldn't hurt. So I bought two lenses, a 35mm f/2 AIS ($60) and a Canon 50/1.4 LTM ($160).
The 35/2 truly is in ugly condition, cosmetically it looks like Prince Fielder used it for batting practice. Dings, cosmetic scratches, and a patch where it looks like somebody filed off the black paint. There are multiple small scratches on the front element, a scratch on the rear element, and worse - there are many, many tiny bubbles in the interior elements (separation?). But there's no haze or fungus. I mounted it to my D700 and so far, image quality has been great (I only tried it @f2 and f5.6, I haven't fully stopped it down yet). I really can't tell any difference between a "good" lens and this one. So I'll keep it, I really just wanted a cheap 35 for my manual focus film SLRs since I recently bought the 35/1.4G.
The Canon 50/1.4 LTM is a really pleasant surprise. There are a couple of very fine scratches on the front element and the rear element is perfect. Cosmetically there are a couple of scratches on the outside, but I've had BGN lenses that were in much worse condition, optically and cosmetically. I can just barely detect the slightest amount of haze in the lens, but again I don't think that's going to affect image quality. We'll see when I develop my test roll of film. Focusing and aperture adjustment is smooth. Right now, I couldn't be happier with this lens. I actually ordered a BGN 50/1.4 a few months ago and returned it because it had black spots on the rear element which I didn't think was right for a $300 lens. This UG one is much better than that.
The 35/2 truly is in ugly condition, cosmetically it looks like Prince Fielder used it for batting practice. Dings, cosmetic scratches, and a patch where it looks like somebody filed off the black paint. There are multiple small scratches on the front element, a scratch on the rear element, and worse - there are many, many tiny bubbles in the interior elements (separation?). But there's no haze or fungus. I mounted it to my D700 and so far, image quality has been great (I only tried it @f2 and f5.6, I haven't fully stopped it down yet). I really can't tell any difference between a "good" lens and this one. So I'll keep it, I really just wanted a cheap 35 for my manual focus film SLRs since I recently bought the 35/1.4G.
The Canon 50/1.4 LTM is a really pleasant surprise. There are a couple of very fine scratches on the front element and the rear element is perfect. Cosmetically there are a couple of scratches on the outside, but I've had BGN lenses that were in much worse condition, optically and cosmetically. I can just barely detect the slightest amount of haze in the lens, but again I don't think that's going to affect image quality. We'll see when I develop my test roll of film. Focusing and aperture adjustment is smooth. Right now, I couldn't be happier with this lens. I actually ordered a BGN 50/1.4 a few months ago and returned it because it had black spots on the rear element which I didn't think was right for a $300 lens. This UG one is much better than that.
Mudman
Well-known
bubbles in glass are a good thing back in the day. I wouldn't worry about those to much.