Buying used- anything to watch out for?

[jlamarca]

Hi, I'm looking to buy a used bessa and cv lens. Anything in particular I should be looking out for? Alignment I suppose is one thing but this can be adjusted right? Any major potential problems I should be aware of?

Thanks!

 

[pesphoto]

If possible, buy from someone here on RFF, a safer way to go. Im sure there are a few in the classifieds.

 

[Avotius]

look out for lenses that have wobbling lens cells, although that is usually a easy fix, for the most part there is not much to look out for besides the usual things you look for when buying used things

 

[nikon_sam]

Just do your homework...look up any and all information about the equipment you're interested in...find the weaknesses and the strengths of the items...Know everything you can beforehand so you can ask the right question and if possible examine it completely...

 

[thefsb]

if on ebay, return policy and disclaimers.

 

[tyrone.s]

I think I'd have to second the ideas of researching what you're buying and to buy off of RFF or from a camera shop / dealer that's going to stand by / properly vet what they sell. As I know all too well from experience, it's all to easy to get carried away bidding on eBay with descriptions of lenses that are "all good", "working fine", "no problems" and so on.

A Canon 35mm 3.5 that I have with dust, haze, some mold & a sloppy aperture ring that doesn't align with it's numbers is kept near my computer to remind me of the perils of bidding on eBay without real thought and research (It takes vintage looking photos though 🙂). I would also suggest that photos of lenses can be quite misleading. This lens looked really fine in the photos.

With CV lenses I've only got an Ultron 35 f1.7 - its quite a large lens and intrudes a lot more than I thought into the viewfinder. No problems normally but you might prefer a smaller bodied lens if you find something of this size intrusive.