hipsterdufus
Photographer?
Vent thread; feel free to ignore.
So, I can't seem to catch a break on ebay. I got a Chiyoko Super Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens from a seller on ebay. Supposedly, the lens was in great shape. I get it and not only is the focusing incredibly stiff, but they aperture ring rotates past the f2.8 and f16 stops so that it can go in a complete circle. What the heck? The seller will refund me the money, but how can a supposed camera dealer with 100% feedback miss these glaring problems with a lens? It took me 60 seconds to see everything wrong with the lens.
Sorry about the vent thread; I just can't seem to catch a break on a normal focal length lens. I just wanted something relatively cheap that would get me by with my Bessa R2 until I could afford an awesome Leica-made lens. I don't have anything in 50mm right now, just my 90mm Elmar. :bang:
Similar experiences, anyone?
So, I can't seem to catch a break on ebay. I got a Chiyoko Super Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens from a seller on ebay. Supposedly, the lens was in great shape. I get it and not only is the focusing incredibly stiff, but they aperture ring rotates past the f2.8 and f16 stops so that it can go in a complete circle. What the heck? The seller will refund me the money, but how can a supposed camera dealer with 100% feedback miss these glaring problems with a lens? It took me 60 seconds to see everything wrong with the lens.
Sorry about the vent thread; I just can't seem to catch a break on a normal focal length lens. I just wanted something relatively cheap that would get me by with my Bessa R2 until I could afford an awesome Leica-made lens. I don't have anything in 50mm right now, just my 90mm Elmar. :bang:
Similar experiences, anyone?
Ranchu
Veteran
Happened to me too many times, incredibly frustrating. RFF's classifieds are generally a good place to buy stuff. I have gotten to the point that I only buy things with no moving parts off ebay. But I do get tempted.
pakeha
Well-known
try getting something from thr FSU? oh the irony
regards
CW
regards
CW
Gumby
Veteran
No, not yet.
rgpadron
Trekker
I bought a lens from a polish dealer. It took a little over a month to get home. I posted a neutral feedback because at $40.00US I consider it way too expensive for shipping. This is what I got as a reply:
"Hello
for what you are nervous you can not to me write
I send by customs agency all and this goes very slowly
not problem return 15$
annul me neutral Feedback
thanks
jolanta"
Frustrating?
"Hello
for what you are nervous you can not to me write
I send by customs agency all and this goes very slowly
not problem return 15$
annul me neutral Feedback
thanks
jolanta"
Frustrating?
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zoz63
Established
RFF's classifieds are the way to go.
Thardy
Veteran
You might have better luck with fedka.com than ebay.
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
Caveat emptor, folks...
I am very selective on ebay and seem to have the strength to walk away when something goes higher than what it's worth to me. I've been an ebay member for over 11 years but have bought less than 100 items (of all kinds) in that time. Only one item in that whole time was non-functional; that seller made a stink about the neutral FB from me and was later kicked out by ebay for racking up three complaints in a row.
My rules: Either bid-and-forget, or snipe. Never increase a bid. Check FB and watch S&H. $40 limit for photo stuff (the Contax and Leica were the only exceptions). US Canada UK Germany sellers only.
I'm sorry, but if you're in the USA and expect trouble-free deals with Eastern European countries, you're fooling yourself. It's rarely worth the shipping cost, anyway, even if the transaction goes smoothly. So get over it.
I am very selective on ebay and seem to have the strength to walk away when something goes higher than what it's worth to me. I've been an ebay member for over 11 years but have bought less than 100 items (of all kinds) in that time. Only one item in that whole time was non-functional; that seller made a stink about the neutral FB from me and was later kicked out by ebay for racking up three complaints in a row.
My rules: Either bid-and-forget, or snipe. Never increase a bid. Check FB and watch S&H. $40 limit for photo stuff (the Contax and Leica were the only exceptions). US Canada UK Germany sellers only.
I'm sorry, but if you're in the USA and expect trouble-free deals with Eastern European countries, you're fooling yourself. It's rarely worth the shipping cost, anyway, even if the transaction goes smoothly. So get over it.
hipsterdufus
Photographer?
This was with a US seller on a Japanese lens. Yeah, I don't trust any sort of Eastern European stuff. I tried a couple of FSU lenses and I could never get them to focus right and I've got no idea what I'm doing when it comes to shimming. Oh well. Maybe I'll get something that works someday... If the lens would have worked out, I would have been getting a great deal, so I didn't really feel that I overpaid. Not until I got it anyway.
Either way, I sent it back to the seller today. I'm just annoyed that I don't have a 50mm lens at the moment that works. Maybe I should just bust out the Visa and get a brand new summilux, amiright?
At least I'm not alone in my dissatisfaction... Not that that helps anyone.
Either way, I sent it back to the seller today. I'm just annoyed that I don't have a 50mm lens at the moment that works. Maybe I should just bust out the Visa and get a brand new summilux, amiright?
At least I'm not alone in my dissatisfaction... Not that that helps anyone.
Steve M.
Veteran
Well, I've been less than happy w/ some items on the classifieds here that have been overly optimistic in their descriptions as well. These types of problems can and will happen anywhere. Sometimes you just get lucky (or unlucky).
The FSU lenses are a good way to go for a cheap 50 lens, but bear in mind the issues you had w/ the Rokkor can crop up on them as well, and then some. Quality control is a vague concept w/ FSU. Even KEH, which is arguably the best of used gear sellers, has cost me a lot of money sending stuff back that wasn't as described. It's all just part of buying old photography gear from strangers on the internet. If you get a refund, even w/ the ship back costs, it's a good thing.
I think eBay is one of the best places, and one of the few left, to buy inexpensive camera gear, but you have to look closely at the photos, deal only w/ people w/ high feedback ratings, and make sure you get a return on items. Even then, it's better to be lucky than good.
The FSU lenses are a good way to go for a cheap 50 lens, but bear in mind the issues you had w/ the Rokkor can crop up on them as well, and then some. Quality control is a vague concept w/ FSU. Even KEH, which is arguably the best of used gear sellers, has cost me a lot of money sending stuff back that wasn't as described. It's all just part of buying old photography gear from strangers on the internet. If you get a refund, even w/ the ship back costs, it's a good thing.
I think eBay is one of the best places, and one of the few left, to buy inexpensive camera gear, but you have to look closely at the photos, deal only w/ people w/ high feedback ratings, and make sure you get a return on items. Even then, it's better to be lucky than good.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I avoid eBay these days unless it's something that I can see is certain good value.
I find it hard to buy from the classifieds because a lot of desirable stuff gets listed while we down under are asleep ... that or the seller won't ship outside of the US. I've wanted an OM-4 for some time now and have missed two because of this!
I've bought three OMs from eBay ... two were fine and one (OM-1) was stuffed and required a trip to Camtech for a rebuild. It was advertised as being perfect with a winder but arrived with a winder that didn't actually work and the camera died shortly after. I now have an OM-1 that owes me over three hundred dollars and it reminds me that:
... It's a jungle out there!
I find it hard to buy from the classifieds because a lot of desirable stuff gets listed while we down under are asleep ... that or the seller won't ship outside of the US. I've wanted an OM-4 for some time now and have missed two because of this!
I've bought three OMs from eBay ... two were fine and one (OM-1) was stuffed and required a trip to Camtech for a rebuild. It was advertised as being perfect with a winder but arrived with a winder that didn't actually work and the camera died shortly after. I now have an OM-1 that owes me over three hundred dollars and it reminds me that:
... It's a jungle out there!
sig
Well-known
Poor FSU.... even when an American seller and a Japanese item messes up FSU is blamed.
Ebay is great! 98 percent of the transactions are trouble free. Complaining about the 1 off bad transaction is ok, but it is much the same as having a 3 month holiday and complaining about the weather because it rained 1 of the days.
Ebay is great! 98 percent of the transactions are trouble free. Complaining about the 1 off bad transaction is ok, but it is much the same as having a 3 month holiday and complaining about the weather because it rained 1 of the days.
Arjay
Time Traveller
I'm sorry to say - you get what you pay for.
The fact that (a) ebay prices often develop in a haphazard way so that your bid won't guarantee you get the item at a reasonable price, forcing you to wait for the next or several interesting auction(s), and (b) the possibility that an item doesn't match its description in the offer makes ebay a marketing channel with less than optimum reliability.
If the price is right - nice. Sometimes (in my case in four cases out of 200) the item turned out not to be as initially described. I sent one item back and managed to fix the problem and reneg the price in the other three cases,
Summary: You may get lucky and close a sweet deal - but you may also buy a lemon which will cost you money on lost S&H or at least precious time. So it's price vs. quality/time. There ain't no free lunch.
The fact that (a) ebay prices often develop in a haphazard way so that your bid won't guarantee you get the item at a reasonable price, forcing you to wait for the next or several interesting auction(s), and (b) the possibility that an item doesn't match its description in the offer makes ebay a marketing channel with less than optimum reliability.
If the price is right - nice. Sometimes (in my case in four cases out of 200) the item turned out not to be as initially described. I sent one item back and managed to fix the problem and reneg the price in the other three cases,
Summary: You may get lucky and close a sweet deal - but you may also buy a lemon which will cost you money on lost S&H or at least precious time. So it's price vs. quality/time. There ain't no free lunch.
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
I'm just annoyed that I don't have a 50mm lens at the moment that works. Maybe I should just bust out the Visa and get a brand new summilux, amiright?
I'm probably beginning to sound like Yuri's paying me but $27 plus shipping will fix that at fedka.com. If you don't like the lowly black I-50 you can "splurge" and go for the collapsible at $40, or an I-26, same price. $60 buys a J-8. In my experience, Yuri's filling orders right this moment and you could have it in your hands on Monday. I'll take that any day over the odds at Ukrainian roulette.
EDIT: Just realized you said you tried some FSU lenses already, sorry.
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jn053
Member
This is sure true. The eastern European photo sellers just have a different way of doing business. It's not about fairness, it's about making sure they create an advantage in the transaction.
I'm curious about your fabulous record. How many of those items were cameras or lenses ? And you're saying only one item came in broken ? I've been on ebay that long too and am just as careful to follow the rules you stated. You're either incredibly lucky or, well...... you're incredibly lucky.
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
I manage my expectations. I have no interest in shelf queens and I know that if I'm paying between $20 and $40 for a vintage camera, it'll have a few issues. So far, the cameras that were better than described (sometimes much better) clearly outweigh those that I misjudged.
Notice how I'm phrasing that: I misjudged. I have a couple of folders that didn't live up to my hopes but when I looked back at those listings, I only had myself to blame. (The force only works in the movies. Trust your eyes.) I shrug it off, after all they were less than dinner at a restaurant.
Good example: The Contax body was $140. Bad photos, seller claiming ignorance, no other bidders. That was probably my riskiest deal (it was also, at that point, by far the most I had ever spent on a camera) but I figured at that price, I could live with it if I got burned. And, $20 buys a world class 50 in Contax land so buying just a body can be a good start. The camera has been working perfectly from the start, except the focusing is a little too stiff to use the finger wheel.
Other things that feel like secrets but really aren't: Search out misspelled or miscategorized items. Know your stuff -- that "broken" German camera probably just needs film in it to fire the shutter. But really, the one thing that will save you from trouble: be patient. It's the biggest friggin' marketplace the world has ever seen. There will always be another item like this one, so don't get into a bidding war.
Notice how I'm phrasing that: I misjudged. I have a couple of folders that didn't live up to my hopes but when I looked back at those listings, I only had myself to blame. (The force only works in the movies. Trust your eyes.) I shrug it off, after all they were less than dinner at a restaurant.
Good example: The Contax body was $140. Bad photos, seller claiming ignorance, no other bidders. That was probably my riskiest deal (it was also, at that point, by far the most I had ever spent on a camera) but I figured at that price, I could live with it if I got burned. And, $20 buys a world class 50 in Contax land
so buying just a body can be a good start. The camera has been working perfectly from the start, except the focusing is a little too stiff to use the finger wheel. Other things that feel like secrets but really aren't: Search out misspelled or miscategorized items. Know your stuff -- that "broken" German camera probably just needs film in it to fire the shutter. But really, the one thing that will save you from trouble: be patient. It's the biggest friggin' marketplace the world has ever seen. There will always be another item like this one, so don't get into a bidding war.
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
Back to the OP... and then away from it again, actually. So our man Hipster needs a 50 in LTM. No luck with FSU glass. He has vented, we have vented, now can we actually do something for him?
I see three, maybe four solutions:
Fix the Rokkor. It's a fifties lens, shouldn't be that hard to open up and re-engage the aperture linkage. Brian?
Find a beater Elmar, Summar, or Serenar
One of Brian's modified FSU wonders
Stop down and shoot that slightly off focus FSU glass, anyway
I see three, maybe four solutions:
Fix the Rokkor. It's a fifties lens, shouldn't be that hard to open up and re-engage the aperture linkage. Brian?
Find a beater Elmar, Summar, or Serenar
One of Brian's modified FSU wonders
Stop down and shoot that slightly off focus FSU glass, anyway
MatthewThompson
Well-known
I've been drooling over at ebay.de all day now.
colyn
ישו משיח
I box up items I sell on eBay and weigh them at the post office. Many time the weight and country it is going to cost easily $40+
Some countries postal service charges more than others also..
Maybe you should do a bit of research before posting other than positive feedback because you think postage is too high..
wotalegend
Well-known
On the other hand, you might not.
I have bought over 250 items on eBay and rarely had a bad experience. On the one occasion I bought from fedka (at a premium price) there was a major problem and he refused to accept return or even a free repair.