Slightly OT: Used Lens Price Trends

[ray_g]

I have been doing my usual "window shopping" online and have noticed a few things:

- With the introduction of inexpensive DSLR's in the $500 range, it seems that SLR lenses have increased in popularity. Prices for Nikon and Minolta SLR 'lenses (the brands I looked at) seem to have gone up in the used market.

- With adapters for EOS (and other) digital bodies, Contax MF (in particular) as well as M42 lenses increased in prices. Now I noticed that Contax lens prices have gone up again, probably fueled by increased interest due to the coming Zeiss F-mounts. I too would probably buy a used 85/1.4 plus a body for much less than an F-mount equivalent.

- Nikon MF lens prices are pretty stable. Probably since they are difficult to use with adapters, and won't meter with the less expensive Nikon DSLR bodies.

- CV lens prices went down, with the introduction of the ZI lenses.

- I wonder what will happen to RF lenses with the Leica Digital M?


Supply and demand, I guess. Anybody notice anything similar?

 

[zpuskas]

I haven't been following prices other than Leica and CV and Leica seems to be holding steady.

 

[doubs43]

IMO, Nikon has always been a bit "pricy". I can't comment upon Minolta as I don't do much looking at them but the REAL inflation in the price of lenses has been Pentax Takumar and other M-42 lenses and Leica screw-mount lenses.

Walker

 

[pvdhaar]

My experience too has been that Nikon lenses always were more expensive than the other brands, because they were compatible between AF vs. MF bodies. While Pentax (also compatible AF vs. MF), with the enormous glut of off-brand K-mount lenses, was considerably cheaper on the second hand market. At least over here in Holland that was the situation.

Granted, the Nikon MF lenses don't meter with the more recent consumer level SLRs, but that didn't seem to affect the used prices. Now that even the cheapest dSLRs allow a histogram preview to set exposure correctly, I doubt that prices will become lower..

 

[varjag]

It is yet to be determined to which extent Leica prices are dictated by market demand.

 

[ray_g]

Granted, the Nikon MF lenses don't meter with the more recent consumer level SLRs, but that didn't seem to affect the used prices. Now that even the cheapest dSLRs allow a histogram preview to set exposure correctly, I doubt that prices will become lower..

I'm not so sure about this. In Ken Rockwell's review of the D50, he noted that the histogram display on the LCD was not very reliable, and pretty much never matched the image's histogram on PS. Still, better than nothing I suppose. Frankly, I wouldn't mind using an external meter, but the D50 VF is very difficult for manual focusing.

I'd be curious to see what happens to Maxxum lens prices with the recent newsbreak.

 

[oftheherd]

Any camera or lens line that gets mentioned on a popular photo site, such as RFF or PP&I, will usually increase in price, even if temporarily, on ebay.

Then there is the other important reasons for ebay price increases; the tides and moon phases.

 

[ch1]

I have been doing my usual "window shopping" online and have noticed a few things:

- With the introduction of inexpensive DSLR's in the $500 range, it seems that SLR lenses have increased in popularity. Prices for Nikon and Minolta SLR 'lenses (the brands I looked at) seem to have gone up in the used market.

- With adapters for EOS (and other) digital bodies, Contax MF (in particular) as well as M42 lenses increased in prices. Now I noticed that Contax lens prices have gone up again, probably fueled by increased interest due to the coming Zeiss F-mounts. I too would probably buy a used 85/1.4 plus a body for much less than an F-mount equivalent.

- Nikon MF lens prices are pretty stable. Probably since they are difficult to use with adapters, and won't meter with the less expensive Nikon DSLR bodies.

- CV lens prices went down, with the introduction of the ZI lenses.

- I wonder what will happen to RF lenses with the Leica Digital M?


Supply and demand, I guess. Anybody notice anything similar?

Nikon lens prices have been rising for a couple of reasons.

First, announcement of the "backward lens compatability" of the D-200.

Second, announcement of a "slimming down" of the MF prime lens offerings (essentially 24mm to 105mm) only with a "push" for users to buy AFs and use in manual mode.