Thoughts to Ponder

[bmattock]

Sitting here enjoying my first cuppa joe this morning, perusing the latest offerings on eBoy (I'm only looking, since I blew my budget recently)...

First of all, why are the people who are selling cameras such bad photographers? Fuzzy, out-of-focus, badly lit, and composition stinks. In some cases, you have to squint to even figure out that it's supposed to be a camera (or lens, or what-have-you).

Second, why is it that the people selling these items have NO IDEA what they are? "Here we have on offer a Thing. I don't know what you call it, it is long and black and has glass at each end. I suppose it goes on a camera, because it came in a box (which I no longer have) which says 'this goes on a camera.' No, I don't know what it fits, I never used it, although I've had it twenty years now."

Third, is there any condition other than 'mint', 'mint minus' or 'minty?' It seems that if an item has been run over by a large lorry and is now less than three millimeters thick, that only lowers the condition by a minus sign. If the truck backed up and had a second go at it, the item's condition is lowered once again, to 'minty'.

Fourth, how is it that everything 'works great' while at the same time it is 'condition unknown?' "Works great" is so often paired with "As-is" that I am beginning to suspect that some sellers are (gasp) less than honest.

Fifth, how is it that these photographic idiot savants (which I call them since they seem to simultaneously know everything and nothing about photography) are qualified, despite having no idea what camera a lens fits on, to definitively state that a huge hunk of mold in the rear element "will have no effect on your photographs?"

Sixth, when is a scratch not a scratch? When it is on a lens being sold on eBay. Then it magically transforms into a 'wipe mark' or a 'cleaning mark'. Which of course, has 'no effect' on your photographs. Any scratch not deep enough to actually penetrate the thickness of the glass was merely inflicted by enthusiastic cleaning.

Anyway, just some points to ponder. I need more coffee.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Rob]

You left out the overuse of the word "rare"....Even tho there are 30 of them listed on Ebay.

 

[bmattock]

You left out the overuse of the word "rare"....Even tho there are 30 of them listed on Ebay.

You are absolutely right! If there are only enough of an item in existance so that every man, woman, and child on the planet can have one for each hand, it is 'rare'!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Pherdinand]

Pondering on your points,,,

Pondering on your points,,,

First of all, why are the people who are selling cameras such bad photographers?

Maybe they decided to sell their equipment BECAUSE they are such bad photographers anyway. They want to try piano playing...

Second, why is it that the people selling these items have NO IDEA what they are?

In many cases, if they would know what they are selling, they would keep the stuff. If i'd find an unidentifyable object in my basement probably belonging to my greatparents i would try my luck on ebay too. Alas, i have no greatparents nor a basement.

Third, is there any condition other than 'mint', 'mint minus' or 'minty?'

It's all relative. If you never use lower grades then the top three grades become the full scale. After some ebaying one will know the new limits of the scale.
"Minty" otoh, should be allowed to describe only items with traces of saliva on them.

Fourth, how is it that everything 'works great' while at the same time it is 'condition unknown?' "Works great" is so often paired with "As-is" that I am beginning to suspect that some sellers are (gasp) less than honest.

I have the feeling that some higher-volume sellers just copy-paste the texts from a number of previous auctions (of them or of other ebayers). Sometimes they are completely contradictory.
"Works great", however, is not contradictory to "as-is". It works great as is but don't attempt to load it with film, to set shutter speed, to mount another lens. Or, to take it out of the package.
As to ":condition unknown", imagine this: you have a dog barking and running one day that might just have been eating mercury (like the former classmate of John Goodman did) and die on the next day. Its true condition is unknown in fact, even if it works great at this moment.

Fifth, how is it that these photographic idiot savants (which I call them since they seem to simultaneously know everything and nothing about photography) are qualified, despite having no idea what camera a lens fits on, to definitively state that a huge hunk of mold in the rear element "will have no effect on your photographs?"

If you buy a lens, it won't mount on any body you have. If you buy a body too, the shutter will give it up at the first try. Therefore, the mold or fungus or whatever other unwanted life form on the lens will indeed have no effect on your photographs.

Sixth, when is a scratch not a scratch? When it is on a lens being sold on eBay. Then it magically transforms into a 'wipe mark' or a 'cleaning mark'. Which of course, has 'no effect' on your photographs. Any scratch not deep enough to actually penetrate the thickness of the glass was merely inflicted by enthusiastic cleaning.

I will not try to explain this. Moreover, i add the following: The lenses with those "light cleaning marks" are in the same time the dirtiest lenses on the market.

Enjoy your coffee.

 

[JOE1951]

Hi

Yep, the blurry pics get me, they are as useful as a "hand-drawn facsimile"! Could be some of them just have cheapo digital cameras that can't focus close enough, but I think for the most part it's a delibrate effort to deceive. I ignore those people.

The "rare russian Leica copy, minty!!" just makes me sigh and roll my eyes

 

[RML]

Joe, the more you sigh the more is left for me. 😛

And what is that complaint about cameras not being "rare"?! It has a unique serial number, making it much rarer than diamonds! You should feel lucky you can get such a rare item for next to nothing! 😛