UNDER CONSTRUCTION

With digital SLRS becoming more affordable, the market of for used lenses hasn’t been better. Buying used allows you huge savings on Nikon lenses, making those exorbitant exotic lenses less of a pipe dream to own. Buying used also allows you to try out lenses at minimal risk, as you can always re-list the lens afterwards at the same price or if you’re lucky, with some profit. However there are some things you need to know before splashing that cash on a pre-loved lens. Grading: When advertising their lenses, sellers will typically describe their lenses using the following grades. Terms may vary slightly and there may be additional plus (+) or minus (-) signs that they may use to improve the impression of their offering.

GRADE:	CONDITION:
LNIB	Like New In Box. Says it all. No different from buying new, with the exception of the status of manufacturer’s warranty. You get a MINT condition lens with all that comes with it unless stated by the seller.
MINT	Condition of lens is flawless with almost no perceivable signs of use. Optically perfect. Negligible if any. May or may not have box and all standard accessories.
EXC	Excellent. 90-95% of original condition. Works perfectly but may show some signs of wear. May possibly have dust on optics. May or may not have box and all standard accessories.
BGN	Bargain. 70-80% or original condition. Significant signs of use including brassing, dings, dents ,etc.

What to Look For: So you’ve seen an ad and have agreed to meet to inspect the lens. There are a few things to look out for before cash is exchanged to safeguard yourself as buyer. Thorough checks are a must to ensure that you don’t discover things later that warrant a refund.

1.

Do your research. Every lens ages differently due to the different design, technology used and manufacturing standards. Therefore it is important to know the common issues evident in the lenses that you are interested in. For example, some 17-35mm f/2.8D lenses suffer from AF-S motor sqeals. Also, the 24-70mm f/2.8G’s rubber zoom ring tends to come loose after a while. And the old 18-200mm VR I tends to suffer from zoom creep. Google is very useful for such research.

2.

Look at the physical condition of the lens. One can tell a lot about how the lens has been used or how its been taken care of by the exterior of the lens. Dents and dings indicate that the lens may have been dropped. Brassing on the lens mount is part of normal wear and does not affect the performance of the lens. Rub marks may indicate lack of adequate protection during storage or transportation, which also should not affect performance.

3.

Inspect the Optics Externally. Look at the surface of the front and rear elements. These two are the pieces of glass exposed to the elements so they’re most prone to scratches, marks or dings. Look at them at different angles in a well lit surrounding to look for uneven coating. Minor smudges can be cleaned, but recoating a lens isn’t worth considering.

4.

Inspect the Internal Lens Elements. Open the aperture either using the aperture ring (Non-G lenses) or the aperture lever next to the lens mount (G lenses). Look through the lens against a well-lit and light colored background . Be careful not to look directly through to the sun or bright lights, as this can damage your eyes. Try to focus on the elements from the nearest to the farthest to ensure you’ve looked through all the elements. Look for dust, or signs of fungus.

5.

Inspect the Aperture. Look at the aperture blades. Ensure that there is no oil or defects on the blades. Ensure that the opening is symmetrical. Open and close the aperture to ensure that movement is smooth. If it is a Non-G lens, play with the aperture ring and ensure that all stops are working positively.

6.

Off-Mount Function Test. Turn the focus ring, aperture ring and zoom ring (if applicable). Motion should be smooth without too much stiffness or any grinding. Some variation of stiffness in zooming is expected as you zoom in and out, moving different sets of elements through the zoom range.

7.

Function Tests. Mount the lens on YOUR DLSR (note “your” in caps). Look through the viewfinder and try to focus on objects at different distances. The camera should be able to lock on objects and they should appear to be sharp in the viewfinder. Take a picture and review it at 100% on your LCD. Repeat this with different focus points around your viewfinder. This will allow you to have a quick review of the lenses’ edge to edge and center sharpness. If you’re even more careful, review the images on a laptop.

8.

Other function Tests. If the lens has Vibration Reduction, test this function by simulating a condition where it would be useful. E.g. at shutter speeds of slower than 1/focal length. If you’re familiar with how VR works, you should be aware of the “floating” effect that VR causes through the viewfinder.

9.

Item Headcount. Finally, before sealing the deal, do a quick check on the included items. Your research would have told you what the supplied accessories are. Also remember what was said in the advertisement. You don’t want to walk out of there missing the supplied soft case or filter set.

End Notes: Each person has different thresholds for accepting flaws. Light specks of dust may not affect the image quality of a fast lens. Or a seller may say that that bit of fungus can be cleaned (not always true). However you do have to consider the long term resale value of the lens should you decide to sell it later on. So the key is to always do your research and make an educated decision. Good luck.