A reminder to all newbies to check used lenses thoroughly before purchase

[proteonXPR]

well i just landed in singapore yesterday, and based on my foolishness, decided to TRUST a reputed seller's pm-ed description of

coating in mint condition, I dont sell scrach or fungus lens, dust also quite free. no worries.

so since the seller was a doctor by profession maybe, and that he might have had a busy schedule, i grabbed a cab down and transacted near his place and cabbed back w/o checking the lens, on the grounds of my belief in the integrity and honesty of the seller, with the jet lag of 17hrs in flight etc, it added to my naiveness. ($24 cab fare btw)

came back and to my horror i found fungal halos on the front element, a few of them in fact, and light hazing in the centre of the front element.

well it was $900 for a summicron R 90, not too worth it for a fungussed version, i wouldnt have minded paying a couple hundred or more for a clean specimen anyway. well i m still cool over the deal, but sometimes, the integrity & honesty of others, is only worth that much.

so reminder to all, new or seasoned photographers

1) Dont judge the book by the cover, professionals in the industry etc may have a professional job etc, but that doesnt mean integrity and honesty is always up to the mark

2) Check all purchases thoroughly!!!
- open camera to maximum aperture, look through light
- tilt the lens and glance at the glass from an angle, thats when defects are more visible
- insist on a short warranty, at least people selling lemons would be less inclined to give one

 

[kelvint81]

did you call the guy up?
and check with him more on this issue?

 

[benny]

Let us know who this seller is so that we can avoid him.

Cheers,

 

[henry soh]

Hi, Thank for infor. cheers

 

[erictan8888]

i believe you can call the seller up and check if he is aware of the issue....
sometimes, the seller might also be unaware....

hope this turns out amicably for you...

 

[Xiao_shin]

Call up the seller.. Fungus does not appear in a few days.

So, he can't blame you for it. If it is scratches or knocks, it is your words against his.

 

[proteonXPR]

called but someone else picked up, smsed and got a couple of PM replies..

the latest one being

item sold as is, lemon? who reject check on site? you , right?

pls check all 90/2 condition and price in 2nd hand shop here.

in fact, some buyers intentionally dont check lens on site and change glass element later and say it is "lemon". deal is deal, try to be professional.

 

[proteonXPR]

Let us know who this seller is so that we can avoid him.

Cheers,

eventually i'll perhaps divulge the seller. didnt expect such dishonesty and questionable integrity from professionals :thumbsd:

to even allege that some buyers are that free to switch elements, if i'm a lens repairman myself who knows how to do all these who would have cared about some wipable fungus

i'll say the same thing, 人在做，天在看。

 

[Icedheat]

looks like your seller is a real ass.......tough luck...

somehow i really love a good bargin and buying second hand....but when the thought of all the hassle and the bad things might happen.....sometimes i few hundred more for a new one isn't that bad.....

 

[proteonXPR]

looks like your seller is a real ass.......tough luck...

somehow i really love a good bargin and buying second hand....but when the thought of all the hassle and the bad things might happen.....sometimes i few hundred more for a new one isn't that bad.....

didnt expect him to be, after all seemed like a nice guy, friendly, professional looking, dressed in long sleeve and all, seemed experienced on leica stuff online, was hoping to learn more about leica optics and all as well from him. but probably not anymore. :angry:

well about bargaining, i had put a 370 euro purchase of the 90 cron from EU online, because i thought, might as well spend a hundred plus more to get it locally dont have to suffer all the postage bonking and all. and now i got is a fungussed lens (early fungus development). i'm telling myself that i should have topped up like $150 to get it from newfavourite or someone along that line who had one for sale too, rather than having spend this $150 on CLA :thumbsd:

 

[ahbian]

Its quite a rude and irresponsible reply from the seller, but then again, honestly, you have nothing on him.
1) you didn't check
2) you didn't get a personal warranty of a few days (which is still also your word vs his eventually)

 

[giantcanopy]

Ahbian is right. The profession of the seller does not matter. I still check when I buy new lenses from shops.

Unfortunately, sadly in this instance, your seller apparently lacks moral fibres.

Ryan

 

[David Kwok]

Post his nick, so we will forget about entertaining such people in the future.

 

[proteonXPR]

Its quite a rude and irresponsible reply from the seller, but then again, honestly, you have nothing on him.
1) you didn't check
2) you didn't get a personal warranty of a few days (which is still also your word vs his eventually)

Ahbian is right. The profession of the seller does not matter. I still check when I buy new lenses from shops.

Unfortunately, sadly in this instance, your seller apparently lacks moral fibres.

Ryan

yup that is why the purpose of this thread is to remind newbies and all whom are going to purchase lenses used, to check carefully

the only gripe is that i'm super busy right now supervising a couple of students at research work (their fyp due in 3 weeks) its hard for me to find time outside working hours to go down to get the lens cleaned. smsed camera hospital already, probably will run down some day on schedule. damn and my leitax mounts are ready to be used to convert the lens but gotta clear the fungal crap outta the lens first.

so much anticipation to see how a leica lens would fare on a fujis5 after i semi quitted on nikon primes.. and met with such a load of crap.

oh well. only self consolation for me is that 人在做，天在看。if i m that evil to even plot or plan a front element swopping to malign someone, then let me suffer my evil karmic deed several fold, but indeed, if what the seller had claimed to be fungus free was not, then may he suffer the karmic consequences of his misdeed, many fold.

we can only choose how to lead our lives, with honesty, integrity and dignity, or without.

 

[Rashkae]

Sounds like the person mentioned here:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=483911

Leica this, Leica that, blah blah...

 

[proteonXPR]

Sounds like the person mentioned here:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=483911

Leica this, Leica that, blah blah...

nope, definitely not a kid. if a kid, i could forgive, maybe need money or what lah.

i also mentioned that there was oil/grease on the aperture blades too. maybe he thinks i'm an expert to swop the front element and the aperture blades and claim that i got a lemon. i'll get steven from camera hospital to give me a diagnosis of the lens, maybe there's more to it that i dont know about the history of it, probably clean before or what. but have to get it down to him first.

50% my fault, too naive. but i've the dignity to uphold the deal. $900 so what? still can afford. but for those whom are going to venture into buying 2nd handed stuffs, let the reminder be strong in them, no trust for anyone, not even the sweet talkers and glib tongues.

 

[gnohz]

Be rest assured. Karma does exists
But I'm impressed that you are able to keep your cool about it
The average person would have already gone crazy with rage

 

[ZoomP]

I fell victim to the same fellow. Beware if he says to meet at a hospital situated in the West. Bought a summilux 50 f1.4 which he advertised as first owner and without dust. Was unable to confirm whether dust was inside elements or outside when I met him. Didn't have a blower or cloth to wipe them off. Went home and saw a hair and some dust inside the elements. After I smsed him, he completely ignored me and didn't pickup my call.

Guys, beaware. He posts quite a lot of for sales ads here. Hint... He uses his brain to see. What goes around comes around. He will get his retribution soon.

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

CS nick start with "T" end with "N"?

 

[ZoomP]

CS nick start with "T" end with "N"?

Hmm... Tough one. ;-)

You're a "sucker" too?