Your Best Lens deals ever?

[Max Green]

So what was YOUR best deal???

I've had a few....

3 years ago someone put an ad on Craigslist for a 85mm 1.4 for 350 dollars. I practically ran to get it. It was like new in the box.

Last year I picked up a SB800 at a estate sale for 75 dollars. No box, but in perfect shape.

And my best deal ever....a like-new 70-200 for 900, also on Craigslist.

Max Green

--
Get your hands up or I'll shoot!!!

D700, D40, D90, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 70-200 II (Pending), Sigma 50mm 1.4, Tamron 28-300 VC, Tamron 180mm Macro, Nikon 70-300vr, Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM

 

[jim stirling]

i bought a mint condition 28mm f1.4 from a junk shop in glasgow for £250
Jim

 

[goldenpiggy]

Like new 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D for $250 - pawn shop. Sold it a few years later for $800 to get an 80-200 AF-S

 

[harry99]

bought 4 x 55/2.8 and 2 x 35/1.4 for 500€ (all like new) and sold them separately for 1,200€ (i'm not a rat, could have made a lot more)

Those are great lenses, especially on D700 but i had too much lenses at the time...

 

[Max Green]

i bought a mint condition 28mm f1.4 from a junk shop in glasgow for £250
Jim

Wow! That beats all of my deals combined!

Max Green

--
Get your hands up or I'll shoot!!!

D700, D40, D90, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 70-200 II (Pending), Sigma 50mm 1.4, Tamron 28-300 VC, Tamron 180mm Macro, Nikon 70-300vr, Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM

 

[tyb599807]

So what was YOUR best deal???

I've had a few....

3 years ago someone put an ad on Craigslist for a 85mm 1.4 for 350 dollars. I practically ran to get it. It was like new in the box.

Last year I picked up a SB800 at a estate sale for 75 dollars. No box, but in perfect shape.

And my best deal ever....a like-new 70-200 for 900, also on Craigslist.

Max Green

--
Get your hands up or I'll shoot!!!

D700, D40, D90, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 70-200 II (Pending), Sigma 50mm 1.4, Tamron 28-300 VC, Tamron 180mm Macro, Nikon 70-300vr, Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM

70-200 for 900 that is theft, the person selling must have not known what they owned or it was well used.

I picked up a 70-200 2.8 for 1200 bucks, pristine. Called the seller a few minutes after the ad posted and was out the door to the bank. When I arrived she was gracious enough to still sell it to me as she had 3 other higher offers for up to 1500. She was going thru a divorce and was selling everything. Picked up a SB-600 for 75 bucks too. To bad she was selling a D80.

 

[Pat1954]

35-70 f2.8 for $10.00 at a pawn shop in Calgary. UV filter was very badly scratched, so pawn operator taught the lens was toast. It is near perfect!
--
Pat

 

[JeffreyL]

At a local real estate sales, I got a 300mm f/2.8 afs, 600 F/4 AIS, a 60mm AFD, and PN-11, two Domeke bags, filters, etc, all for $3000. Sold on eBay for $6000.

 

[CM_laptop]

yep.
--

ʞɔǝu ɹnoʎ ɹoɟ pɐq sı ʇı....sʎɐs ʇxǝʇ sıɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ ǝǝs oʇ ƃuıʎɹʇ ɯoɹɟ uıɐɹɟǝɹ ǝsɐǝld

 

[JC1306]

In January I bought a 200-400VR for €3900 or about $5700, just before Nikon hiked the prices. It is now €5400 or $7970 so I saved €1500 / $2270!

Jarno
--
With Canon, you can. With Nikon, you do.

 

[Lexus330]

So what was YOUR best deal???

I've had a few....

3 years ago someone put an ad on Craigslist for a 85mm 1.4 for 350 dollars. I practically ran to get it. It was like new in the box.

Last year I picked up a SB800 at a estate sale for 75 dollars. No box, but in perfect shape.

And my best deal ever....a like-new 70-200 for 900, also on Craigslist.

Max Green

--
Get your hands up or I'll shoot!!!

D700, D40, D90, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 70-200 II (Pending), Sigma 50mm 1.4, Tamron 28-300 VC, Tamron 180mm Macro, Nikon 70-300vr, Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM

70-200 for 900 that is theft, the person selling must have not known what they owned or it was well used.

It was a stolen lens..lol

Regards

Cris T.

 

[Canyongazer]

35mm f1.4 AI-S, B&W UV, leather case, mint and in the box $300

 

[gilmourbto2001]

I picked up a 70-300mm VR for $350. Excellent condition with a filter and a padded bag.

I love it.

 

[rundadar]

--
Cheers,

Alex Glickman

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rundadar/

 

[Aaron@Utah]

F3, 35mm 1.4 28mm 2.8 and 75-150mm package for $150 sold for about 800 on ebay
Nikon 60mm AF-D macro $65 sold for $300 ebay but should have kept it
vivitar 90 2.5 bokina $10 thrift store
lester dine 105 1.1 macro $100 sold for 375 on ebay
Canon 70-200 IS nearly brand new $800
Nikon 70-200VR $1150 Still have this one
Nikon 80-200 2.8 single ring $135 still have it
Nikon 55mm AIS micro $40 still have it

many many others but those are the probably the top ones that I can remember

So what was YOUR best deal???

I've had a few....

3 years ago someone put an ad on Craigslist for a 85mm 1.4 for 350 dollars. I practically ran to get it. It was like new in the box.

Last year I picked up a SB800 at a estate sale for 75 dollars. No box, but in perfect shape.

And my best deal ever....a like-new 70-200 for 900, also on Craigslist.

Max Green

--
Get your hands up or I'll shoot!!!

D700, D40, D90, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 70-200 II (Pending), Sigma 50mm 1.4, Tamron 28-300 VC, Tamron 180mm Macro, Nikon 70-300vr, Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM

--
Mac OS X: Because making UNIX user friendly was easier than fixing Windows.
http://www.pimshots.com

 

[wilkman]

sigma 300-800 $3800 new, 300 VR $3400 new, 28 1.4 $1100 mint
best, mark

 

[rriveros]

I bought a Leica IIIG AND two Leica lenses for $50 some years ago. Drove 200km the same night in order to buy it immediately.

Sold everything a few years later when I badly needed the money.

 

[ChyLn]

I love Craigslist Deals! I've been buying and selling lenses pretty much since I picked up photography... And let's just say that I've spent very little of my own money in bringing my equipment up to what it is now

I admit that they've dried up quite a bit... but I've had quite a few good ones up until now... Let's see... In rough order of awesomeness:

Lester Dine 105mm f2.8 + film body + ring flash for $150
60mm AF-D + 35-70mm + film body for $150
17-55mm f2.8 AF-S for $500
105mm f1.8 + 28mm F2 for $250
85mm f1.4 AF-D for $600
75-150mm Series E for $25
70-200mm VR for $800
24mm F2, 35mm F2, 85mm f1.4 AIS, 105mm F2 DC for $600

The best one I've had thus far:
EM Body
Fm2 Body with MD12 Grip X2
20mm f4 AI
58mm f1.2 AIS
105mm f2.5 AIS
180mm f2.5 Nikkor-H
180mm f2.8 AF
300mm f4.5 ED AIS
500mm f8 mirror reflex
Domke Bag
Two off-brand lenses
Two Vivitar flashes

Total Cost for the entire set? $800. Yes that's a Noct... It was advertised as 'cracked' by the seller but it turns out to have been just a smashed up filter

 

[Snapshott]

Mine haven't been nearly as good.

New Gitzo 2220 for $180 usually $300
Nikon 50mm f1.4 AF $125
Nikon n70, 35-85mm macro AF & Nikon 50mm f1.4AF $125
Nikon 85mm f1.8 AF $225
Nikon 35-70mm f2.8 AF $250
Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 AF-s $780
Nikon HB-17 hood - $12
Nikon SB-800 - $250
Nikon 6T - $29.00 twice

None are great deals but most of them aren't bad deals either.
--
Snapshott

 

[Marianne Oelund]

So what was YOUR best deal???

At the time I bought them, these lenses were:
200 f/2 VR - $1600 below current price
200-400/4 VR - $1100 below current price
400/2.8 VR - $1000 below current price

Nothing spectacular percentage-wise, but am I ever glad I didn't wait!