Buying new or second hand???

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Martylaa

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Martin
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Still looking for a Canon 70-200 f4 USM, they are roughly going for £400 - £450 second hand on ebay, yet i think Kerso is selling them for £480 ish.
Why so short a gap between them, surprised when i ask on ebay a seller replies its 2004 model yet still goes for £400+.
Should i just buy a new one?
 
They go for less than that on here... If the price difference is 20% between 6 year old and new, I'd buy new. The reason they hold their value so well is that they are superb lenses for relatively little.
 
Kerso is inbetween new and secondhand prices... (all his gear is new)


X = New high street prices
Y = New kerso imported prices
Z = Used prices

As pointed out most canon L lens will hold the price well.. so the difference between X and Z may be enough to go used.. the difference between Y and Z is less...

I would reccomend kerso.. get brand new with full warranties for cheaper than high street and only marginally higher than used..
 
Personally I'd go for new if it was that small a difference, but I've picked up some great deals by going used and have lenses that i couldn't otherwise afford. All have worked well and been in very good to mint condition.
 
I've seen them selling on eBay for sub £400. Keep an eye out for buy it nows, often auction styles sell for more as people get wrapped up in a bidding war.

But for the sake of £100 I'd probably buy new.
 
I bought new in the end as you know what you are getting and the difference between a grey import and new was small so thought its worth having a local shop to go back to
 
Martylaa said:
Still looking for a Canon 70-200 f4 USM, they are roughly going for £400 - £450 second hand on ebay, yet i think Kerso is selling them for £480 ish.
Why so short a gap between them, surprised when i ask on ebay a seller replies its 2004 model yet still goes for £400+.
Should i just buy a new one?
Click to expand...

I don't buy new anymore - as soon as you buy it and use the lens,the value depreciates immediately. I bought my own 70-200F4 new because I thought the difference in price wasn't enough to justify saving a bit of money as well.

Because lenses hold their value so well if you buy a lens and look after it you can easily sell it for the same price or occasionally for more. Therefore i don't really see the point in buying new anymore. I do however try to purchase from reputable shops that I know won't provide me with a dodgy lens, and they often provide guarantees of up to 6months as well.

Aperture UK and MPB are recommended by me as I have used them. When MPB say 'mint', it really is mint!

Also I think you can find a near mint condition 70-200 F4 for just under £400 if you look hard enough.
 
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