GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => General discussion => Topic started by: Toby on 26 August 2012, 19:07
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if it came, and it was sh!te, where would i stand, i dont wana spend £200-£300 on a lense thats broken!
after a 18-200mm or 18-300mm nikon!
to expencive to buy new, worth looking at, sigma or tonkina ( excuse spelling)
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not sure where you stand, personally i would only buy in person of from a trader.
in terms of lens the tamron 18-270 is ment to be ok http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=tamron+18-270&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1680&bih=936&wrapid=tlif134602099199610&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13187305215245826663&sa=X&ei=gqY6UO-KOJGKhQenyoHoBQ&ved=0CDkQ8wIwAQ
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It's pot luck really, best case is you buy from someone that's looked after their lens with a uv filter, not dropped it and kept it nice and dry. Worst case is it's been used and abused, loads of scratches and worst case mould inside.
Only thing you can do is check the description, photos maybe email the seller and find out more before you buy.
In terms of lenses I've got the 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR In terms of image quality out of the camera it lacks contrast (easily fixed in LR / PS) the images are slightly soft unless stopped down (which makes the lens very slow (compared to a f/2.8 or faster)) these short comings are addressed by the versatility of the lens though, at 18mm it's very wide (not quite ultra but wide) and 200mm on an APS-C lets you get close to the action, the lens is also small so great if you're only going to take one lens on holiday.
I can probably fish out some samples if you wanted.
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yeah that would be great!
yeah i wanted a good all rounder, that i can take away for days out which will go down to 18mm as iv got my 18/55mm atm!
would be for cars @ brands and far buildings etc! i might just keep saving & buy one new! best way i guess! :undecided:
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I've bought 3 lenses from ebay. A Minolta 50mm f1.7 prime and a Minolta 70-210 f4. Each of them cost about £75, so it was a risk, but a smaller one. Both arrived in good condition and are great.
Even the most expensive lens I've bought was only £130 for a Sigma EX 28-70mm f2.8 . Which is an older lens, but it was in good nick and it's been great. It's my walkabout lens.
When I'm looking at lenses on ebay (quite regularly :wink: ) I check the sellers feedback; have they sold camera stuff and lenses before, have there been any issues, have people been happy with the lenses.
Also check back to see if they had previously bought the lens you are looking at on ebay (ie look at their buyer feedback to see what they've bought). If they've bought the lens recently and are now selling it on quickly, ask why? The ebay listing may explain (ie the bought it for a holiday or an event or they are upgrading) but worth asking if it doesn't say. If they are a trader, then that's fine, but they should be able to give you a good description of the condition.
So far I've managed to get some bargains and not had a duff one, but that's a risk with buying anything on ebay.
There are plenty of reputable camera shops that sell good secondhand stuff that will come with a guarantee and you can try them in the shop. For example, my favoured shop has this in it's Southampton branch: http://www.lcegroup.co.uk/Used/Nikon-AF-S-18-200mm-f/3.5-5.6G-ED-DX-VR_58147.html (http://www.lcegroup.co.uk/Used/Nikon-AF-S-18-200mm-f/3.5-5.6G-ED-DX-VR_58147.html)
On the subject of "super-zooms" (lenses of this type), they are always going to be a compromise, they're not going to be as fast or as sharp, but you'll only need to carry one lens.
I had a 28-200mm Tamron for a while, but while it was kinda handy to have a jack-of-all-trades lens, it wasn't fantastic, although it was smallish, it wasn't light and half the time I wanted a better quality lens. So I sold it and got the 70-210mm which gives me constant f4.
If I just want to take one lens out and about, I will usually go with my Sigma 28-70 f2.8, which gives me good zoom range and low light capabilities. Or if I want something smaller, I will take my 50mm prime.
But, if you only have the kit 18-55mm lens, I would be tempted to say get a 55-200mm or 70-200 to complement it, perhaps from Sigma or Tamron and save the money for a 50mm or 30mm prime lens, which will give you something good for low light and better quality glass.
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i will keep my eyes peeled!
so tamron, sigma are not much differnt to "nikon" lenses, just cheaper!
i want just a gen day to day, even tho its weekend type toy! so 18/200 will be fine i guess! then keep te 18/55 in the bag just incase, perfect for shows etc, up close and personal!
My tripod arived today! its smaller than i thought! about 1.3m high! but should be ok, cant compain for £10!
velbon CX 200!
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so tamron, sigma are not much differnt to "nikon" lenses, just cheaper!
Not quite.
Tamron and Sigma (and Tokina) make lens to fit all cameras, so they'll make a 70-300mm in several versions, one for Canon, one for Nikon, one for Sony, one for Olympus, etc. But because they make them for all cameras, they're not quite as good as one by your camera's manufacturer.
A mid-range Tamron or Sigma will be just as good as a low-mid range Nikon. But Sigma and Tamron's lenses top out at about £500, but the top of the range Nikon will be much more and much better.
Try checking out the reviews and comparisons on here:
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=nikon_18-200_3p5-5p6_vr_afs_ii&products=nikon_18-200_3p5-5p6_vr_afs&products=tamron_18-200_3p5-6p3_di_ii&products=sigma_18-200_3p5-6p3_os (http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=nikon_18-200_3p5-5p6_vr_afs_ii&products=nikon_18-200_3p5-5p6_vr_afs&products=tamron_18-200_3p5-6p3_di_ii&products=sigma_18-200_3p5-6p3_os)
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I recently bought a 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 IS from ebay. Both from different sellers, both superbly packaged and included UV filters which I was not expecting.
Sure, I took as risk but it definitely paid off in the end.
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Well i won a sigma 18-200 nikon for £130, but the guy wont answer my pms, he is 20 min down te road so i wana collect it, i think hes pissed off it didnt selll for more :/
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Well threaten him with bad feedback.... oh hang on, Ebay doesn't let you do that, unless you're selling, rather than buying, isn't it?
I forget why I stopped using Ebay, but I'm glad I did.
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Its so annoying!! I think ill juat buy a nikon one :lipsrsealed: if he dont msg me back soon...