A Lens so Nice I've Bought it Twice
Aug. 20th, 2024 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerIt's been a few weeks since I lost a camera lens in an Alpine swamp. It was a bummer since it's a general purpose, mid-range zoom lens, a Fujifilm 15-45mm lens that I used for a lot of my photos. After losing it I delayed for a few weeks in replacing it as I considered whether I wanted to replace my whole camera— which I could order with an equal or better lens at a discounted kit price. I even considered whether I'm just done with dedicated cameras and willing to rely simply on my iPhone. 🫨 After giving it a few weeks thought I decided to go ahead and just replace the lens, not update the whole camera.
As I'd bought my original copy of this lens lightly used, I looked for used copies again. It's good I was open to used as there really aren't new copies anymore. It seems Fujifilm has stopped making this lens. ...Or if they do still make it, they only sell it in kits. One reputable online store had it listed for $300 but backordered. Amazon had a variety of used copies for sale from about $200. I bought my last one through Amazon for a bit over $200. But this time I checked eBay, too, and got one for just $150 plus tax. I bought on Friday night, and it arrived today (Wednesday).
I checked the lens out visually as I opened the box. First, I noted it was securely packed in a box with two layers of foam padding. Props to the seller for that. The last seller I bought this model of lens from simply tucked it in a padded envelope.
Cosmetically, the lens is in excellent shape. All the parts are present (front and back caps) and show no signs of wear. The seller advertised it as "very good, lightly used". I was a bit skeptical when I bought it as there are no defined grading standards for camera equipment like there are for various kinds of collectibles. "Very good, lightly used" could have meant almost anything. And the listing included only manufacturer's pictures, no photos of the actual item. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to receive a lens that, in another item category, could realistically be graded "near mint" or even "mint".
Next I attached the lens to my camera for a few test shots. The focus is accurate, with good detail (as expected) at the focus point, and rich, contrast-y color rendition across the frame. It's just a cursory test, but so far this copy of the lens appears to be everything I enjoyed about the one I left somewhere in a swamp at 6,700' in the Trinity Alps wilderness.
Part of what I enjoy about this lens is its small size and light weight. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo above, where the perspective makes this lens seem bulbous, but it's actually relatively compact. See the photos I took when I bought my previous copy 2 years ago. Ultimately this lens's quality for the low price and compact size were what won the decision in favor of doing it again vs. punting with a new camera— or no camera at all.
As I'd bought my original copy of this lens lightly used, I looked for used copies again. It's good I was open to used as there really aren't new copies anymore. It seems Fujifilm has stopped making this lens. ...Or if they do still make it, they only sell it in kits. One reputable online store had it listed for $300 but backordered. Amazon had a variety of used copies for sale from about $200. I bought my last one through Amazon for a bit over $200. But this time I checked eBay, too, and got one for just $150 plus tax. I bought on Friday night, and it arrived today (Wednesday).
I checked the lens out visually as I opened the box. First, I noted it was securely packed in a box with two layers of foam padding. Props to the seller for that. The last seller I bought this model of lens from simply tucked it in a padded envelope.
Cosmetically, the lens is in excellent shape. All the parts are present (front and back caps) and show no signs of wear. The seller advertised it as "very good, lightly used". I was a bit skeptical when I bought it as there are no defined grading standards for camera equipment like there are for various kinds of collectibles. "Very good, lightly used" could have meant almost anything. And the listing included only manufacturer's pictures, no photos of the actual item. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to receive a lens that, in another item category, could realistically be graded "near mint" or even "mint".
Next I attached the lens to my camera for a few test shots. The focus is accurate, with good detail (as expected) at the focus point, and rich, contrast-y color rendition across the frame. It's just a cursory test, but so far this copy of the lens appears to be everything I enjoyed about the one I left somewhere in a swamp at 6,700' in the Trinity Alps wilderness.
Part of what I enjoy about this lens is its small size and light weight. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo above, where the perspective makes this lens seem bulbous, but it's actually relatively compact. See the photos I took when I bought my previous copy 2 years ago. Ultimately this lens's quality for the low price and compact size were what won the decision in favor of doing it again vs. punting with a new camera— or no camera at all.
