Used Lens Buying Guide: Broken or Missing Parts
The first thing you should check when buying a used lens is if all of it's parts and gadgets are there.
Generally all lenses come with some parts. At a minimum these include:
- Front and rear lens caps
- Manuals
- Warranty card
- Original box
Some lenses also come with:
- Lens hood
- Bag or case
- Tripod ring
Some of these parts may not be entirely important to you. For instance, you may be able to live without a lens hood because you primarily shoot indoors, however a missing tripod ring on a lens that you plan to mount on a tripod regularly, may be extremely important to you. If something is missing that is important to you, you'll then need to check to see how much that part is, or if it's even available on it's own. For instance, most tripod rings are available on their own, however they aren't a cheap piece to replace.
The most common parts to disappear are the manuals, warranty cards, and boxes. Now I know you're asking yourself "Why are these important anyway?!". Honestly I still ask myself that same question! However, having at least the original box and manual does seem to increase the resell value some if you ever decide to resell it. My guess is that people assume that if you're the type of person to take care of the original box and manual, you're also the same type to take good care of a lens. But honestly, who knows?
Lens caps are also another piece which tend to go missing occasionally. Though these can be had fairly cheap at any local camera shop or online, there are some things to consider if they are missing. If the caps have been missing for a while, it's possible that this could lead to scratches, or even eroded lens coatings.
The rear cap is the least important of the two as thats the side thats generally mated to the camera body. So it has less chance of getting any damage. As well, the rear lens element is often set inside the lens which makes it harder to hit with anything.
The front cap on the other hand is more important as the front lens element is larger and more susceptible to being hit or rubbed. However it is quite common for people to put a clear UV or 1A filter on the front of their lens to protect the front element from being damaged. This should also be taken into consideration if the lens cap is missing.
When purchasing a lens with missing caps, always ask about scratches and coating erosion before purchasing!
The lens hood, which helps to keep the sun out of your lens, as stated above, may not be important to you. However if it is, you should always research the cost of a replacement if it is missing. Some lens hoods are relatively cheap, however some can be rather expensive. There are cheap ones that you can also buy from most camera shops that will screw into your filter threads, but these never work as well as the ones that were intended for a specific lens. Also, having the original lens hood goes along with helping the resell value of the lens should you ever decide to sell it. Most people would like to see the intended hood come with the lens they're purchasing.
Bags and cases come with many lenses. Most high end lenses generally come with at least a pouch to put the lens in, however some of the larger telephoto lenses come with soft or sometime even hard cases. Again, if these are important to you, you will want to research what a replacement would cost prior to buying that particular lens.
