Buying used lens advise...

Hi all, you guys are great and you don't know how much i've learned from the POTN forum..... the other day i finally had my hands on an L, it was the Brick and i'm asking for your advise, what do i have to be worried about as i saw it in a nice condition..... what is it that i need to check, the zoom and focus mechanism? should i take my camera with me and shoot a few snapshots with it? thanx in advance. How can i make sure it's in a nice condition?

Get a warranty with it is of course your best bet.

Besides the obvious of checking the physical appearance, put it on your camera and shoot it throughout the different focal lengths and apertures.

gasrocks wrote in post #11880389
Get a warranty with it is of course your best bet.

Ask for a warranty. I bought a 100-300 from the local after trying it in the store. I asked for a warranty they gave me 90 days with full refund. Just wrote it on receipt with clerk signature. Made me feel better Never had to exercise it.
Sam

Bring your camera. Check physical condition, zoom, MF and AF (these should be smooth and with little play). Check IS (not applicable in your case). Take a number of exposures at different FLs and apertures. I'd use the camera's DoF preview button at various apertures to check to see that the aperture blades close reliably as well.