Digital camera bodies and lens wear. Are used lenses worth buying?

Now that digital is taking or has taken over I suspect everyone will take more photos now than they ever did with 35mm film.
Do modern digital camera bodies cause excessive wear on camera lens parts?
I'm just a little skeptical about the AF motors and internal lens parts being heavily worn. If so how much does the average lens overhaul, tune up or calibration cost ?

vision35 wrote in post #12022860
I suspect eveyone take thousands more photos now than they ever did with 35mm film.

Sports and wildlife aside, I suspect only a few inexperienced photographers do. You never did want used gear from sports, wildlife and other "machine gun" shooters.

Buy used lenses and save some money. Most lenses last a lot longer than the bodies do. I buy used all the time with no regrets.

I also buy used virtually all the time. Of my current lenses, only the 55-250 was purchased new, and that was a gift. I couldn't have afforded my current setup if I'd bought it new. My 40D was also purchased used.

You do need to be a bit careful: if buying unseen, check out the seller's references, for example. For my two more expensive used purchases (40D and 70-200), I bought locally, tried out the equipment first, and asked to see the original invoices. I also asked for (and got) the boxes; lack of a box wouldn't necessarily have been a deal-breaker, but it was reassuring to get one.

I've bought several used lenses, and only had an issue with one: a turd 28-90 from Adorama's used department. It worked fine for about 4 months before the autofocus jammed up, but it was worth what I paid, and did the job I needed it to do.

Generally, lenses last much longer than bodies. I think I'd be more concerned with getting a lens that has sat unused for a long time, maybe with dried out seals or lube, than an older lens that sees regular action.

The only thing i bought new was my 17-40 Most everything I have i bought used for a really good deal. Lenses are over built yes IS and the control flexes inside the lens do break but canon has the replacement parts or services them for quite some time.

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I buy my gear heavily used, at rock bottom prices, and then I use it heavily for a long time once I get it. . I've never had any problems. . Ever.

From what you have written here and on other threads, it seems that you have a lot of concerns about wear and tear on gear. . There is no need to. . Good camera gear just lasts and lasts and lasts. . Buy it used, then use it hard, and don't worry about how to care for it or how to store it. . It just keeps on working perfectly, year after year after year, no matter what you do to it.


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Used lenses are worth buying - I have purchased quite a few used lenses over the years - never any issues or regrets doing so.

I'll echo what has been said here. The only lenses that I got new were the kit lenses that came with my first Rebel T3 that I received for Christmas years ago. Everything else I got used (except the Rokinon fish eye because it was really cheap to begin with) The only issue I ever had with a lens was a Tokina AT-X 124 AF Pro DX 12-24mm f/4 that had an internal cable break but it was a known issue to that particular lens.
Shoot, other than that Rebel and my 6D, all of my bodies were purchased either used or refurbished.

There are some things to watch for when buying used. Some lenses have umm.. design issues that show up with use. For instance, the 17-55IS early version had a slew of IS failures. The MPE-65 has a issue where one of the cables inside the lens fails or the old 50mm f1.8 would have the front barrel fall out. SO before buying you might want to do a few google searches looking for failures of the lens you are buying.

Wow, old thread.

I have bought used gear and never had issues with anything wearing out. Gear does develop problems and can wear out, but my experience with failure has been with stuff I bought new.

Still, I am wary of used gear, and for two main reasons: 1) you might decide soon after purchase that it doesn't meet your needs, and used gear can be hard to return, and 2) used gear can have hidden defects - several instances of that have been discussed here on POTN.

Oh, and one more reason - around where I am, used gear is too expensive. It should be around half of new, but usually is up around 70-90% of new (and sometimes even above new ).

And for every used lens that was heavily used, there are probably tons like those I sell when I get unlazy that were used a few dozen times and then sat around collecting dust.

Wow thread revival.

I didn't even notice the date of the OP.

Resurrection. Well, Easter is actually coming. LOL