keep wasting money buying the same lens multiple times!

anyone else go through circles with certain lenses?

i owned 135L THREE times. ... kept selling it and buying it -- going through cycles of realizing what a GEM that lens is and using it frequently and then it starts collecting dust for a a long while and i end up selling..... cycle continues.

then similar thing with 85L -- i just bought this again for the second time.

how do you stop this madness. !!

datadump wrote in post #16667046
anyone else go through circles with certain lenses?

i owned 135L THREE times. ... kept selling it and buying it -- going through cycles of realizing what a GEM that lens is and using it frequently and then it starts collecting dust for a a long while and i end up selling..... cycle continues.

then similar thing with 85L -- i just bought this again for the second time.

how do you stop this madness. !!

Buy two of each - then just sell one whenever you get that itch, and buy it back when you scratch it. And, bingo, you always have one of each.

Quit chasing perfection, and get a handle on your gear lust!

Heya,

Lol, I thought this was going to be a Sigma thread.

I bet your cycle of buy/sell corresponds to the peaks/troughs of the waves of popularity concerning the two lenses. Currently 135L gets talked about in nearly every thread. The 85L will make it's come-back in threads again, and you'll probably end up buying it again too. And thus the 135L takes a nap for a while, so you might sell it. Then... it all starts over again.

Between the 135/85, I would just pick one and stick with it. The 135 is more versatile since it can focus on moving objects in relatively low light.

Very best,

its more like, i cant stand idle lens. if i didnt use it fore more than 6 months,i dont like to have it collecting dust.... i cant just leave it there sitting on a shelf.

Bought a 70-210mm f/4 twice
Bought a 28-80mm f/2.8-4.0 twice

*checking in*

MalVeauX wrote in post #16667065
Heya,

Lol, I thought this was going to be a Sigma thread.

WAHAHAHA good one.... off topic: i had a sigma 30 and 50 -- CANT STAND the focus problems. declared never to buy a sigma again.

datadump wrote in post #16667046
anyone else go through circles with certain lenses?

i owned 135L THREE times. ... kept selling it and buying it -- going through cycles of realizing what a GEM that lens is and using it frequently and then it starts collecting dust for a a long while and i end up selling..... cycle continues.

then similar thing with 85L -- i just bought this again for the second time.

how do you stop this madness. !!

I have bought and sold the same lenses multiple times, but never lost money doing it. If you are careful about where you buy lenses and at what prices, you should be able to break even or even make money.

Bought Sigma 85 twice and will never let it go again, unless Sigma comes out with the 85 Art

I don't mind my lens collecting dust, I've only used my 17-40 twice since the purchase 2 years ago.

datadump wrote in post #16667068
its more like, i cant stand idle lens. if i didnt use it fore more than 6 months,i dont like to have it collecting dust.... i cant just leave it there sitting on a shelf.

Do you then buy a new set of skis before each season?

Add up what you lost by buying and selling, and compare it to the opportunity cost of not investing the money it would take to buy the lens new and leave it sitting unused. Which is more? Can you afford either strategy, neither strategy, or just the cheaper one?

I dont understand it. My 135L is my least used L lens. Ive used it maybe 2 or 3 times since i bought it 10 months ago. But why should i sell it? If i NEED a portrait lens or something very sharp i have it by my side. Clean the dust on the lens and use it for what you bought it.

davidfarina wrote in post #16667584
I dont understand it. My 135L is my least used L lens. Ive used it maybe 2 or 3 times since i bought it 10 months ago. But why should i sell it? If i NEED a portrait lens or something very sharp i have it by my side. Clean the dust on the lens and use it for what you bought it.

I agree, I have never sold a lens and then re bought it. The money I have slowly been putting into my lenses is safe to just sit there.
For others, I totally understand freeing up the cash to buy a different lens that you will use more; but to buy the same lens over and over?

InfiniteDivide wrote in post #16667663
I totally understand freeing up the cash to buy a different lens that you will use more; but to buy the same lens over and over?

yes it is absolutely stupid. for the 135L, i kept convincing myself this is just too long for the space i usually shoot. end up selling it because at times it just sits there for not just 6months but up to a year without use. i'd sell it, free up money, buy a shorter length, then end up missing the 135. (never bought that new though).

as for the 85L , i bought new.. then the first time i sold, it was for money reasons. second time i bought it back (used-price), just because i missed the magic.

i have excuses for 85L but i am ashamed of 135L disorder

InfiniteDivide wrote in post #16667663
I agree, I have never sold a lens and then re bought it. The money I have slowly been putting into my lenses is safe to just sit there.
For others, I totally understand freeing up the cash to buy a different lens that you will use more; but to buy the same lens over and over?

Would your question change if you could make money each time you bought and sold?

I buy a lens, use it for a season, and then sell it. Later, my formats may change or needs may change, so I buy that lens again. This protects me from depreciation costs, as well as builds up funds for a different lens later, and I get to use any lens for a period of time. This is a more cost effective way to renting a lens. If I use a lens extensively, I keep it. If I find a lens that isn't being used for a long period of time, I sell it, and I don't lose anything in the process.

I just bought a lens a couple of weeks ago, and tried it out for a week. I decided with my 50 1.4 and my 100 2.8, this new lens wouldn't see much use. I listed it on Amazon this week, and made $70 selling it there. Just an example.

In summary, if you buy lenses and then sell them later, and lose money each time, you might want to change your tactics a bit. There is almost no reason to lose money doing this.

Never sell. Maybe it's just me. I study a bit, buy and keep until broken or outdated. Like buying cars over and over, before you know it your $20k car costs $100k in bank loans. I'm of the opinion that most of the time, once bought, gear is more useful in ones bag.