Tips on buying a slightly used Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35

Hello friends,

Im off to meet someone tonight who is selling his slightly used Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35
and I just wanted to ask for tips on what to look for aside from the usual scratches, dents, damage on glass or sticky focusing ring.
And of course testing the lens if its sharp or not.
He already sent me some actual pictures and so far, it does look brand new and not a single mark that I can see (from the photos).

I would appreciate if anyone who has bought a used Zeiss lens before can throw me some ideas on what else to check before I hand
over my cash to the guy.

Also, is the warranty on the Ziess transferrable?

Thanks.

tma-888 wrote in post #17412444
Hello friends,

Im off to meet someone tonight who is selling his slightly used Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35
and I just wanted to ask for tips on what to look for aside from the usual scratches, dents, damage on glass or sticky focusing ring.
And of course testing the lens if its sharp or not.
He already sent me some actual pictures and so far, it does look brand new and not a single mark that I can see (from the photos).

I would appreciate if anyone who has bought a used Zeiss lens before can throw me some ideas on what else to check before I hand
over my cash to the guy.

Also, is the warranty on the Ziess transferrable?

Thanks.

Hi TMA and welcome to POTN .

I think you've got a good idea on the usual questions, and I assume you'll be bringing a body to help test the lens. What kind of body do you plan to use it on, and is it the type that you will have to use in manual mode? How do you plan to test the lens for sharpness - will you be able to examine some images on a monitor screen at Hi-Rez? As far as the warranty being transferrable, I don't know. You say it is slightly used but that does not indicate how old it is, which may already have it out of warranty. For example I have 4 beautiful Zeiss lenses from my old Hasselblad gear that are in beautiful condition but the youngest one is 16 years old.

Give us some more information and we will be in a better position to help you out

Also, the selling price will tell you something about the actual deal. If the price is too good to be true that may be an indicator of the condition/legitimacy of the offer.

sapearl wrote in post #17412464
Hi TMA and welcome to POTN .

I think you've got a good idea on the usual questions, and I assume you'll be bringing a body to help test the lens. What kind of body do you plan to use it on, and is it the type that you will have to use in manual mode? How do you plan to test the lens for sharpness - will you be able to examine some images on a monitor screen at Hi-Rez? As far as the warranty being transferrable, I don't know. You say it is slightly used but that does not indicate how old it is, which may already have it out of warranty. For example I have 4 beautiful Zeiss lenses from my old Hasselblad gear that are in beautiful condition but the youngest one is 16 years old.

Give us some more information and we will be in a better position to help you out

Also, the selling price will tell you something about the actual deal. If the price is too good to be true that may be an indicator of the condition/legitimacy of the offer.

Hi sapearl,

Thanks for the quick reply and warm welcome, greatly appreciate it.
My camera is a crop (7D2) and I believe its capable of doing manual mode. Me and the seller will be meeting in a bookstore
so I plan on shooting a couple of shots of books and gauge the sharpness on all sides of the frame. I will also bring my laptop
to pixel peep the results to make sure that it is indeed a sharp copy.

The lens is around 14months old and he will be bringing the original receipt to prove that.

Regarding the selling price, I would like to put it in a way that I will be stealing the lens from him

Cheers.

just be aware that there are 2 different versions of that lens, I believe the ZF and ZF2. I assume you have a Nikon Check this out http://diglloyd.com …ZF/publish/ZF2-notes.html

itsallart wrote in post #17412558
just be aware that there are 2 different versions of that lens, I believe the ZF and ZF2. I assume you have a Nikon Check this out http://diglloyd.com …ZF/publish/ZF2-notes.html

Thanks, the one Im getting is the Canon mount.

I GOT IT!!!!


Its in my hands and I cant wait to get home and
try this wonderful thing.
So far everything checked out perfect, not a mark,
dent, scratch...nothing! Looked like it was purchased
yesterday.

Initial shots are sharp and that bokeh...Almighty Lord, it is unbelievable!

Cheers!

enjoy this beauty!

I have Zeiss 1,4/35 as new.
And I did sell some lenses to our biggest local camera shop before, and that was how they check my lens:

1. Visual inspection for any visible defect, didn't take long at all.
2. Quick turn the focus ring few time, one of the lens reject straight away as she can FEEL the cracking - the lens drop on the rock once.
3. Took some photo with a camera, she just check the photos on the camera and ok. (If you worry, you should check on the PC screen).

Good luck.

BTW this Zeiss is heavy, and feel the metal cold in my hand as I pick it up any time.

Glad the sale worked out well for you - if you don't mind my asking did he say why he was willing to let it go for such a good price?

I'm curious too. I wonder if he no clue as to what he was selling. Do you mind posting some shots in the next few days, please?

Hello friends,

Ok, just got home and had a quick dinner.
I felt like a kid when my wife told me to eat slowly and chew my food
as I was rushing and just wanted to get to the lens asap

So, the story of the seller is that he is a hobbyist who changed to a different system
(Sony) and he sold most of his stuff and this Zeiss is the only one remaining since
not a lot of people are comfortable with manual focus. He was selling this for a couple of
months already and no takers so when I called and negotiated the price, he agreed.

The lens was used mostly for video and since it was only his hobby, it was an on-off thing
like holiday season and family birthdays.

It was a really smooth transaction albeit one small snag, the lens is actually 4 years old as
per the receipt that he gave me. None the less, I scrutinized the lens thoroughly, I even
brought a flashlight to make sure the glasses are flawless which it is. Not a single nick on both
the lens and hood. The focus ring is buttery and the aperture control on the camera works.
The receipt, box, test certificate card and unit all matches the serial number.

I am just digesting right now and will be posting some pictures later tonight.

Stay tuned....

Oh and about the price, i got it for.....

Canadian $950.00!

I'm glad you got it for a reasonable price and the baby is all intact. I've had several Zeiss lenses in the past, all manual and they worked like a dream. Looking forward to seeing some shots. I hope you can sleep...I know I wouldn't be able to Congrats!

Congratulations! I also got a Zeiss Ze 35mm but an F2.0 version a couple of weeks ago and finally had a chance to use it iver the weekend.

Enjoy!

As promised, here's some photos of the Zeiss. (shot using a Canon 50mm 1.4)

Cheers.

some more