used Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L

ok, noobie here needs the expertise and advice of everyone on the forum. i have the chance to buy the 24-70 lens at what i think is great price, $875. one thing about the lens that scares me is how old the lens is. the date code on the lens is UL 0809 which dates it back to 1997. should i take a risk on such an old lens? i'm meeting up with the guy this afternoon to take test shots with lens mounted on my camera. oh yeah, this is my first time buying a used lens too. what signs of wear and tear should i look for?

If it shoots well, focuses well, looks well, then I would say $875 isnt TOO bad of a price...

Maybe you can talk him down even more, seeing as you can get a UV / UW date code one for about $10XX.

Test the lens against gravity while zooming... I've seen copies where the inner barrel basically slides out freely when titled downwards. Then the regular stuff... check for any tiny dings or dents that may be hidden by the black textured finish... dust inside the glass, scratches on the glass, etc.

If you can, bring some sort of sharpness chart with you along with a tripod if possible... the 24-70 is VERY capable and can be razor sharp, even wide open... with buying a lens that old I wouldn't settle for an unsharp copy because reselling it might give you a hassle as well.

GOod luck!

PNGUY wrote in post #9775083
ok, noobie here needs the expertise and advice of everyone on the forum. i have the chance to buy the 24-70 lens at what i think is great price, $875. one thing about the lens that scares me is how old the lens is. the date code on the lens is UL 0809 which dates it back to 1997. should i take a risk on such an old lens? i'm meeting up with the guy this afternoon to take test shots with lens mounted on my camera. oh yeah, this is my first time buying a used lens too. what signs of wear and tear should i look for?

The 24-70 2.8L was introduced in 2002.
Either it's the wrong code (mount changed for some reason?) or it's really a 28-70 2.8L (which was introduced in 1993 and replaced by the 24-70 version)

$875 for a 24-70 is a great price
for a 28-70, it's so-so... and I think there's been posts in regards to Canon no longer offering service or parts for it

SMP speaks the truth... The 28-70 is no longer serviced, but you will see those still selling for anywhere between 750 all the way up to 1000 bucks I just watched on eBay. If it is an excllent condition 24-70 just wrong date code I would jump on it. You will not see that price point on that lens unless it is trashed.

Good luck. You will not regret it if it is in good shape.

thanks alot for the quick reply guys. i'll definitely test the lens and see if it slides out when pointed downwards.

i had no idea about the 28-70. thanks for the heads up smp_homer. i emailed him back to double check his numbers. if the lens actually turns out to be the 28-70 2.8L, do you think it would be worthwhile to buy it? i mean if canon no longer services it then it'll just serve as an expensive paperweight right? or can i send it elsewhere to get it serviced?

how do you guys know by the date code when its made? pls. let me know how to find out.. thanks

PNGUY wrote in post #9775721
thanks alot for the quick reply guys. i'll definitely test the lens and see if it slides out when pointed downwards.

i had no idea about the 28-70. thanks for the heads up smp_homer. i emailed him back to double check his numbers. if the lens actually turns out to be the 28-70 2.8L, do you think it would be worthwhile to buy it? i mean if canon no longer services it then it'll just serve as an expensive paperweight right? or can i send it elsewhere to get it serviced?

It can still be service/repaired, just not by Canon. And that may never end up being an issue. It could go on to work for years... but if it gets to the point where it needs service, parts and service for it will become harder to come by. for about $200 more, you can find the newer version, and possibly even within its 1st year of warranty!

yagit80 wrote in post #9775745
how do you guys know by the date code when its made? pls. let me know how to find out.. thanks

here you go!

http://the-digital-picture.com …ses/Canon-Lens-Aging.aspx

That'd be a good deal if it was a 24-70. It's a 28-70 though.

hey guys....just came back from meeting the guy and wanted to give you guys a report of what happened.

i dont know what happened, but it turns out that he gave me the wrong date code. before i went to meet with him, i printed out the table for the date code to bring along with me just in case i needed it. it came in handy. he pulled out the lens and indeed it was the 24-70 lens. i quickly removed the cap and checked the date code. it read US0303 (March 2004).

i inspected it just as justinalamode instructed and everything looked good. there was a teeny, tiny paint chip that was barely noticeable. the hood that came with the lens had some scuffs, but its just a hood. the glass looked like it was in great condition with no scratches and there were no signs of dust as far as i could see.

i took alot of test shots and uploaded them onto my laptop to examine the photos. pictures looked great as far as my novice eyes can tell. i was happy with the pictures so i gave him the money and finalized our transaction. $600 for a this lens.... did i do good guys? was it a good deal?

My friend it sounds like you did better than good, you got a steal! You can actually sell it used for 1100 and make a profit on this!

PNGUY wrote in post #9777180
hey guys....just came back from meeting the guy and wanted to give you guys a report of what happened.

i dont know what happened, but it turns out that he gave me the wrong date code. before i went to meet with him, i printed out the table for the date code to bring along with me just in case i needed it. it came in handy. he pulled out the lens and indeed it was the 24-70 lens. i quickly removed the cap and checked the date code. it read US0303 (March 2004).

i inspected it just as justinalamode instructed and everything looked good. there was a teeny, tiny paint chip that was barely noticeable. the hood that came with the lens had some scuffs, but its just a hood. the glass looked like it was in great condition with no scratches and there were no signs of dust as far as i could see.

i took alot of test shots and uploaded them onto my laptop to examine the photos. pictures looked great as far as my novice eyes can tell. i was happy with the pictures so i gave him the money and finalized our transaction. $600 for a this lens.... did i do good guys? was it a good deal?

That's an INSANE deal. Hopefully it wasn't stolen!

plasticmotif wrote in post #9777232
That's an INSANE deal. Hopefully it wasn't stolen!

i chatted with the guy for a while and he seems on the up and up. turns out he does wedding photography and gave me a card and his website address.

http://www.davidsixt.c​om/

plus, i have his cell phone number and email address if i need to track him down for any reason. oh yeah, i jotted down his license plate number too just in case. lol

I will give you $700 so you can make a quick $100 profit.

PNGUY wrote in post #9777180
hey guys....just came back from meeting the guy and wanted to give you guys a report of what happened.

i dont know what happened, but it turns out that he gave me the wrong date code. before i went to meet with him, i printed out the table for the date code to bring along with me just in case i needed it. it came in handy. he pulled out the lens and indeed it was the 24-70 lens. i quickly removed the cap and checked the date code. it read US0303 (March 2004).

i inspected it just as justinalamode instructed and everything looked good. there was a teeny, tiny paint chip that was barely noticeable. the hood that came with the lens had some scuffs, but its just a hood. the glass looked like it was in great condition with no scratches and there were no signs of dust as far as i could see.

i took alot of test shots and uploaded them onto my laptop to examine the photos. pictures looked great as far as my novice eyes can tell. i was happy with the pictures so i gave him the money and finalized our transaction. $600 for a this lens.... did i do good guys? was it a good deal?

vipergts831 wrote in post #9777208
My friend it sounds like you did better than good, you got a steal! You can actually sell it used for 1100 and make a profit on this!

thanks. i'm sure i'll be holding on to this lens for a long while. but its good to know that i'll be able to make my money back and then some if i needed to.