Fair price for a used 85mm 1.2L II

[Pinchers of Peril]

First off I know these "what's a fair price for a ..." are kind of annoying threads because there are so many variables and so I apologize in advance.  That being said, I am curious what you all think is a fair price for a used 85mm 1.2L II.  I am currently negotiating with someone on craigslist and the seller reports that the lens is in "mint" condition.  The seller has posted pics of the lens, but I haven't had a chance to see the actual lens yet. Assuming it is in mint or very good condition and works well/is sharp... what do you think is a fair price?  The model number shows that it was manufactured in Dec of 2010 and the seller bought it brand new.  I've never bought an L lens used so I am a bit nervous but figure if I could get a good deal it might be worth it.  Thanks in advance.

[drob]

The 85 1.2 is great lens and holds its value well. Don't know what the seller is asking but I'd say a fair price is 200-400 off retail for a mint lens. There is a 85 1.2 on Seattle Craigslist for 1700. I'd probably offer 1500 to 1600 for it. Of course don't commit to anything unless you try the lens out. I recently bought an L lens off Craigslist and was a bit hestitant but somehow found out that the seller was a professional photographer with a website so I figured it was well taken care of. Good luck.

[babiesphotos]

First off I know these "what's a fair price for a ..." are kind of annoying threads because there are so many variables and so I apologize in advance.  That being said, I am curious what you all think is a fair price for a used 85mm 1.2L II.  I am currently negotiating with someone on craigslist and the seller reports that the lens is in "mint" condition.  The seller has posted pics of the lens, but I haven't had a chance to see the actual lens yet. Assuming it is in mint or very good condition and works well/is sharp... what do you think is a fair price?  The model number shows that it was manufactured in Dec of 2010 and the seller bought it brand new.  I've never bought an L lens used so I am a bit nervous but figure if I could get a good deal it might be worth it.  Thanks in advance.

Well first, do not buy most of the stuff from the pro, as they abuse gear most. Having said that 85 1.2 is studio lens, may not have had hard life, so your call.

I find that I can buy good L lenses for 70% of current least expensive retail option (reputable option!). This is about cheapest I can negotiate (and I negotiate well), and it's not possible for lens in demand, like new 24-70 L II, Tamron 24-70 VC, and 85 1.2 may be in the same category. So you pay up to 75-80% of the lowest new price...

This has been my experience, but I live in a large city with lively second-hand market going, so am not afraid to NOT buy if I don't like the price...

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Check here for used lens values.
 
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=14554.0

[dafrank]

"Well first, do not buy most of the stuff from the pro, as they abuse gear most. Having said that 85 1.2 is studio lens, may not have had hard life, so your call."

Hey, I'm a long-time pro, and I can tell you that I take better care of my gear than 95% of the amateurs I know, keep gear carefully stored in fitted cases and in moderate temperature and humidity conditions almost all the time - except, of course, when actually shooting. Even in the infrequent circumstances where I must shoot in less than good circumstances, I never abuse lenses or cameras in the "elements" and protect them from harsh environments by always being prepared to take adequate precautions. As far as dropping or knocking gear around, I have almost never done so, because I need to earn my livelihood with it and need to have it in perfect working order every time. On the extremely rare occasion when any gear of mine does get messed up (two lenses and one body in over 30 years working), I have it repaired by the best available means immediately, test it for myself, and would notify the seller if it had required repair in any subsequent sale. And, if some gear looked great but had an awful lot of use - much more than the looks would ordinarily indicate, I would also let potential buyers know that as well.

When I sell my used gear, if I say it is mint, it really is. To do or say otherwise is foolish, as it can easily be discovered if you are not being truthful. I would guess that the majority of pros are more like me than what you apparently imagine. I doubt very much that you have to worry that buying from a pro would be more risky than from an amateur, and, I think that it would likely, in fact, be a safer option than buying from most amateurs. Yes, there are some pros who beat the heck out of their gear and who are deceptive about its condition, but the same could be said about many amateurs as well. The best thing to do is to judge each case individually and know that the odds aren't against you finding gear as it is represented in a sale from a pro photographer.

Regards,
David

[klickflip]

quote - Well first, do not buy most of the stuff from the pro, as they abuse gear most.

Well I think that really depends on the person and what's their scenario of working. I'm a pro and my gear is always pelicased in foam and is looked after really well but a couple of other pros I know take a bit less care but do get things serviced regularly so theirs might look a bit cosmetically scratched but could well be in better optical & mechanical conditions than an averagely good condition one.
Saying that I'm on my 2nd 24-105L as it had 3 repairs and eventually getting too inconsistent on focus but it looked in good condition still. And my 1 yr old 5D III is absolutely mint but shot 30,000 so far.

If you've never had a L lens before then even a bad copy might be better than your best previous lens, and the 85L II can be a quirky beast when focusing. When it nails it its amazing and the rest of the time its still very good.

Other option is Digital ReV ? As i've seen some on ebay going for more that you can get a new import for.

[alexturton]

I bought a used one for £1150 about a month ago. Mint condition except the hood which was battered and scuffed beyond belief.

[stoneysnapper]

I pad $1800 for a used 85mm F1.2 II from B&H and it was rated at 9/10 by them in terms of condition etc. There is currently one on B&H Used for $1689.95 plus taxes I assume.

[Pinchers of Peril]

Wow thanks everybody for all of the replies.  Mt. Spokane Photography, thanks for that resource, lots of good info there.  I am meeting the seller tomorrow to inspect the lens and make sure everything looks good.  I'll let everybody know how it turns out.  Thanks again.

[Pi]

Canon refurbished has it for $1,759.20 plus tax.

[babiesphotos]

I apologize for quote about pros and gear abuse. It's obvious there are different profile of work and personalities, so generalization was too broad.

My comment did come from discussion with pro that does lots of industrial/journalist photo, and when expensive factory line is stopped so he can take pictures, he has no time to willy-nilly position himself and be careful with equipment...

Obviously, many other pros don't have that kind of demands.

[expatinasia]

I apologize for quote about pros and gear abuse. It's obvious there are different profile of work and personalities, so generalization was too broad.

My comment did come from discussion with pro that does lots of industrial/journalist photo, and when expensive factory line is stopped so he can take pictures, he has no time to willy-nilly position himself and be careful with equipment...

Obviously, many other pros don't have that kind of demands.

Yes, it does depend. I generally find, and as many would expect, that pros that use their own equipment take better care of it, than those that are using the office equipment. The office equipment, like at a newspaper, is what generally gets abused the most as it gets used by so many different people.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I apologize for quote about pros and gear abuse. It's obvious there are different profile of work and personalities, so generalization was too broad.

My comment did come from discussion with pro that does lots of industrial/journalist photo, and when expensive factory line is stopped so he can take pictures, he has no time to willy-nilly position himself and be careful with equipment...

Obviously, many other pros don't have that kind of demands.

Yes, it does depend. I generally find, and as many would expect, that pros that use their own equipment take better care of it, than those that are using the office equipment. The office equipment, like at a newspaper, is what generally gets abused the most as it gets used by so many different people.

I've bought lots of used gear from Pros, it is almost always in superb condition.
 
The type of gear that tends to get beat up is pool gear from newspaper offices, for example where it has a rough live. I have also bought and sold gear from/to a local newspaper photographer who takes wonderful care with his gear.
 
 

[brett b]

I apologize for quote about pros and gear abuse. It's obvious there are different profile of work and personalities, so generalization was too broad.

My comment did come from discussion with pro that does lots of industrial/journalist photo, and when expensive factory line is stopped so he can take pictures, he has no time to willy-nilly position himself and be careful with equipment...

Obviously, many other pros don't have that kind of demands.

Yes, it does depend. I generally find, and as many would expect, that pros that use their own equipment take better care of it, than those that are using the office equipment. The office equipment, like at a newspaper, is what generally gets abused the most as it gets used by so many different people.

Agreed. I baby my gear as much as possible. I found a small scratch on my RRS tripod three weeks ago and it's still bugging me.