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Thread: Renting L lenses at less than one U.S. dollar per month

  1. #1
    rpcrowe's Avatar
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    Renting L lenses at less than one U.S. dollar per month

    Actually, I didn't really rent the 400mm f/5.6L and 300mm f/4L IS lenses. I bought them used about five years ago and sold them today for $100 less than what I paid for both of them...

    That's two lenses for about twenty U.S. Dollars per year or less than one dollar per month each (pro-rated). If I had been willing to wait, I may have broken even or made a dollar or two profit. But, I wasn't willing to wait and took the first offer I received...

    Just goes to show that good glass keeps its value...

    Now, I want to sell some cameras but, I will certainly not make out as well selling older DSLR cameras as I did selling the L lenses. This is a result of the leaner and meaner me.

    However, I purchased a 100-400mm f/3.5-5.6L IS II lens a few months ago and I purchased a refurbished Canon 7D Mark II today... I am selling my 5D II, one of my 7D cameras and will liquidate my 30D and 40D cameras also. This will make my wife very happy. I will keep my old D60 which is converted to full time IR. That will mean that I will only be keeping three DSLR cameras...

  2. #2
    pnodrog's Avatar
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    Re: Renting L lenses at less than one U.S. dollar per month

    Well done - I will check your stock list before I order from B&H.....

  3. #3
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Renting L lenses at less than one U.S. dollar per month

    A major review there Richard. But you're still going to be well provided for.

  4. #4
    rpcrowe's Avatar
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    Re: Renting L lenses at less than one U.S. dollar per month

    Switching from the pair of L telephoto lenses (300mm f/4L IS and 400mm f/5.6L) to the 100-400mm f/3.5-5.6L IS II has made life easier for me. As an example, I am going to shoot some surfing this morning and I will only take a single camera and the one zoom lens, rather than the pain of lenses on two cameras...

    Although the zoom is heavier than either of the two primes, my total package weight with one lens and one camera is 81 ounces or five pounds lighter...

    Surf was terrible, I left after less than a half hour...
    Last edited by rpcrowe; 25th July 2016 at 12:51 AM.

  5. #5

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    Re: Renting L lenses at less than one U.S. dollar per month

    I've been going through similar analysis of needs versus inventory and judiciously paring down the kit. As pointed out in the OP, if good glass is purchased used, it can often be sold years later for at/near what one paid for it. Of course like everything else certain models hold value better than others. With lenses as well as camera bodies, once a model has been "refreshed" by the manufacturer, the used price of the older version tends to drop substantially. And for good reason. Newer versions with modern materials and coatings tend to be both optically superior and lighter weight. Though at the end of the day for most of us the older models are plenty good enough.

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