Hi All,
I am shopping for a few Canon L-series lenses. While watching lens prices on eBay I have noticed a fascinating phenomenon. Used, out-of-warranty Canon lenses are often selling on eBay at or near their USA lens price at B&H. This strikes me as more than a bit odd, if for no other reason than the fact that it devalues the Canon new-lens warranty to zero.
I think that most of us would agree that Canon quality is very good, but certainly not perfect. The web abounds with stories of new lenses whose image quality improved dramatically following a trip to Canon Professional Services (CPS). (Of course we also know that some users mistakenly conclude that their lenses are uncharacteristically unsharp, as exemplified by mwillgo's recent post. He/she figured out the problem with the Forum's kind assistance.)
So, the question is, what percentage of the new price advertised by an authorized Canon dealer (say B&H website price, which fairly well tracks Adorama, Amazon, etc.), should one pay for a used, out-of-warranty L-series lens in excellent condition purchased over the Internet from a private individual (on eBay, let's say), given the following:
(1) Sensitive optical equipment is being purchased sight-unseen, creating the possibility that its condition as received is different than expected/advertised;
(2) The seller is relatively anonymous, and but for the feedback ratings the equipment may never arrive at all (although eBay has in place some limited protections for this eventuality); and
(3) If insufficient, the differential between the new and used prices may not cover the cost of a repair/adjustment at CPS if required due to sharpness, etc. problems.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Bruce