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To sell, or not to sell
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:23 pm    Post subject: To sell, or not to sell Reply with quote
I'm on the cusp of selling one or two old rifles from my collection to fund a camera body upgrade from Canon 5D to 5DII.

I'm also looking at the stack of MF lenses which I've accumulated, mostly in the last year, and not all of which I've yet logged in my sig below.

There are lenses which I reach for on a regular basis and there are lenses which I reach for on point of principle (rather like my old rifles) to give some exercise to and remind myself of their merits.

Ignoring the wide lenses, the 50/55mm lenses, I've sorted the longer primes into two stacks - those I'm particularly fond of, and the rest. Nothing's worth more than £100 individually but adding them together makes for a useful sum of money. I can sort the wides and 50s similarly.

Even so I end up with far more lenses than I actually need.

I don't know what to do. Should I hold on to all the manual lenses for now or let some of them go?

The 5DII has a reputation of needing good lenses to get the best out of it. Canon L lenses I have in the focal lengths which I use: does anyone here use a 5DII with MF lenses or would it make sense to keep hold of the 5DI for MF lens photography?


PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
For what I've heard from the 5DII, it is too much demanding to lenses. You will probably need to use tripod all the time if you want to get an improvement...


PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't envy you with your dilemma. I've been there more than once, and the main thing I would say is this: sort through the items you're thinking about selling, and ask yourself if you see a situation where you'll ever need to use them again. If not, put the item in the for sale pile. If so, keep it.

Me, I'm reluctant to sell any of my firearms, although over the past couple of years I've sold two. And in both cases, I asked myself the question, is there any point in the foreseeable future where I'll need to use this gun? In both cases, the answer was "no," and I sold them without feelings of remorse.

Over the past 17 or 18 years, I've had a few periods where I sold off camera gear. In these situations, I've almost always regretted parting with certain items at a later date, even though I asked myself the same question. With the major gear sell-offs I had, it was a matter of having a lot of valuable gear and no money, and needing the money more than the gear at that moment in time, so the gear got sold. It seems I've always regretted selling my photo gear in these situations. But it was a selective regret. Some items I missed, and still miss. Others I don't have any regrets over selling.

So if you're able to sort through your photo gear and set aside items that you feel you'll never use again, then you're probably safe. But if you can visualize any situation where it might still be useful, you might just want to hold onto it. Just sayin'.


PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I use both the 5D and 5Dii, and I actually prefer the latter. I keep the original for a backup.


PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I use 5D2 and MF lenses. Love it.


PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I use 5D MkII and have no problems with my MF lenses. Very Happy

Tamron SP 35-80 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/roses-survivors-tamron-35-80mm-f2-8-3-8-t34786.html

Old Alu Flektogon 4/20 :
http://forum.mflenss.com/m42-flek-4-20mm-pictures-t34095.html

Helios-40 1.5/85 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/helios-40-autumn-paintings-t33859.html

Biotar 2/58 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/biotar-2-58-for-mo-t33439.html

Samyang 1.4/85 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/gold-portrait-retriever-samyang-1-4-85-t33208.html
http://forum.mflenses.com/samyang-1-4-85-portrait-t33112.html

Flektogon 4/50 ; Volna-3 2.8/80 ; Samyang 1.4/85 :
http://forum.mflenses.com/flower-with-flek-4-50-volna-3-2-8-80-and-samyang-1-4-85-t33111.html

and a 102 years old lens on the 5D² :
http://www.petapixel.com/2010/09/17/102-year-old-lens-plus-canon-5d-mark-ii-equals-instant-vintage-photos/


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have no discretionary income, so if I wish to buy something, I must first sell something. When I had cash, I accumulated a number of lenses and cameras that I could not or would not use. Wanting more, I decided to sell those, and I earned a nice profit, and now I am a lens trader. Thus has my optics obsession become self-powered.

I still have many many lenses that I *might* use but haven't yet. Yes, I should test-shoot them more, to determine which are *really* keepers. Have I regretted any of my sales? Not really. Some buyers seem to think more of certain lenses than I did. One lens I thought had objectionable fringing was praised by the buyer for its sharpness. Our perceptions vary.

I have a few firearms, but no collection. I have a vast accumulation of photo gear, but no collection. I also have vast accumulations of games, of publications, works of art and craft, and rubber bands, but no collections. Some are items I do not 'use' but that are very satisfying to own, to view, to palpate, to cherish. What I cherish, I won't sell unless absolutely necessary. What I don't cherish, may end up on eBay next week.

Don't think about use or quality or merit. Think, "What do I cherish?" Keep those, sell the rest.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
RioRico wrote:

Don't think about use or quality or merit. Think, "What do I cherish?" Keep those, sell the rest.


Blimey - that's rather profound!! It's a jolly good way of thinking though. Let's see now, how many of my rifles do I actually "cherish"? not more than a few. How many lenses do I cherish? All of my L lenses, my EF 50mm f1.4 and some of my MF lenses. How many cameras do I cherish? The 5D, the 1DII - just - but neither the LX3 nor the Canon G5 infra red conversion.

But amongst the pile of "uncherished" there are tools which I find useful or very useful... see - I can't live by your philosophy alone. Crying or Very sad


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Keep your well known MF lenses, they are keep their value, sell unknown lenses and 5D. Currently 5D body have value, few years later it 's value will be lot less.
As I seen from 5D2 shooters this camera perform beautifully with any lenses including cheapest old ones.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Keep your well known MF lenses, they are keep their value, sell unknown lenses and 5D. Currently 5D body have value, few years later it 's value will be lot less.
As I seen from 5D2 shooters this camera perform beautifully with any lenses including cheapest old ones.

I do agree.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just to add that the 5DII not only will reveal the lens full capabilities but it will also enhance the weaknesses ..

Last edited by Keysersoze27 on Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:12 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
as a former rifle-nut, i'd like to know what rifles you will sell. i maintain an interest in vintage bolt-action rifles, if not ownership ...


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
fish4570 wrote:
as a former rifle-nut, i'd like to know what rifles you will sell. i maintain an interest in vintage bolt-action rifles, if not ownership ...


I hope I won't be punished for going off-topic here but definitely letting go of a Martini-Henry in .303 British, a .310 Cadet also Martini actioned, possibly a Valmet .22 target rifle, possibly other pre WWII .22 rifles. Hard decisions, hard decisions.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
tikkathree wrote:
fish4570 wrote:
as a former rifle-nut, i'd like to know what rifles you will sell. i maintain an interest in vintage bolt-action rifles, if not ownership ...


I hope I won't be punished for going off-topic here but definitely letting go of a Martini-Henry in .303 British, a .310 Cadet also Martini actioned, possibly a Valmet .22 target rifle, possibly other pre WWII .22 rifles. Hard decisions, hard decisions.


Treading warily here, given the MF Lenses policy on things political, I'd suggest that given the uncertain future for firearms ownership in the UK, I might be inclined to thin-out my collection drastically now and sink the money into whatever high-grade photo gear I really needed ... the political events of 1996 and 1997 are still a painful (and expensive) memory for many in the UK.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Though some might think I'm a lens hoarder, I actually am just focused on collecting (and using) one brand of lens. Vivitar in this case. I own many others but for now the concentration is on the Vivitars. I recently sold a few of my other brand lens to finance a camera upgrade to a Pentax K7. I only regret selling my Meyer-Gorlitz 300mm f/4 Orestegor pre-set lens. I do miss it and will probably get another when finances are better. There will be a lens or two you will regret selling but remember...you got them once so you can get them again. The new camera will take away some of that pain I'm sure.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I am no collector at all and at the moment I'm determined to trim down my collection to one lens in each focal length that I will use (maybe with one or two exceptions). I don't like to have lenses sitting unused -- if I don't use them all the time then there's not much use keeping them; I'd much prefer to sell most of my lenses and buy better good ones that I really love and get great results from.
Also, if I have multiple lenses in one FL, I'm almost certain not to take both of them with me when I go shooting, so it becomes a bit useless. I don't want to take a lens with me that is only good at one thing, because then I'm not flexible.


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A Martini-Henry !
Is this the rifle we see in the movie "Zulu" ?


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
tikkathree wrote:

I hope I won't be punished for going off-topic here but definitely letting go of a Martini-Henry in .303 British, a .310 Cadet also Martini actioned, possibly a Valmet .22 target rifle, possibly other pre WWII .22 rifles. Hard decisions, hard decisions.


How many rifles do you have? Shocked
What's the market price price for them?


PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
AhamB wrote:
I don't like to have lenses sitting unused

I try to take all mine out for a walk every now and then.

Quote:
Also, if I have multiple lenses in one FL, I'm almost certain not to take both of them with me when I go shooting, so it becomes a bit useless.

My carry-bag is likely to contain 18-250mm and 35-70mm zooms, and three Fifty primes: FA50/1.4 or Super-Takumar 50/1.4 or Tomioka 55/1.4, for speed; Macro-Takumar 50/2 (1:1) or Industar-50/3.5 (on tubes), for closing in; and an Exakta-mount CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (12 iris blades), for clarity and bokeh. I may also have a Schneider Betavaron 50-125mm enlarger zoom on 30mm tubes, for brutal sharpness and weird usage. The 35-70 is more agile and sharp than the 18-250 in that range; those Fifty's all have very different characters. All cover ~50mm, all in varied ways to varied ends.

A Nikkor 85/2 is also usually in my bag, but sometimes I'll take the Jupiter-9 85/2 or Vivitar 90/2.8 macro or Apos Elgeet 90/4.5 on bellows instead -- all very different views, all different than the 18-250 @85-90. The Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8, Enna Tele-Sandmar 100/4.5, Novoflex Noflexar 105/3.5 or Steinheil Culminar 105/4.5 on bellows, and Super-Takumar 105/2.8 all render ~100mm quite differently.

A lens is more than its focal length. Using lenses with different 'looks' forces my to look and see in different ways. Each lens is its own window on the world. I like many windows.


PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RioRico wrote:
A lens is more than its focal length. Using lenses with different 'looks' forces my to look and see in different ways. Each lens is its own window on the world. I like many windows.


I knew someone was going to say that. Smile Example how it works for me: I've had three different 28 mm's, but since I bought the Contax 28/2.8 I don't use the others anymore. I just sold a Vivitar 28/2 which was worth keeping, but I preferred to sell it and use that money to upgrade my other lenses to something of the level of my Contax 28, because it makes me not use my lesser lenses anymore. I love the simplicity of that. Smile

The thing for me is that I don't have many different older/cheap lenses that consisently give me results that I like. The Contax 28/2.8 almost never fails me. I have a Tokina 90/2.5 which has consistently given me great macro shots, but at infinity it lacks contrast and gives rather flat images, so I'm thinking about replacing it with a Contax 100/2.8, so that I have macro lens that can do landscape as well. For 50mm I'll probably get a Rokkor 58/1.2 for the bokeh and then another slower lens that's better at infinity (Zeiss MP50/2 would be ideal, but out of my budget atm).


PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olivier wrote:
A Martini-Henry !
Is this the rifle we see in the movie "Zulu" ?


The very same except that the ones used in the Boer wars were in a different calibre - .455/570 I think which was a black powder round using a paper wrapped bullet. The .303 came later and as an evolution to the problems experienced. I'm getting technical now aren't I? Better stop before I bore anyone. Mad


PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Himself wrote:


How many rifles do you have? Shocked
What's the market price price for them?


The answer to question 1 is usually along the lines of either
> depends who's asking/listening, or
> never quite enough, or
> about 50% (or possibly most) of the ones I want.

But I'm coming to a point where the answer might be more than I actually get chance to shoot every year.

This would be rationale enough to reduce the numbers but as most of them are old rifles which I don't do more than test fire or demonstrate once or twice a year too much shooting isn't something I want to do with any of them. Very Happy

The answer to your second question, my friend, is never straight. Unless you're down my way and buying? Razz Razz Razz

As is often the way with old things - such as our beloved MF lenses - some of them have more historic/intrinsic interest than monetary value. The parallel lies in 50mm MF lenses - not a lot of money but usually a lot of fun.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
BD, since I've been in that boat of having a lens (or camera) before but not now that I wish I still owned, what I find most annoying is the sometimes huge difference in prices between back then and now. Like Canon Rangefinder, for example. But then there are many other examples which are much cheaper now than they were back when I had a much larger collection, so I suppose things balance out. My biggest problem with respect to re-acquiring some of the lenses I used to own is that my finances now are quite a bit tighter than they were back then. Although I do hope and plan that this condition is temporary.
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