This is just me , but personally, I would never spend more than a few hundred dollars on a lens I could not hold in my hand and inspect at time of purchase.
I understand that everyone is different and not everyone has camera stores in town. The rub is that the convenience of online purchasing brings with it many other headaches. I also often see people reviewing lenses that have absolutely abused the return policy for no other reason than to create review content.
B&H is good company, so Is KEH and Best Buy. They are all equally trying to navigate the currently difficult waters of rising costs.
I personally would not buy a lens from Best Buy because I'm not a big fan of that store, that's just me though. I have shopped there and returned a bluetooth speaker I bought and I had no trouble with return.
I understand that everyone is different and lens variation is a real issue for people . I also believe that return policy is a false safety net for piece of mind. You could return something you think is broken that is actually fine because close up pictures of bricks make you think your lens is doing something.
I am not meaning to sound difficult or adversarial , I am saying that for the average person who shoots pictures for fun and enjoyment , they might not even know their lens is de-centered . They just enjoy the lens and take pictures. For the people that require absolutely pristine condition lenses , I would always suggest buying used from a person who shares and understands their zeal for perfection, or buying from a place you trust you can return if lens fails to deliver adequately to your expectations.
ebwkiw wrote:
This is just me , but personally, I would never spend more than a few hundred dollars on a lens I could not hold in my hand and inspect at time of purchase.
I understand that everyone is different and not everyone has camera stores in town. The rub is that the convenience of online purchasing brings with it many other headaches. I also often see people reviewing lenses that have absolutely abused the return policy for no other reason than to create review content.
B&H is good company, so Is KEH and Best Buy. They are all equally trying to navigate the currently difficult waters of rising costs.
I personally would not buy a lens from Best Buy because I'm not a big fan of that store, that's just me though. I have shopped there and returned a bluetooth speaker I bought and I had no trouble with return.
I understand that everyone is different and lens variation is a real issue for people . I also believe that return policy is a false safety net for piece of mind. You could return something you think is broken that is actually fine because close up pictures of bricks make you think your lens is doing something.
I am not meaning to sound difficult or adversarial , I am saying that for the average person who shoots pictures for fun and enjoyment , they might not even know their lens is de-centered . They just enjoy the lens and take pictures. For the people that require absolutely pristine condition lenses , I would always suggest buying used from a person who shares and understands their zeal for perfection, or buying from a place you trust you can return if lens fails to deliver adequately to your expectations. ...Show more →
Completely agree with you about this…
Most people would never know if their lens was decentered.
It is reassuring to know if something you are buying is “PERFECT”… but I leave that to others. I rarely buy new… usually buy from trusted members here.
I appreciate the effort that our “testers” here do. I would never have the patience to order and test multiple copies.
It pays off for me to test and get a great copy. I work for pay and sometimes these details are extremely important for my bottom line my bank account. Also I’m held up to the highest standard by my clients. They hire me they know I will deliver the goods. It’s not just about a lens but about your reputation which has followed me most of my whole life. That’s a long time and you want or at least I want my best foot forward as a business and a shooter. It’s a pretty simple attitude for me . Buy the best deliver beyond that.
