30 http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Technique BUYSECOND HANDLENSES
OscarDewhurst
OscarDewhurstis a wildlifephotographer
andfilmmakerbasedin Bristol.Hehas
photographedwildlifeallovertheworld,
andhisimageshavebeenawardedin
prestigiouscompetitionsandwidely
published.Visitwww.oscardewhurst.com.Give a lens a ne
Formodestbudgets, short-termprojects orachangeinsystems,why not
investinsomesecond-handglass? Wespeaktoprofessionalstondouttheir
experiences and what advice they have to oer
MY FAVOURITE lens that I bought second-hand was
a Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4D ED-IF II back in 2013. As
a wildlife photographer, you are always after more
magnification, and you can’t do much better than a
600mm f/4. This model was pre-VR, and weighed
nearly 6kg without the camera body, but I didn’t
care; it was razor sharp and the autofocus was
lightning-quick. Sure, VR would have been nice, but
it cost far less than the more recent models, which
were almost double the price. I used it constantly for
a few years, before I moved on to a 400mm f/2.8,
and so sold the lens to a new, happy owner!
I’m always slightly hesitant to buy second-hand
photographic equipment, for the obvious reasons
that they are expensive bits of kit and you never
know how the previous owner(s) treated them.
However, over the years I have bought several
second-hand lenses, as I feel there is less that can go
wrong with them, and they go out of date slower
than camera bodies.
When buying a second-hand lens, there are several
things to look out for. I only buy from dealers (e.g.
Wex Photo Video, Mifsuds, MPB, London Camera
Exchange, etc), as they should have given the lens a
thorough check-over and service, and probably offer
a warranty period, so if a problem appears down the
line, you may be covered. Ideally, I would still check
over the lens in person before I send any payment.
Pay particular attention to scratches on the glass,
dents in the body and resistance in the zoom ring.
One good way to check the
glass is to shine a light
through it; this should
reveal any potential
fungus or dust clumps.
I also make sure I put it
on my camera and have
a test of the autofocus to
make sure there aren’t
any problems like a
squeaking focus motor
(which can indicate that it
may need to be replaced), or
any sticking.
Nikon AF S
600mm f/4D
ED IF II
Bought from a dealer
in 2013 and then
sold on to another
owner in 2018Red Deer stag and
Western jackdaw
picking ticks from
its ear, UK. Nikon D800,
Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4D ED-IF II,
1/320sec at f/4, ISO 320ne w lease of life