First round of Tamron lenses added, along with a number of fixes on eBay listings for Sigma and Tamron. Prices should start trickling in during the next week!
Stayed up way later than I expected, but it is nice to have the big three makers for EOS mounts set up.
It also made apparent to me the utility of a database of lens name terms, acronyms, and numbers. Hopefully I’ll set that up in the next week or so.
I was going to write up a post about eBay searching but I think I’ll postpone it. I’d rather get an initial pass of Sigma and Tamron (EF and EF-S mount) lenses up on the site.
With luck, I should get the kinks out and the lenses posted within an hour.
Some notes on Sigma lenses:
(Later) Yikes. That was more trouble than I thought it’d be. But Sigma lenses are now up and (semi) functional.
Let’s face it… understanding lens names is difficult at best and downright frustrating sometimes.
For instance, take the new Sigma APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG MACRO HSM. EX? DG? HSM? APO? What the heck does all that mean? And how does it differ from the Canon Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM? What about the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM?
Ultimately, lens naming comes down to one basic idea:
Every letter counts.
Manufacturers try to cram a lot of information into lens names and that can make them very confusing. The key is to realize that small distinctions and differences in name can mean a very different lens. Not always, but sometimes.
The first method of distinguishing lenses is focal lengths, an optical feature of the lens that determines how the world will look through the viewfinder. Anyone familiar with photography knows that longer focal lengths means more ‘zoom’. More recently, lens makers have been specifically choosing focal lengths to help distinguish lenses. For instance, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG MACRO, and Tamron SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro all are meant for the same purpose (medium telephoto 1:1 macro lens), but have been given slightly different focal lengths to prevent confusion.
The second major way to tell lenses apart is aperture, or the amount of light a lens allows onto the film or sensor. Typically, larger apertures (smaller numbers) mean a more expensive and high quality lens. For instance, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II costs about $85 on the used market while the Canon EF 50mm f/1 L USM is rare and sought after and goes for more than $4000! Two lenses with the same focal length(s) and different apertures are going to be very different lenses.
Furthermore, lens makers usually have a ‘pro’ line that has better optical and build quality and fetches higher prices. Canon has the “L” series, Sigma has the “EX” series, Tokina has the “Pro” series, etc. Usually, these designations means something specific about the lens; for instance, the Canon “L” designation means that the lens has aspherical elements, but often the “L” lenses include other premium features like USM, weather sealing, etc.
Other letters in the names of the lens can designate specific mounts/compatibility (DI, DI-II, EF, EF-S, FD, etc.), autofocus motors (HSM, USM, AF-S, etc.), image stabilization (IS, OS, VC, VR), focus construction (IF, RF), optical elements (APO, DO, ED, UD, ED, SLD, etc.), coatings (S.C. and S.S.C. for those Canon FD enthousiasts), and even the number of optical elements (early Nikkon lenses had a dash and a letter (see table) that denoted the number of optical elements). It pays to pay attention to the specifics, because typically a little difference in letters can either mean a different lens or a mistake when listing the lens model. This can mean a huge difference in value, and you don’t want to be on the wrong end of an eBay listing mistake!
Finally, it should be noted that some manufacturers release different versions of the same lens and designate the difference with roman numerals, sometimes preceded by Mk or Mark. For instance, the Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 V USM is the last lens of somewhere between 6 and 8 versions! Sometimes the new version is better and fixes problems with the previous version; sometimes the new version is worse that its predecessor. For instance, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 I sells for 60% more than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II because the first version has a metal mount and sturdier construction than the second version. Typically, budget lenses tend to have more versions because sales volume is larger and lens makers are constantly striving to reduce costs. So, it pays to be aware of differences in versions!
Your best defense when looking for a used lens is to be aware of what versions exists, what the differences are, what typical prices are, and what they look like. Especially what they look like. I have gotten some deals on lenses since they were mis-listed and the seller did not know what they were selling, but I’ve also seen budget lenses mistakenly listed as more expensive lenses!
The UCDB Lens Database is a great way to compare lens prices and versions. Currently, there are 135 lenses in the database, every single Canon-made EF and EF-S lens I could find. So if you’d like to compare versions and prices, the database is a great place to start!
This would be a good time to discuss what is planned for the near future at the Used Camera Database.
Also, in terms of the blog, I’m going to make a more concerted effort to add content. Specifically, over the next week or two, I’m going to post regularly about the philosophy of the site and things I’ve learned while make it. In particular, I’ve learned a ton about classifying and searching for lenses on eBay that I’d like to share. These posts will generally be short, but my goal is to get out about one a day. So check back often (or subscribe using the links at right)!
So, stay tuned! If you have any suggestions, let me know!
I know very few are watching this space, if any, but I’m ok with that for now. I’m still trying to add more features and tweak things in the site. Specifically, in the last week, I’ve:
I’m going to keep tweaking and adding more lenses, and in a week or two I’ll start letting people know about the site. Until, then, I’m happy to keep traffic light because I often change things!
Well, kind of.
For those of you paying attention to this spot, you can access the lens database at http://www.usedcameradb.com/lenses/. I promised I’d release something this week, so I’m doing it.
That said, it is very much still a work in progress, and I’ve got a long list of features I want to add as time goes on. So do not be alarmed if things look odd for a while. But, do let me know if you find any bugs or problems!
It seems like whenever I have a good idea, I always find out later (i.e. after I do the work) that someone else already had the idea!
For instance, on my recent post, someone asked if I had seen Pixel Peeper before.
Well, uh, no… I hadn’t.
All those great ideas I’ve been planning and implementing? Pixel Peeper already has them! Historical prices, eBay listings, ratings, comments, specifications, etc. Pixel Peeper has already done it! With a nice interface too!
So, I spent a few hours debating about what I could add here that would add value beyond pixel peeper, and then it hit me in the face: Pixel Peeper is only digital. The Used Camera Database covers (will cover) all used cameras, including (or maybe especially) film cameras. So, that’s how UCDB will distinguish itself — a repository for all used cameras, even the film ones (which don’t seem to get much coverage elsewhere on the web since you can’t make much profit).
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While I’m at it, I should make a list of the various websites that include large databases of lens and camera information. Here are a few I’ve found — feel free to suggest more in comments!
Like I said, if you have others, leave a comment, and I’ll add it to this list!
See my other blog for the post.
(I’m too lazy to figure out how to post a full screen cap here right now)
Back up often.
And beware the rm functionality which does not query you for multiple file deletes.
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I accidently deleted all of my active php files. Luckily, many were still in emacs memory and I did have a semi-recent backup. Hopefully I won’t lose too much time.
I know that UCDB has been very quiet lately, but we have actually been making progress. The problem is that I am currently teaching myself PHP and web development (or, more appropriately, reteaching myself) and the result is a lot of redesigning and things progress as I figure out better ways to do things. The good news is that we have made a bunch of progress and we hope to have an alpha version of the site up (with a basic lens database) in the next week or two.
As a word of warning, UCDB will require a login for editing the database. We originally did not want to use a login because it’d be a pain to code, but we found a good basis for login scripts at http://php-login-script.com/. So, to view the database no login will be required but to edit the database you will need to log in. This will avoid database pollution and give UCDB a method to provide site customization down the road. For instance, if you have a Nikon camera, why should Canon lenses show up in your searches by default?
The login is simple, relatively secure (though no SSL at this moment), and keyed off e-mail addresses. UCDB will never send unsolicited e-mail or sell (or give) your information to any third party. Please register with your full name and use an appropriate password (we at UCDB cannot look at your password).
We’ll keep you posted on the alpha release!
