Opinions on buying Sigma 17-50 From eBay

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DonnieZ

Senior Member
Thinking about pulling the trigger on a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 HSM OS. I'd love to have the Nikkor, but the price swing is just WAY too big for me to justify it as a hobbyist. If I made my income with the lens, maybe..

I see wildly swinging prices on this lens.. like $469 from Amazon, $399 from Amazon, and as low as like $307 for a new copy from eBay sellers in the United States.

What's the deal here? What's the pitfalls of buying this off of eBay? The sellers have good feedback and many for sale.

Is warranty the driver here? How likely am I to need a warranty on this lens? Of the four lenses I own in my signature, I've never had a lick of trouble with them, but admittedly they are Nikkor lenses.

Help me out - If it's as good as it seems I'll probably order it today.
 
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salukfan111

Senior Member
Why are you looking for 17-50? Just curious, but there are a lot of Nikkor and other lens available used on Ebay dirt cheap, especially if your camera has a focus motor inside of it. A 30 year old Nikkor should outlast a new sigma so don't get hung up on "new". An 18-35 plus a 35-70 nikkor f/2.8 together would be just a little more than the price of what you're looking at.
 
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DonnieZ

Senior Member
Well, I like the idea of VR/OS and the internal focusing motor for faster and quieter focusing. Not that quiet is a huge thing, but it is a benefit.

Though a little more range would be nice, I think 18-35 and 35-70 I'd be swapping lenses a lot.

I do have the D7100 and it does have the focus motor.

I'm kind of looking to buy a fast midrange zoom to replace my 18-55 3.5-5.6 so I can give that and the D40 to a family member who I think would be interested in photography.




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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I'm always skeptical when buying from eBay ... buyer beware and all that. My preference is to buy sight seen, but for the right piece and price, I could give eBay a gamble.

I don't know much about that lens so hard for me to say, but I would make sure you have the ability to return and/or buyer protection in case the cheaper price is because it's gray market or not as advertised.
 
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