I recently picked up a new lens that I did a bit of research on. I'm not into gear fanboi obsessing. I know from experience in any craft or art technique derived from much practice and experimentation is far more important than any piece of equipment. My goal in wanting and obtaining this lens was to give me a good optical tool that would allow me to do good sharp street photography (with auto focus) where often I need to respond very quickly, and also be able to do nice Depth of Field for selected still life shots(where I can use manual focus to dial in the desired dreamy bokeh). I chose a Pentax DA 40 2.8 pancake lens which is extremely small and light-truly an ideal walk around lens.
I bought this second hand here from a local EBay-type site. In fact EBay is one of the partners behind it. The site is a bit more confusing than EBay in that it has many more options for payment and delivery, and oddly enough(PayPal is an EBay company) it doesn't offer PayPal payment option. That was the one point that really had me a little concerned making a purchase from an unknown seller. PayPal offers a return option and will get involved if you buy an item that has been misrepresented or is problematic. Well I fond a really good price but the seller's initial terms were cash up front and then item would be sent. I clicked buy and then afterwards asked seller if he'd be willing to accept a COD via 7-11 store option. The seller was amenable and ended up canceling out the first deal and making a new one that fit my request which I agreed to. His deal terms mentioned condition of lens was new, complete packing materials and documents were in tact, etc. After a couple of days I received notification that the lens had arrived at the store near me and I went and got it. I couldn't believe how clean and new looking the lens and related materials were. The seller still e-mailed me and reminded me if I wasn't happy within one week I could return it.
The bottom line-I got an excellent lens from an honest seller for a very attractive price. It's a great feeling when you take a chance and a stranger is both honest and honorable...
