should I sell my 90mm?

[msbarnes]

I hope this doesn't come off as a sales ad as I am a subscribed member so I'm not avoiding fees.

I have a 90mm f2.8 Elmarit V1. I bought it because I have the 35 summaron and 50mm dr summicron and thought that it would match those two lenses best in terms of cosmetics/contrast/rendering.

Well I've owned it for about half a year and I have not used it much, once or twice. The reason why I don't use it is mostly because I love 120 for portraiture and would keep shooting 120 as long as they still make film (which I hope is many years to come). Now if 120 film ceased to exist, then I would honestly go digital with a FF RF or FF DSLR (I'm not sure which, I haven't thought about it much but I'm thinking in atleast 10 years as I think film will have a life for atleast that much time).

The reason why I want to sell it is because I simply do not use it and would rather buy gear that I use. I am selling a bunch of my gear so it isn't like this one lens is my major impediment.

Now I'm reluctant mostly because it is Leica. Although it is not expensive/rare/extremely desireable Leica prices tend to spike up very quickly over short time intervals and I would perhaps regret it in the future. What would you do? I guess, I'm used to selling gear that I know will not appreciate or will not appreciate too much (like SLR stuff) but this Leica RF stuff makes me uncomfortable. I am also eliminating a focal length (it would be different if I were to say replace a 50 cron with a 50 lux because I still have a 50).

Let it go or keep dead weight?

 

[vintagesnaps]

If I'm undecided I often just give it more time and hold off until I know for sure what I want to do. If you're not completely sure about selling it but go ahead and do so, once it's gone it's gone. If you wait there might be an opportunity to sell it in the future - perhaps you'll find something else you want and that will make the decision clear.

If you keep it for now and still find you hardly ever use it then at some point maybe it won't be worth hanging onto, but I agree it's the type lens you might regret selling if there isn't an immediate reason to do so.

 

[Bill Burk]

You never know when a large bird might land on a tree in your backyard and the 90mm will be just what you need to catch it.

(Yes, that describes the last shot I took with mine).

 

[rolleiman]

If you're uncertain, I'd hang onto it, a 90mm 2.8 Elmarit can't be that much "dead weight"? I too hope 120 film stays in production, but if it doesn't, I wouldn't go digital. After 10 years of enforced digital shooting, due to media demands; I was glad to exit the media world and get back to film. Digital is a financial "black hole" with "new improved" models quickly making your current model obsolete and plunging in value. (an "X" or an "S" added to the name does not constitute any practical improvement in my experience).
I was recently asked to supply a digital image I took back in 2003.....loading up the disc, I found most of the images seem to have "gone soft" and some had corrupted altogether. About the same time I'd scanned some black & white film negs. taken in the 1970's.....they were as sharp & contrasty as the day they were taken. I'd been told stored digital images on CD's were unstable, but hadn't personally experienced it till now.
To get back to your main point, I once sold a 105mm Nikkor lens that wasn't being used much at the time.....I regretted it after, and have since purchased another S/H. It's now used regularly with my film Nikons.......If it's a quality lens, then hang onto it.

 

[brucemuir]

you came to the wrong place to get someone to tell you to dump any gear hahah

 

[msbarnes]

you came to the wrong place to get someone to tell you to dump any gear hahah

Very true!

Yeah the digital thing was just a thought. Whenever I enter digital, I like it a lot, and then I get over it fast. I was thinking that maybe I should just invest in a ton of film instead! haha. Well that is besides the point.

About the lens, I'll give it more thought. It's unlikely that it will lose value so holding onto it isn't THAT big of a deal. It's just that some cameras/lenses I know I want to get rid of and some I am uncertain, as is this one. Most of them it is because of redundancy (I used to have 5 RF 50mm's!)but this one is my only tele. I appreciate your experience and advice.

 

[elekm]

You've made several solid arguments for selling the lens, but only one for keeping it. Camera gear as an investment rarely works out.

 

[brucemuir]

tele options for rf are always limited and imo they are a necessity. Almost always a bit shorter than what you'd be mounting up to your slr but heck, you've done the legwork now enjoy and shoot the lens some more.

I will admit that I favor teles :devil:

 

[cliveh]

I had one of these 90mm lenses, but very rarely used it and so I sold it and have never regretted it.

 

[cjbecker]

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

The best rule of thumb for selling your own gear is to figure out how much you can get for it, then decide- if you didn't have it and it was available for that price, would you buy it? If the answer is no, then sell it. If yes then you should keep it.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

I'd say that if you're strapped for cash and that's the reason to "release" some of your gear, then an educated decision needs to made which to get rid off. If, on another hand, this is not about getting purchasing power for some other needed gear, then I'd definitely keep it. Barring some new "disastrous" new development in imaging technology (digital was one) I think the market has leveled out and, if anything, most gear will improve in value from now looking forward.

 

[IloveTLRs]

Is that this lens here? I had one and sold it when I needed money. Last time I checked they went for around 2x what I originally paid. I regret selling it: not too heavy, nice, round blades made for smooth out of focus areas, and it was great for both B&W and color.