Used Lens Grading

With every purchase from Lensrentals, you have 3 business days to inspect the equipment and return it for a refund of the purchase price if you aren’t completely happy. But we want you to be happy, and we think an accurate description of the equipment we are selling is critical in accomplishing that. We rate our used gear as described below (we would rate a brand-new, in-the-box lens at 10/10).

Camera Lenses

First, in every case there will be some mild scuffs or scratches on the plastic lens hoods and caps, and paint scratches around the tripod foot of large telephoto lenses. Also, every lens (even new from the factory) will have a bit of dust inside that in no way affects image quality but can be seen if you look through the lens carefully.

• 9/10 Very small scratches or wear on the barrel paint, visible on close inspection. Glass, mechanical, and electrical systems perfect.
• 8.5/10 May have one of EITHER very small hairline scratches or pinpoint coating marks (so called ‘cleaning marks’) on the front element, visible only on close inspection or with a hotlight,OR larger scratches or scuffs on the lens barrel paint. Glass, mechanical, and electrical systems perfect.
• 8/10 May have slight mechanical stiffness in a zoom ring or focus ring (but not both) that is noticeable but clearly does NOT affect performance after careful testing. Glass may have very small hairline scratches or pinpoint coating marks (so called ‘cleaning marks’) on the front element, barrel paint will have small scratches.
• 7.5/10 Instead of cleaning marks, the glass may have actual scratches, no more than 1/16th inch in diameter, that we have tested to not cause flare in direct light (the only thing a scratch can really do), OR there may be internal dust that is very noticeable but, again, has been tested to not cause loss of contrast or light transmission.
• 7/10 A lens that still, after testing, gives image quality expected of a new copy, but that has some significant defect: large paint flakes on the barrel, scratches on the front element, etc., but provides excellent image quality at a bargain price.

A quick summary: most photographers who take good care of their gear have 8 or 8.5 lenses in their bags. Most outdoor pros are carrying 7.5 or lower rated lenses by our scale. By our scale, anything lower than 7 would begin to affect image quality or function and we do not sell them — if it’s cost effective they go back to the factory for repair, if not they get donated to schools, taken apart for demonstrations, etc.

Camera Bodies
All bodies function perfectly or we do not sell them. (In fact, about 1/3 of our bodies never get sold. Body repairs are expensive enough that many cameras have to be written off or used as our test cameras.) All used cameras will have a bit of dust in the viewfinder if you look carefully, but since this is not in the light path of the sensor, it does not show up on the image.

• 9/10 Minor cosmetic issues visible only on close inspection or under angled light: small scratches on the body, cleaning marks on the LCD screen, etc. In the original box with paperwork, software and all accessories.
• 8/10 Obviously a used camera, with scratches or scuffs on the body that are readily visible at arms length, scratches on the LCD that can be seen with the LCD turned off but are basically invisible when there is an image displayed. In the original box with paperwork, software and all accessories.
• 7/10 Same ss 8/10 but not in the original box, comes with battery and charger but no other accessories.