What has been your experience with BGN grade gear from KEH?

[Jeff Kubach]

I have great experience with BGH fron KEH.

Jeff

[narsuitus]

I usually only buy LN and EX condition equipment from KEH; however, I was very pleased with the one BGN lens I bought from KEH.

[Sirius Glass]

I have never bought BGN from KEH. I once bought UGLY and it was, but it worked. I usually stick to LN and EX and I have always been happy. Well, one polarizing filter was scratched and I got a much better one in exchange.

[PKM-25]

For the most part, I have had great luck with KEH, but I do find it is not an exact scale. In terms of glass, I usually buy EX or higher so it is easier to re-sell it if I choose to do so down the road. But I did buy a BGN lens recently, a Fujinon A 240mm F/9. It looks mint except that there is a barely noticeable coating haze on a third of the front element, testing revealed a tiny bit of flare in the most severe of sun angles. Then I had to return a EX lens that had a tiny but deep scratch in the front element and a sticky shutter ring, they gladly took it back.

Other than that, you can get good stuff from them, the return policy makes it a stress-free proposition.

[ic-racer]

Experience with KEH Bargain?

Pretty good when I'm looking for a repair project. Seriously. Sometimes the defect that leads to a BGN designation is easily corrected or insignificant. For example a BGN large format lens that is otherwise mint except for some internal haze that can be removed.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ighlight=125mm


Or a Topcor 210mm Large format lens rated BGN for $100 that is mint except for a few faint swirl scratches so faint that I can't even photograph them to show and a stiff aperture ring that was cleaned in 15 seconds after removing the two screws.

Sometimes it is a mystery. I got an unexpected non-fixable problem in a BGN 90mm Topcor Large Format lens that was one-dollar-per-millimeter ($90). The lens elements were severely separated. I still made a worthwhile project: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...highlight=90mm

Another mystery solved was the BGN $90 Topcor 150mm Large Format lens connected to the 300mm converter mounted on lensboard. The lensboard ears were bent and easily bent back to shape. The 150mm lens had an pristine shutter and pristine glass. There were moderate dings on the rear filter ring. That lens turns out to be the sharpest 4x5 lens I own. The 300mm converter was OK. It is a complex design with 7 elements and 14 surfaces. It was foggy and all 14 surfaces cleaned OK except for a single surface which had residual mild-to-moderate fog. I think it works fine, but I have no way to test it against a converter with all 14 surfaces clean. : http://www.largeformatphotography.in...l=1#post851820

Lastly, I got a BGN Fujinon 250mm lens for 8x10. I have had the lens 3 years and can't find any defect beyond 'brassing' from the lens caps. I thought I wasn't holding it to the light at the right angle to see some scratch or fog but it really is pristine. The price was not-so-bargain at $475 so maybe it was just under-graded.

[wharris]

I always buy bgn from them! and never disappointed with my buy!!!! even took a chance a bought a mamiya 80mm 1.9 on ugly and to be honest its in really great shape.

[kivis]

Best deal going.

[fstop]

cameras are meant as tools, not as prized possessions to covet and sit on display...

oh really?


KEH is always a better bet than junkbay, apples to apples the condition and function is better. I have a couple of bodies that were described as ex or nearly mint I bought off ebay that would barely make bgn at KEH.

[Pumalite]

It was some years ago, but it was good; several cameras and lenses. I was happy with everything. They were the guys I trusted the most. I don't know how it is today.

[snegron]

I only purchased one prism for my F3 in BGN condition from KEH; it looked really rough. I have purchased many EX. EX+ and LN- bodies and lenses from KEH; it is hit or miss with them. Some items look better than others within the same category.