Hi Zuiks:
A list member recently asked about buying from KEH. Specifically, he
asked about KEH "bargain" grade lenses.
Generally, KEH is very conservative in their quality grading. I
received an order from KEH today that consisted of two items: an
ever-ready case marked "excellent" and a T-20 flash marked "Bargain".
The case had a tiny amount of wear on the "snout" half of the case.
There were two tiny marks on the "body" half of the case. I suspect
that a little black shoe polish would fix this up. For the cost ($19) I
would rate this a good deal.
The T20 still had the Japanese "Passed" sticker in place. There was
some light scratching of the case, but nothing terrible. The lens and
battery compartment were clean. For the cost ($16) I would rate this as
an excellent deal.
In the case of a lens, I would call them, and ask them to describe the
condition of the glass. You have 14 days to return an item if you are
unsatisfied with the quality. I would shoot a quick roll of film with
the lens, and have it processed by a one-hour mini-lab. Shoot in as
many different conditions as possible (with and without lens hood, with
flash, angular structures, subjects with a lot of detail, etc.)
Is KEH perfect? No. I'm irked that all of the "1" and "2" series OM
bodies have been stripped of their hot shoes. Their lenses typically do
not include either a front or rear cap, unless the description indicates
that caps are included. Having said that, I believe that they are are a
reputable and "safe" place to purchase OM gear.
BTW, they have two OM-2S bodies in the "as-is" section. Both are rated
as inoperative. KEH "Bargain" for $69, and KEH "Excellent" for $99. I
recently bought an inoperative Winder 1 from them for $23 that only
required cleaning of the contacts to bring back to life. I don't know
if lightning will strike a second time!
Bill Stanke