Medium format lenses last a long time and hold their value well, which makes them ideally suited to buying used. The most important thing is to choose the right mount for your camera — an XCD lens, for example, belongs on a Hasselblad X2D 100c or Hasselblad 907X CFV 100C, a GF lens on a Fujifilm GFX 100 II or Fujifilm GFX 50S II, and in the same way every system has its own connection. Not sure? Filter by the subcategory for your mount and you can't go wrong.
What should you look out for with used medium format glass?
Check the glass for scratches, fungus and dust, and see whether the aperture works smoothly. With autofocus lenses such as the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR or the Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR, quick, quiet focusing is important; with older manual optics such as the Hasselblad XCD 55mm f/2.5 V, you look above all for a smooth focus ring and a clean aperture. All lenses on Camera-tweedehands.nl are professionally inspected and sorted by condition, so you know exactly what you're buying. On top of that you get a minimum 12-month warranty and 14-day returns — handy if a lens turns out not quite to suit the way you work after all.
Who is medium format for?
Medium format is the choice of portrait, fashion, landscape and product photographers who want to get the most out of detail, colour and tonal transitions. If you work in the studio or print large, you'll notice the difference straight away. For those just starting out, the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR, the Hasselblad XCD 80mm f/1.9 (sharp portrait prime) and the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR (classic studio portrait) are often smart starting points; after that you build up your set with a wide-angle and possibly a macro or telephoto.
New versus used
For many photographers, used is the logical route into medium format. You pay considerably less than new, while the optical quality remains identical — glass simply doesn't wear the way electronics do. Combine a used lens with a used body and you build a complete pro set for a fraction of the new price.
