How we grade
Honest grading is the product. Every lens is inspected on three axes, combined into a single letter grade, and sold with its faults disclosed — photographed exactly as it is.
Three axes, one grade
Optical 50% · Mechanical 30% · Cosmetic 20%
Optical
50%Glass, coatings, internal clarity — what reaches your sensor.
Mechanical
30%Focus feel, aperture snap, zoom, mount — how it operates.
Cosmetic
20%Barrel, paint, glass surface marks — how it looks.
The grade scale
From mint to parts — no euphemisms.
Honest defect disclosure
Every lens is checked against these points — and the clears matter as much as the flags.
How this compares to KEH and MPB
The two global used-gear benchmarks, side by side with our standard.
| LensSeed | KEH (US) | MPB (UK/US/EU) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade basis | 3 weighted axes: optical 50% / mechanical 30% / cosmetic 20% | Cosmetic-based grade; function guaranteed unless noted | Overall condition rating per item |
| Defect disclosure | Per-copy checklist — fungus, haze, separation, oil, coating — clears shown too | Notable faults noted in listing | Notable faults noted in listing |
| Photos | The exact lens, as-pictured guarantee | Stock imagery for most items | The exact item photographed |
| Per-item certificate | QR-verifiable Certificate of Provenance & Condition | — | — |
| Service | CLA (clean-lubricate-adjust) where needed, disclosed with proof | In-house repair facility | Serviced as needed |
| Warranty | 90 days on every lens | 180 days | 6 months |
KEH and MPB set the bar for used gear worldwide — we borrowed their honesty and added what vintage glass specifically needs: per-axis optics-first grading and a certificate that stays with each individual lens.
AI drafts. A human confirms.
We use AI to help identify a lens and draft a cosmetic grade from photos — but no listing is ever published on an unreviewed AI grade. Optical and mechanical condition are assessed by hand, and a person signs off the final grade before a lens goes live.
Every lens carries a certificate
This grade and disclosure travel with the glass on a Certificate of Provenance & Condition — verifiable on-chain and as a physical card, so the story and the honesty stay with the lens.