5 tips on buying a camera lens (contd..)

Tip 1 (Consider your use): Lenses have their own specific uses. Don't go in for a lens before taking a detailed look at what your needs are. Consider the case of a friend of mine who always hankered for a zoom lens, and then bought a 80-200 zoom lens. After buying it, a few months later he realized that he had not utilized the lens significantly, and then realized that there were few situations where this lens is required. So, evaluate your need, and then go ahead for the purchase.

Tip 2 (Do an intensive study of your needs): There are a whole host of questions you should ask yourself before you go in for a lens. Some of these questions are:
- Do you need them for specialized work such as wildlife or sports photography: This would mean that you need zoom lens, but with a good constant aperture. The lens is likley to be more expensive
- Are you more interested in portraits or wedding events: Less need of a zoom lens, and more to get a prime lens or a normal high aperture lens
- Interested in macro photograhy: Take lens that are more suited to macro photography
- Interested in normal city life / urban life, along with capturing street level views: Might want to consider a wide angle lens, since that will give you a greater coverage. Would need to explore to buy a lens that give you a good quality in such shooting
- Interested more in night and low light photography: There are lens that work fast in such a situation
- Interested in shooting for stock purposes: Carefully review and evaluate the lens so that the quality of the lens is high, else the photos will have defects or will not be totally sound

Tip 3 (Set a budget): Once you set a budget, it helps in making your mind up more easily. Else you may get tempted by the technical specifications of a lens and spend more money that you really wanted to

Tip 4 (Ask around, friends and forum): If you have friends who are avid photographers, or somebody who is in a business related to photography, or you are a member of a photography club or forum, there is nothing wrong in outlining your needs and asking for a recommendation. It will be far easier for you to come close to a specific lens decision this way.

Tip 5 (Read and learn more about the lens): The internet is a wonderful resource for learning more about a lens you may have selected. There will be a large number of reviews, and it might help you in confirming your selection, or learning that there are serious deficiencies because of which you dropped your current lens selection.

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