Investing in glass can be a long and drawn out process and it’s definitely one that you don’t want to rush when it can be such a large commitment. Photographer James Popsys has put together an excellent short video to talk you through some of the major elements to consider — including some ideas that you probably won’t have thought of — when making your decision.
Popsys and I share one major concern: weight. As a minimalist and frequent traveler, this is one of the biggest factors when it comes to choosing new gear. My workhorse is the meaty Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II which, compared to the rest of my set up, is a real lump in my camera bag. Having recently switched to the Sony a7III, trimming down on weight has become something of a priority: I can’t remember the last time I headed out with my other L series lens, the 24-70mm f/2.8, instead preferring to pack a couple of tiny, super lightweight primes instead (and you can read my review of the Samyang 35mm and 24mm f/2.8 lenses here). Like many photographers, my gear has evolved with my work, and ten years ago I thought I needed a heavy, fast zoom to get my results; I’ve since realized that’s simply not the case. The beauty of hindsight!
Popsys has some real nuggets of advice tucked away in this video, such as an excellent alternative to staring at graphs of information regarding corner sharpness, and how the money spent on a lens reaches a point of diminishing returns. If you've more suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments below.
Weight--age and injury can sure make weight a prime consideration.