Six Essential Tips to Help You Choose Your Next Lens

"What lens should I buy?" It is the question I have seen countless times over the years in so many forums. It's the question I get from friends — the never-ending question. There is only one problem: the lens you should buy really all depends on you! What lens do you love? How do you like to photograph? Where do you photograph? Do you have space to back up so you can use a long lens? What do you like?

How to Decide What Lens to Buy

1. Look at what your current limitations are. Do you often find that you wish your lens could go wider or that you could zoom in more? My first camera came with a kit lens, so I couldn't go very wide. I found that when I traveled, I wished I could back up even more, so my first lens purchase was a wide angle lens. That was the lens that addressed my most immediate need at the time. You might find that you prefer to zoom in and get closer without being obtrusive to your subject. Your needs will be different than mine.

2. Do you often want to take photos in low-light situations? You will want to consider lenses with larger aperture openings. I love to photograph in low light without a flash, the night sky, and in venues that do not allow flash photography. I have only lenses that are f/2.8 or even faster. That way, I can photograph in dark settings or at night without having to increase the ISO quite so high.

3. Do you plan to upgrade your camera body in the future? If so, make sure your lens will work with future camera bodies. That first wide angle lens that I purchased was an EF-S lens, which only works on the cropped sensor line of Canon cameras. Once I moved to a full-frame camera, my beloved wide angle no longer worked with that body. For Canon gear, the EF lenses work on all camera bodies. The EF-S lenses are built for the crop sensor camera bodies only. Investigate the lenses you are considering to see if they will work across all camera lines for that brand.

4. Try before you buy! Look to see if local stores in your area rent camera gear. Network with local photographers, and see if someone will loan you a piece of gear for you to test out. Rent gear to try out for a longer term. Many companies not only rent lenses, but camera bodies, flashes, and a lot of other items! This has saved me a lot of money over the years! I rented lenses that I thought I really wanted, only to discover that I didn't love them as much as I thought I would. Renting is also an excellent option for making sure you have backup gear when you need it if you are just starting out as a professional photographer.

5. There is no such thing as right or wrong gear. Buy what works best for you. Sell it if it isn't working. I started out with lenses that everyone told me were essential, must-have lenses. Some of them I simply did not like to use, and I passed them on to my second photographer when I was still photographing weddings. With my style of photography and how I like to work, I have had to experiment to find what the perfect fit is for me. Do what is right for you.

6. Use sites like the Fstoppers Community, 500px, and Flickr to your advantage. When I first was acquiring gear, I would study photos that I loved, and then I'd look at the camera EXIF data to see what gear was used. After a while, I noticed trends of what I was drawn to, and those were my first purchases. 

Using these tips, and you will be well on your way to purchasing gear that is perfect for you! Remember, it is not a challenge to see who can have the most gear. You're not a winner if you have thousands of dollars of gear and it is just gathering dust! Gear is expensive, so be wise in your purchasing decisions. You will have more money left over in your travel budget to go and explore great destinations that way!