Like most photography hobbyists, I acquired my first camera lens as part of a package deal when I bought my first digital SLR camera. It was a fairly nice Pentax lens, but it had limits. I started trying to decide which lens to buy to complement it and was quickly overwhelmed. There are so many lenses and some of them seem almost alike. However, they can differ in price by literally thousands of dollars. So, I started to ask the same question you've probably been asking, "Which lens should I buy?" Then, I got the same answer you probably have been getting. Yup. "It depends."
Since that answer isn't really helpful, I started to do some research. I found out that it really does depend. However, answering some follow up questions will help you get an answer that will actually allow you to narrow down your options and buy that second lens.
What Do You Like to Photograph?
I take a ton of portrait photos and I also am into birding with my camera. Those two interests are completely opposed. I won't be pulling out a 400mm telephoto lens to shoot a portrait of the kids cuddling on the sofa and I doubt I'll be grabbing my "nifty 50" to try to get a shot of that incredible eagle soaring overhead.
However, you may only be interested in photographing your kids while they are playing in sporting events or in recording family events for your scrapbooking hobby. In either of these cases, a fairly fast zoom lens, such as Tamron's 70-200mm f/2.8 lens would be able to handle most shots and comes in well under the $1000 price tag of most 2.8 lenses.
What Is Your Budget?
I'd adore a great 600mm prime for capturing some of those fantastic eagle shots I miss with my 300mm lens. I can't bring myself to spend thousands on a lens that would be strictly a hobby lens, though. I know my budget for a hobby lens is $500 or less. Maybe your budget is $100 or even $50. You'll probably never own an awesome telephoto lens for that amount, but a nice 50mm f/1.8 is a good possibility.
Are You Positive This Is the Camera Brand for You?
I invested pretty much money in my Pentax lenses. I ultimately decided to switch to Canon because the telephoto lenses I wanted just aren't available for Pentax and, while I can't afford to buy them all for eagle spotting, I can rent them very reasonably for my Canon camera body. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have gotten quite so many Pentax lenses right away.
Do You Plan to Stay a Hobbyist?
If you don't plan to become a pro, do you really need a 50mm f/1.2 prime instead of the much cheaper f/1.8? Pros use their gear a lot harder than most hobbyists and need the more expensive lenses because they are built to really withstand a lot of wear and tear. Do you need to buy all the lenses you want or can you just rent some of them for the occasional shots you want to capture? Thinking hard about these questions before you buy can really help you make the right decision.
While there is no right answer to the question of which lens you should buy, asking yourself some hard questions can help you make a decision.
Katelyn Thomas - If you can't find me in the spring, I'm out hiking through the wood with a few pounds of photography gear strapped to my back. In the ...
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