when you buy a lens...

I read once that the the secret to being a good photographer is not letting people see your bad pictures. That is relevent here because I think our talent or skill is ever changing (at least if we work at being better). So I believe we buy lenses or any other gear with an idea of what we hope to accomplish and then find out if we have the skill/ talent to pull it off. I would not decide against buying a piece of gear because I wasn't yet talented enough - I would hope to learn to make the most of its potential. How successful any of us are is debatable.
 
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i usually buy the best if the price is right AND i can afford it. Otherwise, i buy the best that my money can buy (not money in general :) )

Photography is pleasurable for me, so whatever pleases me most really! :)
 
If I bought according to my talent, well, I'd probably be looking in the Holga section for lenses. I buy a lens for what it might do. Sometimes it works out too.
 
these days i think more about focal length than ultimate lens quality. and also size...thinking about a different 50 for instance...the cv 2.5 is pretty sharp, solid and small, do i want to trade that package for maybe a 'better' lens but one that is bigger? not really.

afa talent is concerned...i think my money is better spent elsewhere ;)
 
SciAggie said:
I read once that the the secret to being a good photographer is not letting people see your bad pictures. That is relevent here because I think our talent or skill is ever changing (at least if we work at being better). So I believe we buy lenses or any other gear with an idea of what we hope to accomplish and then find out if we have the skill/ talent to pull it off. I would not decide against buying a piece of gear because I wasn't yet talented enough - I would hope to learn to make the most of its potential. How successful any of us are is debatable.
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I think this is good advice. I'd also add that sometimes we don't always realize how good (or bad) some of our own stuff is/can be until much time has passed between you and the act of photographing it. There's a lot of snapshots that I have from earlier in my photographic endeavors that I think is quite good, but can't be printed or displayed beyond the confines of the web because it wasn't shot with a decent camera.

Knowing that your gear is always up to the task is a wonderful feeling, and one that pushes me to improve my side of the photograph.
 
Lately, when looking at lenses that I might be considering I look at what they are capable of producing...
Before buying the Takumar 50mm 1.4 lens I researched what it could produce...I liked what I saw and knew that I would like using it...A super-sharp lens with great contrast...
I bought a Tessar lens for the 4x5 because I like the soft (but sharp) images it would give...
I bought the Vivitar Series 1 135mm 2.5 lens mainly because it had a Cult following and it was faster that the one I already had...as it turns out I do like it's image quality...
The Nikon 85mm 1.4 AF lens I bought because it fulfilled the snobby part of me...I had to learn to like that one...if I had to get rid of any lens that one might be the first to go...
These days I do more research before buying...I look for something with character...
 
Love the wide lenses,24mm was my everyday carry .Now working with a 19mm .Still got lots to learn though. Nice stuff for a no talent like me:)
 
SciAggie said:
I read once that the the secret to being a good photographer is not letting people see your bad pictures. That is relevent here because I think our talent or skill is ever changing (at least if we work at being better). So I believe we buy lenses or any other gear with an idea of what we hope to accomplish and then find out if we have the skill/ talent to pull it off. I would not decide against buying a piece of gear because I wasn't yet talented enough - I would hope to learn to make the most of its potential. How successful any of us are is debatable.
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That is why you don't see any of my pictures here on this forum:(
 
I buy a lens as part of a system - to work with a viewfinder/body/format I like. Several years ago I bought the 35/2 Summicron ASPH on reputation and expectations: I'm happy with it but my photos are no better than they would be if I had stayed with the Voigtlander 35/2.5. Thirty five is the only length I need in RF. These days, and in other systems I'll buy the best I can afford at the time in the particular focal length I want. I wanted a 28 for the OM-1 but can't justify spending a lot just now, and have just bought an OM 28/3.5 for $35 (with caps, case and shade). Not as sexy as the f/2 version but it's sharp and I know it won't stop me making good photos.
 
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I think more about the potential shots I could take with the lens/situations where it would be useful. So, I guess a combination of the two?

efirmage said:
(...) sometimes we don't always realize how good (or bad) some of our own stuff is/can be until much time has passed between you and the act of photographing it.(...)
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That's a good point. I recently went through some old binders filled with negatives that I haven't seen in years to scan them and found a lot of shots I really like now, but hated when I developed them.
 
Sometimes I get lucky. Would seem a shame to get lucky with a bad lens.

I get the best I can afford. Well....I guess that means I always a have poor lens out front. :D
 
I buy a lens because I think it fits something that's missing from my kit.
Or because I just want to give it a good test drive. Thoughts of my own skill level would never enter the equation. I'm really not sure why they would for any buyer.
 
Life is too short. I buy what I want regardless as to if some other person thinks I deserve it. There is always going to be people who think you suck at whatever you do and who think you don't deserve something. That's their issue, not mine.
 
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