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.
Click to expand...

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...
 
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.
Click to expand...

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.(...)
Click to expand...

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. 😀
 
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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