By Eugene Struthers
In this final step to finding a suitable lens for your needs. I would like you to consider all your options carefully.
Although, there are six steps. And each step is as important as the previous. You must draw on your knowledge and experience when seeking out a lens with purpose.
The six steps you have completed will serve as a guide. Allowing you to have reason and sound judgment for your choice.
When you have marked each step with a selection. Go back to the choices you have made and ask yourself. Can I derive a dual purpose from this one lens? Can it be a tool for me to multitask in my journey as a photographer?
Do all six steps meet your criteria and serve their main aim? Or will you be lost in a plethora of jargon and technical information? Or will you just pick a lens on a whim, and hope for the best?
Try to form a link between each step. Don’t rush into purchasing a lens until you have reviewed every possible option. And are 100% sure what type of lens you require. Seek advice and guidance from lens groups, forums, and websites, or join a photography association, etc.
There is a maze of information to sift through. It may cloud your judgment and even lead you astray. Stay loyal to the guide and this won't happen.
With knowledge comes wisdom. The six steps have taught you the basics. And there is still so much to learn about lenses. Each step you have followed has taken you on a lens journey. We will continue on this journey together when we delve into the study of lenses in more detail in the
Click here: Photography course.
But for now.
Well done. Congratulations. You now have the keys and knowledge to find a suitable lens.
Use them wisely, lens hunter.
The six-step guide you have just completed will assist you in narrowing down your search criteria and allow you the added option of reviewing every selection you have made. You are now a lens hunter, Each step will give you the confidence to know that you are making the right decision. The decision you make in each step will link to the next. Decide what you need, what you want, and what you require. This guide will save you time and money.
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C
Katja has recently purchased a new Canon 80d digital SLR camera that came with an 18- 55mm
f/3.5 - 5.6 kit lens.
At her local pub, a group of glamour models have found out about her new purchase. And have asked her to photograph them for a charity topless football calendar.
The calendar is for a local charity associated with a local hospice. To help send terminally ill patients to the USA for a holiday.
Katja knows how important this calendar will be to the girls, and she doesn't want to let them down.
She only has her kit lens and knows how to capture a proper set of images for their calendar. She will require a better lens. One more suited with the capabilities and functions to make the day a success.
She knows that she will need to be in the mix with the glamour models as she photographs them from the sidelines. And the only way she will be able to zoom in and out as they run around and across the field as they kick the football. Will be if she has a "Telephoto to telephoto lens". This type of lens will allow her to capture all the actions of the topless players. As the game heats up.
After reading Glamour-Photography magazine. Katja decides that as she has a Canon camera, the lens must be canon as well. She also knows that she will require a zoom lens so that she can get up close to the models as they play topless football on the field.
Katja isn't too sure what maximum aperture lens to purchase. So she does a bit of research on the internet and decides. That she would need a Maximum aperture, just to cover herself. As the weather hasn't been that great in the UK. And she kind of knows that it is bound to rain or drizzle or just be an overcast day. So she isn't going to take any chances.
She isn't too confident with her new camera, and she doesn't want the added extra worry about lens settings. So she decides on a lens with a constant maximum aperture. So that she can have full control of the settings herself. This will allow her to put all her focus and attention on capturing crystal-clear images of the topless players as they run around the field.
Katja is brand loyal and doesn't know anything about third-party lenses. So she decides to purchase a Canon lens. To get her through the topless calendar day. She knows that she will probably purchase a third-party lens as well in the future. But has no rush to do so immediately.
When it comes to lens features. Katja doesn't have a clue where to start and what to look for. She decides to leave it until she has gained enough experience in the use of all basic functions of her camera first. Before making a decision.
The glamour models have decided to help Katja out by donating £200. She can add this to her existing budget and get a better lens. She now has more options available to her.
Katja's total budget for a new lens is £650.
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Katja’s lens search results:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
1) Click here: Lens decision 1 (Price £615.55)
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
2) Click here: Lens decision 2
(Price £585.00)
Canon EF 200mm f2.8 L USM MKII Lens
3) Click here: Lens decision 3
(Price £650)
Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD, Canon EF Fit
4) Click here: Lens decision 4
(Price £539)
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II US
5) Click here: Lens decision 5
(Price 580)
Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
6) Click here: Lens decision 6
(Price 439)
Katja is struggling to find a suitable telephoto lens with a f/2.8 zoom aperture constant
for her £650 budget.
She kind of gets the impression off the websites, that if she increases the f/2.8
to f/3.6 or even a f/4.0 aperture. She would find more lenses in her price range.
She decides to go to amazon and ebay.
Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4.0 L USM Lens
1) Click here: Lens decision 1
(Price 519)
Compared to
Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens
2) Click here: Lens decision 2
(Price 1,679)
Used lens:
Canon EF 70 mm - 200 mm F/2.8 (IS) mki
A) Click here: Lens decision A
(Price £550)
Tamron SP A001 70-200mm f/2.8 LD AF IF Di Lens For Canon (£416.58)
B) Click here: Lens decision B
(£416.58)
D
When Katja decided to purchase a Canon camera. She never thought that she would be using it straight away to help her friends out. As she didn’t even have a lens other than the kit lens that came with the camera in the box. She was lost and had no idea how to go about finding a suitable lens. She knew nothing about lenses and had no clue how they worked.
It was only after being asked to do the topless football calendar photo shoot for her glamour model friends. In that, she started to do some research on the types of lenses and techniques glamour photographer use. That’s when she stumbled across the Glamour-photography magazine website and the “6-Step lens guide”. She was apprehensive at first. As she thought, all glamour was just porn. But after carefully sifting through all the material. She found out that a lot of it is actually very arty and creative. She discovered that the guide was actually really easy and simple to understand and follow. And the website had clearly defined definitions on the various types of glamour. The website’s lens guide laid the foundation on how to find a suitable lens. For a newbie photographer who had no inclination of where to start. This was just perfect and exactly what she was looking for. She knew that this guide would save her money and time. As she only had a budget of £400 for a new lens. She didn’t want to waste money purchasing a lens that wouldn’t serve its purpose on the day.
To help Katja out and make the day a success. Her glamour model friends contributed £200 to her existing budget. As a thank you for stepping in at the last minute and saving their charity fund-raising event.
Instead of searching for a cheap, inexpensive lens. Katja knew that the £200 would increase her lens budget and allow her the added option of purchasing a more expensive, higher-quality lens.
Katja decides on:
Lens mount: Canon
Lens focal length: Telephoto
Lens type: Telephoto to telephoto zoom
Maximum aperture: f/2.8 / Zoom aperture: Constant
First or Third party lens: Canon lens
Extra features: Needs to do more research
Katja's budget: £650
After completing the lens guide. Katja is able to see straight away what lens criteria will fit her requirements.
Katja will now look for a lens that closely matches the information given to her by the lens guide. She does her research and compiles a list of lenses which fall into the criteria from her list.
She then breaks this list down more to make a comprehensive, detailed analysis of the latest lens in the market today. Highlighting each according too: new, used, refurbished, re-conditioned, first and third party lens and price.
She kind of thinks that she may be able to get two lenses with the new budget amount of £650. But she has her heart set on only buying one high-quality spec lens. Rather than having the regret of making a compulsive decision on the purchase of an inferior quality lens. Just to save her money. She knows she wants a lens that she can use for landscape and wedding photography. And the new budget amount will allow her this option.
She now does some internet research and soon discovers. Having the 6-step guide has basically taken all the stress and anxiety of finding a lens away.
After reading a few comparison website reviews and doing some more research. Katja is ready.
She decides to refine her search, as she wants to see what other options are available.
So she types in the answers for her 6-step guide into the search bar. And is taken quickly to 187 websites. She refines this search even more by in putting in a “To and From” amount of £400 to £650. Clicks search and now notices that the list has dropped to 18 websites. She refines it even more, by typing in the search criteria, items which include free postage in the UK. This drops the list down to 6. Six steps in the guide and six suitable websites to pick a lens from. Katja decides to stop here and starts to review the specific details of each website and lenses on offer. She knows she still has a week. So there is no need to rush into a final decision just yet. She wants to consider all the options available. Weighing the pros and cons of each lens.
Katja was struggling to find a lens with a zoom constant lens with a f/2.8 aperture.
But her persistence has paid off.
She has decided to purchase a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 Di LD SP AF (IF) Macro Lens.
It is the perfect lens for her Canon 80d's APS-C-sized sensor. And she knows that she can use it on her brother's full-frame camera as well. As the lens is fully compatible with a full-frame camera's sensor as well. And this will allow her the ability to use it, when she starts working as a wedding photography assistant.
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 Di LD SP AF (IF) Macro Lens - Canon Fit
Click here: Tamron 70 - 200mm f/2.8 (£629)
To conclude:
Katja has come under her budget of £650. She has the lightweight, high-performance, and fast telephoto zoom lens with an f/2.8 aperture she was after. Although it isn't a Canon lens, it is still compatible with her Canon 80d's APS-C-sized sensor. So she is fine with that.
She wasn't too concerned about having any special features on the lens. As she knew that these would drive up the price.
So it is a real bonus for her to have all the added extra features.
Extra features
1) Multi-Lens coatings minimise the possibility of flare.
2) Three LD (low dispersion) elements effectively compensate for lateral and on-axis chromatic aberrations, resulting in edge-to-edge sharpness and high-contrast image quality.
3) It enables the user to cover a focal length range of 109mm to 310mm on a DSLR camera equipped with an APS-C-sized image sensor. The Tamron lens has a conversion ratio is 1.55x.
4) One-touch Auto/Manual Switchover
5) Non-rotating focusing ring (internal focusing) More stability all the time.
6) The lens is supplied with a lightweight and rigid aluminum removable tripod socket.
7) She will get a free flower-shaped Lens Hood, which usually sells for £14.00.
To conclude, although Katja didn't get a Canon lens. She has benefited by having so many extra features on her new lens. Which she thought she couldn't afford on her budget.
Katja's final score: 10/10
