 Frank P. Luongo |
Equipment Vs. Ability Vs. Photo Goals I know that an 80-200mm f/2.8 is a better-quality lens than an 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. I even understand some of the rationale. But if one's level of experience is good but not comprehensive (meaning no portrait experience, macro experience, and limited telephoto experience), does it make sense to opt for the more expensive lens? Honestly, it's not really a cost issue. But I want to become a better photographer - and spending more money isn't always the solution. "It's not the violin, it's the violinist" - Agree If and when I am semi-pro/pro, than I will invest more $$$. What are your thoughts? I appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
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Bob Cammarata |
Don't let your equipment handicap your growth potential. If money is truly not an issue, you will become a better violinist if you learn on a Stradavarius.
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John A. Lind |
Frank, You're partly on track. The person holding the camera is the most important part of the equation. However, if the tools are limiting, they can become frustrating; they are enablers. High-quality glass won't create great photographs, but it does enable the photographer's ability to make them. Get the best glass you can from the outset. This doesn't necessarily mean the fastest glass ... although the best usually is among the fastest. "Best" isn't just resolving power or contrast (although they're very important), it's also a variety of aberrations or distortions (lack of them), flare control (lack of it), and "bokeh" (Japanese word to describe how soft out-of-focus highlights are rendered). One of the most problematic and potentially the most frustrating with inexpensive zoom lenses is barrel and pincushion distortions. Many have noticeable barrel at the short end and pincushion at the long end. This is a distortion that makes a straight line, especially near a frame edge, look curved ... barrel distortion bows outward and pincushion bows inward. It can be extremely frustrating shooting around man-made objects with straight lines and ending up with them having noticeable curvature in the photograph. On manual focus systems, the faster glass allows more accurate focusing, and easier composing and focusing in lower light levels, even if it's rarely used wide open. Auto-focus systems also have an easier time with the faster glass in low light. The constant aperture makes working with studio lighting, the power level for which along with lens aperture are manually set based on metering it with a flash meter. A variable aperture zoom has a variable aperture from wide open to fully stopped down and with studio strobes, it's a Royal PITA!
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