Everybody eventually has one or two lenses that are their favorite lenses. But sometimes it makes sense to upgrade to a better or newer lens.  Recently I had the opportunity to upgrade from the 80-200 to a new 70-200 with image stabilization, and I am glad I finally made the move.  There comes a time as you progress as a photographer that your equipment’s limits are hindering your abilities to create images that push the boundaries of your abilities. At that time sometimes it takes a new piece of gear to get the creative juices running again.  The other main reason people often want a new lens is there is a problem with the lens they are currently using.

The editors at stock photo agencies are looking for several things in the photos you submit to them, and some of these things are impacted by the lens you use.  One thing editors check for before approving the picture is vignetting, which is whwere the edges of the photo are darker than the center of the photo.  While this is popular for portraits and wedding photos, it is not something you want in stock photography.  Another thing the editors look for is to make sure the photo is sharp.  While unsharp photos can be caused by many different reasons, having a poor lens will always make the photos a little unsharp no matter what you do.  Another problem that lenses can create is chromatic aberration, which is is a type of distortion in which there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point.  And of course if your lens gets dirty or scratched that will show up in the photos you are taking.

When we are looking for a new, or new to you, lens we want to make sure we will not have these problems.  There are several good resources for finding reviews on a lens before you make the purchase.  The forum at Shutterstock, reviews of the lens on Adorama, and dpreview.com are all good resources for finding out about a lens.  Also make sure that the lens will be a benefit to the way you photograph, or want to photograph.  And lastly make sure you can afford the lens.  If you take care of a lens it will last you for many years, but that does not mean you should put yourself in a bind financially for a certain lens.  The used section of Adorama is a great way to get a good lens at a reasonable price.

 

Filed under: photo gear

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