Invest in glass
A lot of people ask me about glass and what they should be buying, and I always tell them that they should get the best they can get. Here is why…

A lot of people think that their camera is the most important part of their gear. Whilst this is not far from the truth, there are other factors that are important. The most important in my personal opinion is glass, as without this your camera is a useless box. You need glass and the better the glass that you use the better the quality of your images.

This is not to say that better glass will make you take better pictures, it won’t. But what it will do is help you take the images that you want. But why invest in glass? Well, there are few reasons, so let me run through them with you.

1. Better glass is better image quality
This is not a myth and you all know it. But sometimes you you may not notice it until you are up close. There is a reason why some lenes are expensive, because they are made to exacting standards using the highest possible quality materials. You can certainly see this when you compare a Tonkina lens to a Nikkor lens. The build quality is higher in the Nikkor, the glass quality is higher and it is going to last you a lot longer. If you are looking for a cheap lens for the effects, then that is fine, go for it. But, if you are looking for a fine lens to put on your fancy camera then you should be getting the best you can possibly get. Buying a crappy lens for a great camera is like running your Rolls Royce on vegetable oil, it will work, but not the way it was designed to.

There is a reason why Leica lenses are so expensive. Aside from the R&D that goes into them, the glass itself is of the very highest quality available anywhere. I have held a piece of the raw glass that they use for their lenses and it was dense, really dense. The weight was so much more than the glass used by other lens makers. Apparently this is good for optical standards.

2. Better glass has better re-sale
Now we all do it…just have to have that ‘thing’. But having common sense when buying something can really pay off, in some cases literally. Good glass (and really good glass) is a financial investment. If you take care of the lenses and buy the right ones you could find yourself with something that is worth more than you paid for it. This is not necessarily true for modern lenses of course, but still, you should be looking at what you would be able to re-sell this lens for if you change your mind. The cheaper the lens, the less you will get back, as a matter of course. As a general rule, I find that aftermarket (Sigma, Tonika etc) have a much lower re-sale value than the big name makers.
Some lenses are collectors items too. If you have a lens with a rare serial number or from a very low production batch then you are looking at something that will appreciate with time. I have met some people who buy lenses not to use, but to keep in anticipation of the rise in value. Though you should be careful of doing this, as it only takes a tiny bit of mould and your investment is buggered.

3. Don’t go half way
Eyeing up that fancy lens but don’t quite have enough moolah for it? So you decide to go for the cheaper brand one right? Wrong, this is not always a good idea. If you are like me, sooner or later you will ‘have’ to have the Nikkor/Canon/Leica lens, which means you have to sell your cheaper lens and then buy the brand lens. This has automatically cost you more money. Patience can sometimes be a virtue in this case. Nowadays I am much more content to wait until I can afford the item that I want, than get a halfway item.

4. Chicks will dig you
Actually, this one is probably not true at all. Unless you know some ultra nerdy girls.

5. Good glass lasts
Chances are that if you buy the glass that you *really* want you will not change it for a much longer period of time. This will help you settle into a system and become much more comfortable with your equipment. Which could actually help you to take better pictures. This is not always the case of course, but I find that people who have the lenses that they have always wanted don’t generally change their lenses often.

Good lenses last, especially if you treat them well. Your cameras may come and go, but (provided you use the same system) your lenses will be with you a long time. So you might as well invest the money and get the very best you can afford.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not being a snob about this, I am totally aware that not everyone can afford the best of the best, but I honestly believe that you should buy the best you can afford, even if it means a couple of weeks of cup ramen. You won’t regret it when you do.

If you want to find a lens, then I can help you do that. I like finding anything and I like to make sure my customers have the best they can get. Mail me by clicking on the link and I can help you find the lens (or camera) of your dreams.
Cheers
Japancamerahunter