Photographers and all their (un)necessary gear

I have not posted at all this week as I have been enjoying a much needed vacation at the U.S. Open. I have been fortunate enough to see many great tennis matches, however I have also seen a lot of photographers and all of their gear. As I watched the guy next to me take out a very fancy and (admittedly) pretty cool dust blower for his camera lens in the middle of one great tennis match, I started to wonder why it is photographers always have so much gear.

If we really take a step back and think about it, my guess is most of us would realize that we likely do not need all of the gear we have. One of my friends recently purchased his first DSLR camera and within the first few weeks of acquiring his new toy, the two of us have already had multiple conversations about the various lenses he needs. During our first conversation I calmly and politely tried to steer him from investing his money in new lenses until he knew his camera and had mastered his current lens. At the end I jokingly said "are you suffering from G.A.S?" "Huh?" he replied. "G.A.S. = gear acquisition syndrome" I quickly responded. We both laughed and he assured me he was not in fact suffering from G.A.S. but I still could not help but wonder a little. 

Quick Review: Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR

Two weeks ago I managed to finally get my hands on the new Nikon 300mm f/4e PF ED VR. It is backordered nearly everywhere -- Adorama, B&Photo, etc -- due to the pesky VR problem at the initial release. 

In case you have not heard about the VR issue, I will fill you in. Shortly after the initial release of the lens in December 2014 many users began complaining that VR induced image blur when shooting at around 1/125s or lower shutter speeds. Users complained that handheld shots with the VR OFF were much sharper than shots taken with the VR ON. Nikon stopped shipping the lens, issued a firmware update and then shipped new lenses with the firmware update. If you are interested in learning more about the VR issue experienced by users and Nikon's response to the issue feel free to check out this link.

In light of the foregoing, I was rather hesitant to purchase the lens without first trying it out. Well, two weeks ago I was home visiting the family and I decided to stop by Creve Coeur Camera, my hometown camera store. The store happened to have a copy of the lens and offered to let me try it out in store before buying -- a huge plus! A quick side note, one of the perks of buying from a local camera store is the ability to try out the lens; while you may not earn the 2% rewards you would otherwise receive through B&H or Adorama, it can be nice to actually test out a lens to ensure it does not have any problems before purchasing. 

I tested the lens on my Nikon Df and took photos around the store at various shutter speeds. Needless to say, I decided the lens was amazing and that I had to buy it immediately. Last week I took the lens out for a little more testing around the National Mall. The results from that little field trip are below:

Purchasing a Used Lens

In case you have not noticed I have a rather unique blogging style -- I do not write a post unless I really have something to say. That is generally the way I seek to live my life (I do not speak until I have something to say) and frankly, I think there are real benefits to it. So, as you can imagine, I have something to say...lucky you world!

Recently, I bought my very first used camera lens. Yes, up until yesterday, I have always purchased brand new Nikon lenses from an authorized Nikon reseller. I generally buy new lenses because if my $1,000+ wide-angle lens (for example) breaks or needs to be serviced, I want to be able to send it to Nikon and have it fixed without any issue and no cost (if within the warranty period). So, you might be wondering why I decided to buy a used camera lens. Well, after much research, I decided a few months ago to purchase the Nikon 70-200mm telephoto lens. Prior to purchasing that lens I learned that Nikon was planning to release its new 300mm f/4 telephoto lens and I decided that that would fit my photography needs better. Due to the inclusion of a Phase Fresnel lens element, the lens is substantially smaller and thus lighter than other lenses in its class. Unfortunately, due to the rather numerous negative reviews associated with the malfunctioning vibration reduction mechanism on this lens, I decided to hold off buying one until the issue was fixed by Nikon. Just as an FYI, both the 70-200mm lens and the new 300mm lens are priced in the $2,000 range, but I consider (and still consider) both of these lenses to be worth the investment (assuming Nikon fixes the vibration reduction issue with the 300mm telephoto). 

What to Think About When Buying a New Camera

Rather frequently I receive a text message from a friend or family member that reads something along the lines of "Hey, I was thinking about buying this type of camera, what do you think?" or "I'm looking for a new camera, what would you recommend?" When confronted with these questions I often start by asking another question "How do you plan to use your new camera?"

When entering the market for a new camera it is important to first think about how you plan to use the camera and what you want to take pictures of. For example, if you are looking for something relatively easy to use that will work well in most situations, then you might choose a point and shoot camera. If you are in need of a well-rounded camera that offers some advanced features and an interchangeable lens system, but do not want the bulk or price of a DSLR, then you might choose a mirrorless camera. Then again, if you are looking to delve more seriously into photography and require a camera with more specialized features that will grow with you over the years, then you might consider a DSLR.