@@JamesPopsysPhoto I was thinking it was a just British thing. Like seperate hot and cold water taps, "brown sauce" or thinking Benedict Cumberbatch is just a normal thing for someone to be named. Though, this is coming from a guy named Warren Srigley (to be fair, also British)
As an enthusiastic amateur and new to interchangeable lenses I've found vintage lenses a great option as I can buy them fairly cheaply, play around with different lens types and focal lengths and then when I know what I really want buy a good lens and sell the vintage one for pretty much what I paid for it.
Bought 3 primes in one hit, to force myself to focus on looking for the right shot, rather that just zooming in & out. I seem to play better with limitations like that.
I sold my old Canon gear to buy my Fuji camera. Do not regret it. Old Canon setup: 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, 75-300mm f4-5.6, Yongnuo 50mm F1.8 Current Fuji setup: 18-55mm f2.8-4, Helios 44-2 58mm f2, Jupiter 37-A 135mm f3.5 The Helios and Jupiter lens are miles ahead of my old gear in terms of sharpness and build quality even though they cost me less than $100 for both. The 18-55mm kit lens from Fuji is also better than canons but it costs at least 4 times more. Why am I telling you guys this? Idk I woke up 4 hrs ago and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to watch RUclips videos till the sun rises and just so happened to stumble across this video. Great video 👌🏼. I felt the exact same way when I was looking to buy new lens for my camera but always talked my self out of it till recently.
I was filming a video in the Sahara on a DV camera back in the day. I had duct taped all the seams and holes on the camera (off camera mic) and It was in a rain bag. It took days to clean the sand out. I have no idea how it got in. I had sand in the cassette! You can never have enough weather proofing in the desert.
Great video James. There IS a way to “break” the GOOD CHEAP FAST rule legitimately.... Substitute CHEAP (or Expensive) for USED/2nd Hand. I have bought QUALITY, near PERFECT CONDITION, USED lenses, for between 2/3 and 1/2 the original RRP. I have bought from private owners (with good trading ratings) through trading sites and also through the 2nd Hand sections of bricks and mortar stores. I’d encourage folk to check this out for themselves - you can save yourself a lot of cash, and the unobtainable can be obtained - the downside is a lack of warranty- but do your research (ask lots of questions to satisfy yourself of the quality), and you could be onto a winner.
P.S. The Other way to beat the Rule, is to substitute Autofocus for MANUAL. There are now a number of New (not Vintage) lenses that are very well made, and have received very good reviews. You can pick some of these up, Brand New 3rd Party lenses for less money than the equivalent Autofocus versions. The “Downside” is that you have to learn to Manual Focus! This may be a blessing in disguise, and end up improving your skill as a photographer, and your images!
Build quality is one of those things you don't think about until it saves your ass. Kicked over a camera with my Oly 45 1.2 and I almost cried from the sound it made. After hours of testing it, it seems to have shaken it off. Totally worth the price!
I think Primes vs Zooms is an important consideration. Most people should have both in their kit. Use zooms where you need flexibility, and select primes that will be used for certain types of photos you take a lot. Unlike you I don’t carry all my lenses all the time (creativity is somewhat inspired by the constraints you impose). I have zooms that cover 16mm-560mm (technically 840mm if I am bringing a crop sensor camera), but I don’t have to take it all. Sometimes I will go out with just a standard zoom. Sometimes just a 35 or 50. Sometimes just the macro. Sometimes the 100-400. Often there is redundancy - e.g if it’s not wildflower season and I am not carrying a macro - I can get by with a close tele shot, or I can carry one of those close up filters that can help you get a macro shot in a pinch.
One other thing to consider is why buy a lens with autofocus and use it only in manual focus mode. It would make more sense to get a goos quality vintage lens that is usually lighter, better built and cheaper. Juat my 2 cents (or pennies)
I agree, I have always tended to buy slowly for any of my hobbies...but that doesn't mean I didn't accumulate a lot of unnecessary (or worse, redundant) stuff. However, the more expensive the accessories, the more I think long and hard about whether or not I really need it. Great video!
The excitement of buying a new lens! That was almost spot on, except that it ends with me talking myself out of buying it due to the cost. I always do it. I overthink every single purchase to the point of not purchasing it. I wish I was like that with food.
Good advice! I think it's always worth it to check if you're getting a lens for its maximum aperture that it can provide the sharpness for your need at that widest aperture. Most lenses perform poorly. It's often not cheap to get a lens that is sharp wide open.
After watching a number of your videos, you are now in my top 5 photography channels to watch. Love your communication style, sense of humor and thoughtful content. Bravo sir!
I just started with photography. I don't yet know what I need. So I'm buying s few very different cheaps one used from ebay. So I can see what works and what I need. Already learned a lot, like the focus length I normaly shoot at, what f-stop I need and on which lense, etc. Helps a lot to actually get to feel where what is needed.
One suggestion I would raise is always look into adapting or buying third party lenses. I currently have a Sony A7, and native Sony lenses are very expensive, so I always look for alternatives, whether it be adapting vintage lenses, adapting modern lenses with smart adapters, or buying cheaper, third party.
The weight point resonates with me living in a hot humid climate, I keep a spreadsheet with all my gear including bags with weight as I know my limit for a day out. I only buy 2nd hand, my buying process when I've identified a lens I feel I need is again to set up a spreadsheet with the retail price from the major outlets then the 2nd hand price from the main dealers, then monitor Ebay. It may take a while but I always end up with a great price meaning I don't lose in the long run. I've also never had 1 quality issue as I've found retailers and sellers do care about their reputation with used gear. Great video
Great job James. One other consideration when selecting lenses might be filter thread size, if you can standardize on just one thread size then you only need one set of filters (assuming the screw in variety).
Good tips. Another one that saves me a bunch of money: if you are not sure about the focal length you need, get a cheap one used. You won't lose much money when you sell that lens later, and you can make a much better decision what lens to buy when you got that experience. Sure, that 150$/€ or pound lens might not be the greatest telephoto zoom ever, but it will do for a while and it won't burn as much money as buying the wrong 1000+ €/$/pound lens.
I just love primes. Started buying the older versions. 24mm 1.8D and the 50mm 1.8D I challenge myself to go out with just ONE fixed lens. Focus on what each lens is capable of at different apertures.
I absolutely agree with this view Steve. I recently spent two weeks on holiday (a lot of street photography) and it wasn't until near the end of the trip that I realised how much going out with just one lens can free your mind to concentrate on the subject matter. Lesson learned.
@@stevieb7121 Went to India with a 35mm on a D7000, nothing else. I'd seen a shot that someone had taken from the inside of a taxi, looking through the front windscreen. Loved it. Came back with lots of images that I was pleased with. Used an old 18-70mm in Greece. Fitted the bill superbly.
Lenses are overwhelming to those of us just starting out. Thanks for these pointers but still not sure of my next step. Recently upgraded/updated to a newer camera body and it doesn't have a mounted flash. So now on the hunt for a lens with maybe an f/2.8 to let in more light when shooting indoor family gatherings. I"m a hobbyist, not a professional and do not have professional aspirations, but I still want to try to obtain great shots.
I love that you mention a weight budget. I always try to have a weight in mind before I pick my gear on super long trips. However, for my gear that I don't intend to take on a backpacking (stuff for in town, or studio) trip I don't care about weight at all.
Can be true but if you only buy the new lens when you reach the limit in your current lens its worth it. I wouldn't recommend you just buy 3 or 4 lenses just to have a complete set.
I would venture to say that like me, if you are just starting out.... be conversant with the terms that are used for lens performance....this is mysterious to me just now. Best tip I got from this vid is more shooting time to understand what the outcome is for your given setup. Thanks James.
That was a very helpful video! I often find myself obsessing about gear and feeling inadequate with what I have. The most striking tip for me is the bit about looking at photos shot on the same lens as mine to get some ideas. I tried logging into my flicker and 500px, and was amazed with what people can do with a bit of creativity! Keep up the awesome work! 👏👏👏
I am not a professional photographer but I could not have summed up my own lens buying/using journey better. Thank you and so sorry about your knees. Weight, diminishing returns, build quality. You covered it all.
Just bought a 6D II to upgrade from an Sony a58, and got a 40mm f/2.8 for it, as I wanted a nice and small prime with a relatively neutral focal lenght. I am now eyeing a 28mm f/1.8 (I mostly work concerts, and I wanne get more landscape shots) and a 85mm f/1.8 for portraits (and some compressed landscape shots), but both together are around 800-900 bucks. I have the money for both, but I've been struggling with the idea of just going for the wide lens and skip the 85 for now. It definitely went as you mentioned, from excited, to stressed, to panicked, even though I know I can make it work with only two and my a58. It's definitely an unpleasant process at some points.
Nice video, and very relatable. Ive really dived into my photography over the last 18 months and have quite a few lenses to my name having started crop amd moved into full frame. Biggest tip I think is really underrated (which you kind of mentioned when talking about buying online) is to get a lens in your hand and SHOOT with it. Rent if you can or borrow from a friend. I learnt this lesson with my telephoto range. I bought the sigma 150-600 C for birding thinking that was my best way to that juicy 600mm focal length. 6 months later I found myself buyimg the canon 100-400 which gets me a helluva lot more keepers (and is MUCH more enjoyable to shoot with) and now the Sigma hasnt left the house in about 6 months. Only reason i still have it is because ive convinced myself there is a niche moment it will have its day, but that said I cant think of a time Ive really missed it.
For someone wanting to get started as a paid professional, would you recommend starting with a trinity set of 2.8 zooms? E.g 14-24mm 24-70mm 70-200mm. Then building what primes from there? Or maybe 24-70mm and 70-200mm to start and decide if a wide is need? Or 14-24mm- 24-70 for landscape and decide if a telephoto zoom is needed (probably is, I find myself wishing for reach just as much as wishing for wider). Or maybe for landscape, 14-24mm and 70-200mm might not miss midrange zooms if only doing landscape. Probably if doing portraiture, 24-70mm and 70-200mm, wide angle is not needed as much unless trying to do something different. Really just thinking out loud hopefully this helps someone. I think I know what I want to do.
Here's something people especially beginners don't know. You should(but don't have to) shoot with primes. They have sharper, better micro contrast (hate that ten) and most importantly teach you to frame your subject properly using an appropriate (not right) amount of lens compression. If you then couple this to another lens buying concept of using 2 cameras I would suggest you don't need 4 $1000+ lenses, you need 2 to 3 and two camera bodies. My ideal: 1. GX8 (range finder style) with 15mm or 17mm 'standard lens' used with raw or Dynamic boosted black & white jpeg. 2. G9 or new Olympus em1 mkii (speed shooter) coupled with a wide zoom 10mm - 25mm f1.7 (coming soon) 3. Either a portrait (42.5mm or 45mm f1.2) or a super zoom to cover portrait and anything further beyond like the 100mm - 400mm.
I use primes for two reasons, speed and sharpness. However, I also love that it makes me move to get shots. I can't be lazy and just zoom in and out to get the shot. I have to work for it and it makes me feel more involved.
Vintage lenses are a good shout for a number of reasons. For example, for those focal lengths you don't use much and don't need a £2,000 version of. Also, allows you to experiment with something new while shooting without spending much. Another, practice manual focus balanced against aperture control. In my case I have 3 vintage manual lenses that all do 200mm or 210mm at the top end, all pretty cheap, all different strengths and weaknesses. And then a regular Sony FE 24-70mm for the more common "jack of all trades, can't go far wrong" stuff. One of my favourites is an old Olympus 50mm f1.8. It's super light, balances really well on my A7S and gives great portrait bokeh in closeup. Along with my "swiftly bokeh" Helios 58mm 44-2 F2 one of my cheapest lenses but also one of my favourites.
Golden advices. I'm purely an amateur, but I've been a MFT user since 2010 (Olympus E-P1) ; used it with the O17/2.8, P20/1.7, "wobbly" kit zoom 14-42 mk 1, and a bunch of adapted OM primes. Then a couple years ago, my eyesight gave me some age-related issues, so I decided it was time to go back using a viewfinder again. I tried the E-M10, both original and mk II which are brilliant cameras but limited, and finally got an original E-M5 which in spite of being a bit older better suited me (powered grip, weather sealing...) ; so I completed it with an E-M5 mk II. But that left open the question of lenses. I needed fast AF lenses now due to my eyes condition, so I went the road of the classifieds. Bought and sold a bunch, considering whatever profit as a bonus, and whatever loss as a rent ;-) I sold the O17/2.8, because it's a poor lens, and the AF is slow. Replaced it with the much nicer O17/1.8. Ditto for the P20/1.7 everyone praises. Sold it for the P25/1.7, every bit as sharp and much, much faster to focus (yes I know tests etc., but once you take focus shift into account, this 25 is brilliant). Sold the E-P1 kit, zoom included, and replaced it with the weather resistant O12-50 to match my WR bodies. Bought on a whim an O9-18 that was ungodly cheap, and an O40-150R that came basically as a front cap with the E-M5. Also managed to add the P14/2.5 to the stable purely for lowkey street shooting. And a cheap O45/1.8 for portraits to replace my OM 50/1.8. Then after a year or so, I reassessed my choices. Exit the 17/1.8, however nice, it's an expensive lens sandwiched between the 14 and the 25, that I feared to take out and a focal length I'm not keen on to boot. So off it went, and I bought an O12-40/2.8 Pro instead, so off the 12-50 too, the operation having been mostly a zero sum game. Now I have two kits : - E-M5 original + landscape grip + P14 + P25 + O45 for street shooting. Sometimes, if the weather is fair, I'd swap the 14 for the 9-18 zoom. - E-M5 mk II + full grip + O9-18 + O 12-40 Pro + O 40-150 for travelling. The O12-40/2.8 pro is an astounding lens that will do close up, is weather sealed and fast as well as sharp ; cheap and light it is not, but 2nd hand it's affordable. I'm just back from a ski holidays trip, and it got positively soaked in melting snow without any ill effect. If absolutely forced, I could live with that one lens.
@@JamesPopsysPhoto : well, it suits me, as I almost only shoot stills, and about 80% of them in B&W. I'd consider Panasonic for video if I had any inclination for the exercise.
I just bought a new lens and I am excited to get it when it comes in the mail. I was split between one new lens and another used lens. The new one was a Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 and the used was a Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8. The Zeiss was less expensive and it was wide enough for my landscape and astro needs. It was my final choice. I am new to digital but have 30 years of film shooting under my belt.
I remember someone saying recently that Instagram is fantasy and flickr is reality. Flickr is definitely where I go to see what a place actually looks like, and it's also where I go to see what a given lens actually does.
Thanks James, I think you’ve started something but not finished it! The issue of weight and cumulative weight. For example: the 35-100mm f2.8 with UV filter is 459 grams in it’s pouch with both caps. The 200mm f2.8 with 2xTC, UV and Circular Polariser is 1,604.5 grams in its pouch with caps and tripod mount. What is the all up weight of all your kit that you go hiking with?
Another great video mate, love the humour that you bring to these as well as the actual content itself. This year I’ve really started to make an effort with my channel and take great inspiration from your videos! 🙌🏻
All very wise, thanks! I’ve found the two lenses I use most are the 12-60 and 100-400 Panaleica. For a long time I’ve used the 14-140 ii as a good walk around lens and it never fails to deliver but I just get a bit more image quality and wider view from the 12-60. These sit nicely on my G9 as they are both a bit hefty but the G9 is a beefy body. The other consideration is aesthetics - how much do you enjoy using the stuff? One reason I like camera photography is I enjoy the technology, the look and feel and performance of nice gear. If I’m enjoying using it, I’m more likely to take pictures. Two that have failed for me on that front are the 42.5 and 20 mm Panasonic lenses - I just found them a bit slow and unresponsive plus they looked a bit daft on my camera. Maybe irrational but I didn’t enjoy them. The jury is out on the 8-18 Panaleica for me, it’s lovely but I’m not sure how much I get that I don’t get from the 12-60 so maybe it won’t stay. I’ve also got the 45-200 ii that I carry when using my GX9 as it’s small and light and gets quite a bit of reach. A funny lens as I’m sometimes disappointed with IQ and focussing speed yet I’ve also had some really great shots with it. Like the 50/1.7 it’s cheap and although I don’t use it a lot, I probably get enough value from it. Thanks for the video.
One consideration: of you're a beginner, go with a zoom if you aren't sure you'll be able to add to your quiver soon. I started with a 55mm FF and, though I love what I get from it, it REALLY limits me and quite often I find myself needing something wider (tight spaces) or wanting something longer (portrait perspective). If I'd gotten a equivalently priced zoom, it would have covered both of those and I'd only loose a bit on the shallow depth of field that I like.
Gosh, my 5D ii with the kit 24-105 f4 suddenly looks light compared to this lot! Fully sealed and I never have to change the Len’s! Great advice though, like your style of these. Thanks!
With my G9 body, I find the 12-35mm/f2.8 II and 35-100mm/f2.8 II zooms are the only lenses I require. Other lenses are nice to have but these two (make sure they are the second generation version of theses lenses) have in-lens stabilization AND work with the in-body stabilization to make an amazingly stable hybrid system. With care and patience, even my old rickety self can easily get three real stops (forget whatever claims the manufacturer makes; assess the actual stabilization yourself) of improvement in shutter speed using these lenses on the G9. This basic kit is light and versatile and you can add others as you see fit. The two optional specialty lenses I would initially consider are the Laowa 7.5mm/f2.0 and the Olympus 60mm/f2.8 macro. The first is a rectilinear ultra-wide, though it is fully manual. The second is for macro work. richard hargrove -- We Britons had at that time particularly settled that it was treasonable to doubt our having and our being the best of everything: otherwise, while I was scared by the immensity of London, I think I might have had some faint doubts whether it was not rather ugly, crooked, narrow, and dirty. -- Charles Dickens, in _Great_Expectations_
The next lens I want is a wide angle I'm probably just gonna get the 10-18 canon one and also just a 50mm f1.8 I don't do much telephoto so that's down the list for me
If buying used on ebay ,ask questions ,eg, does it have any scratches or fungus, is it in full working order ?. This will give you a leg to stand on if you receive a piece of junk. Ensure you have some overlap in your focal lengths. I recently pruned my travel kit to a 24~105 f4 L zoom and a16mm ultra wide, only to have the zoom fail very early in the trip (internal flex cable), leaving me with a fixed f4 aperture and manual focus.The addition of a standard prime or a short tele' would have given me more options for little weight or space penalty. I have only just dicovered your channel and have been binge watchin all afternoon , keep up the great work !
Hey thanks for another entertaining video! I agree with what your points about finding out what you need by shooting more. I bought like 4 lenses when I was just starting out in my excitement and realised somewhere down the road that I barely switch out from my sigma 17-50. Decided to sell of some of the lenses I own 1.5 years later... On that note! I think one consideration would be the resale value of the lenses. How relevant would this lens or system be a few years down the road and how well do you think you can take care of your lenses? Not to incite some debate here but with mirrorless cameras becoming cheaper and better as the years go by, even I want to switch out my APS-C DSLR system for a lighter mirrorless one. The weight is killing me when I travel... On a side note, I say small coffee =)
I know this is an old video, but I would still ask you this: How often do you change your lenses on a trip? All focal lengths are converted to Full Frame. I have only a kit lens (22 5mm-67.5mm f3.5-5.6) and a tele zoom (82.5mm-300mm f3.5-f4.8) and I find myself changing between them all the time. I walk and I see something in the distance, or a potentially good photo of a distant subject (change from kit to tele) then 5 minutes later, I see a nice potential subject for a wide shot (nice foreground so I switch back to the kit, because the 22.5mm is really wide). And this happens back and forth a lot. I started to hate this, but there is no lens to cover this focal range with the sam size and aperture... I also consider buying 1 or 2 prime lenses mainly in the standard focal lengths (35mm and 50mm) and I have a little fear in me that I will not like switching back and forth between them just because I see something that requires a different lens than what's on my camera at that moment. Please give me advice if you can! Thanks!
By the way, awesome video, you have a really nice style of explaining things, and I'm never bored. I follow every new video and I can't wait for the new ones every weekend :p
Why cary a 12-35 2.8, 35-100 2.8 and a 12-60 2.8-4.0? You could drop your lens count from 7 to 6 by not taking that 12-60 since it's covered by other lenses with constant f/2.8, right?
Regarding distortion, a lot of lens distortion gets corrected by the firmware in the body automatically when it bakes the JPEG, or can be corrected automatically in your editing software when you're processing the raw. So just knowing that a lens has distortions isn't necessarily a deal-breaker if it looks just fine after the automatic software corrections are applied.
Every lens is gonna have at least a little bit of distortion. I'm not worried about that much, as much as I am worried about sharpness and softness, apperture and weather-sealing. Whatever you can easily fix in post-processing isn't a big deal.
I got my G85 last year with the 12-60mm kit lens. I looked at the sigma lens but without the OIS I’m not sure. The 12-35mm f2.8 and 35-100mm f2.8 is very interesting but $$$$. Thank you for your time and experience on what to look for in buying a few lenses.
Fun video, James, as always. As a professional I still think the weight issue is not all that you say it is. If your job is to hike up the mountain and get the highest res. photo possible then you do it. You just do, because if you don't, the next guy will. Be glad you weren't working in the film days. I don't think you would have made it.
I think one thing is pretty important to me, when buying a lens: am I planning on maybe reselling it, if it’s turns out it’s not what I’m looking for ? Because if I’m not really sure about a certain lens, I might go for a cheaper option and/or used, if I know it will retain its value better. For instance: I thought I wanted a Canon 70-300 for my M6. I knew the older ones weren’t any good on APS-C and wanted to get sharp result, because I wanted to try wildlife/bird photography for the first time, during my hikes. And 100-400 would be to heavy to my liking. So I figured I would save up for a 70-300 L version. But then stumbled across a good deal on a used 70-300 USM II, that I figured I could easily and quickly resell for the same price (where as the used L versions don’t seem to go very fast)
Conveniently for me, I have a bag that's too small to comfortably fit every lens I own into it, so I have to pick and choose what I want anyway. I also only own four lenses anyway, so I just have to think about whether I care about extreme reach or versatility. Reach? Leave the 80-200 at home and take the 300. Versatility? Take the 80-200. My 35mm and 85mm lenses come regardless because they're the only autofocus options I have. That completely eliminates the weight problem for me because the bag can never get too heavy.
Buying slowly [called consideration #6 in the video :) ] is the most valid advice ever, in my experience. Go out, start shooting with the single lens you have and AFTER that, buy a lens that will do something you feel you are missing. Don't buy "the best lens for Sony 6500!" for example, just because you own that camera. If I have to speak for myself, I have 6 lenses and use 2 all the time and 3rd from time to time. The other 3 were bought because I watched/read several positive reviews on them and THOUGHT I might need them. But really didn't. Waste of money and effort to get rid of them, really.
This is so helpful right now. I came at lens buying a bit weirdly as I started with a 150-600 for my APS-C canon, knowing I wanted to do wildlife. It soon dawned on me however that it was neither socially acceptable nor fair to my shoulders to lug that around everywhere, so I grabbed myself a tiny 24mm pancake. Lovely but now I have such a disparity in my focal range without a single standard lens. I then got a bit sucked in to the 70-200 hype and grabbed one of them- definitely made me look professional but still didn't fulfill my needs as just a good standard lens. I'm now looking at a good fast standard prime, Canon 's 35 f2 or Tamron's 35 f1.8 which is much more desirable but also loads more expensive... based on your advice I'll probably go for the canon
Appreciate your video. Been reading all I can on lenses. Have a Canon 80d, ready for a new lens for landscape. Also clumsy, realize after I threw something in my bag, I probably shouldn't have done that. Your videos are entertaining and u are funny😎 and cute;).🌻
You need a 70-200 2.8 and a 100-400, that's basically the thing every photographer needs. For Canon/Nikon, basically all brands that offer these setups. These lenses are like ESSENTIAL to your kit, doesn't matter at all what you photograph, without you're life can be quite empty and photography becomes a lot harder. Because damn, certainly from Canon, these lenses are GODlike perfection.
I just went mirrorless- I went with the Nikon Z72 14-24-24-70, 70-200 2.8s. I shoot mostly places I travel to for my day job and often unpredictable places these seem to generally cover needs when I was shooting full frame Nikons
One of My favorite RUclips photography channels... wish it was growing faster. He deserves it, but so many other photography channels are growing so rapidly comparatively. Algorithms are a bitch.
I needed this today, i was about to pull the trigger on gx9 with a few lenses, although i have a fuji x-t30 and like 5 lenses (3 of them very cheap manual primes). I love design of gx9 (the rangefinder style + feel in hand) and I am a fan of m4/3 but a colleague convinced me to buy into fuji system 1 year ago... But thanks to you i decided to stick with fuji, at least for now. Thank you James.
I myself am used to having a lot of weight with me. As a kid I had to carry around a lot of books, for school, because goddamn that was normal for no reason at all. I am overweight, so that doesn't help either. So for me, the weight thing isn't an issue. Actually, if I don't put weight on my back, I feel empty, as in my whole balance is off, I feel like I will fall any second. So I've always got a full bag on my back. Everywhere I go. I do not hope I am getting sorry for this later in life though. Because that's also one thing to think about besides the NOW. You're tip about this however is seriously a good one :)
@@JamesPopsysPhoto I was thinking maybe it was to make it inconvenient for you to leave the office... Some weird productivity hack. Really been enjoying the videos lately! Glad you're growing!
I'm a beginner photographer, just started last year using borrowed equipment from my college where I'm taking an art course right now, but used the holidays this year to start building up my own kit. I managed to get a reasonable full frame body for a price I'm happy with (A nikon d610) and I'm borrowing a couple of nikon lenses from my college that they can't use as they only have canon bodies. The lenses I borrowed are a 24-120 f3.5-5.6 and a 105 f2.8 but in the past 6 months of shooting in general I realised a 50 f1.8 would be a perfect addition for everyday carry that in my case would be light enough to pack with the 24-120 and used often enough to probably sit on the camera most of the time. I suspect as I improve and understand my relationship to my camera and my photos I'll start to notice other gaps, there's a chance I might work towards a 35 f1.4 as well as an 85 f1.4 if I make this a profession, but see no reason why I can't settle with the cheaper f1.8 alternatives. I'm super glad there's a strong used lens market too, as a student, as it makes this a far more affordable venture right now. Videos like this are super reassuring to watch so thank you for suffering to produce it.
I wasn't watching the video, and then all of a sudden I hear somebody rip a bong hit, I got a little bit excited, but then I realized it was a sip of tea, still a little excited.
One of my considerations is can I get it pre-owned?. I've bought 2 nearly new lenses in the past that were a good deal cheaper than new and they work faultlessly. A lot of reputable shops have pre-owned selections
I don't think you touched on redundancy in the video, by that I mean having two lenses that overlap in optical range. So if you get a good zoom, they can sometimes make the primes a bit redundant, as the quality improvement of the prime doesn't outweigh the flexibility of the zoom. My tip is to buy expensive zooms first instead of buying a range of cheap primes which become a pain in the backside to keep changing. (Which is the opposite of what I actually did.) So my affordable and excellent Panasonic 20mm, 25mm, Sigma 30mm & 60mm and Olly 45mm primes never get used, because I subsequently bought (okay was bought) the 12-35mm f/2.8 and it's good enough to replace all the others. (Oh my days, how I love that lens! 😍) (P.S. Yes I know the 60mm is way longer than 35mm, but I have another excellent zoom to cover that.) (P.P.S Don't let me put anyone off buying the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime: it's crazy sharp and is my absolute favourite lens that I never use.)
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Desk chair is fixed! Nothing to do with me...
You aren't that good at lying are you? 😋
haha!
Does it wash dishes now though?
Another reason why every photog should own an apple box. Makes a great spare stool if you need it.
Small milk create is free and makes a good stool
Could you do a video about why your office has a door that is not at the same level as the floor?
Warren....check out James' video about his "office" - ruclips.net/video/tdXffYR4mmY/видео.html
Warren Srigley storage closet
haha, weird one isn't it!
@@JamesPopsysPhoto I was thinking it was a just British thing. Like seperate hot and cold water taps, "brown sauce" or thinking Benedict Cumberbatch is just a normal thing for someone to be named. Though, this is coming from a guy named Warren Srigley (to be fair, also British)
Fr
As an enthusiastic amateur and new to interchangeable lenses I've found vintage lenses a great option as I can buy them fairly cheaply, play around with different lens types and focal lengths and then when I know what I really want buy a good lens and sell the vintage one for pretty much what I paid for it.
Liking the sound of that method!!!!!!!!!! 👍
Bought 3 primes in one hit, to force myself to focus on looking for the right shot, rather that just zooming in & out. I seem to play better with limitations like that.
I sold my old Canon gear to buy my Fuji camera. Do not regret it.
Old Canon setup: 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, 75-300mm f4-5.6, Yongnuo 50mm F1.8
Current Fuji setup: 18-55mm f2.8-4, Helios 44-2 58mm f2, Jupiter 37-A 135mm f3.5
The Helios and Jupiter lens are miles ahead of my old gear in terms of sharpness and build quality even though they cost me less than $100 for both. The 18-55mm kit lens from Fuji is also better than canons but it costs at least 4 times more.
Why am I telling you guys this? Idk I woke up 4 hrs ago and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to watch RUclips videos till the sun rises and just so happened to stumble across this video. Great video 👌🏼. I felt the exact same way when I was looking to buy new lens for my camera but always talked my self out of it till recently.
in the desert, the problem is dust blowing around... you still need weather sealed...
yep, complete oversight on my part there!
I was filming a video in the Sahara on a DV camera back in the day. I had duct taped all the seams and holes on the camera (off camera mic) and It was in a rain bag.
It took days to clean the sand out. I have no idea how it got in. I had sand in the cassette!
You can never have enough weather proofing in the desert.
Great video James.
There IS a way to “break” the GOOD CHEAP FAST rule legitimately....
Substitute CHEAP (or Expensive) for USED/2nd Hand.
I have bought QUALITY, near PERFECT CONDITION, USED lenses, for between 2/3 and 1/2 the original RRP.
I have bought from private owners (with good trading ratings) through trading sites and also through the 2nd Hand sections of bricks and mortar stores.
I’d encourage folk to check this out for themselves - you can save yourself a lot of cash, and the unobtainable can be obtained - the downside is a lack of warranty- but do your research (ask lots of questions to satisfy yourself of the quality), and you could be onto a winner.
P.S. The Other way to beat the Rule, is to substitute Autofocus for MANUAL. There are now a number of New (not Vintage) lenses that are very well made, and have received very good reviews. You can pick some of these up, Brand New 3rd Party lenses for less money than the equivalent Autofocus versions.
The “Downside” is that you have to learn to Manual Focus! This may be a blessing in disguise, and end up improving your skill as a photographer, and your images!
Build quality is one of those things you don't think about until it saves your ass. Kicked over a camera with my Oly 45 1.2 and I almost cried from the sound it made. After hours of testing it, it seems to have shaken it off. Totally worth the price!
I think Primes vs Zooms is an important consideration. Most people should have both in their kit. Use zooms where you need flexibility, and select primes that will be used for certain types of photos you take a lot. Unlike you I don’t carry all my lenses all the time (creativity is somewhat inspired by the constraints you impose). I have zooms that cover 16mm-560mm (technically 840mm if I am bringing a crop sensor camera), but I don’t have to take it all. Sometimes I will go out with just a standard zoom. Sometimes just a 35 or 50. Sometimes just the macro. Sometimes the 100-400. Often there is redundancy - e.g if it’s not wildflower season and I am not carrying a macro - I can get by with a close tele shot, or I can carry one of those close up filters that can help you get a macro shot in a pinch.
One other thing to consider is why buy a lens with autofocus and use it only in manual focus mode. It would make more sense to get a goos quality vintage lens that is usually lighter, better built and cheaper. Juat my 2 cents (or pennies)
Agreed... Vintage lenses are great for experimenting with focal lengths. Or continue shooting manual.
Way to stay true to yourself...no one needs full frame coffee...m43 coffee mugs are lighter and you can get the same results if you use it correctly!
I don't shoot 4x5 anymore but I still caffeinated large format.
I agree, I have always tended to buy slowly for any of my hobbies...but that doesn't mean I didn't accumulate a lot of unnecessary (or worse, redundant) stuff. However, the more expensive the accessories, the more I think long and hard about whether or not I really need it. Great video!
The excitement of buying a new lens! That was almost spot on, except that it ends with me talking myself out of buying it due to the cost. I always do it. I overthink every single purchase to the point of not purchasing it. I wish I was like that with food.
haha, I know exactly what you mean mate :)
Good advice! I think it's always worth it to check if you're getting a lens for its maximum aperture that it can provide the sharpness for your need at that widest aperture. Most lenses perform poorly. It's often not cheap to get a lens that is sharp wide open.
After watching a number of your videos, you are now in my top 5 photography channels to watch. Love your communication style, sense of humor and thoughtful content. Bravo sir!
I just started with photography. I don't yet know what I need. So I'm buying s few very different cheaps one used from ebay. So I can see what works and what I need. Already learned a lot, like the focus length I normaly shoot at, what f-stop I need and on which lense, etc. Helps a lot to actually get to feel where what is needed.
One suggestion I would raise is always look into adapting or buying third party lenses. I currently have a Sony A7, and native Sony lenses are very expensive, so I always look for alternatives, whether it be adapting vintage lenses, adapting modern lenses with smart adapters, or buying cheaper, third party.
The weight point resonates with me living in a hot humid climate, I keep a spreadsheet with all my gear including bags with weight as I know my limit for a day out. I only buy 2nd hand, my buying process when I've identified a lens I feel I need is again to set up a spreadsheet with the retail price from the major outlets then the 2nd hand price from the main dealers, then monitor Ebay. It may take a while but I always end up with a great price meaning I don't lose in the long run. I've also never had 1 quality issue as I've found retailers and sellers do care about their reputation with used gear. Great video
I pretty much follow the same game plan. Never been burned yet. And spent thousands. And saved thousands.
I'm shooting FF, APS-C & m43 and I gotta say the Lumix 42.5mm f/1.7 is one of the most impressive bang-for-buck lenses I have ever owned.
The 12-35 is more versatile because it can have a lower F-number. You can use constant aperture on the 12-60, just set the aperture to some level.
Great job James. One other consideration when selecting lenses might be filter thread size, if you can standardize on just one thread size then you only need one set of filters (assuming the screw in variety).
Good tips.
Another one that saves me a bunch of money: if you are not sure about the focal length you need, get a cheap one used. You won't lose much money when you sell that lens later, and you can make a much better decision what lens to buy when you got that experience. Sure, that 150$/€ or pound lens might not be the greatest telephoto zoom ever, but it will do for a while and it won't burn as much money as buying the wrong 1000+ €/$/pound lens.
Definitely :)
I just love primes. Started buying the older versions. 24mm 1.8D and the 50mm 1.8D I challenge myself to go out with just ONE fixed lens. Focus on what each lens is capable of at different apertures.
Great strategy :)
I absolutely agree with this view Steve. I recently spent two weeks on holiday (a lot of street photography) and it wasn't until near the end of the trip that I realised how much going out with just one lens can free your mind to concentrate on the subject matter. Lesson learned.
@@stevieb7121 Went to India with a 35mm on a D7000, nothing else. I'd seen a shot that someone had taken from the inside of a taxi, looking through the front windscreen. Loved it. Came back with lots of images that I was pleased with. Used an old 18-70mm in Greece. Fitted the bill superbly.
Lenses are overwhelming to those of us just starting out. Thanks for these pointers but still not sure of my next step. Recently upgraded/updated to a newer camera body and it doesn't have a mounted flash. So now on the hunt for a lens with maybe an f/2.8 to let in more light when shooting indoor family gatherings. I"m a hobbyist, not a professional and do not have professional aspirations, but I still want to try to obtain great shots.
I love that you mention a weight budget. I always try to have a weight in mind before I pick my gear on super long trips. However, for my gear that I don't intend to take on a backpacking (stuff for in town, or studio) trip I don't care about weight at all.
The problem I think with people with a huge amount of lenses is that you have so much so you never really get familiar enough with them.
yep - takes a lot of time :)
Very true
Can be true but if you only buy the new lens when you reach the limit in your current lens its worth it. I wouldn't recommend you just buy 3 or 4 lenses just to have a complete set.
I would venture to say that like me, if you are just starting out.... be conversant with the terms that are used for lens performance....this is mysterious to me just now. Best tip I got from this vid is more shooting time to understand what the outcome is for your given setup. Thanks James.
That was a very helpful video! I often find myself obsessing about gear and feeling inadequate with what I have. The most striking tip for me is the bit about looking at photos shot on the same lens as mine to get some ideas. I tried logging into my flicker and 500px, and was amazed with what people can do with a bit of creativity! Keep up the awesome work! 👏👏👏
How am I just finding your channel. You're my hero bro! I've been shooting G85 for everything for 4 years now.
The Good, Cheap, Fast, analogy is priceless, which I guess makes the advice, Good and Fast, but not Cheap!! It can also be applied to chairs....
Haha, cheers Roger :)
Totally agree about deciding on lenses you might benefit from by paying attention to what you need when shooting.
I am not a professional photographer but I could not have summed up my own lens buying/using journey better. Thank you and so sorry about your knees. Weight, diminishing returns, build quality. You covered it all.
Just bought a 6D II to upgrade from an Sony a58, and got a 40mm f/2.8 for it, as I wanted a nice and small prime with a relatively neutral focal lenght. I am now eyeing a 28mm f/1.8 (I mostly work concerts, and I wanne get more landscape shots) and a 85mm f/1.8 for portraits (and some compressed landscape shots), but both together are around 800-900 bucks. I have the money for both, but I've been struggling with the idea of just going for the wide lens and skip the 85 for now. It definitely went as you mentioned, from excited, to stressed, to panicked, even though I know I can make it work with only two and my a58. It's definitely an unpleasant process at some points.
I just bought a 24-105mm L f4 MK II, and I like it a lot.
Nice video, and very relatable. Ive really dived into my photography over the last 18 months and have quite a few lenses to my name having started crop amd moved into full frame.
Biggest tip I think is really underrated (which you kind of mentioned when talking about buying online) is to get a lens in your hand and SHOOT with it. Rent if you can or borrow from a friend.
I learnt this lesson with my telephoto range. I bought the sigma 150-600 C for birding thinking that was my best way to that juicy 600mm focal length. 6 months later I found myself buyimg the canon 100-400 which gets me a helluva lot more keepers (and is MUCH more enjoyable to shoot with) and now the Sigma hasnt left the house in about 6 months. Only reason i still have it is because ive convinced myself there is a niche moment it will have its day, but that said I cant think of a time Ive really missed it.
Your weight budget advice was especially interesting and something I’d never considered before. Thanks!
I’m very happy to hear that your desk chair is fixed, I was worried for its safety! #savethedeskchairs
For someone wanting to get started as a paid professional, would you recommend starting with a trinity set of 2.8 zooms? E.g 14-24mm 24-70mm 70-200mm. Then building what primes from there? Or maybe 24-70mm and 70-200mm to start and decide if a wide is need? Or 14-24mm- 24-70 for landscape and decide if a telephoto zoom is needed (probably is, I find myself wishing for reach just as much as wishing for wider). Or maybe for landscape, 14-24mm and 70-200mm might not miss midrange zooms if only doing landscape. Probably if doing portraiture, 24-70mm and 70-200mm, wide angle is not needed as much unless trying to do something different. Really just thinking out loud hopefully this helps someone. I think I know what I want to do.
Can't go wrong with the trinity - although it'll be painful on the wallet!
@@JamesPopsysPhoto Haha true! But hopefully a good kind of pain!
Here's something people especially beginners don't know.
You should(but don't have to) shoot with primes. They have sharper, better micro contrast (hate that ten) and most importantly teach you to frame your subject properly using an appropriate (not right) amount of lens compression. If you then couple this to another lens buying concept of using 2 cameras I would suggest you don't need 4 $1000+ lenses, you need 2 to 3 and two camera bodies.
My ideal:
1.
GX8 (range finder style) with 15mm or 17mm 'standard lens' used with raw or Dynamic boosted black & white jpeg.
2.
G9 or new Olympus em1 mkii (speed shooter) coupled with a wide zoom 10mm - 25mm f1.7 (coming soon)
3.
Either a portrait (42.5mm or 45mm f1.2) or a super zoom to cover portrait and anything further beyond like the 100mm - 400mm.
I use primes for two reasons, speed and sharpness. However, I also love that it makes me move to get shots. I can't be lazy and just zoom in and out to get the shot. I have to work for it and it makes me feel more involved.
Vintage lenses are a good shout for a number of reasons. For example, for those focal lengths you don't use much and don't need a £2,000 version of. Also, allows you to experiment with something new while shooting without spending much. Another, practice manual focus balanced against aperture control.
In my case I have 3 vintage manual lenses that all do 200mm or 210mm at the top end, all pretty cheap, all different strengths and weaknesses. And then a regular Sony FE 24-70mm for the more common "jack of all trades, can't go far wrong" stuff.
One of my favourites is an old Olympus 50mm f1.8. It's super light, balances really well on my A7S and gives great portrait bokeh in closeup. Along with my "swiftly bokeh" Helios 58mm 44-2 F2 one of my cheapest lenses but also one of my favourites.
Golden advices. I'm purely an amateur, but I've been a MFT user since 2010 (Olympus E-P1) ; used it with the O17/2.8, P20/1.7, "wobbly" kit zoom 14-42 mk 1, and a bunch of adapted OM primes. Then a couple years ago, my eyesight gave me some age-related issues, so I decided it was time to go back using a viewfinder again. I tried the E-M10, both original and mk II which are brilliant cameras but limited, and finally got an original E-M5 which in spite of being a bit older better suited me (powered grip, weather sealing...) ; so I completed it with an E-M5 mk II.
But that left open the question of lenses. I needed fast AF lenses now due to my eyes condition, so I went the road of the classifieds. Bought and sold a bunch, considering whatever profit as a bonus, and whatever loss as a rent ;-)
I sold the O17/2.8, because it's a poor lens, and the AF is slow. Replaced it with the much nicer O17/1.8. Ditto for the P20/1.7 everyone praises. Sold it for the P25/1.7, every bit as sharp and much, much faster to focus (yes I know tests etc., but once you take focus shift into account, this 25 is brilliant). Sold the E-P1 kit, zoom included, and replaced it with the weather resistant O12-50 to match my WR bodies. Bought on a whim an O9-18 that was ungodly cheap, and an O40-150R that came basically as a front cap with the E-M5. Also managed to add the P14/2.5 to the stable purely for lowkey street shooting. And a cheap O45/1.8 for portraits to replace my OM 50/1.8.
Then after a year or so, I reassessed my choices. Exit the 17/1.8, however nice, it's an expensive lens sandwiched between the 14 and the 25, that I feared to take out and a focal length I'm not keen on to boot. So off it went, and I bought an O12-40/2.8 Pro instead, so off the 12-50 too, the operation having been mostly a zero sum game.
Now I have two kits :
- E-M5 original + landscape grip + P14 + P25 + O45 for street shooting. Sometimes, if the weather is fair, I'd swap the 14 for the 9-18 zoom.
- E-M5 mk II + full grip + O9-18 + O 12-40 Pro + O 40-150 for travelling.
The O12-40/2.8 pro is an astounding lens that will do close up, is weather sealed and fast as well as sharp ; cheap and light it is not, but 2nd hand it's affordable. I'm just back from a ski holidays trip, and it got positively soaked in melting snow without any ill effect. If absolutely forced, I could live with that one lens.
Thanks! And sounds like a great set up :)
@@JamesPopsysPhoto : well, it suits me, as I almost only shoot stills, and about 80% of them in B&W. I'd consider Panasonic for video if I had any inclination for the exercise.
I just bought a new lens and I am excited to get it when it comes in the mail. I was split between one new lens and another used lens. The new one was a Venus Laowa 9mm f/2.8 and the used was a Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8. The Zeiss was less expensive and it was wide enough for my landscape and astro needs. It was my final choice. I am new to digital but have 30 years of film shooting under my belt.
I remember someone saying recently that Instagram is fantasy and flickr is reality. Flickr is definitely where I go to see what a place actually looks like, and it's also where I go to see what a given lens actually does.
me too :)
I typically always go to Flickr when looking at a lens
Nikon 50mm 1.8G is good, fast and cheap. :-)
For us regular people yeah for *8000 zoom pixel peepers not so much
@@A--lex yeah, unless you are selling your photos for big bucks then most people are just fine.
Thanks James,
I think you’ve started something but not finished it!
The issue of weight and cumulative weight.
For example: the 35-100mm f2.8 with UV filter is 459 grams in it’s pouch with both caps.
The 200mm f2.8 with 2xTC, UV and Circular Polariser is 1,604.5 grams in its pouch with caps and tripod mount.
What is the all up weight of all your kit that you go hiking with?
OMG micro 4/3 lenses are so tiny and cute :O
Yes, I've thought about jumping into full frame but the size of everything defeats the purpose for going MFT. (Not to mention the cost difference)
Another great video mate, love the humour that you bring to these as well as the actual content itself. This year I’ve really started to make an effort with my channel and take great inspiration from your videos! 🙌🏻
Awesome mate - sounds good! :)
James Popsys thanks mate, hope everything is now fixed haha
This is Golden, absolutely Golden.
All very wise, thanks! I’ve found the two lenses I use most are the 12-60 and 100-400 Panaleica. For a long time I’ve used the 14-140 ii as a good walk around lens and it never fails to deliver but I just get a bit more image quality and wider view from the 12-60. These sit nicely on my G9 as they are both a bit hefty but the G9 is a beefy body. The other consideration is aesthetics - how much do you enjoy using the stuff? One reason I like camera photography is I enjoy the technology, the look and feel and performance of nice gear. If I’m enjoying using it, I’m more likely to take pictures. Two that have failed for me on that front are the 42.5 and 20 mm Panasonic lenses - I just found them a bit slow and unresponsive plus they looked a bit daft on my camera. Maybe irrational but I didn’t enjoy them. The jury is out on the 8-18 Panaleica for me, it’s lovely but I’m not sure how much I get that I don’t get from the 12-60 so maybe it won’t stay. I’ve also got the 45-200 ii that I carry when using my GX9 as it’s small and light and gets quite a bit of reach. A funny lens as I’m sometimes disappointed with IQ and focussing speed yet I’ve also had some really great shots with it. Like the 50/1.7 it’s cheap and although I don’t use it a lot, I probably get enough value from it. Thanks for the video.
You are so fun to watch and listen to! I love your videos.
One consideration: of you're a beginner, go with a zoom if you aren't sure you'll be able to add to your quiver soon.
I started with a 55mm FF and, though I love what I get from it, it REALLY limits me and quite often I find myself needing something wider (tight spaces) or wanting something longer (portrait perspective). If I'd gotten a equivalently priced zoom, it would have covered both of those and I'd only loose a bit on the shallow depth of field that I like.
Gosh, my 5D ii with the kit 24-105 f4 suddenly looks light compared to this lot! Fully sealed and I never have to change the Len’s! Great advice though, like your style of these. Thanks!
I'm just waiting for the shelves to break at this point
Me too, I walk in every day in disbelief! :)
Same its like how are they still standing
With my G9 body, I find the 12-35mm/f2.8 II and 35-100mm/f2.8 II zooms are the only lenses I require. Other lenses are nice to have but these two (make sure they are the second generation version of theses lenses) have in-lens stabilization AND work with the in-body stabilization to make an amazingly stable hybrid system. With care and patience, even my old rickety self can easily get three real stops (forget whatever claims the manufacturer makes; assess the actual stabilization yourself) of improvement in shutter speed using these lenses on the G9. This basic kit is light and versatile and you can add others as you see fit.
The two optional specialty lenses I would initially consider are the Laowa 7.5mm/f2.0 and the Olympus 60mm/f2.8 macro. The first is a rectilinear ultra-wide, though it is fully manual. The second is for macro work.
richard hargrove
--
We Britons had at that time particularly settled that it was treasonable to doubt our having and our being the best of everything: otherwise, while I was scared by the immensity of London, I think I might have had some faint doubts whether it was not rather ugly, crooked, narrow, and dirty.
-- Charles Dickens, in _Great_Expectations_
The next lens I want is a wide angle I'm probably just gonna get the 10-18 canon one and also just a 50mm f1.8 I don't do much telephoto so that's down the list for me
Like all your videos James . Love your sense of humour and also all your brilliant advice because I’m new to photography 👍
I would like to point out that I do enjoy the production quality of your channel. Thank you very much.
If buying used on ebay ,ask questions ,eg, does it have any scratches or fungus, is it in full working order ?. This will give you a leg to stand on if you receive a piece of junk.
Ensure you have some overlap in your focal lengths. I recently pruned my travel kit to a 24~105 f4 L zoom and a16mm ultra wide, only to have the zoom fail very early in the trip (internal flex cable), leaving me with a fixed f4 aperture and manual focus.The addition of a standard prime or a short tele' would have given me more options for little weight or space penalty.
I have only just dicovered your channel and have been binge watchin all afternoon , keep up the great work !
Hey thanks for another entertaining video!
I agree with what your points about finding out what you need by shooting more. I bought like 4 lenses when I was just starting out in my excitement and realised somewhere down the road that I barely switch out from my sigma 17-50. Decided to sell of some of the lenses I own 1.5 years later... On that note! I think one consideration would be the resale value of the lenses. How relevant would this lens or system be a few years down the road and how well do you think you can take care of your lenses?
Not to incite some debate here but with mirrorless cameras becoming cheaper and better as the years go by, even I want to switch out my APS-C DSLR system for a lighter mirrorless one. The weight is killing me when I travel...
On a side note, I say small coffee =)
Those are big hands🖐🖐
I did buy most of my lenses second hand from a camera store, this will save you a lot of money and there just as good!!
Good strategy! :)
I know this is an old video, but I would still ask you this:
How often do you change your lenses on a trip?
All focal lengths are converted to Full Frame.
I have only a kit lens (22
5mm-67.5mm f3.5-5.6) and a tele zoom (82.5mm-300mm f3.5-f4.8) and I find myself changing between them all the time. I walk and I see something in the distance, or a potentially good photo of a distant subject (change from kit to tele) then 5 minutes later, I see a nice potential subject for a wide shot (nice foreground so I switch back to the kit, because the 22.5mm is really wide). And this happens back and forth a lot.
I started to hate this, but there is no lens to cover this focal range with the sam size and aperture...
I also consider buying 1 or 2 prime lenses mainly in the standard focal lengths (35mm and 50mm) and I have a little fear in me that I will not like switching back and forth between them just because I see something that requires a different lens than what's on my camera at that moment.
Please give me advice if you can!
Thanks!
By the way, awesome video, you have a really nice style of explaining things, and I'm never bored. I follow every new video and I can't wait for the new ones every weekend :p
Canon 50mm f/1.8 (Mk II and STM)
Good, Fast, and Cheap.
EJ Tech not fast
It's fast and cheap
Why cary a 12-35 2.8, 35-100 2.8 and a 12-60 2.8-4.0? You could drop your lens count from 7 to 6 by not taking that 12-60 since it's covered by other lenses with constant f/2.8, right?
12-60 is really handy for vlogging while I'm shooting stills at lots of focal lengths, saves switching lenses on two bodies constantly :)
Thanks mate. You have helped me make my mind up about whether to get the leica 12-60 or the 12- 35 mm lens.
awesome! :)
Please post a video of you asking the plumber to fix your desk chair. I need it.
hahaha! He was not happy...
Consider the filter size....try to keep to one or two sizes if possible. Great video. Agreed with everything you said.
Regarding distortion, a lot of lens distortion gets corrected by the firmware in the body automatically when it bakes the JPEG, or can be corrected automatically in your editing software when you're processing the raw. So just knowing that a lens has distortions isn't necessarily a deal-breaker if it looks just fine after the automatic software corrections are applied.
Every lens is gonna have at least a little bit of distortion. I'm not worried about that much, as much as I am worried about sharpness and softness, apperture and weather-sealing. Whatever you can easily fix in post-processing isn't a big deal.
Great video! I am also thinking of getting into vintage lenses, but don't quite know how to choose them...
Me neither, maybe I should get an expert on :)
I got my G85 last year with the 12-60mm kit lens. I looked at the sigma lens but without the OIS I’m not sure. The 12-35mm f2.8 and 35-100mm f2.8 is very interesting but $$$$. Thank you for your time and experience on what to look for in buying a few lenses.
Fun video, James, as always. As a professional I still think the weight issue is not all that you say it is. If your job is to hike up the mountain and get the highest res. photo possible then you do it. You just do, because if you don't, the next guy will. Be glad you weren't working in the film days. I don't think you would have made it.
Probably not, haha. Although I get up faster than I would with heavier gear :)
I think one thing is pretty important to me, when buying a lens: am I planning on maybe reselling it, if it’s turns out it’s not what I’m looking for ?
Because if I’m not really sure about a certain lens, I might go for a cheaper option and/or used, if I know it will retain its value better.
For instance: I thought I wanted a Canon 70-300 for my M6. I knew the older ones weren’t any good on APS-C and wanted to get sharp result, because I wanted to try wildlife/bird photography for the first time, during my hikes. And 100-400 would be to heavy to my liking. So I figured I would save up for a 70-300 L version. But then stumbled across a good deal on a used 70-300 USM II, that I figured I could easily and quickly resell for the same price (where as the used L versions don’t seem to go very fast)
Great tip Pieter :)
The humour throughout this video is absolutely epic
Conveniently for me, I have a bag that's too small to comfortably fit every lens I own into it, so I have to pick and choose what I want anyway. I also only own four lenses anyway, so I just have to think about whether I care about extreme reach or versatility. Reach? Leave the 80-200 at home and take the 300. Versatility? Take the 80-200. My 35mm and 85mm lenses come regardless because they're the only autofocus options I have. That completely eliminates the weight problem for me because the bag can never get too heavy.
Buying slowly [called consideration #6 in the video :) ] is the most valid advice ever, in my experience. Go out, start shooting with the single lens you have and AFTER that, buy a lens that will do something you feel you are missing. Don't buy "the best lens for Sony 6500!" for example, just because you own that camera. If I have to speak for myself, I have 6 lenses and use 2 all the time and 3rd from time to time. The other 3 were bought because I watched/read several positive reviews on them and THOUGHT I might need them. But really didn't. Waste of money and effort to get rid of them, really.
This is so helpful right now. I came at lens buying a bit weirdly as I started with a 150-600 for my APS-C canon, knowing I wanted to do wildlife. It soon dawned on me however that it was neither socially acceptable nor fair to my shoulders to lug that around everywhere, so I grabbed myself a tiny 24mm pancake. Lovely but now I have such a disparity in my focal range without a single standard lens. I then got a bit sucked in to the 70-200 hype and grabbed one of them- definitely made me look professional but still didn't fulfill my needs as just a good standard lens. I'm now looking at a good fast standard prime, Canon 's 35 f2 or Tamron's 35 f1.8 which is much more desirable but also loads more expensive... based on your advice I'll probably go for the canon
Sounds good :)
Appreciate your video. Been reading all I can on lenses. Have a Canon 80d, ready for a new lens for landscape. Also clumsy, realize after I threw something in my bag, I probably shouldn't have done that. Your videos are entertaining and u are funny😎 and cute;).🌻
The nifty 50 by Canon is a enigma , fast , good and cheap lol
You need a 70-200 2.8 and a 100-400, that's basically the thing every photographer needs. For Canon/Nikon, basically all brands that offer these setups. These lenses are like ESSENTIAL to your kit, doesn't matter at all what you photograph, without you're life can be quite empty and photography becomes a lot harder. Because damn, certainly from Canon, these lenses are GODlike perfection.
I just went mirrorless- I went with the Nikon Z72 14-24-24-70, 70-200 2.8s. I shoot mostly places I travel to for my day job and often unpredictable places these seem to generally cover needs when I was shooting full frame Nikons
Flickr is the best of the best when getting samples imo! You cab find groups which will probs cover the exact lens you want on the body you got!
I love it!
Ok, I'm gonna said this: I love the coordination with Mr. Tucker for the uploading thing. Good idea.
HAHAHAHAHAHAH the face on 2:54. I just love you.
haha, certainly not planned - but I love being able to watch whenever he uploads :)
One of My favorite RUclips photography channels... wish it was growing faster. He deserves it, but so many other photography channels are growing so rapidly comparatively. Algorithms are a bitch.
I needed this today, i was about to pull the trigger on gx9 with a few lenses, although i have a fuji x-t30 and like 5 lenses (3 of them very cheap manual primes). I love design of gx9 (the rangefinder style + feel in hand) and I am a fan of m4/3 but a colleague convinced me to buy into fuji system 1 year ago... But thanks to you i decided to stick with fuji, at least for now. Thank you James.
Great tips about lens can’t now for the tricks to do with the different focal lengths
One of my new main considerations if fun. Is the lens fun to use. For some reason I find primes more fun (not sure why).
I myself am used to having a lot of weight with me. As a kid I had to carry around a lot of books, for school, because goddamn that was normal for no reason at all. I am overweight, so that doesn't help either. So for me, the weight thing isn't an issue. Actually, if I don't put weight on my back, I feel empty, as in my whole balance is off, I feel like I will fall any second. So I've always got a full bag on my back. Everywhere I go. I do not hope I am getting sorry for this later in life though. Because that's also one thing to think about besides the NOW.
You're tip about this however is seriously a good one :)
Hey James, really enjoyed the video! What's going on with your door? Standing high jump practice?
Weird isn't it! I should've got an explanation from the previous owner :)
@@JamesPopsysPhoto I was thinking maybe it was to make it inconvenient for you to leave the office... Some weird productivity hack. Really been enjoying the videos lately! Glad you're growing!
Love that this channel is now popping off, superb! One of the most (if not thee most) underrated Photography RUclipsrs!
Cheers for the content, James!
I'm a beginner photographer, just started last year using borrowed equipment from my college where I'm taking an art course right now, but used the holidays this year to start building up my own kit. I managed to get a reasonable full frame body for a price I'm happy with (A nikon d610) and I'm borrowing a couple of nikon lenses from my college that they can't use as they only have canon bodies. The lenses I borrowed are a 24-120 f3.5-5.6 and a 105 f2.8 but in the past 6 months of shooting in general I realised a 50 f1.8 would be a perfect addition for everyday carry that in my case would be light enough to pack with the 24-120 and used often enough to probably sit on the camera most of the time. I suspect as I improve and understand my relationship to my camera and my photos I'll start to notice other gaps, there's a chance I might work towards a 35 f1.4 as well as an 85 f1.4 if I make this a profession, but see no reason why I can't settle with the cheaper f1.8 alternatives. I'm super glad there's a strong used lens market too, as a student, as it makes this a far more affordable venture right now. Videos like this are super reassuring to watch so thank you for suffering to produce it.
I just ordered the 10-25/1.7 it’s weather resistant and hopefully will replace several lenses in my bag to reduce weight and lens swaps
I wasn't watching the video, and then all of a sudden I hear somebody rip a bong hit, I got a little bit excited, but then I realized it was a sip of tea, still a little excited.
Love your videos James. Well spoken and with the humility of an Englishman. I do hope you are English.
Cheers Andrew - I am :)
One of my considerations is can I get it pre-owned?. I've bought 2 nearly new lenses in the past that were a good deal cheaper than new and they work faultlessly. A lot of reputable shops have pre-owned selections
I agree, I haven't bought a new camera yet, and only a few new lenses, over the past decade.
I feel for you James. Watching this while doing the ironing on my knees because the board is broken 😭😭😭
Let's hang in there together mate :)
Big fan of the channel. About to get into the world of Lumix from Canon. Any advise? Thanks 👍
I don't think you touched on redundancy in the video, by that I mean having two lenses that overlap in optical range. So if you get a good zoom, they can sometimes make the primes a bit redundant, as the quality improvement of the prime doesn't outweigh the flexibility of the zoom.
My tip is to buy expensive zooms first instead of buying a range of cheap primes which become a pain in the backside to keep changing. (Which is the opposite of what I actually did.)
So my affordable and excellent Panasonic 20mm, 25mm, Sigma 30mm & 60mm and Olly 45mm primes never get used, because I subsequently bought (okay was bought) the 12-35mm f/2.8 and it's good enough to replace all the others. (Oh my days, how I love that lens! 😍)
(P.S. Yes I know the 60mm is way longer than 35mm, but I have another excellent zoom to cover that.)
(P.P.S Don't let me put anyone off buying the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime: it's crazy sharp and is my absolute favourite lens that I never use.)
grab yourself a chair from the kitchen mate.
No chairs in the kitchen :( But problem solved :)
Nice one, save your knees for the hills
I have been fantasizing about the Canon 16-35 f4 IS.
Enjoying the content James! Oddly distracted though by the door in the middle of the wall 🤨
Cheers Paul, yeah it's an odd one that...
First time I run into your videos. Keep it up!
Pretty informative with just the right amount of humor... :D
Love James's humor but it always goes along with something worthwhile to say or teach
And here I am, grabbing the 1st deal I saw for a 70-200mm f/2.8 :)