8 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Lens For Your Camera

After getting a fancy digital SLR camera, you can now buy new lenses to use on your camera. Before you purchase, consider these frequent blunders and misconceptions to avoid.

Zoom Obsession
Carrying around a longer extension on your camera may appear impressive, but it may not get you the images you want. Buying in the telephoto range will make your friends take a second look, but is more cumbersome to carry around and you'll be missing the ability to do wide-angle shots.

Image Stabilization Over-expectation
Just because you have image stabilization turned on does not mean that none of your shots will be blurry. While this may help your hand-held shots appear less shaky, there's also motion blur from moving subjects that may leave you disappointed at the results.

Off Brand Lenses
Saving a few dollars to buy 3rd party products may not be worth it in the long run. Some camera features may not play nice with the lens. Do your research before you buy.

Incompatible Lenses
Make sure to check which series of lenses works with your camera or the lens you buy may not work at all with your SLR. For example, Canon's EFS series of lenses only works on some of their cameras while the EF series works on all their newer digital SLR cameras.

Equipment Addict
If you're spending more on equipment than your mortgage, now might be a good time to evaluate whether buying another lens will actually be a significant benefit to your shooting. If you've got the itch, it may be a better idea to rent for a few weeks before adding to the collection.

Expensive Is Better
Paying extra does not guarantee that you'll be getting a better solution. You may be paying for features that you'll never use.

Assuming Equipment Will Make You A Professional
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that somehow a piece of equipment will turn your work into something that it's not already. You'd be better off spending money on an education if you're work isn't what you want it to be.

Ignoring The Purpose For The Lens
If you're buying a prime lens as an all-in-one solution, you're probably making the wrong choice. There are many versatile lenses that cover a wide array of photography, but no lens will fit every need you'll have.

Larissa Photography shares her recommendation for the best Canon lens for learning to use a DSLR.