The 'Lens Choice' Challenge (Patreon)

Perhaps one the of the hardest choices we have to make as a photographer is which lens, or lenses, to purchase. I see people asking for advice every day on the social media forums - understandable given the cost of these items. The photographer asking the question usually doesn't specify their purchasing criteria in order to receive suggestions that are helpful. This usually results in photographers on the forum suggesting the lens that they own (usually without having used any of the alternative options) and without offering the criteria they used in order to make their own purchasing decision (if any). This inevitably results in very unhelpful and often conflicting advice with the other recommendations.

Example

The image in this post can be used to illustrate the challenge in receiving appropriate advice. A lens that is proving very popular in some A6700 forums, at the moment, is the Viltrox 27mm F1.2. If we apply the 1.5 APS-C crop factor to this lens it has a full-frame equivalent focal length of 40.5mm and a full-frame equivalent depth of field of F1.8 I suspect the popularity of this lens is driven by the fact that it has a wide F1.2 aperture. This Viltrox lens is, however, double the weight of the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN, nearly double the price and has an aperture advantage of just 1/3 of a stop (slightly less if you factor in the longer focal length of the Sigma 30mm lens). The Full-Frame Sony FE 35mm F1.8 costs US $100 more than the Viltrox, but is much lighter than the Viltrox, and it has a 'future-proof' advantage of being a full-frame lens. The Sony lens would also be a better choice for someone who may upgrade to a full-frame camera at sometime in the future.

So all three lenses could be recommended as the best choice depending on purchasing criteria of maximum aperture, budget, size, weight, flexibility to use on cameras with different sensor sizes ... and this is before we even get to discuss optimum sharpness, sharpness wide-open, lens features, lens breathing and lens aberrations. Difficult choices when the advice on the social medium forums do not discuss these issues.

This challenge is played out over all lenses of all focal lengths and is further complicated when we throw in the choice between primes lenses and zoom lenses.

PERSONAL SUPPORT

Premium and Premium Plus members have access to a 2-hour lens choice seminar along with the lens advice in the camera-specific eBooks. I also offer one-on-one purchasing advice to Premium Plus patrons on the monthly Q&A forums. Remember it is easy to change your tier to the Premium Plus tier for a month when you need to seek my personal advice. You can always drop-down to your previous tier at any time. Once you have upgraded you get a month's services at the higher tier, even if you change the tier before your month is up. Remember I am always at your service and my advice is not influenced by the fact that I am a Sony Digital Imaging Ambassador.