The best gear is at times completely independent of the “right” gear. We’ve all at one time or another asked the question, “which camera should I buy?” or “What’s the best lens for such and such camera?”. Those are some great questions and arguably a couple of the most important questions you’ll ask as a budding photographer. And rightly so, you want to spend as little money as possible on the best gear you can afford so you don’t have to do it again and again. Unfortunately the best lens or camera is not always the best lens or camera for YOU!
If you ask for advice in a well established photography forum where you’ve got some educated photographers and not photography trolls prowling the inter-webs for gullible beginners then the first answer you’ll likely get is “depends on what you want to do,” right? It can be frustrating to get that answer but I’ll tell you why it’s the best one.
Have you ever heard the expression “fit a square peg into a round hole”? That is what happens when you buy the ‘best’ lens or camera based on the sole fact that they are the best items money can buy. The best is not always better…
Before asking yourself (or anyone else) which lens or camera to buy try narrowing it down by asking which piece of gear is best for a particular type of photography. For example: “Which lens under $1,000 is the best for the Nikon D600 when primarily shooting landscapes?” as opposed to “What is the best lens for the Nikon D600?”. I can tell you from experience that there is no single piece of gear that is perfect for every situation (though I wish there was). That is where the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes into play, if you try to find the most versatile piece of equipment like a camera or lens then you tend to give something up in the quality department in exchange for the versatility.
A few things to include and consider when asking for advice or searching for the best equipment for your particular needs:
The amount of money your willing to spend
The type of photography you’ll be focusing on
Whether you demand the versatility of a zoom lens or not (prime lenses are the alternative)
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