 Interchangeable camera lenses are essential if you want to take professional quality photos. In film cameras, the lenses are responsible for taking in the light that will then be captured on film. With digital photography, the camera lenses take in the light but the images are captured on a computer chip located inside the camera. But the need for a quality lens is universal and essential to serious amateurs and professionals alike.
It is desirable to have multiple lenses depending on the type of photography you are engaged in. For example, a different lens may be required to take nature photographs as opposed to indoor portrait shots. If you take a variety of pictures you may need to invest in multiple lenses.
Purchasing digital camera lenses online is a great idea, especially since this often means you will save money doing so. Online shopping prevents you from going to multiple stores or camera shows to find what you need. You can read reviews, compare prices, and overall take a thorough approach to making the purchase. But there are also things you need to be careful of. Here is some advice that will help you get the most of your online shopping experience.
What Will You Need the Lenses For?
Since different lenses serve different purposes, an essential part of the buying process is to determine what the lens will be for. If you need something that is versatile and will simply update the capabilities of your existing lens there are product options for you. If you need a specialty lens that will help you take excellent nature shots or sports photography, that is also an option.
Consider the type of photography that you do and shop for lenses accordingly. You wouldn’t want to purchase a lens that is incompatible with your overall interests or professional goals.
Get Opinions from Others
An essential part of the process of purchasing camera lenses online is to learn all you can about the product. This includes reading reviews and getting opinions from users. For reviews you can look on product review sites and consumer sites. To get opinions, it is a good idea to visit forums and newsgroups. You can either participate in existing discussions or start a discussion of your own.
Digital Camera Lenses Reviews:
o http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ - Site focuses exclusively on Canon
o http://www.dcviews.com/cameras.htm
o http://www.cnet.com
o http://www.dpreview.com
Digital Photography Forums:
o http://www.dpreview.com/forums/
o http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ - site focuses on Canon products
o http://www.phototakers.com/forum/
Gather Information About the Lenses
There are a lot of respected lens manufacturers and they each have a variety of lenses. A good starting approach is to view the lens specifications online. You can either visit the manufacturers’ websites or look at product reviews and product descriptions on dealer websites.
To organize your efforts you may want to keep track of the information on your computer. Make a list of the type of photography you will be using the lenses for, the model and manufacturer, and the price.
Companies such as Nikon, Canon, Tamron, Konika Minolta, Kodak, Zuiko, and Carl Zeiss are amongst those worth looking into. Check out their websites as a starting point and read reviews and forum discussions about the products.
Price Comparison Sites
The beauty of buying digital camera lenses online is that you have the opportunity of comparing prices fairly quickly. The process goes even quicker when you aren’t the one searching dealer websites to find the best prices. Here are some sites that can help you compare prices between lenses. These websites help you save time because they search multiple websites.
o Price Scan- http://www.pricescan.com/
o PriceGrabber- http://www.pricegrabber.com/
o CNET- http://shopper.cnet.com/2001-6501_9-0.html?tag=sh.glnav
o Price Watch- http://www.pricewatch.com/
A Word About Advertising
Yes, gathering information is important. But, equally important is that some of the information out there is presented in the form of advertisements. These surely present a biased view of a lenses worth and quality.
But bear in mind that there are often hidden forms of advertising out there. Some reviews may be advertisements in disguise, especially if they are presented on a dealer website. Always check and double check any information presented in reviews and ads to avoid making a bad purchase decision. Bear in mind that not every piece of information found about a lens should be positive. Your job is to find the negative and positive view points and make a good decision after you weight them.
Make Sure the Lens is Compatible
Another thing to keep in mind when buying digital camera lenses online is that the lens needs to be compatible with the type of camera you have. This will often limit your choices because lenses may behave differently from camera to camera.
If you are purchasing both the camera and the lens together, this may guarantee that the two are compatible but it may not ensure that you will end up with a quality lens. Review the specs for the camera and the specs for the lens to make sure.
Finding a Reputable Dealer Online
One of the biggest challenges of purchasing a digital camera online is to find a reputable dealer. Dealers range from website and online shopping options for existing stores, to online shopping websites, to specialty photography sites.
Dealer Reputation- Research the reputation of the dealer by visiting consumer websites, asking in forums, and doing an online internet search. Your goal is to find customer feedback that is both good and negative. If you can’t find anything negative, chances are they are a good company.
Read any Disclaimers- Before making any final purchase decisions, it is a good idea to read any disclaimers and user agreements on the websites. These will give you a clue about the shipping policy, returns, and how they handle things like warranties. Failure to read this may cause you a lot of hassle and grief.
Shipping- There are plenty of shipping companies out there. It might be best to find a dealer who will give you a few options. You may also look into shipping insurance, unless the dealer already includes this with their prices. You will also want to see if the dealer has the shipping rate fixed or if it varies depending on the size and nature of the purchase. Also, when checking on a dealer’s reputation, determine from other companies how they handle their shipping.
A Word About Warranties
Sometimes, a dealer will try to get you to purchase a special extended warranty. In general, it is best to avoid this. Extended warranties are often unnecessary because the company warranty is adequate. A good lens will last a long time unless something happens (i.e., you drop it). Personal accidents often aren’t covered by warranty, even an extended warranty, anyway. Understand the company warranty policy and save your money on the extended option. This is usually just a way for a company to make even more money from the sale and isn’t necessarily designed to benefit you.
Final Thoughts
When purchasing a digital camera lens online, it is important to do research before you make a purchase. Check reviews, compare prices, read product specifications, and certainly make sure to research the dealer to make sure they have a good reputation. Also make sure the lens is compatible with the camera.
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