Be sensible, don't buy what others need
Sunday 23 July 2023, 14:41 by Nando Harmsen | 2,993 views | 5 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
Do you ever buy photographic equipment or accessories that end up sitting in a cupboard? Things that turn out not to be useful to you after all? You are not the only one. So ask yourself every time whether you really need the things you are about to buy.
This may sound a little strange, but it still happens far too often. As photographers, we are constantly made aware of useful accessories that are supposedly indispensable. Sometimes they are too cheap to leave behind, while at other times they cost a fortune.
Ask yourself whether you really need those accessories. They may even promise a solution to problems that do not exist in the first place. Do not let yourself be tempted into buying things you will never need.
In fact, this also applies to lenses, flashes, camera bags, and much more. A good example is a 50mm lens, which many people consider indispensable for a photographer. Have you ever really needed such a lens? Or have people around you convinced you that you need one, with the best intentions?
Do not get me wrong, 50mm is a fantastic focal length, and the wide aperture is lovely to work with. But do not buy it because someone else gets a lot of use out of it. You are buying it for yourself, and if you do not really need it, it is a waste of money.
So never feel obliged to buy photographic equipment, and especially do not buy what others need. Only when it turns out that you are genuinely missing something, limiting you in your photography, is it time to go shopping. Not before.
Have you ever bought equipment or accessories that turned out not to be useful? Tell us in a comment below this post. Do not be shy, everyone has done it at some point.
About the author
Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.
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5 comments
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Mac wrote on Monday 24 July 2023 at 08:00 | replyRegarding that 50mm, everyone used to have one because it was the kit lens that came with your camera. (the difference with kit lenses nowadays is that the 50 was almost always really good).
Translated from Dutch.
It was good, not expensive and nice and compact.(even the f1.4 was still affordable, but most had either the f1.8 or 2.0). So everyone had one.
And that stigma has stuck around, you need one. With the difference that today's 50mm lenses are big and expensive (most of them anyway). So do you need one? not really. Is it useful? definitely, especially the older, more compact ones.
I still have 2 myself (a 1.4 and a 1.8) and I still use them regularly. They are still (for me at least) the best choice when there is very little light. -
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Leo Bayezt wrote on Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 17:24 | reply...a fine example ...do you even need a flash...☆☆☆
Translated from Dutch. -
Bob De Vos wrote on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 08:47 | replyWhy not have a "for sale" section in our photofacts community to offer all those superfluous dust collectors. Perhaps there is someone who would enjoy them.
Translated from Dutch. -
Bernt wrote on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 17:08 | replyMaybe not always equally good/sublime but Chinese brands are fine for that one time you think you might need a little lens like that. And there’s plenty second-hand. More than enough.
Translated from Dutch.
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