Be sensible, don't buy what others need

Sunday 23 July 2023, 14:41 by Nando Harmsen | 2,860 views | 5 comments

This 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.

You can buy everything you can think of. The question is, do you really need it?
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.

A small, compact and relatively cheap 50mm lens. Although some people praise it to the skies, the question is whether it is of any use to you.
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.

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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

Mac wrote on Monday 24 July 2023 at 08:00 | reply
Over die 50mm, vroeger had iedereen hem omdat dat de kit-lens was die bij je camera zat. (verschil met kit lenzen van nu is, dat de 50 bijna altijd wel heel goed was).
Hij was goed, niet duur en lekker compact.(zelfs de f1.4 was nog te doen, maar meeste hadden of de f1.8 of 2.0). Dus iedereen had hem.
En dat stigma is blijven hangen, je hebt er 1 nodig. Met verschil, dat de 50mm van nu groot en duur zijn (meeste althans). Dus heb je er 1 nodig? niet echt. Is hij handig? dat wel, zeker de oudere compactere.
heb er zelf nog 2 (een 1.4 en een 1.8) en gebruik ze toch nog regelmatig. Ze zijn toch nog (voor mij althans) de beste keus als er zeer weinig licht is.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 09:52 | reply
Mijn keuze voor weinig licht is een flitser
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Leo Bayezt wrote on Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 17:24 | reply
...een prima voorbeeld ...heb je wel een flitser nodig...☆☆☆
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Bob De Vos wrote on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 08:47 | reply
Waarom niet in onze photofacts community een rubriek "te koop" om al die overbodige stofverzamelaars aan te bieden. Wellicht is er iemand die er wel plezier aan beleefd.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Bernt wrote on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 17:08 | reply
Misschien niet altijd even goed/subliem maar Chinese merken zijn prima voor die ene keer dat je denkt dat je zo een lensje nodig zou kunnen hebben. En tweedehands is er genoeg. Meer dan.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

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