|
Should I buy an "Aftermarket lens"?
 When
most people buy their first digital SLR, they opt for the "kit" - typically the
camera body and an entry level short to medium focal length zoom lens. These
"kit lenses" get the job done, but as the users progress in their photography
skills they usually find themselves desiring a lens that is "sharper" and
"faster" than the one that came "bundled" with their camera.
In order to meet this desire, all of the major DSLR manufacturers offer a line
of optional, higher quality lenses. The problem is these lenses can be quite expensive,
often costing more than the price of the camera itself! But for budget-conscious
consumers, third party companies such as
Tamron,
Tokina and
Sigma offer more
affordable options that come reasonably close to their name-brand counterparts
in quality and features.
One of the questions that I hear most is "Are aftermarket lenses just as good as
the name brands?". The short answer is no, but they do come pretty close and
the casual photographer will more than likely be very happy with the images they
produce.
But professionals who need for their images to be as sharp and bright as
possible would probably be better off in the long run
investing the extra cash in the name brand lenses.
In a nutshell, if you're a casual photographer who just wants to take pictures
for your own use, a quality aftermarket lens will do a very good job for you,
producing images that are typically better than those produced by your kit lens.
But if you take photos for pay (i.e. you're a pro), you'll probably find that
higher-quality name brand lenses are a bargain even at their premium prices.
About the author:
Rick Rouse
is a photography enthusiast as well as the owner of TodaysPhoto.org.
|
|
