Gear - Brett Harkness Photography
Gear - Brett Harkness Photography
Gear - Brett Harkness Photography
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<strong>Gear</strong> Camera Lenses Round-up<br />
Prime reasons to look<br />
beyond the zoom lens<br />
adam Scorey talks to five professionals about their passion for primes,<br />
and asks why they have made the decision to invest in lenses that many<br />
thought would be made obsolete by the zoom<br />
Words Adam Scorey<br />
From the maddest of wide-angles to<br />
the longest of telephotos there is a<br />
prime for every occasion, and it would<br />
appear that fixed focal lengths are enjoying<br />
a bit of a resurgence of late. Top end, fast<br />
primes do cost that bit more than a zoom<br />
– especially when you get into the big boy<br />
telephoto territory – but tend to be faster,<br />
smaller, lighter and have a speedier AF<br />
performance too.<br />
Their positives are relatively well known,<br />
but their greatest weakness is their relative<br />
lack of flexibility when compared to a zoom;<br />
three lenses in one, particularly if with a<br />
fixed, relatively fast aperture, is quite a pull,<br />
plus you get a bit more space in your kit bag.<br />
Add to this not having to keep swapping<br />
lenses, with the timing and dust implications<br />
associated with this, and zooms can start to<br />
look a more attractive, more sensible option.<br />
So why are primes on the up? The easy<br />
answer would be to say bokeh. No, I’ve not<br />
just sneezed on my keyboard, I’m talking<br />
about backgrounds; soft, creamy looking<br />
swathes of defocused colour that wide<br />
apertures produce, which is a superb tool<br />
for creating separation from a subject.<br />
Well, you’ll already know that out-of-focus details in your<br />
images are made of small discs of light. Spherical aberration is<br />
where these small discs have an uneven distribution of light<br />
towards the centre or the edges (like a doughnut) – producing<br />
bad bokeh – so when grouped together the out-of-focus areas<br />
have ‘too much’ definition. A technically perfect lens will have<br />
no spherical aberration but will produce spheres that are<br />
evenly illuminated. However, the edges of the spheres are still<br />
too defined and create ‘sharper’ background details. For the<br />
perfect bokeh you need these out-of-focus spheres to have<br />
fuzzier, less defined edges (much like a Gaussian blur model),<br />
with the light concentration towards the centre of them<br />
so that when they blend into one another, the transitions<br />
between the spheres are far softer and produce good bokeh.<br />
A good rule of thumb to go by is the amount of blades in your<br />
lens’ diaphragm; generally the more blades, the more<br />
circular shape they make and the more natural-looking the<br />
bokeh that will be provided. Eight to nine blades seem to be<br />
about right.<br />
Bountiful bokeh also offers benefits from<br />
a less ethereal, more technical point of<br />
view, helping photographers remove great<br />
swathes of unwanted clutter from their<br />
images, particularly at very public sporting<br />
events. Fashion also plays its part, with more<br />
candid, wide aperture ‘street’ photography<br />
being very en vogue at the minute. But<br />
people also like to experiment as they search<br />
desperately for their own style to help them<br />
stay ahead of the competition – in theory at<br />
least primes can give them this.<br />
There are other technical considerations<br />
too; with the advent of mega-ISo DSLrs,<br />
namely the stunning Nikon D3S and<br />
Canon EoS 1D mark IV, low light shooting<br />
has been through a revolution. Shooting<br />
in situations the human eye struggles<br />
in while still offering bright, sharp and<br />
colourful images has almost invented a<br />
new type of photography. This combination<br />
of usable 12,800+ ISo speeds and f/2 has<br />
certainly made a lot of sports and press<br />
photographers’ jobs that much easier.<br />
my take on the resurgence of primes<br />
is that it’s more to do with image quality,<br />
and here I don’t mean colour accuracy or<br />
“The resurgence of primes is<br />
more to do with image quality ”<br />
Good bokeh Cheating<br />
CREDIT: BRETT HARKNESS<br />
AF performance, rather I’m talking about<br />
image resolution. In my time I’ve played with<br />
lenses of all sizes, types and prices, but my<br />
own favourite is the Canon 200mm f/2 – the<br />
Nikon version is equally good – which I was<br />
testing and had to return, but I seriously<br />
considered flogging one of the kids into<br />
slavery to buy one. Until I saw the quality<br />
of images available from this lens I’d felt like<br />
I’d just been messing about. of course, the<br />
images were sharp – you would expect that<br />
much from a top quality zoom as well – but<br />
the prime had allowed them to take on an<br />
extra definition and contrast that I’d never<br />
seen before. Their clarity was just incredible.<br />
With everyone and their dog pretending<br />
to be a professional photographer on the<br />
back of affordable consumer DSLrs and kit<br />
that enables them to ‘capture the moment’,<br />
a portfolio of images that jump from the<br />
print because the photographer who has<br />
produced them really understands their art<br />
and how to use his or her tools to shape and<br />
enhance light, could mean the difference<br />
between a full or empty diary. But don’t just<br />
take my word for it; listen to what these five<br />
hard-working pros have to say.<br />
When I say ‘cheating’, I jokingly<br />
mean software. You can create that<br />
lovely soft, defocused background in<br />
programs such as Alien Skin Bokeh<br />
2 (www.alienskin.com) and onone’s<br />
Plug-in Suite (www.ononesoftware.<br />
com), and they do a fine job. But do<br />
you want to look at hundreds of<br />
images and individually apply effects?<br />
This takes time and your pride alone<br />
should make you think twice. This<br />
software takes time to master and<br />
doesn’t work on every image. Add<br />
to this the cost of the software, the<br />
equivalent of a decent 50mm f/1.4<br />
roughly, what would you rather have?<br />
okay, it’s a rhetorical question but<br />
what you’ll be lacking is the ‘edge’ that<br />
these beautiful primes give.<br />
Camera Lenses Round-up<br />
<strong>Brett</strong> <strong>Harkness</strong> social photographer – www.brettharknessphotography.com<br />
<strong>Gear</strong><br />
Primes allow you a degree of contact not permitted by zooms. my style is to get into people’s personal space and almost ‘force’ a<br />
reaction from them – the reactions you get are very different from standing back another three feet. You have to be quite bold to be<br />
able to do it, and have the trust of the people you are shooting, but it’s this closeness that gives me great imagery. Primes are harder<br />
to use as they make you think more and use your legs; wide open these lenses can be very hit and miss with only about an inch of<br />
the subject sharp, but this is their wicked beauty. They also slow you down and get you to look around the frame and as a result I<br />
find that I shoot less, my images are cleaner and I feel I’m using my skills as a photographer more. This in turn gives me an enormous<br />
sense of satisfaction.<br />
Canon eF 50mm f/1.2L<br />
USM<br />
Street price: £1,234<br />
Aperture range: f/1.2-16<br />
Diaphragm blades: 8<br />
Elements/groups: 8/6<br />
Close focusing: 45cm<br />
Filter size: 72mm<br />
Weight: 580g<br />
Wide open the 50mm f/1.2 can be a pain to use<br />
due to the tiny depth-of-field you’re working<br />
with, but it’s such a charming lens. I rarely use<br />
it above f/2.8, except for a little fashion work<br />
at f/16. But no matter the aperture, the image<br />
quality from this lens is a wonder to behold. Yes,<br />
there is a tiny amount of softness at the edges<br />
wide open, but this never affects the subject<br />
and, in fact, becomes part of the image itself.<br />
For my style of shooting, the 45cm close<br />
focus is ideal. I can really get right in close and<br />
capture a person’s character and personality<br />
through their reactions. It’s brilliant for that.<br />
However, I do find I experiment with it more<br />
confidently; things like dropping the camera to<br />
the floor, wide open, and shooting whatever<br />
the lens catches – this is great for weddings.<br />
I love the near silent operation from the<br />
AF, but I frequently switch to mF, particularly<br />
when at maximum aperture, to ensure I keep<br />
that tiny amount of depth-of-field in parallel. I<br />
often deal with the very delicate focusing that’s<br />
required by setting my lens to a certain point<br />
and then I simply move my body forward or<br />
backwards by tiny fractions.<br />
I’ve never had problems with flare or<br />
ghosting, either. one curious thing I have<br />
noticed when shooting with it, which I think<br />
reflects my own mindset, is that I find I exhale<br />
when taking a shot. With most of my other<br />
lenses I tend to hold my breath and then shoot.<br />
This may be because I feel I have more control<br />
with the 50mm and perhaps relax more with<br />
it – it just feels more natural to me and it’s the<br />
way that I instinctively find myself working.<br />
overall there is very little that I can find to<br />
fault this lens and that’s why I love it so much. If<br />
I had one minor gripe it’s the fact that because<br />
I’m out in all sorts of shooting situations and<br />
environments I’ve found that I’ve needed to<br />
replace the o-rings a few more times than<br />
expected.<br />
Apart from that I just love this beautiful, fast<br />
lens and if I could only have one optic in my kit<br />
bag this would have to be my choice.<br />
aBOVe: The ultra-wide aperture of the 50mm f/1.2 is perfect for highlighting just a small part of your<br />
subject, in this case, this Indian girl’s eyes, but your focusing needs to be spot-on<br />
aBOVe: You are also able to experiment more with depth-of-field and blur with such a wide aperture, and<br />
you can be confident the image quality will be just superb<br />
82 July 2011 Taking your photography to the next level Taking your photography to the next level July 2011 83
<strong>Gear</strong> Camera Lenses Round-up<br />
84 July 2011 Taking your photography to the next level<br />
Mick Cookson wedding photographer - www.mickcookson.com<br />
my wedding photography takes me to all types of low light venues – especially in winter. The 24mm f/1.4G AF-S is a lifesaver<br />
when shooting reportage-style inside candle-lit receptions etc. At f/2 and 1600/3200 ISo (which is common), the images from it<br />
are simply stunning. In short, my reasons for looking at prime lenses over a zoom boils down to a number of factors: they are faster,<br />
often smaller and more lightweight, tend to be well built and offer great flexibility and excellent image quality. All of these things<br />
are helpful to me in the wedding arena because I have to be able to work quickly and in a variety of testing conditions. my clients<br />
will demand the very best quality in the images I provide. If I need to I will also know that the resolution is there in the files to allow<br />
me to crop into a picture and to still get great results. I need that back-up and primes are a great partner to have alongside my zooms.<br />
Nikon 24mm f/1.4G eD<br />
Street price: £1,619<br />
Aperture range: f/1.4-16<br />
Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded)<br />
Elements/groups: 12/10<br />
Close focusing: 25cm<br />
Filter size: 77mm<br />
Weight: 620g<br />
At most weddings I use prime lenses for<br />
the majority of the shoot, but had been<br />
struggling with a lack of a good 24mm/28mm<br />
fast prime. Nikon didn’t make one until a year<br />
or so ago – theirs was an f/2.8 version, unlike<br />
Canon’s gorgeous f/1.4L, which meant using<br />
a 35mm f/2 and compromising.<br />
However, when the 24mm f/1.4G AF-S<br />
was released I just had to have it! True to<br />
form, as with any pro lens, it’s bigger and<br />
heavier than a ‘standard’ f/2.8 version –<br />
weighing in at 620g with a 77mm filter<br />
thread. There’s no aperture ring on the G<br />
series of lenses, and the body is mostly<br />
polycarbonate. But it feels solid and bullet<br />
proof – like a working pro’s lens should.<br />
The new 24mm uses Nikon AF-S focusing,<br />
and in use is rapid and silent, with accurate<br />
spot-on focusing time after time. At f/1.4 the<br />
lens puts in a good performance, and is very<br />
usable in low light shooting at high ISOs, but<br />
really comes into its own from f/2 onwards.<br />
Barrel distortion and edge vignetting is<br />
still noticeable though at wide apertures.<br />
Computer design aside, you’d think that the<br />
distortion at least would be better corrected<br />
– perhaps a trade-off for resolution? In any<br />
case, any curved lines can easily be corrected<br />
in image editing software.<br />
In use this lens is worth the heavy<br />
price tag it commands. The images are just<br />
stunning – head and shoulders above my<br />
other prime lenses. Results from this 24mm<br />
are ridiculously sharp, with plenty of colour<br />
and contrast. You can see, even at the Raw<br />
file stage, just how much extra resolution this<br />
beast has over, say, the 28mm f/2.8 or 35mm<br />
f/2 lens.<br />
I’ve just bought the new 35mm f/1.4G to<br />
go with it and it’s important to me to have<br />
the quality and flexibility behind me that the<br />
best quality primes can provide. For those<br />
involved in the wedding market it’s a great way<br />
to work and although there is obviously a place<br />
for zooms as well in this environment, primes<br />
are the natural choice for my business.<br />
aBOVe: The<br />
extra width the<br />
24mm allows,<br />
in combination<br />
with the f/1.4<br />
aperture, is<br />
perfect for my<br />
style of wedding<br />
portraiture. It<br />
gives my images<br />
more of a ‘street’<br />
look that really<br />
works for me<br />
LeFT: A fast<br />
prime lens paired<br />
with a high Iso<br />
gives you the<br />
opportunity to<br />
look for detail at<br />
a wedding and<br />
to shoot high<br />
quality images<br />
using just the<br />
available light
<strong>Gear</strong> Camera Lenses Round-up<br />
Karl Shaw portrait photographer - www.k4rl.co.uk<br />
As photographers, we should all take our time and think more, and a prime lens certainly enables me to do this. Studio<br />
environments are hectic places where you have so many things on your plate, from the model’s clothes and hair through to your<br />
lighting and backgrounds, and you are often paying for everything by the hour! So there is a temptation to rush, which I don’t feel is<br />
conducive to creative thinking. Primes also force you to use your brain more when it comes to composition, as you need to shift your<br />
position rather than just zoom in and out. Fast apertures are great for bokeh effects, but they also tend to make focusing easier and<br />
they give you a clearer viewfinder too – both of which are important to me.. But I also feel they make a photographer’s job easier in<br />
that your perspective is set and your options are more restricted. In short, I would be lost without my 50mm.<br />
Nikon aF 50mm f/1.8D<br />
Street price: £110<br />
Aperture range: f/1.8-22<br />
Diaphragm blades: 7<br />
Elements/groups: 6/5<br />
Close focusing: 45cm<br />
Filter size: 52mm<br />
Weight: 155g<br />
There are three main reasons that I like the<br />
50mm: first it’s bitingly sharp, which is essential<br />
for portraits. Second, there is virtually no<br />
chromatic aberration (yellow/purple fringing)<br />
to be seen in the images and third, I favour<br />
the human eye-view perspective the 50mm<br />
gives. It helps that this f/1.8 lens is as cheap<br />
as chips as well, which for the quality you can<br />
get from it, particularly when partnered with<br />
my full frame Nikon D3s, makes it particularly<br />
good value. For this price you can afford to take<br />
a punt and add it to your kit bag just on the<br />
off-chance that you might find a use for it and,<br />
believe me, I’m sure you will.<br />
I don’t tend to need ultra fast maximum<br />
apertures in any case as most of my work is<br />
shot in a studio environment, so this is why I<br />
opted to go for the f/1.8 rather than the more<br />
expensive versions; it just gives me what I<br />
need. As you’d expect, the AF performance is<br />
very good, though it has been known to hunt<br />
a little if I am being super critical. It’s very light<br />
in the hand – big zooms, such as the 24-70mm,<br />
though lovely, are very heavy by comparison<br />
and you really feel them after a long studio<br />
session – but the small size of this prime can be<br />
also a bit of a disadvantage, particularly when<br />
hand-holding in portrait format. There’s not<br />
really anything to get hold of on this lens and<br />
I end up with both hands holding the camera<br />
rather than the lens, which is not always<br />
comfortable.<br />
The viewfinder image is nice and bright,<br />
so quickly checking AF accuracy is easy and<br />
doesn’t halt the flow of a sitting; I very rarely<br />
use the lens in mF. Chromatic aberration is<br />
virtually non-existent – even the best zooms<br />
suffer a little with this – and there are no issues<br />
with corner vignetting either, so this saves<br />
me time in Photoshop. The 50mm gives me<br />
flexibility with working distances too; a studio<br />
can be huge or really tight, but the 45cm close<br />
focus means I can get in close if I need to. In<br />
short, I’ve got a pro spec lens that costs less<br />
than a crappy kit lens on an entry-level DSLr,<br />
and really what more could you ask for!<br />
aBOVe: I’m<br />
always amazed<br />
at just how<br />
good this little<br />
lens is. Add to<br />
that the life-like<br />
perspective and<br />
I think this is one<br />
of the top studio<br />
lenses you can<br />
buy<br />
LeFT: You need<br />
to take a little<br />
care around the<br />
edges of the<br />
frame with the<br />
50mm on a fullframe<br />
if working<br />
in close as you<br />
can get some<br />
distortions in<br />
your shots<br />
Camera Lenses Round-up<br />
Jon Buckle editorial sports photographer – www.jonbucklephoto.com<br />
I suppose some may say that I am old school, but I like the fact that prime lenses challenge you more as a photographer;<br />
zooms can end up being a distraction and you can miss things or spend too much time worrying about a fraction more or<br />
less magnification. Fixed lenses make you think more about where you position yourself and the type of shot you are after<br />
before you even get your gear out. Okay, I may miss a few shots here and there, but the benefits of far crisper images, greater<br />
separation and faster AF far outweigh the odd celebration shot I can’t capture. They also make you, the photographer, get up<br />
and move about rather than fall back on the zoom as some form of compromise in composition and quality; they make you<br />
look for a picture. Of course, zooms definitely have their place, I just prefer the primes for my sports and portraiture work.<br />
Nikon aF-S 400mm<br />
f/2.8G eD Vr II<br />
Street price: £6,648<br />
Aperture range: f/2.8-22<br />
Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded)<br />
Elements/groups: 14/11<br />
Close focusing: 2.9m<br />
Filter size: 52mm (rear)<br />
Weight: 4.62 Kg<br />
Nikon aF DC 135mm f/2D<br />
Street price: £969<br />
Aperture range: f/2-16<br />
Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded)<br />
Elements/groups: 7/6<br />
Close focusing: 1.1m<br />
Filter size: 72mm<br />
Weight: 815g<br />
Nikon aF-S 85mm f/1.4G<br />
Street price: £898<br />
Aperture range: f/1.4-16<br />
Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded)<br />
Elements/groups: 10/9<br />
Close focusing: 85cm<br />
Filter size: 77mm<br />
Weight: 595g<br />
<strong>Gear</strong><br />
I have a passion for bold images that are generally quite tight, so the 400mm is ideal for this.<br />
It’s my main lens for action shots at the footie, usually on the 18 yard line, and it’s especially<br />
good for floodlit matches due to the super-fast aperture – but I also use it at Wimbledon for<br />
tight head shots too. I only shoot on full-frame Nikon D3s cameras to make full use of wide<br />
apertures. The images from the 400mm are just so crisp, clean and full of contrast, and I can<br />
shoot at f/2.8, and even f/4, and achieve such beautiful soft backdrops to my images that they<br />
sometimes seem unnatural. The AF is superb and super fast too; a complete trust in your kit is<br />
so important for me. I often use the AF limiter for things like cricket, which is a great feature.<br />
Though it does have VR II, I don’t tend to use it that much; the D3s’ ISO is just so good when<br />
combined with the fast aperture, it’s just not needed.<br />
Until you have shot portraits at f/2, you really don’t know what you are missing. The 135mm<br />
perspective is so lovely, and the bokeh you can achieve is amazing. More regularly, though, I<br />
use this lens for the footie and mid-length shots at tennis where scruffy backgrounds are a<br />
constant problem, but f/2 soon sorts them out. Being a little shorter in the focal length stakes<br />
you can grab shots of players closer in to goal, which is where I most often use it. It’s also<br />
employed down the wicket line at the cricket on a Pocket Wizard, which is operated by my<br />
foot. When wide open, your focusing has to be perfect as the depth-of-field is zilch, but the<br />
viewfinder image this produces is one of the best in my kit bag so checking accuracy is not too<br />
bad at all. This really is a lens that produces a ‘wow’ factor and in my line of work, where I need<br />
to stand out from others, this lens definitely helps me do that.<br />
If the 135mm f/2 was good then this lens, certainly at wide apertures, is just unbeatable.<br />
It’s such a flexible lens and good for anything from tight headshots to three-quarter length<br />
portraits etc. People sometimes look at the portraits I’ve taken on this lens and think I’ve done<br />
something whizzy in Photoshop, but, of course, I haven’t – in fact this lens is nicknamed ‘The<br />
Cream Machine’, and with good reason. Admittedly, this super-wide look isn’t everyone’s<br />
cup of tea, but I love it. It’s also a great lens to experiment with as the working distance<br />
is so flexible; 85cm on a 85mm is quite tight, and I love these bolder compositions, but by<br />
moving about a bit you can play with angles and views – it helps to keep me on my toes. The<br />
perspective of this lens is particularly pleasing for portraits, as it doesn’t have the slight<br />
‘distortion’ of the 50mm. The images, to me, just feel so natural and really pop out at you.<br />
86 July 2011 Taking your photography to the next level Taking your photography to the next level July 2011 87<br />
LeFT: I’m a<br />
massive fan<br />
of tight shots<br />
as they add<br />
copious amounts<br />
of drama into<br />
the images – of<br />
course, it helps if<br />
you’re shooting<br />
rooney!<br />
rIGHT: You<br />
sometimes need<br />
to be able to<br />
leave some of<br />
the background<br />
in to give the<br />
image a sense of<br />
place. shot at f/4,<br />
the faces help to<br />
tell the image’s<br />
story
<strong>Gear</strong> Camera Lenses Round-up<br />
88 July 2011 Taking your photography to the next level<br />
Nels akerlund commercial & editorial photographer – www.nelsakerlund.com<br />
Image sharpness and speed are the main reasons I shoot with prime lenses. My business covers architectural, commercial and<br />
editorial photography and I have a diverse global clientele, which includes the likes of the National Geographic Society, The<br />
New York Times, the Architectural Record, Siemans and Alien Skin software. I often find myself having to shoot in low light<br />
environments and need all the speed possible to get the shot. When photography is what you do for a living it’s paramount<br />
to use the highest quality glass available. Yes, zoom lenses have come on in leaps and bounds in the last ten years and we do<br />
use them on a regular basis, but if I can shoot with a prime, that is my first choice. There are also situations where there are no<br />
viable options outside of a prime (600mm for example). In my business the extra cost of a prime lens is well worth it.<br />
Canon eF 600mm f/4L<br />
IS USM<br />
Street price: £7,135<br />
Aperture range: f/4-32<br />
Diaphragm blades: 8<br />
Elements/groups: 17/13<br />
Close focusing: 5.5m<br />
Filter size: 52mm (rear)<br />
Weight: 5.36Kg<br />
This is a big lens and I highly recommend<br />
a gimbal head on your tripod (a head with<br />
pivoted support that allows the rotation of<br />
the lens about a single axis) in order to have<br />
the highest level of success when working<br />
with this optic. It’s one of the sharpest lenses<br />
I have used and I won’t shoot wildlife without<br />
it. It’s quick to focus and tracks incredibly well<br />
in AI-Servo mode. There is no denying that<br />
its price is high but if you are struggling to<br />
justify its purchase a great solution would be<br />
to rent one when you need it.<br />
Canon eF 100mm f/2.8<br />
Macro IS USM<br />
Street price: £689<br />
Aperture range: f/2.8-32<br />
Diaphragm blades: 9<br />
Elements/groups: 15/12<br />
Close focusing: 30cm<br />
Filter size: 67mm<br />
Weight: 625g<br />
Canon eF 400mm<br />
f/5.6L USM<br />
Street price: £1,089<br />
Aperture range: f/5.6-32<br />
Diaphragm blades: 8<br />
Elements/groups: 7/6<br />
Close focusing: 3.5m<br />
Filter size: 77mm<br />
Weight: 1.25Kg<br />
This is a lightweight, accurate lens I use for<br />
detail shots at weddings, and it’s fast and<br />
light enough for me to hand-hold it in low<br />
light environments. I have found that I get the<br />
best results when hand-holding if I shoot in<br />
AI-Servo mode. Since there is little depth-offield<br />
when you are very close to your subject<br />
this helps to ensure you get sharp results.<br />
For the price this is a great solution for macro<br />
photography.<br />
The reason I use the 400mm f/5.6 is mainly the<br />
size and weight of the lens: it’s much smaller<br />
and lighter than Canon’s other faster 400mm<br />
prime lenses. I use this lens for editorial shoots<br />
where I can’t have a tripod. I keep the lens and<br />
a body on a monopod and it’s light enough<br />
for me to freely move around. It’s razor sharp<br />
and the only drawback is its f/5.6 maximum<br />
aperture: however, for the price it’s a fantastic<br />
piece of glass!<br />
Pre-owned & hire<br />
Whatever the term, buying a<br />
second-hand lens is a cheaper<br />
alternative to some of the credit<br />
card-busting new lens prices.<br />
Nikon makes things really easy<br />
with just about every lens it<br />
has ever produced fitting its<br />
system, Canon less so as the EoS<br />
system only came about in the<br />
late eighties. The key is to find a<br />
good dealer who can do all the<br />
work for you and source top<br />
quality equipment that won’t<br />
let you down – for Nikon, try<br />
Grays of Westminster (www.<br />
graysofwestminster.com) and for<br />
Canon www.fixationuk.com. A<br />
third option is to hire a lens for a<br />
job – www.lensesforhire.co.uk is a<br />
good place to start searching.