5 Important Mistakes To Avoid When Purchasing New Camera Gear

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  By Michael Moodie
5 Important Mistakes To Avoid When Purchasing New Camera Gear www.sleeklens.com

It’s always easy to turn into a kid again even as young adults when it comes to getting new stuff. It is easily relatable to getting a new toy as a child, as you would bounce off the walls just waiting to have it in your hand and put it to use. Getting new camera gear is no doubt like Christmas as a photographer even if you’re the one spending your own money on it. Just the thought of having something new to add to your camera gear collection itself is exciting. However, we sometimes have to be safe when purchasing new camera gear because some mistakes made can be very costly to you as the buyer or even hinder any upcoming projects. In this article, we will be focusing on some of those mistakes that are important to avoid when considering to get some new camera gear for yourself. Some of these mistakes have been made by me and are being shared from experience as well as the experience of other photographers like myself. Let’s begin

1. Taking Bad Advice

When considering to get some new equipment or new gear for your camera, it is completely normal to ask for some advice in regards to the piece of equipment you’re getting. However, you should be careful as to who you ask for advice as you can easily be misled and encouraged to get or purchase the wrong thing. Before taking anyone’s advice as gospel, you should first consider a few things. The first thing to consider is if the person giving you advice actually know what it is they’re talking about or knowledgeable enough to be giving advice on the equipment you’re interested in. You will end up meeting individuals who might have an idea of what it is you’re interested in but unable to give in-depth advice on it. Also, ask yourself if you can consider this person an expert who knows their way around a camera as much as you do or even more than you do.

Taking advice from someone who understands your unique needs and what you’re looking for is very important. Taking the wrong advice and being misled by it can be expensive and result in you wasting your time or money.
As much as possible, avoid taking the word of just another photographer who has the same piece of equipment you’re looking for because there is a slight possibility that the way in which he used that piece of equipment might not be the same as you would. Explore the advice of trusted experts to give a fair assessment and not the words of those who are not as knowledgeable as they would hope to be.

2. Equating Quality To Price

This common misconception is one of the many mistakes I made when choosing to buy new camera gear. There is a popular thought that the higher the price is on a particular thing is equal to how good the quality is. Try not to purchase any gear with this as a point of motivation. Photography is an expensive career or hobby and the equipment required for it can carry some hefty price tags but this does not always mean you’re assured a good quality product.

In the event that the price of the item is not an issue for you, this still does not excuse the fact that not because the price on the item is high, means that it will be up to your standards. Try to focus less on the price is equal to the quality and think about what it is that’s in front of you. Consider if this piece of equipment is exactly what you need or does it match your skill set. Ask yourself more practical questions than spending time being distracted by all the bells and whistles.

3. Not Budgeting Properly

When purchasing new gear you want to be able to control how much you’re spending and not get too carried away. Buying photography equipment is an investment as you hope to have it last years and not just a couple of months or weeks. It’s fairly easy to forget your budget as you get distracted by all the shiny new gear you could now have in your collection. However, stick to your budget and try to aim below it as much as possible. Putting this into practice will help you in the future when looking to upgrade some of your photography equipment as you’ve already established a good habit of spending wisely. Getting taken away with new camera gear can be very costly and put a hole in your pocket so before you click checkout or head to a cashier, ask yourself if it’s worth it.

4. Distracted By Deals & Specials

Now that you’ve finally created a budget and stuck with it, it’s now time to see how strong willed you are. Photography companies or retails in general that sell photography gear will always try to find a way to get you to spend more money than you think you’re actually spending. The trick is to always offer you more for a lesser price which might seem enticing but it is often a trick to dig a little more into your pockets. Try to stay focused on what it is you came for and not be distracted by the things you don’t need. This might be one of the hardest parts when actually buying new camera gear because when you see something else at a lesser cost, you think you need to get it as well when in reality you actually don’t.

5. Not Being Realistic With Yourself

My last point as it regards to purchasing new camera gear is to be realistic with yourself. It is always okay to have dreams and aspirations but it is also important to be true yourself as well. Before even considering to spend a lump sum of money on a particular piece of equipment, try to be realistic and consider if photography is actually a field you want to invest in. As I said earlier, photography is an expensive career or hobby to have and it can be very rewarding once you’ve invested smartly and marketed yourself as a photographer correctly as well. However, if it is not your passion then you might find yourself wasting money on something you never really wanted to do.

I hope this article has been very helpful in avoiding some of the mistakes I have made along with others when it comes to purchasing new camera gear. Thank you for stopping by and until next time, see you soon.

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Michael Moodie is a Freelance Photographer and Photojournalist. He Enjoys Lifestyle Photography and Traveling while doing all things creative!

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