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Finding a deal on Lenses

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Let’s face it, lenses get expensive. Great quality glass with a large maximum aperture does not come cheap, and purchasing a collection to cover a variety of focal lengths will quickly max out most budgets. Lets look at a couple tips to find lenses at a discount.

ef_01_100812_01Let’s face it, lenses get expensive. Great quality glass with a large maximum aperture does not come cheap, and purchasing a collection to cover a variety of focal lengths will quickly max out most budgets. As a result, many shy away from quality primes and sacrifice large max apertures in exchange for less expensive super zoom lenses. Unfortunately, this method is a mistake and yields less than professional results in most cases. Lets look at a couple tips to find lenses at a discount. In a previous article, we mentioned the outstanding quality and relatively inexpensive prices of prime lenses. Unfortunately, since primes only cover  a single focal length, you may need a couple to complete your collection.

Canon Refurbished Lenses.
Canon offers a large selection of refurbished lenses at great discounts. Often these prices will be less expensive than used equipment for a product that looks and functions brand new. While refurbished cameras pose a greater risk, lenses often have a lifespan of 7-10 years minimum and I would rarely worry about potential issues.

CanonRefurbished

Used Equipment
While most of us are familiar with Ebay and Craigs List, sometimes you want the peace of mind knowing that your product has been checked by professionals and is verified to be in good working order. Both Adorama and B&H Photo have great selections of used equipment and lower price levels. Both companies are respected and secure to eliminate some of the uncertanty when purchasing new equipment.

AdoramaUsed

BHPhotoUsed

Online Retailers
There are several advantages to purchasing online. Apart from the usual discounts online sellers usually provide due to decreased operational costs, most online orders (depending on your state) are tax free. This often contributes to a major reduction in price vs. local stores even when the items are priced the same. Also, most companies allow free shipping and offer frequent sales and discounted prices from the local retail stores. Some of my favorite online stores are:
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
http://www.abesofmaine.com/
http://www.adorama.com/


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