Here’s a piece of technical advice. Invest in lenses. Good glass lasts a long time. I see people continually churning and buying new camera bodies when what they should be doing is investing in good lenses. Lenses control the light, whether it’s photography or video, and they’re the most essential ingredient in image quality.

Rent lenses

If you can’t afford great lenses, rent lenses. We rent great cinema glass all the time for video productions. Getting the lenses, we need at a reasonable price. When we have a big job.

Buy good lenses

It would help if you also bought lenses, and I recommend saving up and buying the good lenses. Take the time and really get the money that you need or use your credit wisely and buy the better lens. You don’t have to go crazy here, but a good lens is going to work for many years and gave me moved from one camera body to another. Plus, they have a much higher resale value.

Don’t buy cheap lenses

Conversely, don’t buy cheap lenses, you’re just going to have to replace them, and you’re not going to be satisfied. Try to get what’s reasonable. You don’t have to always buy the brand from your particular manufacturer. There are a lot of great third-party lens manufacturers and specialty lens manufacturers. I buy from many different companies, but buy a better option when I can.

Buy used lenses

If you can’t afford the best of the best, don’t be afraid to look for used lenses. I bought many used lenses from both LensRentals.com and B&H. They both have great use departments, and the quality is certified with a money-back guarantee. They work fantastic. There are always plenty of other people willing to sell their lenses quickly, and so you can often pick up great deals if you haven’t done so. 

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