Kuzano

The key to answering your question is the term "Good Glass".

I take good care of the equipment I buy, but I am not so selective on cosmetics of the mounts, barrels, and controls. I am absolutely prone to the quality and condition of the "GLASS" or optics.

I have purchased some wonderful lenses in terms of image quality production from the "bargain" rated sections of KEH and other resellers.

That said, I often buy used lenses that function well and have no imperfections in the optics. I save huge dollars with that approach, and I may have a lens that is difficult to sell because of the vast majority of "anal retentive" buyers out there on cosmetics. Waste of good money.

What I care most about is the rendering quality and resolution of any lens I buy. The optics are the most value to me. Good Glass does note necessarily denote a high quality lens, just because there are no signs of wear or paint loss on the externals.

So everybody's definition of "Good Glass" may be largely different. Some of my lenses in the past have looked externally like real "POS" gear, but have produced great images.

What does "Good Glass" mean to you?

Kfallsfotoman

I have a similar mix of lenses. They are usually fine - except when I go for some eagles or other wildlife - which seems to be more now.

As someone already stated - ebay - craigslist good source of current market price on used gear. Also b&h - keh - Roberts - a number of places that handle used gear.

Naturally - just like a car - you can start used and avoid the 1st year hit.

But an alternative if you need something outside your normal lens range is to rent - you can get a $2-3000 lens for about $125 for 7-10 days.
Yeah a couple rentals may reach a point that you could have bought a used lens.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

1) Everything works.
2) Results are sharp, appropriately contrasty, free of *objectionable* coma, distortions, chromatic aberrations, vignetting, and flare.
3) Marked apertures are within half a stop of where they should be.
4) The price is right.
5) It does something I really need...

Cosmetic appearance is nice, but if the five points noted above are okay, I will use it.

canon Lee

Hi As far as lenses go, for me it's a one time purchase, as I don't sell my lenses. I buy the best lenses that fit my shoot..I am in the photography business, so I don't leave anything to chance when it comes to my equipment.. Since I get paid to take photos, I do buy good glass.. Canon "L"....

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

If you were photographing wildlife you would have one more item
6) Quick

You want it to be like Delta Airlines - "ready when you are"

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

True! Not normally a factor in my work. But for sports and wildlife, the speed of AF is up there on the priority list.

TMcL

Good glass will probably hold its value better than a good camera.

For those of us who hang on to good glass when upgrading cameras the resale value is probably academic.

AndyGarcia

I really don't know what people mean by "good glass" means.

I have some Fuji lenses which are "good glass" and they are and they also offer a great price/IQ ratio. I also have some old Ai Nikon lenses, some old AF Nikon lenses and some Konica Hexanon/Hexar lenses - all are "vintage lenses" and I consider all to be "good glass". These offer a fantastic price/IQ ratio and are fun to use.

I'll sign off with those the thought that I could buy 20 lenses for the price of one $2K lens. Would that lens be 20 times better?

Pura Vida.

jdedmonds

I may not be remembering this correctly, nor who first said it but here it is: a great photograph is 50% the photographer, 40% the glass, 5% the camera and 5% luck.

James Slick Loc: Pittsburgh,PA

What number of lenses one needs depends on the type of photos you take. If you are "all in" on a "system" (Nikon/Canon/Pentax...) You can "amortize" the cost of "glass" over years. My lenses have "seen" many bodies over the years. I mark an investment in terms of long term usefulness, not how much money I can sell for later.(that's for stocks and bonds,not hobbies!)

Start with a good "normal" prime and a medium zoom, add maybe a fast telephoto or macro depending on what you shoot, Build up - Any good hobby is a process not a result. If you're a professional, Your specialty will determine what lenses you need right now.

James Slick Loc: Pittsburgh,PA

Yep - The lens is the most important part of any camera system, And even though electronics advance, the laws of physics don't - A good lens is a good lens, period!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

That sounds like something from the film days, when the camera just had to hold the film flat, and anything else was bells and whistles. Now with the importance of digital sensors and software, I would up percentage of the importance of the camera.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

But the rules are changing. A lens built for film is less valuable today since the coatings are less appropriate for digital, because reflections off silicone are different than reflections off film. A manual focus lens is less valuable with the advent of AF. I believe future sensors will handle high ISO values more gracefully, which will reduce desirability of wide-aperture lenses.

gwilliams6

Certainly the skill and knowledge of the photographers matters most, but good glass will last you a lifetime , while camera bodies will come and go. As a pro shooter for four decades, my "good glass" always paid for itself with better image quality and longer life.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

There are some modern, top notch glass, manual prime lenses today, that are not vintage/legacy types. Manufactured for digital age cameras. Just don't forget your film manual focus skills. And you'll do OK. There are limitations, of course, for different kinds of photography. Good glass, decades past, or later, are forever.