After far too many weeks my lens array is now where I want it to be with the arrival of the Tamron SP 70-300 mm Di VC USD. Why did it take so long? Well, despite the advert stating that it would be shipped from the UK, I quickly found out I was dealing with someone in mainland China. In the end I have received exactly what I wanted and at a very good price, but it was a bit of a difficult road to travel. Certainly dealing with the mainstream businesses (Jessops et al) gives you a great deal of security and confidence, but that comes at a price and only you can place a value on that.

So why I am going on about a lens? Why am I not talking about the next camera I aspire to owning? The fact is, in my mind the most important bit of kit a photographer has is the glass and in a hobby or profession which is rife with kit envey, that idea is sometimes lost. It does not matter how high spec the body is if the image being delivered is being degraded by poor optics at the front. Agreed the sensor and associated processor is important but it can't produce a silk purse from the proverbial sow's ear. On the same tack, investing in a good lens and then putting cheap filters infront of it is similarly self defeating. So my maxim is, get the optics sorted first then worry about the rest of it later.

That said, the best lens in the world will not produce great pictures on its own. No matter how good the equipment is, it is the person using it that is the most important element in the whole process.

10/11/2012