So you have a new DSLR with a kit lens, and it’s just not enough, and you’ve decided to buy a new lens.  Which one should you get?

I get asked that question so very often by people that have just started getting interested in their photography and want to do more.  The thing is, there’s only so much you can do with a kit lens, they really are quite limiting; especially the kit lenses on the lower end of the DSLR market.

The problem is that there are so many lenses and different types of lenses on the market, so where do you start?  Which lens is the next logical step?

You need to decide what type of photography you’re going to pursue, and this should determine your next lens.

1.  If you’re keen on macro photography, then get a fixed macro lens like a 50mm macro lens. The best one to get is a 100mm f2.8 but those are extremely expensive.

2.  If you want to get into more landscape photography, then go for a wide angle lens like a 10-20mm.

3.  If you’ve got kids and want to take better photos of them, or you’re interested in portraits, then choose a fast portrait lens, like a 50mm (a nifty fifty is seriously fast and reliable but you use your feet to zoom), or an all -rounder like a 70-300mm which will allow you to take photos from a distance.  All the photos on this post were taken with a Canon 50mm f1.4.

4.  And if you’re planning on travelling, then get an all-rounder lens like an 18-200mm.  You shouldn’t need much more than that, unless you’re going on safari, in which case get a 70-300mm which gives you even more zooming power.

At all times when buying a new lens, try and get the best quality lens that you can afford in the range that you’re looking for.  There’s no real need to get Canon or Nikon lenses if you can’t afford them, generic lenses like Tamron and Sigma work quite well, and in fact in some cases have better reviews on lens review sites like DPReview than the original lenses.

Don’t only look at the brand of the lens when choosing what you can afford.  A big thing to look for is the speed of the lens and the way in which it handles light, and this is mostly determined by the f-stop.  Get the lowest f-stop that you can afford.  If you’re looking at 50mm lenses for example, rather get the f1.4, than the f1.8 if you can afford it.  It’ll allow you to take much better photos at lower light.  The lower that f-stop figure on the lens, the better the lens handles light.

Let me know in the comments what lens you’re wanting to get next, I know that I’m hankering after a proper macro lens on my next lens shopping trip.