Hey Y'all! Fall is upon us and I'm Loving it! It's my favorite time to shoot. I love the fall colors, festivals and the cooler weather. This week I want to talk about how I research gear that I buy. If you've been following me you know I don't really buy new gear. Now there are tons and tons of gear out there that is great and used and just waiting for someone like you to get it. Now admittedly I am a gear head and I do love some gear. But for me it doesn't have to be the newest and greatest for the type of photography that I do. I'm on a fixed income budget so it matters how much it cost and that I get the best that I can get out of each dollar.  So the way I get gear is first I get an idea of what I want, then I research the different  models and brands and then I hunt for the best price. So it's quite a process and takes a while so I don't really make too many spontaneous purchases. Well at least I try not to.

How I get an Idea for gear? Well back in the day before the internet it was from books or magazines that you could find almost anywhere in a magazine rack. There was always a camera book or photography magazine that you could get and flip through the pages. But now it's the internet and there are loads of information out there .  For me the #1 way I find ideas on what gear I want is through Youtube. Most of Youtube is just people telling you about their photography and what gear they are using. A lot of the gear that they show is Sponsored by camera companies and gear companies so you have to take what they say with a grain of salt. But if you watch enough of them with many different people telling their story and soon you'll find what you're looking for. Say a focal length in lenses or maybe a camera body. Now its time to research.

Research. When I research it's not only the cost of the gear but the quality. I want the best quality that I can afford. Not always the cheapest gear. One great resource is "DP Review" , This online publication is free and it has been rating lenses and camera bodies for over a decade and has reviews on every lens and camera body. They have
a place where you can compare lenses or body and compare them spec by spec. There are sample photos from lenses and bodies and articles that you can research. They even have a partnership with MPB so when your looking at lets say lenses you can check a brand new price and you can see what MPB is selling used and there is a quick link that you can click that will take you right to MPB and the item. Where you can buy outright or you can sell and trade something that you don't use anymore like a macro lens or a prime lens or old body and get money toward the purchase of the item that you are looking to buy. You can also look at KEH another Used camera dealer that has lots to look at and compare prices.  There are all kinds of blogs and threads where you can look up stuff and get personal opinions of gear. Just "Google" the gear and all sorts of stuff pops up. When you finally find what you want and are confident that that is what you want to purchase. It's time to buy.

Buying Gear. Well this is the easy part but maybe the hardest part too. LOL Camera gear isn't cheap. First you have to figure out if you want to by new or used. New is easy . Either B&H Photography or Adorama or even Amazon. I have had good luck with all of them and I would just find the best price and buy. If you plan on buying used there are lots of ways to go. Buy from a friend if they have the gear you're looking for. MPB and KEH are great choices for used gear. Adorama and Amazon also sell used I have tried Amazon but not Adorama used. I have also bought from Facebook Marketplace with success. Ebay is another way to go I have bought and sold from them without any problems. There are other companies out there that sell used and
new gear but I haven't used them. Here is a link to a blog I wrote on Buying Used.

So there you have it How I research and find gear to buy. If you have suggestions or ideas let us know. Until next week...Get out and Shoot!

Hey if you want to check out my photography go to my instagram account Max Stansell Photography there are over 2000 posts there. Here is the link

 Max Stansell Photography Instagram Link