How do YOU decide about a lens?

[stradibarrius]

When you are searching for a new lens that you are not experienced with how would YOU go about deciding the brand and the characteristics you want?
Is it strictly by price, reputation, brand loyalty etc.?

[h2oman]

Size/weight is a factor for me.

[djdister]

Sharpness (or softness), coverage, and "the look" that the lens conveys. That last part is tough, but I search out as many examples of photos taken with that particular lens to get an idea of the look of photos taken with it, especially shots taken wide open.

[vinny]

Online Research followed by shooting, then making enlargements.

[Dan Fromm]

Buy; try; keep or sell.

[Daniel Stone]

Questions I ask myself, in order of importance:

1. Do I NEED it, or do I just WANT it?
2. Will it allow me to make photographs not possible with the equipment I already own? Will cropping in a bit, or taking a step or two backwards, allow me the same FOV(using equipment I already have)?
3. Will I use it enough to justify the expense?
4. How easy is it to resell, if I decide that I don't need/want it after buying it? "Am I buying a wanted item, or am I buying a glorified doorstop?"
5. What can I sell, that I'm not using, to help fund this purchase? (In my case, this is now very much a concern, as I've got a good bit of stuff sitting around gathering dust )

[stradibarrius]

Dan's response is really the only way to really know. We have discussed looking at photos on line recently and most seem to agree that it is not a good way to judge. If you don't have a chance to see negatives or prints for yourself then buy, try and sell is probably the best way.

[Ari]

Buy first, ask questions later.
Buying based on images I have seen; questions based on my own experiences with the lens.
I end up not keeping too many.

[Liquid Artist]

Buy; try; keep or sell.

I agree with this.
For some stupid reason I love buying lenses I can't find anything on. Most often getting them dirt cheap.
If I get good results with it, I'll usually keep it unless I have a similar lens. Then I may sell it, using my sample photos to sweeten the deal.

If it's a dog, which has happened with me, I'll often trash it or use it for parts.

[Dan Fromm]

Apologies for not answering Barry's original question completely. I didn't discuss getting to the buy/pass decision.

If I think the lens will improve the results I get and the price is very right, buy, otherwise don't. In other words, if the focal length extends what I can do (longer than my longest, shorter than my shortest, fills a gap) and there's reason to believe the lens will give good results, buy, otherwise pass. 900/10 Apo Saphir. Just too good a deal to pass by. If I don't like a lens I have and the beauty in front of me is likely to be much better, buy, otherwise pass. 65/8 Ilex (f/8 SA clone) on offer for lunch money beats 65/6.8 Raptar in hand.

If I have no idea what the lens is or how it will perform and want to find out and the price is very right, buy, otherwise pass. The VM has given good advice on many of my obscure lenses' performance and coverage. Unfortunately some lenses aren't discussed in the VM. This approach has got me a few really good lenses, e.g., 100/6.3 Neupolar, and got me into Boyer lenses.

If the lens grabs me and the price is very right, buy it. otherwise pass. That's my 60/14 Perigraphe. For the formats I shoot (2x3, 6x12) it adds little to what I can accomplish with my 58/5.6 Grandagon or 65/5.6 Ilex or (latest purchase) 65/8 Fujinon. I got the Fujinon as part of a bundle, have to sell most of the rest of the bundle. All being well, when I'm done selling the Fuji will have cost me lunch money or less.

Run-of-the-mill good lenses from the big four aren't worth thinking hard about. They're too nearly equivalent.

If it isn't clear, I've very, perhaps too, sensitive to price. Good lens, good; good lens for pennies, better.