It’s hard enough to choose the right camera these days, but lenses are even harder. There are hundreds of them to choose from, ranging from less than $100 to more than $10,000. Unfortunately, the image quality that they produce does not always match their price tag.

Since starting this website, I have been asked one question more than any other: “What lens should I buy?”

Rather than continually filling the comment sections with the same basic recommendations, I thought it would be more efficient to simply post my answers here, once and for all. As usual, though, I’m more than happy to answer further questions or take suggestions.