Investing in photography equipment

     For as long as I have been interested in professional photography, I have always had a hard time deciding what equipment to buy and when to purchase what. And in talking with aspiring photographers it seems that I am in no way alone in this dilemma. With photography being such a saturated market and with DSLR's becoming so popular, photography has never before been so competitive. So we who are serious about starting up and making a name for ourselves need to look for ways to set ourselves apart from the casual users who call themselves photographers and are really just camera owners or hobbyists. Other than the obvious skill and talent, I feel as though there is another way to help separate yourself from the field of casual camera owners. This is investing financially in your work as a photographer and the equipment you use everyday. Of course you need to know the basics of what you are doing before investing thousands of dollars in equipment. As it is important to understand the advantages and benefits of having higher quality gear, especially for those of us starting out who are on a budget and don't have a steady income from the photography at this point. Major companies like Canon and Nikon realize this and make products for all different price points. Take the below example of the Canon 50mm prime. 

The Canon 50mm prime lens options  (f1.8, f1.4, and f1.2)

     As you can see in the above image taken from B&H photo there are 3 different price points resulting in 3 different lens qualities. The most obvious  difference is the aperture settings. With the lowest priced lens at $119 only being able to open up to a f1.8, it still gives beginners and those who are just getting started or are on a strict budget the option to shoot at a rather wide aperture. But this lens is also something that isn't going to last forever. In keeping the price low and the optics as high quality as possible it seems that the actual body of the lens took the biggest hit at this price point. It is a made with a plastic body and has no real weight at only 4.6 ounces. In my opinion it is a clean lens but not anything a serious or even enthusiast would want to spend money on.