Some advice that I wish I would have been told when I first started – instead of purchasing the most expensive lens right away, don’t be afraid to rent the equipment instead! You likely won’t need an ultra zoom lens unless you’re going on an African Safari. For my trip to Antarctica, for example, I rented a Canon EF 100mm-400mm lens from a local store for $250 (for a total of two weeks). If I were to have bought the same lens online it would have cost me upwards of $1000 for the one time use.