So, you’re thinking of dropping that stack of cash you’ve been saving up on that light-guzzling bokeh monster of an 85mm you’ve been eyeing. But how do you know it’s the right lens for you? This great video will give you a model to follow.

Coming to you from Darious Britt, this helpful video follows him as he evaluates a lens and lists many of the important attributes you should try out and evaluate to your personal standards. The beauty of the Internet is of course the ability to read reviews about just about any piece of gear you so desire, and while those are certainly informative and can help you narrow down your initial choices, it’s important to actually use the lens. Much like test-driving a car, you might find certain intangibles or you may discover that you don’t care so much about some quirk that really bothered a reviewer. If you’ve already purchased that hunk of glass, follow these steps and you’ll have a much more intuitive grasp of it in no time. I personally think it’s exceedingly important to the creative process to be able to use one’s gear without devoting cognitive resources to its operation, so be sure to get familiar with it!