It is completely fine to answer in a way that is not just spoon feeding the straight answer but instead helping the user to understand and gain context.

Many novice hobbyist simply don't know _how_ to ask a question that they might have. If those that are more knowledgeable can address the question by providing more supporting information and context, that is exactly what this site is for. This is oftentimes when you see a follow up comment from the OP similar to "I had no idea how to search for this so I couldn't use the search box".

A great example of this is one of the answers you linked to [here][1]. Caleb didn't need to come out and say "Buy the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens", instead he provided the OP with much *more* information that will help them make the personal decision all on their own.


  [1]: https://photo.stackexchange.com/a/77192/4892