Optimus Prime....All Primes?

[IronMaskDuval]

Uh, well....not the transformer. So I am creating a beaten to death thread. I'm thinking about going all prime. I'm tired of all of the zoom/tele lenses (minus Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8). I'd much rather have super sharp photos and soften them than to have soft photos and sharpen them.

Anyone shoots primarily with primes? If so, what focal lengths do you carry along with you?

 

[pixmedic]

Why can't you get sharp photos with zoom lenses?
Seems like lots of people do.
Primes are great and all, I shoot with 50mm and 85mm primes frequently, but there are also situations where the zooms are really really convenient.

 

[Braineack]

shoot better zooms.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I do get sharp shots with the zooms, just not when it is relative to a prime. I have the 70-200 f/2.8 nikon. I don't think you can get much better than that for the range. It's still not as sharp as a prime. I'll keep the telephoto for the longer shots, but for the closer shots, I think I'm going prime now. I bought the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and just recently the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I don't like either of them. I know there are better zooms, but I'm tired of going through them when I know I can get primes and be happy with most of what I am shooting.

I wanted to try out that tamron 24-70 that you have Brain, but the price point isn't right yet on KEH for me to commit to it.

 

[paigew]

I have no problems getting sharp images wide open with my 24-70L. I love my primes too but the zoom is just so versatile. Have you micro-calibrated?


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[IronMaskDuval]

I have no problems getting sharp images wide open with my 24-70L. I love my primes too but the zoom is just so versatile. Have you micro-calibrated?


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I'm actually just being nit picky. The zooms are sharp-- they're just not as sharp as the primes.

 

[ruifo]

Anyone shoots primarily with primes?

I use my primes as much as I use my zooms. I don't segragate primes from zooms that radically, but use them accordingly, as needed.

what focal lengths do you carry along with you?

These:

 

[goodguy]

I think primes are great if you have the patience to swap lenses all the time but not getting sharp images with zooms ?

I stopped using my 85mm 1.8G for portrait because my Tami 70-200mm 2.8 VC is so sharp and flexible to use that it is simply more then enough for my needs, yes the 85 is probably sharper but only if you pixel peep to a redicolous point which I dont.
I get super sharp images from my Nikon 24-70mm 2.8G too, nothing more to add to that.
Are primes ahrper ?
Yes
Are primes faster ?
Yes
But saying zooms are not sharp is really wrong.
Sorry if you had bad luck with your zooms and I dont think going with primes is a mistake but some zooms can be almost as good as primes.

I can tell you I had a new Nikon 50mm 1.8G which was soft so I sold it
I had a Nikon 50mm 1.4D which was sharp but when I got my Nikon 85mm 1.8G and my Nikon 24-70mm I saw it produces softer images so I sold that one too.
I am sure these 2 lenses were lemons but I didnt give up on primes because of that, my current 50mm 1.8D is a sweetheart and I plan on replacing it with a 50mm 1.8G or 1.4G soon.

 

[Vtec44]

I shoot mostly prime lenses but because they don't make f1.4 telephotos I like my prime lenses mainly because of they are lighter, greater background separation, shallow DOF, and generally better bokeh. I carry my 50 f1.4, 35 f1.4, 85 f1.4, and 105 f2.8 VR2. I also have the standard 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 VR2.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I think primes are great if you have the patience to swap lenses all the time but not getting sharp images with zooms ?

I stopped using my 85mm 1.8G for portrait because my Tami 70-200mm 2.8 VC is so sharp and flexible to use that it is simply more then enough for my needs, yes the 85 is probably sharper but only if you pixel peep to a redicolous point which I dont.
I get super sharp images from my Nikon 24-70mm 2.8G too, nothing more to add to that.
Are primes ahrper ?
Yes
Are primes faster ?
Yes
But saying zooms are not sharp is really wrong.
Sorry if you had bad luck with your zooms and I dont think going with primes is a mistake but some zooms can be almost as good as primes.

I can tell you I had a new Nikon 50mm 1.8G which was soft so I sold it
I had a Nikon 50mm 1.4D which was sharp but when I got my Nikon 85mm 1.8G and my Nikon 24-70mm I saw it produces softer images so I sold that one too.
I am sure these 2 lenses were lemons but I didnt give up on primes because of that, my current 50mm 1.8D is a sweetheart and I plan on replacing it with a 50mm 1.8G or 1.4G soon.

As I said earlier, they're sharp. I'm just pixel peeping. Nothing more than being a pita.

 

[Dave442]

If you have FX then primes in the 20-28mm range, 50-60mm range, 85-135mm range, some TC's and then a 300mm. That is the range I always had with film cameras. Then you might add a micro, the 15-18mm range, the 35mm, 200mm, TS, and super-tele. And it helps to have two bodies.
Right now I only have the 35mm and 60mm primes that I use on DX, nice and small.

 

[ByronBrant]

I've just recently moved to mainly primes. In the past they were to restricting to me. But now that I have 2 D600's. I can put say the 28 1.8 on one body & the 50 1.8 on the other. Throw the 105 2.8 in my pocket and I'm setting pretty good. So having 2 bodies makes shooting primes more practical now than before. And the size, weight, speed & sharpness are all bonuses. Maybe it's just a new faze?
Either way, I'm loving the new faze

(Side note: I just can't part with my 80-200 2.8)

 

[minicoop1985]

As a film buff, the vast majority of my lenses are primes. In fact, I only have one zoom. That one zoom is my primary lens on my 7D. Why? Because when I'm shooting, I need to be able to adapt in a moment to get the exact scene or capture the moment in front of me, and don't have time to either zoom with my feet or change lenses. Changing lenses is a pain in the rear, particularly with my Hasselblad-the 250mm likes to fire as I take it off and needs to be recocked. That being said, in a studio environment, there's definitely a place for primes.

 

[gsgary]

I only shoot primes, 28mm,35mm,50mm

 

[tirediron]

I have lenses that do the jobs I need. 16-35, 24-70, 70-200 as well as 35, 50, 85 and 105.. I don't get the whole "primes vs. zooms" debate. I have never seen any issue whatsoever with the sharpness of any of my lenses until I start doing things like looking at corner sharpness wide open at 300% magnification. If a 16x20 print looks sharp, that's good enough for me.