a question for you...

mysteryscribe · Jun 7, 2007

I chose this thread to ask this question because in several of the others I expect the answer would have been much much different but maybe not...

Okay you go out on a job lets say a wedding because it is more demanding than a family portrait.

You have a bag full of glass, you can choose anything you want. Now give this some thought....

Do you use a half dozen prime lenses for the higher quality or do you make the trade off for a zoom lens that is more convenient.

It is actually a fair question one most photographers face most of the time. This is assuming you own all the glass but only a couple of bodies.

Big Mike · Jun 7, 2007

I think that is a choice of personal style and technique. If I had the absolute top of the line zoom lenses (Canon L, for example). I would probably use those 90% of the time. When I needed/wanted to shoot in low light without flash, I would choose a very fast prime like the 85mm F1.2 L or the 35mm F1.4 L etc.

If the pace was slower and/or I had an assistant to hold & change the lenses...I might choose to use fast primes all the time. The idea being that you could squeeze a tiny bit more image quality by shooting at F2.8 with an F1.4 lens...than if you are shooting an F2.8 zoom at F2.8. Or you should slim down the DOF to very thin, if & when you want.

mysteryscribe · Jun 7, 2007

Yeah but what do you do now?

motcon · Jun 7, 2007

there are certain fixed lenses that i like to use, but i do have zoom lenses that have a very high mtf rating; nearly as high as some top of the line fixed lenses.

i'd shoot with my 105 all day long given that i could roam about and make the room that i need to utilize it effectively, but i have a high degree of confidence in the zooms that i own.

Big Mike · Jun 7, 2007

Yeah but what do you do now?

Well right now, I don't have a bag full of glass nor do I have the funds to purchase the lenses that would be my first choice.

I use a nice fast zoom lens, the Tamron 17-50 F2.8...it's pretty good but I would have preferred to have the 16-35 F2.8 L or the 17-55 F2.8 IS...either of which are at least twice as expensive as the Tamron.

I have a 50mm F1.8 prime for low light and today I'm picking up a Sigma 30mm F1.4...but my first choice might be the 24 F1.4 L, 35 F1.4 L, 50 F1.2 L, 85 F1.2L etc.

So, for me right now anyway, it's not so much a matter of what would I use if I had 'a bag full of glass'...it's what I can afford. Obviously, when buying lenses, I look for good value...how much quality I can get for my dollar. That's why I'm tending to use Tamron & Sigma over Canon L lenses...at the moment.

mysteryscribe · Jun 7, 2007

Nobody ever has all the money they want to buy equipment. I can sympatize with that. I have a bag filled with prime lense I would use if they weren't so darn much trouble to find and switch when I am in a hurry. I tend to set up the ones I can like the balcony thing and just leave a camera an lense up there.

But for shoot as I go I used to use s fixed 35mm prime lense but these days it is easier to use a zoom lens. As everyone says the loss isnt that much and it is a convenience decission on my part.

Once upon a time I was driving a car and tried to change a lens. Just in case anyone is interested, it is very easy to stick your finger through a cloth lens and it ain't cheap to get it repaired.

I don't really like zoom lenses but they are the most convenient.

danalec99 · Jun 7, 2007

For an outdoor (day) wedding, zooms can be convenient. I'd be using 16-35, 24-70, and maybe the 70-200 (all f2.8).

I currently shoot with 50/1.4, 24/1.4 (two bodies) and 85/1.8.

It would be great if they made f1.4 zooms.

mysteryscribe · Jun 7, 2007

Since I'm a big believer in strobe light, the zoom is ideal day and night. The big fstop isn't an issue with me. But I would prefer a prime lens. It just isn't as practical.

The_Traveler · Jun 7, 2007

I have two bodies (camera) and would use 17-55 nikkor (on backorder from BH) and 100 Tokina 2.8. I did use 50 mm prime and 100 Tokina on two preious theater shoots - worked well because I could move back and forth.
Would rather have 3 bodies and then I'd decide on maybe to use 12-25 Tokina or longer zoom on the other.

mysteryscribe · Jun 7, 2007

It has been my experience whenever I use all prime lenses, Things are always happening just outside my effective range. You have to understand my effective range is what fills the viewder, not what I can crop out later.

So even though my favorite lens for weddings is a 35mm prime, I have just bought 2 zooms for my retirement from retirement. Both are alike except one is af and the other not.

This thread was because I was curious to see how many people would admit to convenience being a big issue with them. Not sure how the responses are running.

It's a little different when you are shooting for fun or even art, than when you are running around trying to squeeze everything in.

Big Mike · Jun 7, 2007

Next wedding, I will probably have one camera with the 17-50 F2.8 and the other one might have the 30mm F1.4 (no flash) or maybe a telephoto if I get a good one by then. I'm thinking of the 85mm F1.8 but hope to one day have the 70-200 F2.8 L IS.

mysteryscribe · Jun 7, 2007

Well I have two almost identical zooms on two bodies a third body with a telephoto will be squirelled away somewhere. The two identical lenses, one is af and one manual. That is because I once had a problem with auto focus at the end of my career.

I had alway set up a zone focus at one of the church pews. When the bridesmaids walked in, one by one I shot them. Same when everyone left the church. Well I bought an autofocus camera and lens just before I retired. First time I tried to use it I missed all those shots. By the time the auto focus found its way out of its own *** they were running over me.

I want that manual focus just for that, if nothing else. Also i only need the autofocus in the lower light of the sanctuary after the wedding. never can get enough light no matter how high they turn it up. But if I need something special, It's going to be prime with the manual focus.

My biggest problem with shooting weddings was always changing something between weddings and eating it later.