Do you use your zoom lens like a prime?

[dcbear78]

I come from Pentax Land where the prime lens is king. The only reason you would use a zoom lens is for convenience. Want the best picture then you get a fixed focal length lens. Pentax has a very rich history of great prime lenses. I absolutely love my Pentax Fa77mm Ltd. And because Pentax people are a little different (sorry) they are very parochial about the use of these lenses.

So I am now very used to using them. I truly believe everyone should use them as it will give you a much better understanding of how your focal length actually affects your image, not just the distance you need to be to fit your subject in frame.

I have since moved over to Nikon World with a D810, the Tamron trinity (15-30, 24-70, 70-200) and my only prime lens a Sigma Art 50mm... No I do not own any OEM lenses SHOCK!

My most used lenses are by far the Sigma as I still love the use and the image produced is excellent. And my 70-200mm as I now mostly shoot portraits.

I find whenever I am using the zoom lenses, in particular the 24-70mm and 70-200mm I will asses my shot and think of what focal length I want to shoot it at, set the focal length and not change it from there.

But even when I do, say I am looking through the viewfinder and need to change the focal length I very rarely, if ever just zoom in or out. I will pull the camera away, set it to an exact focal length (24mm, 35mm, 50mm etc) and then take my shot.

Am I unique like that? lol

 

[jovince3000]

But even when I do, say I am looking through the viewfinder and need to change the focal length I very rarely, if ever just zoom in or out. I will pull the camera away, set it to an exact focal length (24mm, 35mm, 50mm etc) and then take my shot.

That's actually the "correct" way teachers will tell you to use your lens. Choose your focal length and then MOVE your feet to adjust the framing.

I do use my zoom as zoom however when situation ask for it, when movement is limited for example or when a fleeting kid is running off of my evils intention of capturing his smile for his parents. I prefer having an "okay" shot instead of going and say " I couldn't get the shot because I wasn't able to move my feet and zooming my lens isn't the proper way to do photography"

Context is everything.

 

[dcbear78]

I noticed this last week shooting a wedding. And that's a situation where framing is probably more important than focal length. I know it is the "correct" way, but I need to be conscious of when to not do it.

I just thought it might be odd for many people who have not had the experience with primes, who would actually work the opposite way.

 

[Ido]

I don’t use my zoom lenses like that, but I am very conscious of perspective, not just framing. If I want an object in the background to be bigger, I take a couple steps backwards and zoom in. I do it by eye, however, and don't think about the exact focal length I’m using, at all. I only pay attention to the exact focal length when I want the best sharpness out of my 12-50 lens, which is rather weak at the wide end but by, say, 15mm it’s a lot better.

 

[Derrel]

I use a zoom lens like a zoom lens...it offers focal length flexibility and tremendous flexibility in regard to background control: background magnification, degree of background defocus, degree of subject isolation, and background angle of view behind the subject. The idea that if one "wants the best picture", that one must use a prime lens is ridiculous. There is much,much more to "the best picture" than lines per millimeter and contrast.

 

[Vtec44]

I use zoom lens like a prime, and prime lens like a zoom. But seriously there's no need for me to put on a heavy (zoom) lens if I don't use it as intended.

 

[AceCo55]

I have a feeling you think everyone else's needs are the same as yours
For many sports photographers where the action distance changes a lot in a short time, a zoom is a wonderful solution to get the shots.
If you are essentially shooting set up / static shots then I can see a prime would fit the bill very well.
Another factor for shooters is cost - maybe a zoom turns out the cheaper option than buying a bunch of primes that cover the same range of focal lengths.
Just because primes seem the most natural and best choice for you, others may have different needs or circumstances and for those maybe zooms are the better choice.
Just shoot - don't worry too much what others are doing.

 

[astroNikon]

^^same here
doing sports one does not have the time to swap lenses, move around, adjust .. you either get a shot or you don't in that split second. And a zoom is preferred, a lot of space an athlete can cover in a few seconds away or closer to the camera.

when I do more static shots then I take my time and may do the same things, prime or not.

 

[tirediron]

I have a bunch of lenses; some primes, some zooms. I choose and use the lens that meets the requirements of a given situation. Sometimes that's a prime, sometimes a zoom. Leses are tools and using the right tool for the job is key. Your question could just as well be, "Do you use a saw like a hammer?" Coming froma a system of [mainly] prime lenses, it's natural to take time to get used to the flexibility offered by modern, quality zooms, but once you do...

 

[robbins.photo]

I love my primes - when I need something lightweight and fast. The downside is they aren't as flexible, the upside is they are faster glass and they are easy to carry.

I love my zooms too - when I need more flexibility they are the way to go.

Both are very useful tools to have at your disposal. Just depends on which one you need at the time.

 

[SCraig]

The only primes I own are for my old 35mm gear, and I haven't used that for a couple of decades. All of the lenses for my digital bodies are zoom lenses and I'd never go back to a prime after the flexibility of a zoom. And, no, I don't use them like prime lenses.

 

[Ysarex]

But even when I do, say I am looking through the viewfinder and need to change the focal length I very rarely, if ever just zoom in or out. I will pull the camera away, set it to an exact focal length (24mm, 35mm, 50mm etc) and then take my shot.

That's actually the "correct" way teachers will tell you to use your lens. Choose your focal length and then MOVE your feet to adjust the framing.

Well, I don't speak for all teachers but I've spent the last 35 years telling students that's the "incorrect" way to use your lens. Perspective is a critical defining characteristic of a photograph and you should make the decision about perspective thoughtfully. Once you determine perspective for the photo select the lens focal length that will frame the shot (zoom) and fight hard to not compromise that perspective choice -- perspective being solely a function of camera position.

Joe

I do use my zoom as zoom however when situation ask for it, when movement is limited for example or when a fleeting kid is running off of my evils intention of capturing his smile for his parents. I prefer having an "okay" shot instead of going and say " I couldn't get the shot because I wasn't able to move my feet and zooming my lens isn't the proper way to do photography"

Context is everything.

 

[Braineack]

I dont use lenses, I use glass.

 

[Solarflare]

I often use zooms as described by the OP.

Primes and Zooms have their respective advantages. I use them however I see fit.

Primes tend to offer more light (except for wide angles), higher image quality, smaller size, less weight, and finally smaller price. IMHO there really is no lack of convenience with prime lenses, other than you have to "zoom by feet".

Zooms tend to have faster autofocus and are more likely to have image stabilization. They are also sometimes required when you simply cant "zoom by feet".

I only call zooms "convenience" if they

(a) include the normal zoom range (something I avoid, I think prime lenses are far superior in that focal length area, and in this focal length area you really always can "zoom by feet")
(b) offer substantly more than 3x, but also substantly less than 10x (at which point I start calling them "superzoom" or "useless crap")

With my AF-S 16-35mm f4 VR zoom, I typically choose either 21mm or 28mm at f5.6, since I know thats the sweet spots of that lens and since I like both the 21mm and 28mm perspective. I rarely use 24mm even if its explicitly mentioned on the focal length selector; that perspective doesnt really "talk" to me. I might go wider when its really necessary, but then sometimes even 16mm still isnt enough. I could completely lose the 35mm focal length on that lens without losing anything at all.

With my AF-S 70-200mm f4 VR zoom, I often keep it at 85mm f4 or 200mm f4, depending upon what kind of motive I'm going for. I wont have qualms to vary the focal length when zooming by feet is no option, though. I rarely use a different aperture than f4 with it.

Finally I use an AF-S 28mm f1.8. This I will in steps run at f5.6, f2.2, or f1.8, depending upon the available light level.

 

[dennybeall]

Tools are tools, each has strengths and weaknesses. Operating with arbitrary rules that have no basis in fact is not the way to use any tool. Personally coming from a photojournalist/ sports background it's just not safe to move much, especially backward, without taking time to look around. So My camera bag has nothing but zoom lenses. There are a few primes at home and if I had the money I'd have more because they do have their place.