primes?

[Socrates]

Their focal length varies, and they are generally considered to be primes. It seems quite simple. Why complicate it?

Best,
Helen

Quite the contrary. The complication is the reference to the variable focal length. Do you know of anyone that would purchase the lens BECAUSE of the variable focal length?

 

[Helen B]

Sorry, but I'm not sure what the purpose of this discussion is. It seems simple to me. I have a number of lenses that would be considered to be primes, but their focal length does vary and that property gives them practical advantages over a truly fixed focal length lens. I would choose a variable focal length prime over a fixed focal length prime for certain applications because of those advantages.

It's very easy to understand, but equally well choosing to ignore it might not matter much to some people. We're all free to look at it the way we want to, but that doesn't alter simple facts.

Best,
Helen

 

[Mystwalker]

If someone came up to me and said "Quick, pick one and it's yours! A Canon 40D with every Canon L series Prime in current production, or a 1D Mk III AND a 1Ds Mk III with every L series zoom in current production?" I'd take the package with all the primes. It ranges from a 14mm 2.8 to an 800 5.6 IS lens and the quality is too good to pass up.

You are NUTS!!

I would take the zoom package. Sell that 1Ds and buy primes - heck, I can throw away a 50mm f/1.8 after every use

I think simplest answer ...
Primes are simpler to make. For the same quality picture, you pay less.

For a beginner like myself, I prefer zooms so I can experiment.

 

[Helen B]

For a beginner like myself, I prefer zooms so I can experiment.

That's a very good point. Thinking back to my first zoom, I remember that I bought it out of curiosity to find out what focal lengths I naturally used, then bought the corresponding primes.

Best,
Helen

 

[Fiendish Astronaut]

I think I learnt more about composition and moving myself into the right position from walking around with a 50mm prime mounted on my camera then I have from twice as much time with a zoom. I find zooms make you think less about what you are doing and that is never a good thing.

Now I think about, I'm going to put my prime back on my camera and give my zoom a rest... I need to refresh my creativity a bit!

 

[EOS_JD]

Choosing Primes or Zooms is down to style, subject matter and shooting condirions.

If you shoot in low light - Primes - especially sports where the fastest lenses are required - although zooms add some flexibility.

If you shoot weddings a mix is best

If you shoot wildlife again primes offer the longest reach and largest apertures as well as the best IQ..... Although again in the right conditions zooms are good too.

I like having a mix of fast zooms and primes.

 

[peterbj7]

Interesting thread. For many years I used one of several rangefinder cameras, each with a single fixed lens somewhere around 50mm. No autofocus, and for the first 5 years no focus or metering aids. Yet I got some pretty good pictures. Having a fixed focal length lens removes many of the mechanical aspects of photography and gives more scope to creative forces. Although I subsequently went to an SLR with lots of lenses I still often used either a prime or one of my rangefinders. And when you have no option you'd be surprised how accurately you can estimate accurate exposure. Made me very aware of depth of field at an early stage.

 

[DSLR noob]

You are NUTS!!

I would take the zoom package. Sell that 1Ds and buy primes - heck, I can throw away a 50mm f/1.8 after every use

I think simplest answer ...
Primes are simpler to make. For the same quality picture, you pay less.

For a beginner like myself, I prefer zooms so I can experiment.

I hate when people throw the word "sell" into these hypothetical "If I was asked" situations. The whole point is asking yourself which one you would truly want. Not, what you could sell and get what you REALLY REALLY would get given choice. It's just 2 options, A or B, pick one, and shoot with it.

 

[RKW3]

I hate when people throw the word "sell" into these hypothetical "If I was asked" situations. The whole point is asking yourself which one you would truly want. Not, what you could sell and get what you REALLY REALLY would get given choice. It's just 2 options, A or B, pick one, and shoot with it.

Your still nuts.