Questions for Prime Lens shooters

ifi · Jun 13, 2010

1- What type of photography do you do?

2- Prime and Zoom lenses in your kit?

3- If and when do you switch to or miss a zoom lens?

4- What would be your one walk-around Prime Lens?

c.cloudwalker · Jun 13, 2010

I was a PJ for 12 years then went to art and commercial photo and have never owned a zoom.

Back in the days, zooms were pretty bad. Today they have gotten much better but nothing I read about them makes me think I want to switch from primes.

white · Jun 13, 2010

Primes. I love putzing around with narrow depth of field. I also think using one focal length for a extended period of time helps you "see" better/easier.

Derrel · Jun 13, 2010

Primes--usually tele primes. 90 and 180 macro, 200mm VR or 300/2.8 for sports needing reach and lens speed, 70-200 for many events, 100-300 f/4 for baseball games, 24-105 as a walkaround lens, 85/105/135 primes for "look" and low-light action. There are some pretty amazing zoom lenses on today's market--lenses that are actually optically better than prime lens designs from the 1970's to 1990's.

maris · Jun 14, 2010

1. 8x10 format film
2. Only primes: 121mm super-wide, 300mm normal, 740mm long.
3. Never switch to zooms because they have never been invented for this format.

lamar328 · Jun 14, 2010

Derrel know's his stuff! Trust him.

I'm traveling around at the moment, so I'm doing a lot of walk-around and nature shots. Usually I'll keep the 18-55 on for any shots, but if I'm familiar with the area, or know that I want to shoot close-ups, then I'll bring my 50mm.

pbelarge · Jun 14, 2010

Derrel said:
Primes--usually tele primes. 90 and 180 macro, 200mm VR or 300/2.8 for sports needing reach and lens speed, 70-200 for many events, 100-300 f/4 for baseball games, 24-105 as a walkaround lens, 85/105/135 primes for "look" and low-light action. There are some pretty amazing zoom lenses on today's market--lenses that are actually optically better than prime lens designs from the 1970's to 1990's.

Derrel
You have been at this photography thing for a while, hence you have a significant lens/camera collection.

How do you decide what to bring along with you when you are going on a shoot?

Do you ever decide to take along additional lens for the "maybe this will come up" type of scenario?

icassell · Jun 14, 2010

I own 3 primes - my nifty 50 (Canon 50mm f/1.8 Mk I, my 100mm f/2.8 Macro, and my 400 mm f/5.6. I find that I rarely use my 50mm as I usually have my 17-50 mounted when I'm just walking around. It's nice, however, when I'm doing street photography because it is inconspicuous. I'm also very happy with my UWA zoom (10-20mm). My 400mm is my birding lens and I find it much sharper than my 100-300mm f/4. I also carry my 100mm when I'm out nature walking - it works well with the 1.4x TC and is a nice short telephoto since I'm not carrying the long zoom anymore. My 50-150mm zoom tends to be my indoor sports lens (works well with the TC).

Derrel · Jun 14, 2010

pbelarge said:
How do you decide what to bring along with you when you are going on a shoot?

Do you ever decide to take along additional lens for the "maybe this will come up" type of scenario?

Well, the "kind" of shoot would determine what to bring. If absolute reach is key, then a long zoom lens or a long prime, like an 80-400 zoom or a 300mm prime or 400 prime, is a good idea. At the beach, where distances are long, the longer zooms like 80-400 or Sigma 50-500 make absolute sense. For use on boats, the VR or IS lenses are perfect for stabilizing the lens in the wind and waves that accompany open water boating.

Where space is at a premium, like indoors, wider-angle lenses are pretty handy. A lot of times, the lens you have determines the kind of photos you make. The 70-200 is a handy lens for focal length selection. The little 18-55 kit lens is actually good indoors too. It is short enough to be useful.

ifi · Jun 14, 2010

c.cloudwalker said:
I was a PJ for 12 years then went to art and commercial photo and have never owned a zoom.

Back in the days, zooms were pretty bad. Today they have gotten much better but nothing I read about them makes me think I want to switch from primes.

What focal length of prime lenses do you have?

ifi · Jun 14, 2010

Thank you all for the response.

What would be your one walk-around Prime Lens?

Johnboy2978 · Jun 14, 2010

I've got a few of each. I have a 50mm f/1.4 a 70mm f/2.8 macro lens and also a 77mm f/1.8 limited lens which is awesome for portraits. Primes and zooms both have their uses. I mainly shoot the primes when I am in a low light situation and can't use flash, and I use them almost exclusively when I'm shooting portraits b/c of their sharp focus and nice bokeh.

Zooms can be useful as well particularly when you are limited to how much stuff you want to carry around. I have a 10-20 that for all intents and purposes is more or less a prime lens. I mean, yeah, it has a range, but I use it 99% of the time at 10mm for architecture or landscape and it does a beautiful job. I also have a 24-70 that I use when I want to bring only 1 lens, don't want to switch and am not sure how much room I'll have. It's a 2.8 so it can be used in low light too with some bump to the ISO. I also have a 70-200mm f/2.8 when again I think I might need something for further away as well as something reasonably close, but most of my shots are going to be further away.

What would the one prime lens be? I could live pretty happily either w/ my 50 or 77 affixed to my camera at all times as long as I could "zoom" with my feet and go back or fourth as needed. Both excellent Pentax lenses. I'd say between the 2, probably the 50 just because I can go a little wider with it.

Hardrock · Jun 14, 2010

I have a 50 F1.4 and a 100mm macro F2.8 both of which I love! You cant beat the quality of a prime. I also have the 17-40L and 70-200L which both are great but not prime quality in my opinion. The type of shooting I do is everything that interests me. ie: my daughter, birds, sports , cars, and macro. I hopefully plan on buying the 135 F2L in the future and the 300mm F4.

edit: My one walk around prime would be my 50 although I have heard good things about the 35. granted Im using a crop body.

Dao · Jun 14, 2010

I have 14mm, 50mm, 85mm and 100mm(macro). If I am going to choose just one. Then it is going to be the 50mm for walk around. (35mm if I have it since I am using a 1.6x cropped body)

djacobox372 · Jun 14, 2010

Best walk around prime for full-frame is the 50mmm, not many would disagree. I'll usually keep a 20mm in my pocket in case the needs should arise for something wider.

I prefer a zoom to cover mid-range telephoto (100-200m), but use a 300mm and 600 prime for wildlife shots.