Zooms are more useful in the telephoto range, where the optical quality and speed are not compromised as much relative to primes, and they save a lot of weight. For example, if one had to carry, say, 135, 200 and 400 mm lenses to approximate the range of a 100-400, one would be carrying around a lot more bulk and weight than the zoom for the sake of a modest increase in speed (assuming your average telephoto lenses, not the superfast ones). On the other hand, to cover 35-105 mm, one could get away with a 35 and a 100 which weigh and cost less than the zoom. Yes, the perspective at about 45-75 is a little different than either lens, but if that bothered you, a 50 wouldn't add much weight or cost to the set.
Ken's point is pretty valid about the telephoto range, and in fact, the optical quality of some of the better, professional telephoto zoom lenses is as good as many prime lenses in the same focal length range, and in the case of some of the best normal or wide-angle zooms, the zooms can actually be significantly BETTER than the manufacturer's own prime lenses. Canon's new 70-200/2.8 IS USM Mark II is an outstanding zoom lens! So is Nikon's new VR-II re-design. Nikon's 14-24mm AF-S G is actually the BEST LENS on the market at several lengths, easily bettering prime lenses from Canon, Zeiss, Leica, and Nikon, at several points throughout its range. The 14-24 AF-S G is in fact "the best" wide-angle zoom lens on the market, and is in large part responsible for the new Novoflex Nikon-to-Canon lens adapter with electronic contacts to operate the G-series Nikkor's diaphragm when it's mounted on a high-resolution Canon. Stop by the hardcore landscape shooter's web testing page and see for yourself, a zoom lens that easily beats many prime lenses, from respected makers.
Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 G First Test: Introduction
Nikon's regular wide AF series primes, like their 14,16,18,20,24/2.8,28/2.8,35/2 are all just that: regular prime wide-angles. Small, compact, affordable, reliable. Some of their absolute best designs however, are the older Ai-S manual focus wides, which were made until the mid-2000's. There really is not much of a market anymore for wide-angle primes...they do not sell very well, unless they offer something very special, like really high speed. Most people vastly prefer the convenience of a zoom lens, and the "pro" Nikon and "pro" Canon zoom lenses are really quite good,and have basically killed off most of the interest in owning four or five or six different prime lenses.
The new Nikon 16-35 f/4 AF-S VR-G is one I am going to try out later this summer...it has a 16,18,20,24,28,and 35mm all in ONE barrel..that is SIX lenses in one barrel...with VR. Sure, it's heavier than any one of the six prime wides, but it weighs less than all of them put together.
Prime lenses are,at the wider end, replaceable by the best,modern wide zooms, for most people and many shooting conditions. Prime lenses are irreplaceable at the longer end, or when you need the absolute best, widest-aperture performance at say, 24mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100 or 105mm, 135mm, 200, 300, or 400mm. 85mm 1.8 to 1.4 to 1.2 primes are really nice tools to have for lower-light work. The 200/2 and 300/2.8 are irreplaceable by any zoom, at the same quality level; Sigma's 120-300 is a 1980's grade 300...it's not up to snuff,and it's not really 300mm either.
As to using a 35mm and a 100mm in place of a 35-105 zoom...I can see that...many people do not like the 50-85 range very well,and often do without....35 is semi-wide, 100 is medium tele...I'd like a high-speed 50 in the middle,though, since it's so small.
The "attitude" some people have toward zooms and or primes is largely a function of their age and experiences with both. I see some 1960's-1970's "attitude" here in this thread, that does not square with the reality of actual zooms on the market now in 2010...and among younger shooters, there is less experience with prime lenses. Primes have become "exotic" these days, whereas they used to be regular,mundane,and commonly used. There are myths and misunderstandings galore on this primes vs. zooms topic. There are quite a few "primes-only" old guys, and also among newer shooters, there's a primes-only snobbishness that's fashionable among a sub-set of people who are young and new to photography. Then, there's the majority of the market....you know who you are...
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