Zooms

[Derrel]

 

[jcdeboever]

I love my Fujifilm 18-55 and 55-200.

I love my Nikkor 28-105d on my Nikon F4 or D610. Really impressive all-around lens, virtually no distortion and a handy 1:2 macro feature.

 

[Derrel]

Nikon Series E 36-72 f/3.5 being used by my son back when he was 3 or 4. Used on a Canon 20D with adapter ring.

 

[jcdeboever]

View attachment 195343 Nikon Series E 36-72 f/3.5 being used by my son back when he was 3 or 4. Used on a Canon 20D with adapter ring.

How was that lens?

 

[Derrel]

Not bad actually. Works fairly well when reverse-mounted too.

 

[ac12]

I've used zooms since the 1970s, starting with the Nikkor 43-86. So much more convenient than a prime, especially in situations where I need to change focal lengths fast or often.
BUT, I did and do recognize the weakness of a zoom, LOW light, where a fast prime is better. The old saying "in LOW light, FAST glass wins."
So even with zooms, in my two current systems (Nikon DX and Olympus m4/3), I have a fast prime. And I have had to use them.

And when I really want to reach out, it is with a 500/8 reflex, a prime lens.

 

[Rickbb]

I still use a couple of primes, Nikkor 50/1.4 for low light no flash shots and a Nikkor 90 macro for getting in close on insects. Other than that my Nikkor 18-70 and 70-300 zooms do 99% of my shots and the quality is equal to the primes.

 

[Strodav]

I often hear the statement that the quality of zooms is equal to the quality of primes. I wanted to see if that was true so I went to DxOMark.com and looked at the lens database. Looking at the Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G, I see a sharpness rating of 15mp on a 45.7mp D850 FX body. A Nikon 85mm f/1.8 G, which costs about the same, has a sharpness rating of 29mp on the same body. The best 104mm and 200mm primes have a sharpness rating of 40mp. Seems to me the primes have a huge sharpness advantage. The database does not have the Nikon 18-70mm, but does have the venerable 24-70mm f/2.8, which is one of my favorite lenses. It has a sharpness rating of 23mp, but a much less expensive 35mm f/1.8 has a sharpness rating of 32mp.

Even though I love my 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms, I always keep a 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.8 primes close for those times I need a faster, sharper lens.

 

[mjcmt]

I've used zooms since the 1970s, starting with the Nikkor 43-86. So much more convenient than a prime, especially in situations where I need to change focal lengths fast or often.
BUT, I did and do recognize the weakness of a zoom, LOW light, where a fast prime is better. The old saying "in LOW light, FAST glass wins."
So even with zooms, in my two current systems (Nikon DX and Olympus m4/3), I have a fast prime. And I have had to use them.

And when I really want to reach out, it is with a 500/8 reflex, a prime lens.

My first camera was a beat up Nikon F2 w/ Nikkor 43-86 f3.5 zoom in the early '80s. That lens had to be one of the worst lenses that gave zooms a bad name.

 

[Derrel]

In 1985 I bought a Nikkor 35 to 135. I bought it from a friend who had bought it from a friend. It was an absolutely atrocious zoom. I sold it quickly.it was a real dog.

My very first ever zoom lens was a Nikon Series E 75-150 F / 3.5, which has a reputation as being a very sharp zoom. I have owned two of them in the past 15 years, and all three of the ones I have had have been quite good. This is a one-ring manual focus zoom. Zooming and focusing are done with one ring, which is quite efficient.

 

[greybeard]

I use my 105 micro Nikkor, 50mm f1.4, and my 300mm f4 all the time.