camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Modern, professional zooms have excellent optical quality. I use Nikon and Olympus gear and I am very satisfied with the quality of both. Zooms, just a few years ago lacked quality till Nikon introduced in the early 70's its 80-200 f4.5, a lens that was very popular and used by professionals. I still have this lens and it keeps rewarding me with superb images. I believe the new 70-210 f2.8 and the 24-70 f2.8 are in the same league. Olympus 12-40 f2.8 and 40-150 f2.8 are two lenses that have excellent reviews and are favorite of professionals shooting with Zuiko lenses.

A prime lens is easier to make and correct. They have less glass and are less prone to flare and ghosting images. Indeed they in general have very good optical qualities but do not neglect zooms, many times they make the difference between a shot that will be kept and a shot that cannot be made switching primes. Convenience is one of the characteristic of zoom lenses and they are an excellent tool for in camera cropping.

In my case most of my photography is done with zooms.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you have a tool that lets you sort / analyze your images by lens and focal length, have a look at your zooms and see if you have any patterns. I'm been surprised a lot recently in using a 24-70 zoom to look down to see I've been naturally composing at 28mm, where I'd never thought about owning a 28mm prime.

I have noticed too my personal tastes have changed over time. For years 35mm was my preferred prime over 24mm or 50mm. The 24 tended to be too wide and the 50 tended to be too close. But with a 24MP sensor to crop from, I'm finding the 24mm is now my preferred focal length, where 35mm now seems too close and 50mm has become hard to work with. I find frequently that I walk up close to something with a 50mm lens, raise the camera, and then spend a lot of time walking back to find the perspective that works at 50mm.

The 135mm mentioned a lot in this tread is similar. A few years ago I looked at my images from a 70-200 and saw I tend to "see" at 135mm. I never feel limited with the 135L prime. I find I naturally position myself at a distance where a 135mm focal length requires no / little repositioning.

You don't need to own a bag of primes covering every focal length from 14mm (or 24mm) through 200mm. A little bit of analysis of your own shooting habits should reveal the 1 or 2 primes that are already your own natural view of life. You'll likely find these are the treat being discussed.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

wingate2417 Loc: Quincy, Ca.

Prime lenses are so much sharper. I have a 50mm 1.8 and 28mm 2.8 and tack sharp. All Nikon lenses.

User ID

Yeah howbout that ?!?

Rather negligible but some users have been convinced it’s a big deal.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I own a number of prime lenses, as some of my cameras don't have zoom lenses available for them. I do prefer primes.
--Bob

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

He was just listing the standard prime lengths. I don’t think anyone makes a 70mm.

User ID

IS is not very important on shorter FLs ??

Just how very important it is depends on shutter speed and NOT on FL being long or short. Most users whose circumstances allow medium speeds for their LVs and apertures will not care much about IS for shorter FLs.

OTOH those who are shooting interiors where tripods are prohibited can be forced to handhold very slow speeds, too slow for unaided handholding even ultra wide FLs.

Night scenes are another such example. IS is essentially a sometime substitute for a tripod, and tripods are used all across the FL spectrum.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

👍👍 Excellent advice.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

When you’re in a low light, high ISO situation, or you really want an OOF background for subject isolation, every stop counts. Portrait photographers and journalists often shoot wide open with large aperture lenses, but I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. There’s a reason Canon makes and sells a fair number of 50 & 85 f1.2 and f1.4 lenses, and Fuji just released an f1.0, and all those research and manufacturing dollars aren’t just spent to acquire marketing hype.

MountainDave

I overlooked those because they are crop frame lenses. I understand the 50-100 is a fine lens but it also illustrates why manufacturers don't produce zooms with big apertures. Even though it is a crop frame and relatively short range, it is large and weighs over 3 lbs. How much would a full frame equivalent weigh? 4 lbs, 5 lbs.?

Dave

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

What is so special that it is $500 when the 1.8 af s is under $200 new?

BrianFlaherty Loc: Wilseyville, CA

If today (Sunday) we are trading stories about our love affairs with Primes, I'm gonna toss in my own. Years ago (about 50 or so) I was beginning grad school [Go Badgers! They just beat the crap outta Michigan yesterday!] and, I scored a grad asst position which carried with it free tuition and a monthly stipend. Thus, flush with cash from my student loan, I bought a used Porsche and my first REAL camera: a Nikon FTN and one really good lens. . .a Nikkor f85 1.4. Several years later I began work as a forensic investigator and expert witness relative to construction defects and personal injuries. Photographs were an important of my testimony and presentations to juries. . .And, I put the Nikon to excellent use! And, found that that Nikkor lens was my "go to" lens for 90% of the photos I brought to court. For over 20 years, the only lens I REALLY needed was the f85 (though I did buy a number of other lenses; and, I did upgrade the camera to a F3 and F4). . And, in the over 20 years, I worked in the courts, I never lost a case! That f85 was like having God on the front of my camera!
======
I am retired now from courtroom work. . .However, I do occasional "inspections" of buildings for developers; realtors; etc. . And, I still have that Nikkor f85 that I purchased in 1968 (used on either the old F3 or a new D7100 body). . It may have been duplicated; but, it has NEVER been improved! <smile>

The red 1963 Porsche is no longer with me. . However, I do have a 1984 red Mercedes 380SL (an old man's car!)

photoman43

I have a Nikon 55mm f2.8 AiS macro manual focus prime on my full frame DSLR right now. I am using it to photograph Peppers for a photo study group I am in. I bought it for $50 on eBay about 10 years ago and it is one of the sharpest lenses that I own.

Other lenses being used are my Nikon 85mm f1.8 and Nikon 200mm f4 macro lens.

I started out with primes (I am 77).Old (good) habits are hard to break.

MountainDave

No argument from me. I was going to mention that zooms have improved a lot, especially in the last ten years but my post was long enough already. I DID say I use zooms most of the time. My workhorse is the 24-70 2.8L II which many said was the best zoom ever though that was nearly 9 years ago. If I were a wedding photographer, I would definitely have the 70-200 2.8 as my go to but I would still pull out an 85 or 135 when I wanted to try something special. My point is only that primes offer another world and an opportunity to do more with their art.

Dave