imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Not to burst your bubble, but is it as sharp as a 400 prime ?? especially today's 400 primes ?? I think NOT. The 200-400 Nikon is an older lens - pretty good in it's day - but I have seen the reviews and the MTF numbers and they are not impressive !

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

The four folks who bought that print for $450.00 may disagree.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Concur.

Bubbee Loc: Aventura, Florida

This is off-subject, but I get disturbing noise/rattle when I use my Nikon DX 18-140 plus FTZ adapter on my Z50. I replaced the adapter, but still get noise, so I just stick to the kit 50-250mm. Do you get any noise or rattle with yours? I just gave up on mine!
I'm really curious about this!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Yup, off-subject.
You should have started a new thread.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

OK, I’ll say it. Prime lenses are for photo makers, not for snapshot takers. 😉

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

A little biased are we?

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

And rangefinder digital cameras.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Bubbee
I’m sorry, I failed to include the “Z” in my post. My lens is the Nikkor Z DX 18-140.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Nonsense!!

TRAVLR38 Loc: CENTRAL PA

It depends.
I use primes for indoor sports photography: basketball, volleyball, and squash. I use an Olympus f/1.8 45mm or a Panasonic f/1.7 25mm prime on my Olympus OM-D E-M1ii camera. With the crop factor, this gives me the equalent of 90 or 50 mm. For basketball the 45mm is best, because I can get pictures from one baseline to the farther basket. At times it is too close to the near action, but in the gym in which I take pictures, I am able to zoom somewhat with my feet. The two combinations I have provide a very light package that compensates for the poor lighting available. Like most combinations of gear, it is a compromise, in that the depth of focus is so small. Roughly 10% of my shots are focused not on my subject, but on a nearby player, or if I am moving too rapidly, the background. Shooting with low burst, I get about 400-450 pictures per game. About 10-15% end up keepers: that is, they capture the action and focus appropriately, and have good composition. Of course I shoot in Shutter priority and let the ISO float.Depending on which part of the the basketball court the action is on, the ISO ranges from 1500 to 4500. Even though I often have to crop severely for the action at the opposite end of the basketball court, with Topaz Photo AI, I still get useful pictures. For shots with relatively low ISO, I use the AI Clear function in Topaz studio, as it is faster than the Photo AI.
Yes, of course I would like to have a fast zoom, but can find nothing that has the brightness of my primes, their light weitht and reasonable cost.
For virtually all of my other photography, I use a zoom with my Olympus or one of my Lumix bridge cameras. Which one depends of where I will be and what I will be shooting.
In my experience, there is no one solution for all occasions. tha is why we have to be flexible.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

While primes yield marginally better image quality, it's hard to discount the versatility of zoom lenses. If I'm going on a once-in-a-lifetime around the world trip and can only take one lens, it's going to be a zoom. Whatever you decide, do some research and buy the best you can.

delder Loc: Maryland

In film days, ISO was limited. I generally shot Tri-X so ASA 400. Lens speed MATTERED!
In today's DSLR/ML world, we do have more options.
I did just receive a 50 MM F 2.8 E series I have tried on my D3100. Strictly Manual, but takes me back to film days.
It IS faster than ANY of my [Affordable] Zoom Lenses.

JFCoupe Loc: Kent, Washington

I think for the most part, it is the photographers choice. Yes, for commercial photography and when making very large prints, prime lenses are probably the best choice. For many of us that make prints up to about 16" x 20" zoom lenses will deliver very good results assuming the photographer uses quality zoom lenses.

The best part is that we have individual choices. Personally, I use both. My Olympus 12-100 f4 is so versatile that it is almost always on one of my bodies. But I also use 25, 45 and 300 mm primes at times and love them as well.

Bubbee Loc: Aventura, Florida

Oho...Thank you for that. Mine was the kit lens for my D7100
DSLR so it needed the adapter to work on the Z.
Really appreciate your fast answer!
Enjoy your Z!