Prime vs Zoom
Nov 28, 2012 07:13:33 #
most of the canon lens will give you sharp pics,if you are not getting great results,practice, ,it is not the lens
Nov 28, 2012 07:19:09 #
Give the deveil his due - any answer the B&H person presented was a "no-win" for B&H.
Nov 28, 2012 07:51:23 #
The 24mm prime should out preform your kit lens set to 24mm. But (isn't there always a but?) 24mm may be the sweet spot on your kit lens and the two lens may perform nearly identically. Order the 24 from B&H, try it for several weeks and return it if you are not happy with it- B&H has a 30 day return policy. Will only cost you a few dollars for return UPS. Just be sure to keep all of the packaging and do not register the lens unless you decide to keep it because if you do B&H will not accept it for return.
Nov 28, 2012 08:30:05 #
Nov 28, 2012 08:55:27 #
Nov 28, 2012 09:35:10 #
The zoom vs prime question belongs in the last century. Today, primes generally have superior distortion characteristics compared to most zooms but not necessarily better sharpness. Zooms can be more consistent over a range of apertures, but it all depends on what is meant by "sharper" and whether the difference, if any, can be seen in print.
Nov 28, 2012 09:37:55 #
Hey Dachs. I am courious. If you take a shot with the prime and crop it to the 75% that you mentioned, I'm guessing that you will lose a lot of quality.... Is this an accurate statement???I ask because I have been considering a prime.
dachs wrote:
primes win hands down on image quality full stop b... (show quote)
Nov 28, 2012 09:45:19 #
ole sarg
Loc: south florida
So the guy says primes and you bring in a shot taken with a zoom and say: "You don't know what you are talking about! You should be fired for selling me this prime lens. See, my shot with the zoom is sharper, blah, blah, blah!"
Each type of lens has its place.
Each type of lens has its place.
Nov 28, 2012 10:41:33 #
I've noticed that kit lenses are very sharp and produce beautiful colors since they color coated. They're not the best for low light or bokeh compared to primes. Saying primes are sharper than zooms is not necessarily true though. My 24-70 2.8 zoom has totally replaced my primes. I would not give up my 50mm 1.8 entirely but there's not been a need for it since acquiring the 24-70. The advantage of prime lens is really in the wider aperture opening, you can maintian hand held shooting longer after sunset with a prime than with most zooms, but at wider apertures overal image sharpness is lost. A specific distance from the sensor will be at it's sharpest and the rest of the image becomes blurred the further it is from that point of high sharpness! To achieve more overal sharpness, you would need to shoot between f5 & f10, and even f/16-f22 in the case of landscape to achieve overal sharpness!
Nov 28, 2012 11:08:14 #
IBE wrote:
Just had a frustrating conversation with B & H. I asked which would give sharper images under exactly the same conditions, my kit 18-55 canon or the new prime 24mm canon(not L series) using my Canon T1i? There answer was very vague. He swaid it depended on many variables. I told his that I do mostly landscape and that all other factors are the same. He would not commit to an answer. What do you all think?
The common answer of "prime is best" is not necessarily true. When zoom lenses first came out there was no question of their lack of quality, but today even the cheapest of zooms are superior to those original ones.
If you are talking a "kit" or low end lens, then for sure the "kit" or low end prime will be superior, but on the top end lenses like the "L" series Canon lenses I would challenge anyone to tell the difference. Modern top quality zoom lenses today are on a par easily with modern top quality prime lenses.
Just my 3 cents worth . . .
Nov 28, 2012 11:19:10 #
PRIME!
I have had the Sigma 150-500mm and the Nikon 80-400mm. I am now the most happy owner of the Nikon 300mm and let me tell you that the prime blew me away with first photos. Even with the 1.4 TC added, the image quality is fantastic.
A friend has the Canon 400mm lens and it is because of the sharp, detailed photos that he always got with his 400 that made me get a prime.
I have had the Sigma 150-500mm and the Nikon 80-400mm. I am now the most happy owner of the Nikon 300mm and let me tell you that the prime blew me away with first photos. Even with the 1.4 TC added, the image quality is fantastic.
A friend has the Canon 400mm lens and it is because of the sharp, detailed photos that he always got with his 400 that made me get a prime.
Nov 28, 2012 11:41:12 #
Nov 28, 2012 11:49:17 #
Nov 28, 2012 11:50:31 #
I agree with everyone who said the prime lens gives sharper images. However, primes have their place, and it where you use it. Last Summer I was on a trail in the Mt. Baker area of Washington State. The trail was along a steep hillside. I spotted a deer on a lower ridge. The trees from the lower ridge obscured my eye level view. I could not back up, nor go forward, or fall off the hill. So, I zoomed through the tree branches in front of me, and got the shot. With a prime I would not have gotten the shot, the tree branches would have obscured the view. As any wildlife photographer will tell you, "you must be always ready to shoot, in any position." For my deer shot, I was not actually ready. I had just shot a wide angle, low ISO shot, in bright sunlight, and did not change my ISO to shoot the deer, in deep shade. The photo was terrible. I had to look at my log book to tell what I took a photo of.
Nov 28, 2012 11:52:15 #
In general the less a lens has to move around inside, the better. Primes & shorter range zooms tend to be better. My best & sharpest zooms are 17-55 f/2.8 &70-200 f/2.8. My sharpest primes are135f/2, 85f/1.9 & 100f/2.8 is macro. I have many other primes like 50f/1.2 that I love, but not because of superior sharpness. It depends upon which zoom & which prime, what f stop is used & lighting conditions. The salesman didn't want to commit to an answer that might be wrong. Bab
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