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Zoom or prime.
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Dec 13, 2018 10:31:25   #
Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal
 
jwoj69 wrote:
For years I enjoyed using zoom lenses. But ever I switched to Canon's 24MB Cmos (Especially in my new camera, Canon 77D) I use prime lenses more often. I enjoy their sharpness as well bright apertures. I went little prime crazy, being few of them in the last couple months. I currently own 24mm f 2.8 Canon, 35mm f2.8 IS `Canon, 45mm USDD VC Tamron, 50mm f1.4 Canon, 85mm f1.8 Canon, 90mm f2.8 Tamron, 105mm f2.8 Sigma. I use them more often than my zooms.


I primarily shoot primes, although I give up the flexibility of zooms...but every decision has a price, right?

What I gain in sharpness is worth the price. However there are three zooms that I still use in the appropriate circumstances but those circumstances are kind of rare.

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Dec 13, 2018 10:38:19   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
BobHartung wrote:
Yep. Since switching to a medium format system that only has prime lenses (at this point in its evolution), I find that I spend more time looking at a potential image from many angles and moving in and out. I almost never return to my original position to make the image. It seems to me, that zoom lenses tend to make us lazy photographers (or at least make me lazy).

This is not to say that zooms are irrelevant, just that I have changed my shooting style and I like the change.


I absolutely agree.
I rarely use zoom lenses anymore, and I don't really miss them.

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Dec 13, 2018 10:53:33   #
amacklin Loc: New Hampshire
 
I utilize both zoom/prime depends on the desired product. I recently purchased two canon lenses off my wish list the canon 50mm 1.2L and the LORD OF THE RING 135mm f2L, I plan to do some street shooting
in the Boston Garden (Ice Rink/Fog Pond) and the Haymarket Square area of Boston, Ma this weekend.

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Dec 13, 2018 10:56:31   #
Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.
 
BobHartung wrote:
Yep. Since switching to a medium format system that only has prime lenses (at this point in its evolution), I find that I spend more time looking at a potential image from many angles and moving in and out. I almost never return to my original position to make the image. It seems to me, that zoom lenses tend to make us lazy photographers (or at least make me lazy).

This is not to say that zooms are irrelevant, just that I have changed my shooting style and I like the change.



👍

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Dec 13, 2018 10:57:39   #
jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska
 
jwoj69 wrote:
For years I enjoyed using zoom lenses. But ever I switched to Canon's 24MB Cmos (Especially in my new camera, Canon 77D) I use prime lenses more often. I enjoy their sharpness as well bright apertures. I went little prime crazy, being few of them in the last couple months. I currently own 24mm f 2.8 Canon, 35mm f2.8 IS `Canon, 45mm USDD VC Tamron, 50mm f1.4 Canon, 85mm f1.8 Canon, 90mm f2.8 Tamron, 105mm f2.8 Sigma. I use them more often than my zooms.

I think that most of the time one can end up with better images using a good quality zoom rather than a good prime, at least for me. The very first thing I do is to determine the perspective, or camera location, I want. Then, and only then, I use a good zoom to crop the image IN THE CAMERA. The whole "cropping with your feet" concept is total BS to me. I don't want to have to sacrifice the desired perspective just because it doesn't fit my prime lens. If you are lucky enough to have a prime that gives you the exact crop desired, then you may end up with a little better image. But if you have do a lot of cropping in PP because it wasn't done in camera, you probably end up with a lesser quality image.

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Dec 13, 2018 10:59:24   #
jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ
 
jwoj69 wrote:
For years I enjoyed using zoom lenses. But ever I switched to Canon's 24MB Cmos (Especially in my new camera, Canon 77D) I use prime lenses more often. I enjoy their sharpness as well bright apertures. I went little prime crazy, being few of them in the last couple months. I currently own 24mm f 2.8 Canon, 35mm f2.8 IS `Canon, 45mm USDD VC Tamron, 50mm f1.4 Canon, 85mm f1.8 Canon, 90mm f2.8 Tamron, 105mm f2.8 Sigma. I use them more often than my zooms.


I'm happy for you. Personally, I like my zooms. Less R&R of the lenses keeps my sensor cleaner longer.

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Dec 13, 2018 11:08:13   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
BobHartung wrote:
Yep. Since switching to a medium format system that only has prime lenses (at this point in its evolution), I find that I spend more time looking at a potential image from many angles and moving in and out. I almost never return to my original position to make the image. It seems to me, that zoom lenses tend to make us lazy photographers (or at least make me lazy).

This is not to say that zooms are irrelevant, just that I have changed my shooting style and I like the change.


That is exactly the reason I went to using mostly primes. I felt using zooms was making me lazy. Like you said, moving around, looking at the subject from different angles and perspectives, different foregrounds and backgrounds. For me it's much more fun.

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Dec 13, 2018 11:20:05   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
I agree with some of the above responses...

Shooting with primes is "different" from shooting with zooms.

Used to be that most zooms really sucked and no self-respecting photographer would use them. Zooms were for snapshooters... primes were for photographers.

Today there are many excellent zooms. Lens design, technology and manufacturing have come a long, long way from the early days of zooms. Some of the best zooms today rival the image quality of some of the best primes.

But primes can be smaller, lighter and have larger apertures than zooms.... not to mention less expensive.

However, IMO the biggest difference is how one works with primes versus zooms. Basically, zooms let you stand in one place and change your view... Primes force you to move around looking for the view of the subject you want to capture. And often when you move you discover more about the subject than you would just standing in one place.

Primes can't always be used... there are situations where zooms are preferable or even necessary.

Speaking for myself, I find working with primes more satisfying. It just feels more productive to me.

OTOH, as I get older and prefer to carry around less stuff, zooms are looking better and better!

Yes, I'm getting lazier!

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Dec 13, 2018 11:43:57   #
gordone Loc: Red Deer AB Canada
 
You really need to evaluate each lens on a case by case basis and generalities may not apply. For example a Canon 50 mm F1.4 lens is optically less sharp than a Canon 24-70 F2.8 ii at 50 mm. There is a big difference of course in price of these two lenses.

On the other hand price is not always an indicator of quality. Take a Leica 50 mm F 0.95 lens that costs $11000 and compare it to a Canon 50 mm F1.8 USM that costs about $125. The Canon beats it every important optical test. The Leica does beat the Canon in build quality and price.

In Summary:

Leica. Canon
Noctilux. 50mm F1.8 STM
Focal Length
50 mm. 50 mm
Max Aperture
0.95. 1.8
Price
$11,295 (USD). $125
Barrel distortion
1.10%. -0.77%
Vignetting wide open
3.33/4.31 EV coded/uncoded. 2.56 EV
Maximum Resolution
3195 at F2.8. 3742 at F5.6
Chromatic aberation at max aperture
2.18 pixels. 0.48 pixels

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Dec 13, 2018 11:44:28   #
Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA
 
Actually I prefer primes. My Sony 55mm Zeiss and my Nikon 85mm are great lens.
I think this depends on what kind of photography or videography you are doing. I do a few sporting
events a triathlon and running festival with 4000 people. I couldn't live without zooms. I get use your
feet but the frustration of not being able to get closer or changing the shot makes good
zooms a must. Film makers (now hybrid video like Arri Alexa) use primes cine sets that cost thousands of dollars.
Sports and event shooters cannot live without a zoom. I have said this before here I really like my Sony RX10 III.
24 to 600mm and pretty sharp at all mm's. Try shooting a soccer game from ground level with a prime.
I read an article online that a great bridge camera with a good zoom lens like the RX10 series really
might replace most camerasand lens. It is just the traditionalists who dont want to consider this option.
Hey we gave up film and most darkrooms. We adapted to digital management of our images.
If Sony and Panasonic etc continue to create cameras like the RX10 bridge series we may adapt to the
changes. It is all good and fun.

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Dec 13, 2018 11:46:11   #
JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.
 
Re the comments that primes are lighter, I doubt that 3 primes approximating the coverage range of a zoom would weigh less than the single zoom lens. The wider apertures is clearly where primes outperform zooms.

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Dec 13, 2018 12:47:50   #
Jagnut07 Loc: South Carolina
 
I have tended to shoot zooms but am trying out a few prime lenses now as well. My thought is to shoot prime while on a photo shoot and then to shoot zooms while on vacation/travel where I try to keep my travel weight down.

Mike.

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Dec 13, 2018 13:03:35   #
Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.
 
I own several primes and rarely mount my Canon 70-200 zoom or even my 100-400 II zoom for that matter, I often think about unloading the 70-200 II simply because it never gets mounted.

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Dec 13, 2018 13:03:51   #
jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska
 
Mac wrote:
That is exactly the reason I went to using mostly primes. I felt using zooms was making me lazy. Like you said, moving around, looking at the subject from different angles and perspectives, different foregrounds and backgrounds. For me it's much more fun.


In my mind at least, using primes actually limits the ability to look at different angles and perspectives. Unless you want to do a lot of PP cropping, you become a slave to the primes, they dictate what angles and perspectives you use. By cropping in the camera (zoom lenses), you are not limited to what angle and perspective you choose.

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Dec 13, 2018 14:23:23   #
JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.
 
jackm1943 wrote:
In my mind at least, using primes actually limits the ability to look at different angles and perspectives. Unless you want to do a lot of PP cropping, you become a slave to the primes, they dictate what angles and perspectives you use. By cropping in the camera (zoom lenses), you are not limited to what angle and perspective you choose.

I second that opinion. The argument that one should use their legs to zoom is OK if you have the time and opportunity, but many times you don't. For example, zooming in on an architectural feature high up on a building; a distant scene viewed from a lookout. For closer work, I would prefer to use my legs to move left-right and let the zoom move me front-back. I know the angle of view or perspective is not the same, but I am willing to trade the minor -- if even noticeable -- degradation of image quality for the versatility of a zoom... in most situations.

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