[Closed] Ditch the zooms for primes? Photographytrackworld

So what you think. A nightmare of lens swapping or forced creativity?

Answer yourself this: why do you take photographs? What do you take photographs of? Think hard about those before you answer, and give at least three answers to each.

But I really can’t do just one focal length.

That's precisely why you should just use one focal length.

With the exception of Sports, I just use my iPhone these days. Sold all my DSLRs bar the D4s and a small number of lenses. So yes, I could easily just use one lens.

X100 is a thing of beauty - I've recently sold an X100S and I regret it. It's very refreshing only to have one focal length to work with - a photography walk / trip is no longer about swapping lenses all the time, and more about pure photography.

Stealth Ad - I'm seriously thinking about selling a Panasonic GX8 with kit lens and a 20mm f1.7 if you are keen to dabble in the MFT world.

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So what you think. A nightmare of lens swapping or forced creativity?

Answer yourself this: why do you take photographs? What do you take photographs of? Think hard about those before you answer, and give at least three answers to each.

But I really can’t do just one focal length.

That’s precisely why you should just use one focal length.!

See I knew you lot would come up trumps

I take photographs to:

Record events, places and people family

As a creative outlet

For the challenge and to force me to see the world

The top one is the RX100. The other 2 suggests primes

I take picture of people, places and landscapes. These can be done with primes

For the last point I think that it is right to point out the benefits of the challenge. But I have really used my zoom. Not to avoid walking. But to vary perspective etc.

But thanks great questions

What is this a photograph of? What else is it a photograph of?

Cheers Si. It is a great offer but I don't think that body is quite right for me. Nothing wrong with it but I think the Olympus has the edge for long exposures and they are something I like to play with

My plan is to use the new camera with just one lens alot of the time. But with the option to mix things up focal length wise when I need/ want to

Thanks

Keep the experience coming

He's noticed that bum for sure! Genius

I really couldn't make my mind up whether to spend between 1.5-5k on a prime lens or £395 on a 2nd hand superzoom, but seeing as I didn't have lots to spare I went for the superzoom....

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You've described my setup almost exactly - Olympus EM10 MK2 with a couple of primes. I've got the Panasonic f1.7 15mm and the f1.4 25mm as walkaround lenses, and generally just take one of these out only. This forces me to get creative with whichever lens I've got on, and look for the best way to frame pictures.

Did have some longer length primes, but found I wasn't using them much.

Beautiful bird pics Essel

Beautiful bird pics Essel

Thanks Eddie. I was lucky in that Barney there, flew to me. That was from the car with the window down.

If I could afford £x's for a proper decent prime lens with a long focal length then I would maybe go for one but I can't so that'll do for me.

Nikon P900, the camera that some folk on here said not to bother with.

It might be worth going for the superzoom, I was reading this review today:

https://fstoppers.com/originals/only-camera-lens-youll-ever-need-fstoppers-reviews-tamron-18-400mm-f35-63-di-ii-245480

My lightweight rig:

Olympus OM-D E-M5 mkII
Olympus 12mm f2.0 (it is a thing of beauty)
Olympus 45mm f1.8 (very cheap, very sharp)
Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro
Olympus 9-18mm f4.0 - 5.6 (cheap superwide that doesn't do a bad job)
Olympus 70-300 f4.0-5.6 (budget supertele)
Lee 75 system (ND Grads, Circ. Polerizer, Superstopper)

This all fits in a bag about the size of a DSLR and kit lens holster (pictured below).  It is capable of some seriously good results - I have had several published in magazines, sold more stock and had a few awards along the way with it.

My full frame Nikon is "better" - the results from that thing are in an entirely different league - but the mini camera is not leaving me!  It is also easier to carry walking up mountains/mountain biking/motorbiking than a mahoosive backpack of kit to offer the same basic functionality.

I have an OMD EM5
Have a few lenses - the 12-50mm kit lens, Lumix 20mm/f1.7, Lumix 45-150 and a Samyang fisheye

Went for a weekend in Prague recently and just took the 20mm prime to save hassle and weight.
Was great, took lovely pictures. If you need a wider angle, just take two pics and stitch them later. If something is far away, walk a bit closer or take the photo and crop it down - cameras are very high resolution these days

I plumped for a Lumix G80 with 12-60 kit lens and added the tiny 25mm f/1.7 prime. Great handling weatherproof camera, although heavy for a M43. The prime is very fast and sharp for the money. Next will be the Pana 100-300 Mk2 zoom, then maybe a Laowa 7.5mm f/2. All in, that lot will be about £1500 quids worth (discounted). A Sony RX10 Mk III or IV or Lumix FZ2000 can do much the same without the need to carry and swap lenses. I do wonder if that would have been a more practical route.

Given that you already have a small, fast, RX100, a large sensor zoom bridge camera may be a better option than faffing about with various primes.

If you need a wider angle, just take two pics and stitch them later. If something is far away, walk a bit closer or take the photo and crop it down

Gah.

Stitching photos together or moving closer or further away DOES NOT give the same results as changing focal length!

Perspective is only a function of camera distance from the objects in the image.

Different focal lengths only affect field of view unless you are talking specialist gear like fisheye or tilt shift lenses.

If you had a mega resolution sensor and decent glass the image of a footballer at the far end of the pitch taken on a 50mm lens and cropped would be the same as one taken on a 600mm lens

I have two primes (35 and 50mm, both on a cropped sensor DSLR). Love 'em both.

But, the idea of an X100 is very appealing. So I probably shouldn't have recently bought another D300...

Getting another D300 is entirely rational - bomproof and excellent value + great user interface.

I've got a reasonably comprehensive micro four thirds system (a couple of bodies and quite a few lenses including several primes) but actually find that the 9-18mm wide angle zoom gets by far the most use, and the primes virtually none. While I do use the micro four thirds stuff quite a bit I seem to use it more as a replacement for a P&S (i.e. for days out etc.) that I do as a replacement for my DSLR system - hence while I use carry a few lenses I don't really switch them all that much.

With my DSLR or medium format systems I will sometimes go out with just primes (or even sometimes just one prime) but the primes still see a lot less overall use than the zooms do.

I sold my dSLR and zooms and bought a 2nd hand Fuji X-T1 and a couple of fast primes. I don't miss the zooms at all and love not having the bulk to carry around.

If you had a mega resolution sensor and decent glass the image of a footballer at the far end of the pitch taken on a 50mm lens and cropped would be the same as one taken on a 600mm lens

If you are standing in the same place yes.

If you zoom all the way in to fill the frame with his face from the other end of the pitch, you will end up with a different picture to if you stood in front of him with a 28mm.

So much food for thought and between you have covered everything that I had thought of

Captain Kronos has adream kit. The Fz1000 is is the no brainer option. Better IQ than a DSLR and superzoom and they throw in the camera for free. So tempted but it lack appeal and it is quite bulky. Also not great for long exposures.

Thanks for all your thoughts and keep them coming of you have them

We've got an set up for video which is comprised of a Red Epic/dragon and GH5s. We have primes for both. They are fantastic. But a lot of hassle for film makers but they do have a particular look to them.

On the m4/3s Panny make a terrific 20mm pancake lens  - I use this a lot for interviews. You could easily shoot a good chunk of stuff on it.

In fact not having a zoom brings on a great purity in shooting , forces you to move around.

If you had a mega resolution sensor and decent glass the image of a footballer at the far end of the pitch taken on a 50mm lens and cropped would be the same as one taken on a 600mm lens

Not quite. Focal length is still different. Field of view could be matched.

600mm would look like a 600m. A 50mm would not look the same.

Advice from my mate John