Do primes force you to "think more" - also, how to focus on gear less?

[Out to Lunch]

The old zooms were not that great. Some of today's zoom lenses are fantastic. I've been using a Fuji 2.8/16-55 -the equivalent of 24-82 in full-frame, for two years now and can't find any fault with it. In street shooting, especially in tight corners, it gives you a lot of leverage.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Do primes force you to think more?

What the hell? There’s only one thing that forces me to think more, and that’s what did I do to make my wife angry at me.

A lens is just a lens. Stick it on your camera and take pictures. The only thing to think about is what to take pictures of? How to get there? How to get back home? Are there any bars nearby? Etc...

All the best,
Mike

 

[Archiver]

I don't understand any of this, my eye sees a picture I want to take and the tool will take it. It doesn't matter to me what the tool is equipped with, it's my eye and that stays the same.

Well, here's the thing. Do you always have the tool that will enable you to take the picture you see? Are your images typically clustered in a few focal lengths, or do you see pictures that require a 21, a 35, a 75, a 200? You can't shoot an image that requires a 21 if you've only got a 50.

 

[jarski]

am fan of small good IQ primes, but trying to avoid lens changing on digital bodies (that have sensor exposed to elements). so far I've tried to solve this by dedicated body & prime kits, or zoom lenses, or combinations of previous, all of which add bulk to the perfect world scenario 🙁

 

[chipgreenberg]

[You can't shoot an image that requires a 21 if you've only got a 50.[/QUOTE]

This is true. I've been shooting fixed lens cameras the last few years and I just don't look for things that don't fit

 

[chipgreenberg]

There's one difference; sometimes when using the prime I think that I should have brought the zoom with me instead and vice versa.

The same thought applies to P&S's, SLR's and RF's; you can throw in film and digital for good measure because getting it right all the time is impossible.



When I was working for clients and had to get it right all the time we carried suitcases of gear. Now I don't have to get it right every time. I don't want to carry suitcases of gear. I'm also older and don't have anybody to help me carry stuff anymore

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Sometimes you absolutely have to have a zoom, like an 80-200. Especially when you're on the sidelines of a football field, shooting bread and butter high school games.
Phil Forrest