iMacfan
Established
Well, kind of.
I hope you realise that this isn't me that is talking, its a TV ad that I saw last night. The BT broadband commercial features a dad in a camera shop being shown two almost identically bland digital cameras, and being explained that they are the same price but one has a zoom. The father chooses the one with the prime lens, and the shot quickly cuts to him taking pictures of his young son on a swing. He can't zoom in, so walks closer and closer until, yes, he gets kicked in the face. Twice. The aim is to announce that they are doubling their data speeds for broadband, and so you are getting more for the same money.
Of course its funny, but I find this very interesting and distressing that an ad company, which will try and sell anything to anyone and everyone, feels it nonsensical that anyone would want to use a prime lens. Being on this forum, I think I can safely assume that the vast majority of the users here use prime lenses most of the time, and have very good reasons to do so. Are we such a small subsection of photogs that we are insignificant, or have they just decided that we are too intelligent to be worth advertising to? It's particularly odd that they would pick on a group of people who, whatever the medium, are key users of the internet.
I'd appreciate any comments that anyone has, and would like to assure you all that I really do see the funny side to this, just not the one that was intended!
David
I hope you realise that this isn't me that is talking, its a TV ad that I saw last night. The BT broadband commercial features a dad in a camera shop being shown two almost identically bland digital cameras, and being explained that they are the same price but one has a zoom. The father chooses the one with the prime lens, and the shot quickly cuts to him taking pictures of his young son on a swing. He can't zoom in, so walks closer and closer until, yes, he gets kicked in the face. Twice. The aim is to announce that they are doubling their data speeds for broadband, and so you are getting more for the same money.
Of course its funny, but I find this very interesting and distressing that an ad company, which will try and sell anything to anyone and everyone, feels it nonsensical that anyone would want to use a prime lens. Being on this forum, I think I can safely assume that the vast majority of the users here use prime lenses most of the time, and have very good reasons to do so. Are we such a small subsection of photogs that we are insignificant, or have they just decided that we are too intelligent to be worth advertising to? It's particularly odd that they would pick on a group of people who, whatever the medium, are key users of the internet.
I'd appreciate any comments that anyone has, and would like to assure you all that I really do see the funny side to this, just not the one that was intended!
David
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
iMacfan said:
Yes we are.
Thanks for sharing. Something in turn, although i'm repeating myself: Last year i've seen a funny (or not) commercial in a Dutch photo mag, Focus, with the focus on digicam "reviews" of course. ("Reviews" meaning all of them get the "good" "very good" or "super" end result.)
Anyway.
It was a commercial of a Canon digital ps, i think the A85. It begun with the sentence "The camera that thinks for you."
N
Natalia
Guest
Dave, I really thought you were talking to us, judging by the title of your thread
...I despise ads. They also represent Dad's as total schmucks.....I usually walk away during commercials.
...I despise ads. They also represent Dad's as total schmucks.....I usually walk away during commercials.
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
The most I hate commercials involving kids. They don't have an idea in what a lie they are involved. Twenty years later they might hate their parents for that.
CleverName
Well-known
iMacfan said:
Of my 20 odd lenses and cameras, I have one zoom lens, a 70-210 for my SLRs. When people ask me how I zoom in, I say, "I get up and walk over there." I constantly see people with p&s zooms poking thier lenses in and out trying to frame a shot. If you can "see" in your focal lenth, you should know where you need to be to compose a shot.
Zoom lenses can be convenient, but if you rely on them to take the place of thinking about your compositions, you are an idiot who deserves to be kicked in the face.
Having said that, I once had my canonet knocked out of my hands by a bass player. Luckily the strap got tangled up in his tuning keys and it didn't hit the floor, but I had to wait till the end of the song to get it back.
doubs43
Well-known
I sit still and put on a longer lens. (Not really...... but it sounds good!)
(Not really...... but it sounds good!)Jeroen
Well-known
CleverName said:
I have a 70-210 too, but I rarely use it. I also have a 28-70 to go with my Nikon F301. Great stuff for holidays with Superia 400 - but again, it doesn't see much use. I'm training myself nowadays to use 50's more often. I do however use my Nikkor 28-50/3.5, which is a really great lens.
Fedzilla_Bob
man with cat
I think the thread title should read, "Creative directors at ad agencies are generally idiots who deserve to be kicked in the head."
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Indrek
dysgraph
I use only 50mm lenses on my RF as well as on my SLR-s. Actually I have a jupiter 12 (35mm) for my zorkis (belongd to my grandfather), but have used it only a few times. And I bought 2 mounths ago a jupiter 21 (135mm) for my Mamya/sekor 500 TDL slr camera, but have never used it. The problem is I`m afraid to use them since I dont know what I gona see , and the moral is I dont need any other focallenght then 50mm
, and the moral is I dont need any other focallenght then 50mm 
Never been kicked in the head using the Nikon Sp or S3 because of its 1x finder. I came pretty close when I took out the Canon 7 though.
Biber
Established
Reminds me of Sony's (might have been another company that can't build real cameras) slogan "Don't think, shoot"...
Thinking is such a chore...
DougK
This space left blank
I used to be a big fan of zoom lenses, but not anymore. I've found that using the "Nike zoom lens" (walking forward and backward in my Nike shoes) improved my photography just by making me really see the frame. If it's not what I want, I move until it is. Simple. Usually I wind up working the subject in more detail that way and as a result come home with at least one keeper, often several.
That said, there is value in having zoom lenses when traveling just to keep the overall weight of your gear down if you NEED multiple focal lengths. My own travel experiences, though, have convinced me that a 35mm or 50mm prime lens is all that I really need.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
That said, there is value in having zoom lenses when traveling just to keep the overall weight of your gear down if you NEED multiple focal lengths. My own travel experiences, though, have convinced me that a 35mm or 50mm prime lens is all that I really need.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
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W
wlewisiii
Guest
Zooms? When I had my Canon Rebel XS and it's zoom, I didn't think I could live without it. Then I bought a Kiev...
This weekend, my In-Laws celebrated thier 60th wedding anniversary. I had my Kiev 5 along with my usual suspect lenses (35/2.5, 50/2 & 85/2). During the mass, there was a second family there having a 60th celebration as well (!) and they had hired a pro with a nice Nikon digital system. At one point I wise-assed to my son that I was the only one with a film camera there and he looked down, saw that it was an RF and asked to trade...
Later that night I shot the first roll with the 35 to get a feel for the dinner and the environment. The second roll was with the 85 and attempted to focus on portrait type shots of people talking and having fun at the event. Towards the end, the last roll of the night was shot with the 50 as the situation was much more fluid and I needed the flexability to do whatever was needed. A normal prime and two feet still can't be beat for that. I was lucky in that there was enough light with the Fuji Supermarket, er, Superia 800 that it metered out to f4@1/50th so that also gave me a bit of extra flexability. I'll know more tomorrow afternoon when I pick the film up, but still, I hope that out of the 108 shots there might be a handfull that are good to me; my relations will probably be happy with 50-75% so that's a pretty good win rate in my book.
Zooms? I really don't miss them any more.
William
This weekend, my In-Laws celebrated thier 60th wedding anniversary. I had my Kiev 5 along with my usual suspect lenses (35/2.5, 50/2 & 85/2). During the mass, there was a second family there having a 60th celebration as well (!) and they had hired a pro with a nice Nikon digital system. At one point I wise-assed to my son that I was the only one with a film camera there and he looked down, saw that it was an RF and asked to trade...
Later that night I shot the first roll with the 35 to get a feel for the dinner and the environment. The second roll was with the 85 and attempted to focus on portrait type shots of people talking and having fun at the event. Towards the end, the last roll of the night was shot with the 50 as the situation was much more fluid and I needed the flexability to do whatever was needed. A normal prime and two feet still can't be beat for that. I was lucky in that there was enough light with the Fuji Supermarket, er, Superia 800 that it metered out to f4@1/50th so that also gave me a bit of extra flexability. I'll know more tomorrow afternoon when I pick the film up, but still, I hope that out of the 108 shots there might be a handfull that are good to me; my relations will probably be happy with 50-75% so that's a pretty good win rate in my book.
Zooms? I really don't miss them any more.
William
I've never gotten zooms for myself, with one recent exception when in the grip of a collector impulse I bid and "won" a 20-40mm lens for the Pentax Auto 110, Huge lens looks charmingly silly on the tiny camera! I gave a 35-80 Tamron to my folks along with a Nikon FG, figuring that would be good for travel. And I got my wife a Pentax 75-150 for theatre photography so she could get some framing variations quickly and easily during play rehearsals. That worked well.
But for myself I like to head out with one camera and one lens (rarely a second lens in a pocket), switching my mental vision to that field of view... and go hunt pictures.
But for myself I like to head out with one camera and one lens (rarely a second lens in a pocket), switching my mental vision to that field of view... and go hunt pictures.
N
nwcanonman
Guest
Kinda depends on what one's taking pictures of. When I'm using an RF, my style of shooting makes me think in the focal length (usually 35-40mm). But when getting paid to shoot a wedding, people and events are moving too fast and many times you can't block family members view so a 28-105mm AF zoom is what I choose.
For portraits, where you control the distance, I choose an 85mm prime lens. For landscapes, again it's not moving, I use an appropriate WA lens (20 to 50mm prime lens).
Heck if you like what the results are, it's the right choice ~ ; - )
For portraits, where you control the distance, I choose an 85mm prime lens. For landscapes, again it's not moving, I use an appropriate WA lens (20 to 50mm prime lens).
Heck if you like what the results are, it's the right choice ~ ; - )
N
Nikon Bob
Guest
Using primes with a rangefinder is not a virtue but a virtual necessity. How many zooms are there if you wanted to use one? I like both and use both as I see fit with my SLRs. I do agree that most ads leave something to be desired.
Bob
Bob
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
I bought a zoom (28-105) as my first lens for the SLR (my first serious camera). It produced some nice results, many sloppy ones.Then i bought a fast 50mm, later on a 17mm superwide and a wonderful 135/2.8, finally a 24/2.8 to fill the wide gap. The zoom sits depressed in the deep bottom of a closet. Did not use it since a year and a half.
You know what? at the Birthday Robbery we had in our house in 31 dec 2004, they took my ancient rolleicord, the contax iiia, they even took the capital light meter, all from the same closet - they did not touch the zoom lens
And i payed 250 euro for it (new). :bang:
PS: anyone want a sigma 28-105 f/2.8-4 aspheric zoom lens in minolta AF mount?
You know what? at the Birthday Robbery we had in our house in 31 dec 2004, they took my ancient rolleicord, the contax iiia, they even took the capital light meter, all from the same closet - they did not touch the zoom lens
And i payed 250 euro for it (new). :bang:
PS: anyone want a sigma 28-105 f/2.8-4 aspheric zoom lens in minolta AF mount?
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
By the way i'm not against zoom lenses as such. And, there are some pretty good performers within (but not within my budget). On a digital point and shoot, a zoom might be appropiate, since the whole camera is oriented towards those kind of consumers.
Just the whole hype about it is a bit annoying.
Just the whole hype about it is a bit annoying.
ijonas
Established
It is a pretty crap ad. Yet they ban the very sexy Wanadoo Broadband snogging advert. There's no justice in this world....
I've been using nothing but primes for so long, that when someone hands me a zoom camera or I pick up my digital compact I totally forgot about zoom function. Instead I walk forwards a few steps. Over the years I've burned 3billion calories this way.
Let's sign a petition to ban zoom lenses & digital compacts: the true root cause to obesity!
Ijonas.
I've been using nothing but primes for so long, that when someone hands me a zoom camera or I pick up my digital compact I totally forgot about zoom function. Instead I walk forwards a few steps. Over the years I've burned 3billion calories this way.
Let's sign a petition to ban zoom lenses & digital compacts: the true root cause to obesity!
Ijonas.