Zoom!!!

[markjwyatt]

I picked up a Fujinon 43-75mm M42 zoom. I first adapted to my Fujifilm XT-2 to try it out, and got magenta/green fringing, so thought, no good. I then tried it on M42 SLR, and it actually renders very nicely. It does not have a great range, but is a decent normal lens; though a bit slow (f3.5-4.5).


tree and hill by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr


plant by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

 

[back alley]

I prefer primes and generally within the 35-85mm range is what I use. However, sometimes I really enjoy going out with a zoom to change things up... especially on the tele end. So, for me... up to 85mm, I prefer primes. After 85mm, I prefer a zoom.

you also have the 16-80 fuji zoom...where does that fit for you?
for me, the more i think about it and use it, the more i like it have decided not to sell it...it's a perfect focal range for me and almost small enough to be comfy while carrying it.

 

[Rayt]

Zooms are great vacation lenses. I have 17mm to 300mm covered in 3 Contax N zooms. Put the camera on a tripod and stop the bad boys down to f8 and shoot away. Brilliant optics. For street it’s usually one fast prime lens. Zooming back and forth slows me down too much for street. I couldn’t even get on with the Tri-Elmar for street and am about the sell the Hexanon 21/35.

 

[gavinlg]

I'm not sure that's true... when I use a zoom, I predetermine my focal length before bringing the camera to my eye. I rarely am zooming back and forth with the VF to my eye. Basically, I use my zoom like a few primes. Keep it at 50mm and change it when I need something different. Once in awhile, a little zoom tweak really benefits a picture... meaning, instead of 50mm, maybe 40 or 60mm works better and is a quick adjustment. One could say our reliance on one prime fits all situations is lazy too. I don't agree, but I can understand why someone might think that.

You almost certainly have more self restraint than I!

 

[jsrockit]

you also have the 16-80 fuji zoom...where does that fit for you?
for me, the more i think about it and use it, the more i like it have decided not to sell it...it's a perfect focal range for me and almost small enough to be comfy while carrying it.

It fits when I don’t know where and what I’ll be photographing, when I need something wider or longer than my primes, or when I just want to use something different. It’s only an ok lens to me, but useful at times.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

When I use a zoom (which is practically never) it’s almost always at one end of the spectrum or the other; nothing in between.

I remember when everyone was buying the 24~70mm f2.8 zoom lens. Like it was God's gift to photography. I bought one, heavy as hell, used it a few times, now it just sits in the cabinet. What was I thinking?

All the best,
Mike

 

[Michael Markey]

I'm not sure that's true... when I use a zoom, I predetermine my focal length before bringing the camera to my eye. I rarely am zooming back and forth with the VF to my eye. Basically, I use my zoom like a few primes. Keep it at 50mm and change it when I need something different. Once in awhile, a little zoom tweak really benefits a picture... meaning, instead of 50mm, maybe 40 or 60mm works better and is a quick adjustment. One could say our reliance on one prime fits all situations is lazy too. I don't agree, but I can understand why someone might think that.

You`ve beaten me to it John .
I was going add something along those lines myself. You described exactly how I use a zoom .
Sort of like a flexible prime .
Indeed at the risk of sounding totally stupid I sometimes forget that it is a zoom and that I have got other options .
Its akin to having a number of primes in one lens .

 

[Hans Berkhout]

Will zoom users end up with less or no dust on their sensors as compared to prime users ?

I use film and mostly primes. I can't answer the question but would be interested in comments.

 

[Forest_rain]

Will zoom users end up with less or no dust on their sensors as compared to prime users ?

I use film and mostly primes. I can't answer the question but would be interested in comments.

Interesting question. Compact cameras like RX100 often end up with dust in the sensor because they are kept in the pocket and dust makes its way onto the sensor through the grooves in the lens barrel, including zoom mechanism "pushing" the dust into the camera body.

There are more moving parts on a zoom, so this pushing action might add a little bit more dust to the sensor of a camera using a zoom.

Primes just move the barrel in a circular motion so I imagine it wouldn't push dust in it at all.

You might think that changing lenses might add dust to the sensor, but I think that changing lenses once in awhile might actually aerate the interior and clean some dust out of the sensor.

Just my opinion.

 

[RichC]

Anyone else use tilt-shift zooms? This is a 55-110mm Mamiya 645 lens with a tilt-shift adapter.

Weight with camera approx. 2 kg (4.5 lb).

 

[oftheherd]

I picked up a Fujinon 43-75mm M42 zoom. I first adapted to my Fujifilm XT-2 to try it out, and got magenta/green fringing, so thought, no good. I then tried it on M42 SLR, and it actually renders very nicely. It does not have a great range, but is a decent normal lens; though a bit slow (f3.5-4.5).


tree and hill by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr


plant by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

When they came out with the Fujinon 43-75, I didn't think it was worthwhile with such a short zoom range, and didn't really want one. Later I got a couple with other Fuji cameras. They confirmed they weren't for me. They were decent performers, I just wasn't crazy about that set of focal lengths. Not only were they decent performers, they weren't that big nor heavy. I gave one to my daughter to use on the ST 801 I gave her, and I think I still have the other stored away somewhere.

 

[Rayt]

When I use a zoom (which is practically never) it’s almost always at one end of the spectrum or the other; nothing in between.

I remember when everyone was buying the 24~70mm f2.8 zoom lens. Like it was God's gift to photography. I bought one, heavy as hell, used it a few times, now it just sits in the cabinet. What was I thinking?

All the best,
Mike

In the early stages of my hobby I bought a midrange zoom like most people. I made mental note what focal length I used the most and it was around 40mm so after that it was 35/50 for me ideal for rangefinders.

 

[Bill Clark]

Will zoom users end up with less or no dust on their sensors as compared to prime users ?

For me, the Canon 24-70 f2.8 zoom allowed me to use one lens at an event. No changing. No dust.

Do you leave your camera on when changing a lens? What about static electricity on the sensor? Does that attract dust?

“Does a DSLR sensor produce static charges?
The sensors in new digital cameras today have an anti-static coating to minimize static charge build up and the attraction of dust particles; however, it does not always eliminate all charges and weak residual charges can still remain on the sensor surface.”

Info from here:

https://www.visibledust.com/technology.php

 

[kbb]

I make a focal length selection on my 17-35 zoom before shooting. I usually stick to established focal lengths, like 21, 24, or 28mm.
Even with it's sometimes so-so image quality when compared to good prime lenses, using it this way is superior to carrying a bag with 18mm, 21mm, 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm SLR-type prime lenses around. If I had an assistant following me around with a second body and the bag of primes, that'd be OK....

 

[CMur12]

With wide-angle lenses, I use the depth-of-field (DOF) scale a LOT. I would really miss this on a wide-angle zoom (or most any auto-focus lens, for that matter).

- Murray

 

[Forest_rain]

I bought a 28-75 and noticed I used mostly 50mm and 75mm, and always felt like I wanted to zoom in more.

So these days I mostly use a 135mm most of the times and sometimes a 50mm.

In the early stages of my hobby I bought a midrange zoom like most people. I made mental note what focal length I used the most and it was around 40mm so after that it was 35/50 for me ideal for rangefinders.