Prime vs Zoom lenses

fotojack

Senior Member
I personally don't have any preferences. They all have their place in photography. I have two prime lenses at the moment, but that will change as I can afford it. All the rest are zooms, and they all serve a function.
Which lenses are you interested in getting? My primes are the 50mm and the 85 macro.
 

johnwartjr

Senior Member
The next 3 are 85 1.4G, 50 1.4 D or G (have read reviews for both, undecided) and either a 60mm or 105mm macro.

I got my 24-70 and 70-200 first, had hoped to get the 85 1.4 next, but Nikon had a special if you bought a body and the 14-24 lens, $400 off. My Dad has been on the brink of ordering a D7000 for awhile, so he got a D7000, I got the 14-24, and we each got a couple hundred bucks off at the local camera shop.

Plus, the 85 1.4 is out of stock. I am on a waiting list, but the shop has their entire next shipment presold already!
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
If I had to name a preference, it would be zoom because they are far more versatile. With just two lenses, I can cover just about everything I want to shoot. That's pretty convenient when it comes time to pack the gear bag for a day.

That said, primes certainly have their place. They are generally less expensive and have superior optics. I've posted before that everyone should own the 50mm f/1.8D, as it's an incredible lens that can be had for under $125. Mine was ruined by flood, and I'm already wishing I had replaced it...and it will certainly be my next lens purchase. That particular lens fits a variety of situations, so just about everyone can use it.

I think primes are a wise investment for the experienced photographer who knows what they like to shoot, and does so often.
 

LensWork

Senior Member
A little of my background first: When I first started shooting for newspapers nearly 35 years ago, zoom lenses were considered junk by any self-respecting photojournalist. They were soft and slow compared to fixed focal length lenses. I often carried as many as four cameras (2 Nikon F2's, Nikon FM & a Leica M4), each with a fixed focal length lens attached (usually a 24mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.0 on a Leica M4, an 85mm f/1.8 or 105mm f/2.5 and a 180mm f/2.8 or a 300mm f/4.5). Trying to change lenses in the fast-paced environment of news/sports photography meant that you might miss a shot, thus the need for four cameras.

That was then. Now, with the advance in optics, pro-quality zoom lenses are fast (f/2.8) and virtually equally as sharp (and in many cases as sharp) as fixed focal length lenses. Today my most carried/used lenses are the AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8 & AF-S 80-200mm f/2.8. I have several other lenses, but between these two, I can shoot most anything. No need to carry four cameras and six lenses; two bodies and these two lenses are always in my "go" bag.
 
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