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I Stopped Using Zooms For Prime Lenses For One Reason

The Photographic Eye 71 views

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What is your favourite prime lens to take photos with? Or do you prefer the flexibility of Zooms/kit lenses?
Comment from : @ThePhotographicEye

I totally agree about being more engaged with a prime lens
Comment from : @itrepreneurpodcast

1
Comment from : @johannesbasuki391

28 and 50
Comment from : @rfggibson

No 2
Comment from : @rfggibson

My everyday bag has a Canon 90D, sigma 18-35 (use 35mm most of the time) and a 85mm
Comment from : @FernandoSLima

Ok so yes when does your new channel launch? Of the 3 photos I'd vote for #2 BUT my favorite was the photo at min 4:33 in the video Love that
Comment from : @mscottgordon3475

My primes were bagged up after almost trashing my sensor on a d850 in scottish mountains , lens changes are a massive no no , when wind picks up theres gravel particles in the blasts of wind , spotted by a friend cleaning my sensor I would of wiped them across the sensor unknowingly , so it was better to invest in good zooms , 0:35
Comment from : @joekelly9369

For decades, I have been shooting primes and zoomsbr brOn full-frame cameras, my favorite primes are: br14mm f/28 br21mm f/14 br35mm f/14 br85mm f/14 br180mm f/28br brOn full-frame cameras, my favorite zooms are: br14-24mm f/28 br28-70mm f/28 br80-200mm f/28
Comment from : @Narsuitus

Having a 24-70 I really like it for travel However I think a worthwhile drill is to challenge yourself to put the zoom ring on 1 focal length for a period of time and the change to another focal length Try 28mm for a week and 50mm the next week
Comment from : @solidstream13

Number 1 and it isn’t even close
Comment from : @loozerid

In cinema, zoom 25-100mm T29 or Single Lens (35mm,50mm, 85mm), what would you prefer?
Comment from : @dopexmc7901

Totally agree I go between 24 mm, 35mm and 50mm My 50,mm has been welded to my camera for more than 2'years Trying out urban landscaoe at the moment with the 35mm Not sure if i enjoy it in the same way as my 50mm Great vid
Comment from : @jonathanbaxter4366

After using prime lenses for many years, I am finding that the latest zoom lenses are a revelation I find that they make creative composition far easier as sometimes you cannot move about to optimum locations for primes
Comment from : @markheath5827

The prime vs zoom lense debate is silly It's all about getting the shot! Your style of photography and what you are trying to get will dictate what lense you need I mainly use a 55-200mm zoom because I shoot a style of 'street photography' in natural settings like seasides, and it works 95 of the time But that's me A prime lense would be hopeless for my needs You may be different
Comment from : @myvids4424

Number three I always use Nikon 55-200 mm for everything Maybe I need to breakout
Comment from : @williambeck8330

#1 Thanks Alex!
Comment from : @rogergroover4971

Zooms have their own advantages Nowadays zooms are as good as primes in picture quality😮
Comment from : @dsa4931

So true about zooms making us lazy Primes are the way to go and I chuckled as you spoke of a 28mm lens I have an old 28mm Nikkor (>40 years old) that I still love shooting with brbrAnd yes, please, to your new channel Looking forward to it
Comment from : @alanmacrae

Thank YOU Alex Oh, and thanks to the USAFit's good to know they are practicing
Comment from : @glen-draketoolworks7186

“Zoom lenses make you lazy” Wow, if only there were a fix for that
Comment from : @abstractjames

It comes down to your actual way of working, I own two zoom lenses and I use them for specific types of projects I too prefer primes and gravitate to my 35mm, 50mm and 100mm lenses but the 85mm does come out when I shoot proper portraits
Comment from : @tcphoto

Some how I have managed to own all the Nikon 50mm lens I have the f18 to the F12 the F095 is a bit to heavy for my 70 year old body
Comment from : @stevenmccaughan2752

A great way to get into primes on a budget is to buy vintage glass The added benefit is vintage primes ( especially the wider angles) teach you about pre focusing and zone focusing in a way that modern primes don’t allow ( unless it’s a manual focus modern prime with distance markings, but those tend to be pricy Leica leagues lenses) Also it’s really fun finding old glass and giving it new life ( of course I think this only applies to mirrorless cameras)
Comment from : @gregwill500

Sounds much like alibis, as for zoom you can fix the focal length and learn to adapt to that very focal as well Say you can fix/lock 50mm on a 28-70 and compose like you were having a 50mm
Comment from : @xuanzheng1049

I am going the opposite wayI have been using sigma 14 trio primes for a long time, but have now got tired of dragging a big camera bag along, and tired of changing lenses i the field all the time, so I have now traded some of them in for a zoom, the Sigma 24-70 28 - I guess the convenience of a zoom more shows when you are a landscape photog
Comment from : @CarstenBruhn

I walked the streets of Melbourne yesterday with my new zoom pancake (28-84 equivalent) and when I got home I checked the focal length that I used for each photo and to my astonishment 90 were at 28mm, so I'll get myself an 28mm equivalent lens for my next visit to the big smoke :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience Alex If I need inspiration your channel is always the first one I go to :)
Comment from : @bvista58

Basically prime lenses are forcing you to change perspective while shooting, while zoom lenses don't do that since you can zoom making you basically just crop on the same framebrAs the result with zoom in reality you take only one picture, while with prime you take manybrIt's still not the zoom fault, we're just lazy creatures, and if we can do shit from one spot we'll tend to do it from one spot Anyway, zooms would be real good if you manage to bypass that mentality
Comment from : @Deruzejaku

Zooms are fine if used properly To put primes on some creative pedestal is probably Ok for inexperienced photographers as it makes them work for it Personally I find modern zoom lenses fantastic Why buy three lenses when I just need to carry one
Comment from : @RichardsModellingAdventures

I just realised in all the time I'm following your channel, that I didn't know your name 😂
Comment from : @shamrockisland

Recently I have spoken with a number of photographers who say they are going back to shooting film because it makes them better photographers They feel that shooting film makes them more attentive to detail They feel it forces them to get the most out of each shot rather than rattling off a few hundred images to get a few good/great ones It seems as though you are saying essentially the same thing about prime lenses brbrFilm does not force you to do anything, any more than zooms make you lazy If you choose to shoot differently because of the hardware in your hand, you are letting the tool control you rather than you controlling the tool If a prime lens is the correct tool for the job, fine But, don't choose a prime because you think it somehow makes you less lazy Only you can make yourself less lazy
Comment from : @TheBigBlueMarble

As I get older it is a bit harder to move around So I really appreciate zoom lenses for that reason I will say that I understand the issue of photographers growing lazy with modern digital photography This is why I still keep my film SLR around, and shoot a couple rolls a year at least And I also tell other photographers they should do the same When you have only 36 shots, and every shot costs money, you suddenly become very mindful of what you are doing for each shot This lack of mindfulness is what I see in a lot of modern photographers, especially those that have never shot film
Comment from : @therustycook

In the studio I find zooms make me lazy, I use the wrong focal length for the shot because it is easier to zoom out than back up, when you have to choose a prime this doesn’t happen, now I use an 85/14 or 50/14, when not shooting people I use manual focus primes as these slow me down more and I enjoy the art of taking the photo, brThe final image is a small part of the whole process when you are taking images for your self, primes maximise the experience,
Comment from : @SteveKershaw

I agree about that same 50mm lens I got it as well and it's feel sooooo damn cheap But I really got some great photos out of it on a Canon 7D So it's effectively 80-81mm Which, at least in my perception, is somewhat the same zoom/focal/field of view as (my) normal vision
Comment from : @RedmilesShark

I'm a hobbyist and prefer my SONY/Zeiss f4 16-70 lense most of the time, prime lenses are mostly for portrait for me My a6300 has a 18-135 lense with has more range, but I like a smaller formfactor FWIW I believe you should be moving a lot to find the ideal picture, laying on the ground if you have to, I'm the same way when it comes to music, I need to get close and connect!
Comment from : @boddumblues

Nowadays I find, even in the same focal range, every prime lens has its own soul and they all perform differently I prefer portrait 1 by the way
Comment from : @stefanschug5490

My favorite is nr 3, but it has nothing to do with the lens When I learned photography 40 years ago, most pros around me, used a 35 combined wit a short tele lens Rarely anyone mentioned the 50 or the 80 on 6x6 I presume it was seen as an amateur lenses? Today I am a happy amateur, using mostly a 50 mm lens :)
Comment from : @Esoxhunt

All of this is just personal preference There's no connection to getting/being lazy, being more engaged, framing, creativity etc Can you imagine Peter Lindbergh not being engaged? Not up for using a prime lens due to feeling lazy? I usually use prime lenses for product photography, but when I'm working with models, I switch to a zoom lens There's no right or wrong, it's all up to individual preference
Comment from : @reneweisz9157

I really enjoy your channel and content 🙏 Thank you Alex brPortrait #1 for me
Comment from : @joulsw3739

Thank you for another great video ! I love the Portrait at 06:03, the dynamics, the expression, the vibe !! I think I am a 50mm guy as well With that lens I always have the feeling that I can deal with any situation, from portrait to street, from daylight to indoor
Comment from : @MegaSoundscapes

Love how you explain it and i love it great job
Comment from : @omidghotbi

When I go out street shooting, I don’t take a kit or extra pouch of any kind, just my choice of prime for the day Eye can and do cover the same territories on different days with different primes Allows me to re see what may have escaped me while focused other wise 😵‍💫
Comment from : @raymeedc

Number 1
Comment from : @davidwilliamson1995

I also switched to the prime lens In the beginning out of curiosity with a 50 year old lens (50mm f18) which became my favorite after some time of getting used to it The character and sharpness comes out on top of Sony's kit lens significantly Of course, the lens also has "weaknesses" but that's what makes the picture and since the change, the popularity of my pictures has increased as to how good they are I like working with a fixed focal length, you need time, you have to be creative and you have to be more mental focused on it
Comment from : @mitHundundRad

Zoom lenses are a must when some other photographers are shooting the same subject at the same time, because you can't choose your viewing pointbrOrherwise some fixed focal lenses can have a lot of character what is very very rare with zoom lensesbrI enjoy so much choosing a specific image character by using the matching prime lensbrThat's also what speeks today for film photography as you can go up to bigger formats that cannot be obtained with smaller digital sensorsbrFor me Smooth rendering with a lot of details in the in focus zone is more beautifull, than harsh contrasted out of focus areas and engraved in focus detailsbrI love the Nikon AIP 45 28; the Nikon AIS 50 12; these lenses are hated by reviewers, geeks for their poor numbers; but man what a gorgeous rendering they have, and my Nikkor W 150 56 on 4"x5"and 6x9 film formats, and on digital medium format the old Hasselblad Zeiss lenses bring this unique renderingbrVoigtländer does also a great job today with the M mount lenses, specially as they propose the same lens with single or multi coating !
Comment from : @jean-claudemuller3199

3
Comment from : @dominicc737

My 28-70 zoom (Tamron I think) spends almost all of its time on the front of my Canon 5D 3 I do have a 50mm prime and also a 10-22 WA, but it is the 28-70 that gets used the most I spend most of my time in a studio but I have to say I certainly don't stand still and zoom back and forth Yes, of course I use the zoom, but I'm also walking backwards and forwards, crouching, kneeling, lying down, climbing stepladders - whatever it takes for the shot At the end of a shoot, I'm both sweating and aching! I also find it interesting to use the zoom 'backwards' as it were: ie lean in really close and zoom all the way in too or stand way back and zoom all the way out! I like that flexibility WITHOUT having to change lenses, of which I have a fairly unreasonable fear of doing (I don't know why I would decide to knock my tea over and fill my camera with it, but it would be halfway through a lens change that's for sure!) For me, it is whatever works for the photographer, whatever gives them the results they are looking for
Comment from : @flagdee

The beauty of limitations is they liberate us For me, the 50mm is the one I keep going back to
Comment from : @boarini2003

You’re welcome & thank you so much for creating the most insightful content ❤ 🇵🇭
Comment from : @digiratimax

Definitely no 1 ❤
Comment from : @digiratimax

Definitely number 1brbrI too like primes for the same reasons Picked up a 35mm recently having shot 28mm for a good while and was amazed how different it felt!
Comment from : @LynRees

I’ve been using a Canon 50mm, f12 for around 40 years
Comment from : @DrJRaven

Photograph one has great lighting and posing
Comment from : @sbai4319

Choosing? #2 technically more "technical" to make, maybe the model a little bit too on the left side, #3 splendid color #1 nice but front shoulder a little "weird" But a lot of superbe portraits in this video Thanks
Comment from : @blindsouris

#3
Comment from : @af4od02

From the set of three, Nr is the one I like more simply because it is not ‘so staged’ Looks natural and in my opinion your best portraits are those of this kind I also liked the photo with the woman against the window Again, this one looks as if she just thought about doing this and you clicked! About the prime lenses, totally agree They just oblige you to think more which is a good think in photography although, not always
Comment from : @luxdosul

2
Comment from : @GertSterner

These days, lots of people use prime lenses - on their phones
Comment from : @sealand000

The 50mm has always been my preferred portrait lens
Comment from : @SomeKindOfSpy

#1 is my favorite I too use 50mm for portraiture with the 35mm camera With the 4x5, I'm currently using a 135mm which I like a lot but I'm considering going to 150mm Thank you for making these videos, your information and opinions are to notch
Comment from : @paolociccone

Oh My God! Those are so incredible!!
Comment from : @ФиданИбрагимова-я5ф

I like #3 bestbrI think working with primes is usefull, because it takes away another option to do phtograph If you can't zoom in (or out), u can't do it Once you accept that fakt you immediatly move your feet/Camera around to look what it is best I mean, you can work with an zoom Lens the same way, but u have to be very, very carfull not to opt for the easy solution und just zoom around As for flexibility, i personally think a prime dont have to be unflexible, because you often have a better near focus distance and way lager aperture, so you gain flexibility in other aspects, which can be very rewarding too Ah and i forgett to mention, that almost every Lens with some kind of "vintage" rendering charakteristic is a Prime Lens (most of them, are also full manual)
Comment from : @Milchknirps

#1
Comment from : @EdKrisiak

Think you mentioned Ted Forbes in the past Know at one point he walked around with a 28mm prime as his daily driver??
Comment from : @philhodgkinson1460

3 is my fave!!
Comment from : @philhodgkinson1460

Always an interesting debate I never once had a potential customer ask what lenses I used Weddings, portraits or whatever On medium format it was primes, not that much choice with zooms on 6x6
Comment from : @peterhayward1848

Well said, thanks
Comment from : @craigcarlson4022

I have 4 primes and 2 zooms They each serve a particular purpose
Comment from : @iandavis1355

Number 1 is my preferred image Simple lines
Comment from : @mallamick

I have all primes Most of them inexpensive I know exactly what you mean
Comment from : @dillank3240

#1
Comment from : @marcthibault8723

Knowing what an image with a particular lens will look like is no less "lazy'' than a zoom brThe idea that a zoom obviates moving around misses that a wide angle shot closely and cropped, results in a different shot than a zoomed one from further away, even if the framing matchesbrMoving back and forth with a prime Is NOT the Same as a Zoom brRestrictions making one creative? A zoom has much more potential for being creative than a prime brWhatever floats one's boat is absolutely fine But why must photographers mythologise their preferences? brThis is madness
Comment from : @ltlbuddha

Personally, if I had to choose three fixed lenses it would be the nikon lenses, the 35mm, 60mm macro, and the 85 mm
Comment from : @darrelljohnson7052