Zoom vs Primes?

[bdunbar79]

It just depends on what you're shooting. I'd have missed hundreds of sports shots without the 70-200 f/2.8L II IS zoom lens. Likewise I'd have missed hundreds of football and soccer shots without my 400 and 300 primes. Again, just depends. Some modern zooms are way better in IQ than primes in that range.

 

[verysimplejason]

I survived on 28mm, 50mm, 100mm, and a 55-250 in an APS-C for those rare times that I need longer focal length. I find my 28mm 80% of the time in my camera body. The 50mm, I use exclusively for portraits. Once, I covered a whole wedding with just the 28mm and the 55-250. You just need to be more agile and aware when using a prime lens. Yes, you get the good IQ with primes but you need to work for it. As for the zoom, I think this is more for event type usage. I'd carry both depending on the situation. For me, IQ is nothing if you can't get the shot you want. That said, I'm fit and athletic enough to compensate for my lack of zoom lens like a 24-70 or 24-105 but sometimes, being able to zoom with your feet isn't enough.

 

[RLPhoto]

Primes have been my choice for years, but I've warmed up to zooms a little more lately. I could purchase a set of good primes for the cost of one Pro-zoom. IE: 24mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4, & 100 F/2.

For street work, Primes have always been the choice for that field. Small, Fast, & Discreet.

I've been considering a 24-70 + 70-200 2.8 Set of zooms for awhile now but its the weight that continues to put me off on those purchases.

 

[ChilledXpress]

I live in Santa Cruz... I will be out shooting with a few friends sunday afternoon testing my new 1DX and 300 f/2.8. I will be with about 5 good friends to keep the gear secure, you gotta protect yourself ;o). I shoot street and studio. I have loads of L and if you'd like, we could meet up and you could test drive some glass. Hit me up if you're interested.

Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L USM II
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 1.4x II Extender
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Fisheye
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Family photo with some faves....

 

[RLPhoto]

I see you also skipped the 85L II, Is that because the 135L is so good?

 

[ChilledXpress]

I see you also skipped the 85L II, Is that because the 135L is so good?

I owned the 85 but a little too slow for my tastes and I do think the 135 is devine... Stealthy perfect for the street work that I do.

 

[Dylan777]

I live in Santa Cruz... I will be out shooting with a few friends sunday afternoon testing my a 1DX and 300 f/2.8. I shoot street and studio. I have loads of L and if you'd like, we could meet up and you could test drive some glass. Hit me up if you're interested.

Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L USM II
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 1.4x II Extender
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Fisheye
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Family photo with some faves....

That 50L looks so sexy on the 5D III ....I might have to pull trigger soon.

 

[RLPhoto]

I see you also skipped the 85L II, Is that because the 135L is so good?

I owned the 85 but a little too slow for my tastes and I do think the 135 is devine... Stealthy perfect for the street work that I do.

It indeed is a slow mammoth. ;D

 

[ChilledXpress]

I live in Santa Cruz... I will be out shooting with a few friends sunday afternoon testing my a 1DX and 300 f/2.8. I shoot street and studio. I have loads of L and if you'd like, we could meet up and you could test drive some glass. Hit me up if you're interested.

Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L USM II
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 1.4x II Extender
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Fisheye
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Family photo with some faves....

That 50L looks so sexy on the 5D III ....I might have to pull trigger soon.

It performs on the 5D3 superbly and is now my fave goto combo on that body and the 1DX. Get it!!! DO IT !!!

 

[Zv]

Couple of primes I reckon are the way to go. One on the camera and one in the pocket, maybe a 35 and a small 85/100 ought to do it! Zooms have their place too, so it's good to have a mix. Get 24-somethin and a 70-200 then a bunch of primes.

 

[bdunbar79]

Sometimes lighting is a big factor for some gyms that I know of. For instance, tonight I'm not even bothering bringing my 70-200 because the gym is so dimly lit that I need to be able to shoot at f/2. So in that case, I just bring my 135L and/or 200L and hop around the stands .

 

[drmikeinpdx]

I'm waiting for a second copy of the 40mm pancake to arrive in two days. (The first copy did not focus consistently on my 5D3)

I think the 40 will be a good, discrete lens for street photography, but I haven't tried it yet. Will let you all know how it works. I will try it on my T2i and my 5D3.

 

[Sporgon]

@Marsu42;

don't disagree with what you've said: the latest stitch software is very good. You cannot tell which of our pictures have been taken on zooms.

I think that primes to day are more specialist lenses whereas 20 years ago they were your "normal" lens. But everyone should get the latest Canon gift: the 40mm pancake !

 

[ecka]

Zooms for work.
Primes for pleasure.

 

[Dylan777]

I live in Santa Cruz... I will be out shooting with a few friends sunday afternoon testing my a 1DX and 300 f/2.8. I shoot street and studio. I have loads of L and if you'd like, we could meet up and you could test drive some glass. Hit me up if you're interested.

Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L USM II
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Canon EF 1.4x II Extender
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Fisheye
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Family photo with some faves....

That 50L looks so sexy on the 5D III ....I might have to pull trigger soon.

It performs on the 5D3 superbly and is now my fave goto combo on that body and the 1DX. Get it!!! DO IT !!!

I just did, through Crutchfield with my all time fav B&W Clear filter. All items will be here this friday

 

[robbymack]

Get a zoom way more versatile than a prime unless you know exactly what fl you like. No reason to spend a bunch of scratch on a 24-70ii. The older version of that lens or the 24-105, or new tamron 24-70 will fit the bill then buy a 85 1.8 and your still saving a boat load over the 24-70ii

 

[RLPhoto]

That 50L is a love-hate lens.

I ♥ my 50L.

http://ramonlperez.tumblr.com/post/34906285033/fast-prime-shoot-out-pt-2-50mm-1-2l-review

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I am bit torn on this subject. I have a mix of primes and zooms. I prefer shooting with the primes when I have an opportunity to be a little more deliberate. I feel they really lend themselves to more creative options. I do most of my portraiture work with primes.

But events are another matter. I just shot a wedding this weekend using the new Tamron 24-70mm VC over the focal range where I would normally use a 35mm and 85mm prime. I found it a much better tool for adjusting on the spot and enable me to better frame key moments without worrying about not having enough room in my framing. I shot it about 65-70% of the day, complimenting it with a 135L, 100L Macro, and 85mm f/1.8 for key shots where I could be more deliberate. I was really pleased with my results, and, from what I understand, the MKII of the Canon 24-70mm is even better (although that VC is very, very nice!)

The same is true to a much lesser extent of a longer lens (like a 70-200). I find longer shots easier, because you can always crop a quality image to get closer, but you can't add width to a shot in post. I love both my 100L and 135L for event work for different reason. I also add a 1.4x teleconverter to the 135L to make a 189mm f/2.8L (which is about as long in actuality as the 70-200mm zooms) on occasion.

I love having both options, but I think choosing one depends very strongly on one's shooting style.

 

[ChilledXpress]

That 50L looks so sexy on the 5D III ....I might have to pull trigger soon.

It performs on the 5D3 superbly and is now my fave goto combo on that body and the 1DX. Get it!!! DO IT !!!

I just did, through Crutchfield with my all time fav B&W Clear filter. All items will be here this friday

Sweeeet !!! I love that combo.... looking forward to hearing how you do with it.

@Marsu42;

don't disagree with what you've said: the latest stitch software is very good. You cannot tell which of our pictures have been taken on zooms.

I think that primes to day are more specialist lenses whereas 20 years ago they were your "normal" lens. But everyone should get the latest Canon gift: the 40mm pancake !

I respectfully disagree with primes being specialty lenses... the are special though

I am bit torn on this subject. I have a mix of primes and zooms. I prefer shooting with the primes when I have an opportunity to be a little more deliberate. I feel they really lend themselves to more creative options. I do most of my portraiture work with primes.

But events are another matter. I just shot a wedding this weekend using the new Tamron 24-70mm VC over the focal range where I would normally use a 35mm and 85mm prime. I found it a much better tool for adjusting on the spot and enable me to better frame key moments without worrying about not having enough room in my framing. I shot it about 65-70% of the day, complimenting it with a 135L, 100L Macro, and 85mm f/1.8 for key shots where I could be more deliberate. I was really pleased with my results, and, from what I understand, the MKII of the Canon 24-70mm is even better (although that VC is very, very nice!)

The same is true to a much lesser extent of a longer lens (like a 70-200). I find longer shots easier, because you can always crop a quality image to get closer, but you can't add width to a shot in post. I love both my 100L and 135L for event work for different reason. I also add a 1.4x teleconverter to the 135L to make a 189mm f/2.8L (which is about as long in actuality as the 70-200mm zooms) on occasion.

I love having both options, but I think choosing one depends very strongly on one's shooting style.

+1000 on that. I shoot weddings and events for a living. I use primes for all portraiture and sometimes my 70-200. I've been using the 300 f/2.8 lately and love it.

For event work though... I'm constantly using the 24-70 and the 70-200 on 2x 5D3's. I'll tuck the 50L and a 135L or 100L (depending on the shoot) into my field harness to cover any situ's when the zooms struggle.

I don't want to invest in a lot of money in glass until I hear from other photographers. I do a lot of photography in the streets with my canon 5D mark ii ( got from eBay at a amazing price!) . I don't have any lens at the moment. I'm thinking about the 24-70 mark 2 or should I just go for some primes for my work? What do you recommend me?

Always good to have options, neither zooms or primes are better than the other these days (for the most part). They are all just tools that fit certain jobs better than others. Knowing what you need is the first step... rent, borrow or come out and play with me, then you might be able to make a better decision with your hard earned money. If you purchased a 5D2 then I'll assume you already have some ideas about what you need. Don't go out and buy a cheap zoom just to figure out what you need, it's a complete waste of money unless you think you need a cheap zoom too. I would suggest buying the best zoom you could afford first if your plan is to have a good AP zoom and primes. If that is the case... I'd go with the 24-70 (vI or vII). If money were no object though, and a zoom was a first choice... I would not hesitate to go 70-200 vII either. It is quite possibly one of the finest zooms available. I plan on being buried with mine

BTW... the offer still stands, Sunday I should be out at Steamer Lane round 2pm and afterwards heading to Pacific Ave for some street work.

 

[duffymcpatzer]

I don't want to invest in a lot of money in glass until I hear from other photographers. I do a lot of photography in the streets with my canon 5D mark ii ( got from eBay at a amazing price!) . I don't have any lens at the moment. I'm thinking about the 24-70 mark 2 or should I just go for some primes for my work? What do you recommend me?

Back to the OP for sec. I think a lot of people are missing the point here. The OP doesn't even have a lens and he's thinking 24-70 Mark 2 already. I'd say whoa nelly take a step back for a second. Buy a cheap zoom lens with a lot of focal distance 24-105 or even better EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer USM Autofocus Lens. WHY you say? because my friend you just don't know what focal distance YOU'LL like. Everybody is particular here. I've shoot street and I HATE HATE shooting 35MM -- just not my bag. Too close to the subject or something. I shoot up around 85-135 -- I like the length. I like my 100mm Macro II a ton, great bokeh, yada yada whatever, but YOU the OP don't know what you want yet. Primes are great; Zooms are great-- I'm pretty sure we all have both in the bag. Go use the Zoom enjoy the flexibility and find out how and at what focal distance you like to shoot THEN start talking prime lenses and get the peanut gallery to chirp in on what they think is good.

Just my $0.02