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**Enigma** · 19-10-2016, 19:56

Re: Zoom or Prime?

I have just sold the last of my 4 L zooms and switched to primes. I might get a 24-105 II to use as a general walkabout but I am pretty determined to stick with primes for all my planned photography.

**Nathaniel** · 19-10-2016, 20:20

Re: Zoom or Prime?

I have two primes- 40mm &50mm and the rest are zooms. I find that the zooms are more convenient as I can zoom in or out without walking about- esp in churches.

**the black fox** · 19-10-2016, 20:27

Re: Zoom or Prime?

Really hard to say these days quality control has improved so much over the years ,,however the pics I took around Liverpool on sat posted on here were taken with a film/ early digital era tamron zoom that I bought on e.bay for �25. It's a 24 -105 my lad was using a canon 24-105 Beside me and tbh there's no difference in the shots

**@imagesBV** · 19-10-2016, 22:13

Re: Zoom or Prime?

I like to use primes.....I find they simplify the image making process with one less variable to consider when taking the shot. Primes tend to be faster and provide more dof control. My favourite is the 50 f1.2 L which is also my newest lens. I also like using the 100L macro. Its mainly the DoF control that I like.....but for convenience the zooms win and the quality of results is still excellent.

**Lepus** · 20-10-2016, 17:59

Re: Zoom or Prime?

It really has become a close run thing , I still think primes have the edge but it has become very marginal , I think the processing plays a very big roll in how are photos look in the end as well these days . I would still try and stick to Canons L glass if you can personally , weather it be prime or zoom .

**Iron Man** · 20-10-2016, 18:28

Re: Zoom or Prime?

Was going to go down the "prime" route for wide angle lens's - however, getting the 24-70 f2.8 L II negated that urge (along side a 16-35 f4 L) - but still lusting after a 24mm Tilt Lens.

Only primes I have now are the 100 f2.8 L and 200 f2.8 L (a wee cracker of a lens).

Ultimately, it also depends on what you expect to do with the final image. If you rarely produce very large prints, I doubt you would notice the difference between a prime or zoom lens.

**bobowen** · 20-10-2016, 20:07

Re: Zoom or Prime?

Thanks for everyone's answers, split down the middle as I thought they might be with the flexibility of a zoom perhaps tipping the balance.

The majority of my photos are landscape or family shots and I've found that my 35mm is now the one usually attached to my 6D.
I'm only switching to a zoom (24-105 or 70-200) when I want to go wider or longer. As the zooms are both f4 I'm looking for something faster when the occasion demands.

Maybe a 17-300 L f2 IS would fit the bill!

Bob

**Richard W** · 21-10-2016, 07:53

Re: Zoom or Prime?

I notice that a lot of the preference for primes seems to come from users of FF cameras, not surprising perhaps. The number of primes made specifically for crop bodies is tiny, just the 60 mm macro (an excellent lens and not perhaps generally appreciated) and the 24 mm pancake. Otherwise crop body users have to use lenses which are also designed to be used on FF. At the longer end this is no bad thing, I have the Sigma 105 mm macro and the Canon 200 mm F2.8 L (I agree with Iron Man that it's "a wee cracker of a lens") both of which give even better performance on crop than on FF. However, at the wide end, I'd like something equivalent to about 20 mm on FF, i.e. about 13 mm with a reasonable aperture, say F2.8, but there's really nothing available. I can also see why the 24 - 105 mm F4 would be a very popular zoom for FF, the equivalent for crop would be 15 - 65 and I don't see anything like that available, certainly not with constant aperture, which is a pity. For wider lenses on crop we are really limited to fairly low cost, small maximum aperture lenses though they do perform very well for the price. My "standard" lens is now therefore the Sigma 17 - 50 mm F2.8 which outperformed the Canon equivalent in comparative tests, at a considerably lower cost.

At the long end it seems that Canon are targeting all new prime lenses at the professional or very wealthy enthusiast by making them all wider aperture at much higher price e.g the 1997 300mm F4 L IS is still available at �999 compared to the 2011 300 mm F2.8 L IS11 at �5299. They don't seem to be replacing the older models with similar specification but updated ones.

I know that crop bodies vastly outsell FF, but it does seem that manufacturers don't get that the market for primes is not limited to FF users with very deep pockets. I don't want F 1.2, I do want constant F2.8 - F4, according to focal length.

**paul linton** · 21-10-2016, 13:00

Re: Zoom or Prime?

For general & walkabout shots i prefer a Zoom as it gives you a lot of options when composing your shots; Though when doing sport i prefer the primes as you can just concentrate on the action. (don't need my head messed up zoom in and out every 2 seconds lol)

Paul

**@imagesBV** · 21-10-2016, 13:18

Re: Zoom or Prime?

Of course any wide angle whether made for crop or full frame will work on a crop body...they just make a bigger image circle than the crop sensor needs resulting in a cropped image. The DoF is not affected directly by the crop sensor (only when you try to make an equivalent image by stepping back).
I prefer the primes for a greater range of DoF control.

**Richard W** · 21-10-2016, 13:43

Re: Zoom or Prime?

My concern isn't so much with DoF, but rather with field of view. There really isn't a prime lens that will give the same field of view on a crop body as say a 20mm or 24 mm lens will on FF. The 20 mm on a crop body will give the same field of view as a 32 mm would on FF, the 24 mm equivalent to 38 mm FF. For very to ultra wide on a crop body we are limited to, for example, the good value 10 - 18mm F4.5 - 5.6 which gives a field of view equivalent to 16 - 29 mm on FF. Very useful but with a limiting maximum aperture. Not much opportunity for DoF control there.

**@imagesBV** · 21-10-2016, 13:48

Re: Zoom or Prime?

Very true....maybe the answer is to invest in a full frame body.
Even smaller micro four thirds system primes only go as wide as 12mm (24mm equivalent)

**bobowen** · 24-10-2016, 07:57

Re: Zoom or Prime?

Originally posted by Richard W View Post

I can also see why the 24 - 105 mm F4 would be a very popular zoom for FF, the equivalent for crop would be 15 - 65 and I don't see anything like that available, certainly not with constant aperture, which is a pity. For wider lenses on crop we are really limited to fairly low cost, small maximum aperture lenses though they do perform very well for the price. My "standard" lens is now therefore the Sigma 17 - 50 mm F2.8 which outperformed the Canon equivalent in comparative tests, at a considerably lower cost.

At the long end it seems that Canon are targeting all new prime lenses at the professional or very wealthy enthusiast by making them all wider aperture at much higher price .

Good points. When I went from Crop to FF I considered the 7D with the EF-S 15-85 against a 6D with 24-105. I got the 6D because of the much wider range of lenses available and with a view to building a collection of primes. In 3 years I've only added a 35mm f2 IS because, as Richard says, the cost of fast Canon primes makes them available only to professionals and deep pocketed enthusiasts.

**Wayne Els** · 24-10-2016, 16:23

Re: Zoom or Prime?

I have 2 zooms and 3 primes and the zooms see most use. Optically I don't think there's a lot to choose between them. The advantage of primes is that in general they are faster. I don't really have a preference.

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