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      07-03-2019, 08:56 AM   #14
dcstep
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke View Post
On the contrary, doesn't a prime lens help you improve and further your photography much more as compared to a zoom lens, especially for a beginner or someone still trying to improve? Makes you think and get creative as the focal length is fixed, makes you move around and you get more confident as you can't get away with clicking from far away, you need to get close to the people/subject.

I understand zoom lenses are great now but only at the higher end, however, a lot of times you require a compact setup, travel, etc, and there are a lot of small size full frame lenses out there which when paired with a full frame mirrorless camera can make a solid setup without the added bulk. My Batis 25mm f2 was really compact with exceptional IQ but I needed something wider, for some people 25mm is enough. For some people there is only one requirement, some only shoot at 50mm, some only like 24 or even 16/18, what I'm saying is if there's a particular focal length that serves the purpose then one can achieve the results with a smaller compact setup without sacrificing the IQ. Also, Sony 24-105mm f4 isn't huge either, for such a wide range it's somewhat compact, as I mentioned earlier, it's a great choice.
Good points.

I agree that shooting a fixed focal length can be a good learning exercise, but only for a few days. Borrow or rent a lens if you want to understand how your system works better. Better yet, tape your zoom ring at 24mm for a couple of days, then 50mm and then 105mm. Then you'll really learn to see how the perspective changes. Distance is part of the equation, but perspective and compression also change the feel of an image.

I too "need" something wider than 24 or 25mm. I love my FE 12-24mm f/4 G on a full-frame body. Nothing else will do for "big sky" shots. The 24-105mm is my walk-around lens, but I very seldom go anywhere without the 12-24mm in a sling bag, on my back. It's a little hard for many people to use, but when you need wide, this is a great lens. It's another in the category of "force yourself to use it" for a few days and then you'll get better at using it in a wide variety of situations.

I think that it could be informative to some to look at my Album of "Street and Candid", including looking at the EXIF information, particularly the focal lengths of the shots. I do shoot a few close to 50mm, but the distribution is quite wide, ranging from 24mm to 700mm:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcstep...th/5694735762/

For many of us, the 24-105mm isn't huge, but for a few, it's too much. For those people, if they can do without full-frame, then I suggest looking toward a 1" sensor, with a built in, scaled down lens. The Sony RX-100 and RX-10 are powerful examples of very compact cameras that have very sophisticated AF and processing systems.

As I travel around the world, I will sometimes go out with only my 24-105mm on my a7RIII; however, most of the time, I've got a bag with the 12-24mm and the 100-400mm inside. I hate seeing a shot in my head and then not having the right focal length for the situation.
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