 Estella Aguilar |
What's This Word?? I just bought a l-series lens. What does PRIME mean? I forgot my studies on my glossary! lol
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
A "prime" is a lens with a single focal length. It can't change like zoom lenses do. That's the common use of the word.
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Ben F |
Yeah, so instead of the lens being a 17-55mm, for example, it would be a single number - eg 100mm f2.8. Primes are killa, BTW!!
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Susan J. Venegas |
okay...but why would I want a prime as opposed to say a telephoto? Do I get a better DOF range with a prime? I'm so confused!
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Jerry Frazier |
Prime lenses used to be very noticably better (meaning, sharper). Now, they are only marginally sharper. For what I do, the combination of DOF and sharpness is what I strive for. So, primes are pretty much it for me. But, some people perfer to stand still and zoom. Whatever. It's the same thing. Move your feet, or move the lens. But, I am assuming you are talking L series lenses. In most cases for those lenses, the difference is so minimal, that it's not noticable except to a sharpness freak, like me. The only lens that is the exception to this is the 70-200 2.8L IS lens. That is probably the best zoom lens ever made and is crystal sharp. If I need the range, that's what I use. Otherwise, for most of my portrait work, I use the 85 1.2L and shoot it at 1.2 about 85% of the time.
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Susan J. Venegas |
I guess that is a whole separate issue. When I first started taking photos my husband got me a Tamron 70-300 mm 1:4-5.6 for my Canon digital Rebel, which I love but I would like to work with a smaller DOF and can't get there with this lens. I'm also finding that since the lens doesn't have any stabilization that in low(er) light situations I have to use a tripod or bump up my ISO. One of my friends got the 70-200 for Canon 30D and loves it. I don't know. SO, if I was going to invest in a new lens for mostly portraits would you suggest the 85 prime with the shallow DOF or the 70-200?
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Jerry Frazier |
It's a personal decision you have to make. They are both awesome lenses. The decision is are you a zoomer or a prime lens type of person? Most seem to like zooms. What I like about primes, is I spend more time looking through the lens and finding the place that makes the image good (hopefully). Whereas with zooms, I tend to be lazy and just stand there and zoom. My work with primes far exceeds my work with zooms. I can't explain why, really. For me, it just works out that way. I think it's because I have to think more about my framing.
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Bob Cammarata |
I too have always preferred prime lenses to zooms. I rarely find myself in a position where I cannot move foreward or backward to facilitate framing and I like the faster speeds and sharper glass found in most primes.
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