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Pro zooms spoiled my primes

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Martin Ocando said:
Next December it will be one year with my pro twin outfit, the Oly 12-40 and Panny 35-100. I have also used the 9-18mm like 2 or 3% of the time, but for all the rest, it has been these two zooms. I really try to find opportunities to use my primes, but having the zooms around is so much convenient. So, I haven't used any of my primes since.

In fact, I think I've shot like 20 frames with the 45mm 1.8 since I bought it. I mean, I love how the images look, the bokeh is very nice and creamy, but the zoom stays on most of the time.

I used to shoot with the Panny 20mm f:1.7 a lot, mainly because of the low light capabilities. But the E-M1/E-M10 have improved low light performance so much, compared to my previous camera, the G5, that I feel that I no longer need the primes to shoot at night. I just can imagine how the E-M1 Mark II will be.

So, do you think this is a temporary thing, that eventually I'll find use for the primes again?

Since year end is close, Gas is attacking again, so I'm thinking on retiring them, and get a faster UWA, maybe the 7-14. Or the Oly 8mm f:1.8 so I can use it to take the milky way shots that I've been longing for so long.

Have anyone experienced the same?
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I would hang on to the primes, but then again maybe I am just a lens hoarder. :-)

I would certainly keep the Panny 20mm. When I am shooting at the edge of the envelope, I am really grateful to have that little bit of extra speed. For example, on a recent trip to Alaska, the ship's captain announced in the middle of the night that Northern Lights were visible. I popped my 17mm on my camera and stumbled outside to grab a picture, and I was very grateful to have an f1.8 option.

And I would keep the 45mm, too, because I like to do street/candid portraits. The tiny prime is so unobtrusive and not intimidating.

 
how does the combination of Oly standard zoom and Pana tele zoom work for you?

I understand their focus/zoom rings turn in opposite direction, do you easily get used to it? I am considering a EM1 ii setup with exactly the 2 zooms you are using as I want to avoid the heft of the Oly 40-150 but then I have to entertain 2 separate ways of handling as well as forego the improved IS by combining lens IS with IBIS...
 
Rssrsvp said:
ediblestarfish said:
I just dumped nearly all my Olympus primes and slower zooms on Amazon.com.

Primes were not useless, but they taught me how to shoot the zooms with more discipline, and showed me that wide aperture isn't what I need most of the time. What I really needed was quicker operation in real practice, and I was getting that more consistently with the zooms and their more flexible capabilities.

Down to just 3 lenses now in normal use.

7-14mm f2.8, 12-40mm f2.8, 40-150mm f2.8--sometimes with the teleconverter.
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This is a classic example of having the "Holy Trinity" of zooms! ;-)
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The Holy Trinity is a phrase reserved for prime lenses.

If they are zooms , they are the Unholy Trinity. :-)
 
Martin Ocando said:
TN Args said:
Martin Ocando said:
Have anyone experienced the same?
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Sure, but what I do is, from time to time, put one of the primes on and go out with just that lens.

The photos I come back with have a specific character, and that is often a very nice character, because the lenses tend to be beautiful image makers. Also there seems to be a consistency across them (the images) which makes them look good as a set.
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Hmm, you know what, I used to do that. Definitively the one spoiled is me and not the primes. I should do that again. Maybe I'll regain my love for my primes.

Good call.
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Matter of fact, the P14 is on my camera as we speak. In my bag. At work. It will emerge when I walk out of the office later today.
 
This issue arises when you have too many lenses, so you have choices.

I have the PanaLeica 25mm f/1.4 as my only fast prime. Shooting indoors in dim light? That's the lens.

Lately for brighter light (stage lighting up to sunlight) the lens that stays on my camera is the Panasonic 14-140mm f/3.5 (min). It's surprisingly (to me) good. Yes, shooting at f/4 instead of f/1.4 is 3 stops higher, doesn't matter in daylight but for stage light might have to shoot at ISO 800 or even 1600, but that's OK and I think it's worth it for the remarkable zoom capability.

I should add: I also have the 14-42mm kit lens that came with my G7, and the old 45-200mm zoom both of which have not seen much action since I got the 14-140mm, and a Rokinon 300mm f/6.3 mirror lens for m4/3 (which can be useful in particular circumstances!).

--
js
 
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Rssrsvp said:
This is a classic example of having the "Holy Trinity" of zooms! ;-)
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The Holy Trinity of zooms are the three from the 4/3 era: 7-14mm f4, 14-35mm f2 and 35-100mm f2. :)
 
TN Args said:
Rssrsvp said:
ediblestarfish said:
I just dumped nearly all my Olympus primes and slower zooms on Amazon.com.

Primes were not useless, but they taught me how to shoot the zooms with more discipline, and showed me that wide aperture isn't what I need most of the time. What I really needed was quicker operation in real practice, and I was getting that more consistently with the zooms and their more flexible capabilities.

Down to just 3 lenses now in normal use.

7-14mm f2.8, 12-40mm f2.8, 40-150mm f2.8--sometimes with the teleconverter.
Click to expand...
This is a classic example of having the "Holy Trinity" of zooms! ;-)
Click to expand...
The Holy Trinity is a phrase reserved for prime lenses.

If they are zooms , they are the Unholy Trinity. :-)
Click to expand...
We can always call it a winning trifecta! :-)

PS, there are many references online to zooms with this description.

http://mattgranger.com/gear-talk/item/107-nikon-holy-trinity-of-lenses

Loading…

robinwong.blogspot.com
 
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I concur; use the 45 & 75 far more than the 40-150Pro.
 
My Pany 7-14 is usually with me when travelling and does see use, though the 12-40Pro is the most used lens. For travel I usually take the 75-300 for long tele because it is far more compact and lighter than the pro tele lenses. I would rather have that & therefore room for 1-3 fast primes, than the beautiful but big & heavy 40-150 & 300.
 
F/5.6 equivalency is nonsense territory for me where I don't go unless I want deep depth of field so that instantly rules out all of the Pro zooms for me and leaves only the primes faster than F/2 which is why my kit looks the way that it does. If I can't get under F/4 I yawn as there is no more depth of field control unless I stand within an inch of a persons face which is too impersonal for my style of shooting.

I've completed my own trio of primes with the 12mm F/2, 20 F/1.7 and 45mm F/1.8.
 
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Martin Ocando said:
Next December it will be one year with my pro twin outfit, the Oly 12-40 and Panny 35-100. I have also used the 9-18mm like 2 or 3% of the time, but for all the rest, it has been these two zooms. I really try to find opportunities to use my primes, but having the zooms around is so much convenient. So, I haven't used any of my primes since.

In fact, I think I've shot like 20 frames with the 45mm 1.8 since I bought it. I mean, I love how the images look, the bokeh is very nice and creamy, but the zoom stays on most of the time.

I used to shoot with the Panny 20mm f:1.7 a lot, mainly because of the low light capabilities. But the E-M1/E-M10 have improved low light performance so much, compared to my previous camera, the G5, that I feel that I no longer need the primes to shoot at night. I just can imagine how the E-M1 Mark II will be.

So, do you think this is a temporary thing, that eventually I'll find use for the primes again?
Click to expand...
Nah. If you want something different, maybe you just need better, faster primes with nicer rendering.

The Oly 12-40mm is a nice zoom (I have one), but it's just not on the same level as the fastest primes.
 
jeffharris said:
Martin Ocando said:
Next December it will be one year with my pro twin outfit, the Oly 12-40 and Panny 35-100. I have also used the 9-18mm like 2 or 3% of the time, but for all the rest, it has been these two zooms. I really try to find opportunities to use my primes, but having the zooms around is so much convenient. So, I haven't used any of my primes since.

In fact, I think I've shot like 20 frames with the 45mm 1.8 since I bought it. I mean, I love how the images look, the bokeh is very nice and creamy, but the zoom stays on most of the time.

I used to shoot with the Panny 20mm f:1.7 a lot, mainly because of the low light capabilities. But the E-M1/E-M10 have improved low light performance so much, compared to my previous camera, the G5, that I feel that I no longer need the primes to shoot at night. I just can imagine how the E-M1 Mark II will be.

So, do you think this is a temporary thing, that eventually I'll find use for the primes again?
Click to expand...
Nah. If you want something different, maybe you just need better, faster primes with nicer rendering.

The Oly 12-40mm is a nice zoom (I have one), but it's just not on the same level as the fastest primes.
Click to expand...
I don't know what you mean by that. It's not f1.8 (or whatever, obviously) but other than that, it's every bit as good. At 12mm it's just as good as the Olympus 12mm f/2.0, for example. Maybe better.
 
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Chippy99 said:
jeffharris said:
Martin Ocando said:
Next December it will be one year with my pro twin outfit, the Oly 12-40 and Panny 35-100. I have also used the 9-18mm like 2 or 3% of the time, but for all the rest, it has been these two zooms. I really try to find opportunities to use my primes, but having the zooms around is so much convenient. So, I haven't used any of my primes since.

In fact, I think I've shot like 20 frames with the 45mm 1.8 since I bought it. I mean, I love how the images look, the bokeh is very nice and creamy, but the zoom stays on most of the time.

I used to shoot with the Panny 20mm f:1.7 a lot, mainly because of the low light capabilities. But the E-M1/E-M10 have improved low light performance so much, compared to my previous camera, the G5, that I feel that I no longer need the primes to shoot at night. I just can imagine how the E-M1 Mark II will be.

So, do you think this is a temporary thing, that eventually I'll find use for the primes again?
Click to expand...
Nah. If you want something different, maybe you just need better, faster primes with nicer rendering.

The Oly 12-40mm is a nice zoom (I have one), but it's just not on the same level as the fastest primes.
Click to expand...
I don't know what you mean by that. It's not f1.8 (or whatever, obviously) but other than that, it's every bit as good. At 12mm it's just as good as the Olympus 12mm f/2.0, for example. Maybe better.
Click to expand...
The Oly 12mm is a decent, if overrated lens. I've read that the 12-40mm is better at 12mm than the 12mm f2. Okay. Whatever. ;-)

When I say faster and with better rendering, I'm talking the Voigtländers (I have the 17.5mm, 25mm and 42.5mm). Or the Nocticron. The 12mm f1.4. The 15mm (even though it's only f1.7, the rendering is quite nice.). The 25mm f1.4.

Like I said, the 12-40mm is a very good zoom, but not on the same level as those primes. I got a 12-40mm for convenience while traveling.
 
jeffharris said:
Chippy99 said:
jeffharris said:
Martin Ocando said:
Next December it will be one year with my pro twin outfit, the Oly 12-40 and Panny 35-100. I have also used the 9-18mm like 2 or 3% of the time, but for all the rest, it has been these two zooms. I really try to find opportunities to use my primes, but having the zooms around is so much convenient. So, I haven't used any of my primes since.

In fact, I think I've shot like 20 frames with the 45mm 1.8 since I bought it. I mean, I love how the images look, the bokeh is very nice and creamy, but the zoom stays on most of the time.

I used to shoot with the Panny 20mm f:1.7 a lot, mainly because of the low light capabilities. But the E-M1/E-M10 have improved low light performance so much, compared to my previous camera, the G5, that I feel that I no longer need the primes to shoot at night. I just can imagine how the E-M1 Mark II will be.

So, do you think this is a temporary thing, that eventually I'll find use for the primes again?
Click to expand...
Nah. If you want something different, maybe you just need better, faster primes with nicer rendering.

The Oly 12-40mm is a nice zoom (I have one), but it's just not on the same level as the fastest primes.
Click to expand...
I don't know what you mean by that. It's not f1.8 (or whatever, obviously) but other than that, it's every bit as good. At 12mm it's just as good as the Olympus 12mm f/2.0, for example. Maybe better.
Click to expand...
The Oly 12mm is a decent, if overrated lens. I've read that the 12-40mm is better at 12mm than the 12mm f2. Okay. Whatever. ;-)

When I say faster and with better rendering, I'm talking the Voigtländers (I have the 17.5mm, 25mm and 42.5mm). Or the Nocticron. The 12mm f1.4. The 15mm (even though it's only f1.7, the rendering is quite nice.). The 25mm f1.4.
Click to expand...
You didn't say faster or better rendering, Jeff.

But since you have brought that up, yes wide open, a lens with a larger aperture is going to offer a different effect.

But I don't shoot wide open all the time, in fact I rarely do. Usually I want a bit of depth of field. I don't think the 12-40 at say 25mm at f/4 is going to look even minutely different from the Voigtlander 25mm at f/4.

Primes are increasingly becoming only really needed in special circumstances imho.
 
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jeffharris said:
Like I said, the 12-40mm is a very good zoom, but not on the same level as those primes. I got a 12-40mm for convenience while traveling.
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Didn't you know that "convenience" adds to the IQ of the lens? ;-)

PS, I have both the 12-40 Pro and at 17mm f1.8 and I believe that they are equal. :-)
 
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Primes like that, you're spending a whole lot more, and using up a lot more space, a lot more mass. Compared to the smaller primes which are a bit less convenient, but easy to carry, the big primes are dramatically less convenient.
 
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Chippy99 said:
jeffharris said:
Chippy99 said:
jeffharris said:
Martin Ocando said:
Next December it will be one year with my pro twin outfit, the Oly 12-40 and Panny 35-100. I have also used the 9-18mm like 2 or 3% of the time, but for all the rest, it has been these two zooms. I really try to find opportunities to use my primes, but having the zooms around is so much convenient. So, I haven't used any of my primes since.

In fact, I think I've shot like 20 frames with the 45mm 1.8 since I bought it. I mean, I love how the images look, the bokeh is very nice and creamy, but the zoom stays on most of the time.

I used to shoot with the Panny 20mm f:1.7 a lot, mainly because of the low light capabilities. But the E-M1/E-M10 have improved low light performance so much, compared to my previous camera, the G5, that I feel that I no longer need the primes to shoot at night. I just can imagine how the E-M1 Mark II will be.

So, do you think this is a temporary thing, that eventually I'll find use for the primes again?
Click to expand...
Nah. If you want something different, maybe you just need better, faster primes with nicer rendering.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Guess you missed that…
Chippy99 said:
Chippy99 said:
Chippy99 said:
Chippy99 said:
The Oly 12-40mm is a nice zoom (I have one), but it's just not on the same level as the fastest primes.
Click to expand...
I don't know what you mean by that. It's not f1.8 (or whatever, obviously) but other than that, it's every bit as good. At 12mm it's just as good as the Olympus 12mm f/2.0, for example. Maybe better.
Click to expand...
The Oly 12mm is a decent, if overrated lens. I've read that the 12-40mm is better at 12mm than the 12mm f2. Okay. Whatever. ;-)

When I say faster and with better rendering, I'm talking the Voigtländers (I have the 17.5mm, 25mm and 42.5mm). Or the Nocticron. The 12mm f1.4. The 15mm (even though it's only f1.7, the rendering is quite nice.). The 25mm f1.4.
Click to expand...
You didn't say faster or better rendering, Jeff.
Click to expand...
See above…
Chippy99 said:
But since you have brought that up, yes wide open, a lens with a larger aperture is going to offer a different effect.
Click to expand...
Yep, faster shutter speeds and lower ISOs in low light. Although, shallow depth of field can be a nuisance at times. Depends on how it's handled, I guess.
Chippy99 said:
But I don't shoot wide open all the time, in fact I rarely do. Usually I want a bit of depth of field. I don't think the 12-40 at say 25mm at f/4 is going to look even minutely different from the Voigtlander 25mm at f/4.
Click to expand...
I don't shoot wide open all the time either. It's about FLEXIBILITY. And like I keep saying, it's about the rendering and color signature (oops, that just popped in unannounced)
Chippy99 said:
Primes are increasingly becoming only really needed in special circumstances imho.
Click to expand...
For some people…
 
Hi Martin,

Similar situation here... main lenses 12-35 f2.8, 35-100 f2.8... a less used ones, the 9-18, the 100-300 and the oly 60 macro, at the moment with a GX8 and deciding what to buy next to complement or improve the 9-18... the Oly 7-14 f2.8 to improve, or the Oly 8mm f1.8, to complement.... or even the Nokton 10,5mm f0.95... also last two thinking in particular for the milkyway shots, the nokton has the advantage for other nigh shots also...

what a tuff decision !

Suggestions are welcome...

Regards,

Pedro
 
When out with the kids I will mostly use my G6 with the f/2.8 zooms. But that is outside in daylight. When they have a match (baskettball or gymnastics) I will bring my PEN with the f/1.8 primes. Also (planned) portraits will almost always be taken with the primes (I just love that oly 75mm)

Both have their use in my opinion and it depends on the circumstances what tool I take with me.
 
I don't know why, but I like working with my primes. I almost always take the zooms out when shooting for fun, but when I'm getting paid I prefer my primes.
 
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