DSLRUsers.com

I wonder what the experience of members is with using purely prime lenses?

Specifically - is sensor hygiene an issue?


Bob

I really like my prime lenses. Fast, light, sharp & cheap(er). I use the 85 f/1.4 & 24 f/2.8 (also have old manual focus 50 f/1.4 which I dont use much). Generally speaking, I am a short tele/portrait shooter, so the 85 mostly lives on my camera. It is a little bit tighter for indoors, but generally I can back up enough to get what I want. Sometimes, I am forced to change lenses.
It's a little bit of extra work to frame with primes, but I find that I think about composition more if I have to move to do it (rather than just rotating the zoom dial). It's generally only a few steps. It is great for planned shooting where you have control of the subjects eg. studio or landscape. It is not as useful for fast paced shooting where the scene will change very quickly, such as in event/wedding photography. You just don't have the time to switch lenses or room to move about enough.
In terms of sensor dust. It hasn't been an overly big problem for me. I generally don't shoot in overly dirty environments and certainly don't change lenses when I am. I have yet to wet clean my sensor since I bought my d70 10 months ago (with 20k shots). I have given the sensor one or two dry cleans and it is not an overly dramatic problem for me.
Hope that helps.

Joolz

Bob

Regardless of what lenses you work with (zooms or primes) it's a fact of life that at some time you change lenses (otherwise why have an SLR). So sensor hygiene will always be an issue.

I have mostly zooms (12-24, 24-120VR, 70-200 VR) and a 50/1.4 prime. If I had the dollars I'd also have a 28/1.4 prime, but for me that would pretty much be it. I generally take landscape shots and less frequently I take portrait shots (hence the 50/1.4). For me zooms are just more flexible than primes and I accept that dust is an issue and deal with it.

I'd be hard pressed to work with primes alone and probably would be changing lenses more often if I did.

Bob, good point about sensor hygeine and lenses. Yes primes would be theoretically better for sensor cleanliness as they usually move less than a zoom so introduce less dust into the body in use. Especially cheap zooms which are not internal focus. Now, changing lenses, which will probably be more frequent, is another matter

Glen,

very interesting point about introducing dust through the zoom lens. I can't claim I'd thought of it.

The zoom lens, philosophically, is a little too close to the TV remote, or the pizza delivery, for me. The notion that whatever I want technology can deliver is far too seductive, and because I'm easily seduced, therefore uncomfortable for me.

But that's not an image quality issue.

Bob

Hi Bob,
I understand your philosophical decisions. Previously primes were better optically than zooms but with more resources and technology thrown at zooms, due to their higher sales, I am not sure that is always the case any more. I use both and both have their purposes.

When you look at a zoom, if you see the front element not moving it means it is internal focussing. If it moves forward and back it isn't, and that motion of course forces air into and out of the lens and consequently into the camera body. Not really worth thinking about, you will end up cleaning a sensor sooner or later

So Glen,

my camera breathes? very zen!

zooms are pumpin' might be another way to put that!


Bob

its only a matter of time before you get dust.
maintaining your equipment keeping it cleaned oils etc is a vital key on having clean shots eps with film where dust can strach a film negs

with the agrument with prime vs zooms
prime wins hands down with sharpness (my 300 craps over my 80-200)
but not having too change positions when something larger come your way is where zoom rule.

I like primes better too, and essentially I would only telephoto zooms, like the 70-200 and keep everything else prime lenses.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I was tossing up between a 20mm and an 85mm or a telephoto covering the kit lens range. I already shoot mostly with a 35 and a 50.

Decided for the primes, despite the dust bunny issue.

At least then I know that if the image isn't sharp - it's me and not the lens...


thanks again,


Bob

rjlhughes wrote:Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I was tossing up between a 20mm and an 85mm or a telephoto covering the kit lens range. I already shoot mostly with a 35 and a 50.

Decided for the primes, despite the dust bunny issue.

At least then I know that if the image isn't sharp - it's me and not the lens...


thanks again,


Bob

So what did you choose?

The Sigma 20 mm 1.8 and the Canon 85mm 1.8 - I've ordered them and hope I can get my hands on them when I'm back in Sydney next week.

I could have used the 20 mm on Tuesday while shooting some actors in a very confined space.


There was a newspaper photographer there with a top end Nikon and zoom, and she was getting wideangle shots that I couldn't with my 35 mm. On the other hand I suspect the actors will find my shots were a little more flattering, while hers are no doubt more dramatic and powerful in the newspaper.

Interesting exercise - doing publicity stills for a local drama company - and I'd recommend it as good fun to everyone here.

Bob

I have number of zoom lenses and used frequently same as number of prime lenses which I also used very often.

It depends on what are you going to shoot and you know what you want to achieve, each one has a difference purpose to use for same as cooking utensils or tool of trade.

I also recently acquired number of prime lenses with top fast at f1.2, 1.8 AIS and love them more than the current AF-D or AF-S, but again I used them in difference situations.

In my bag, prior heading out to a shooting, I selected the lenses in my inventory which I want to play for the day, and never regret.

Dust or dust bunnies are joys of owning the DSLR, have fun in cleaning them as brushing your teeth.

Birddog -

or maybe cleaning your spectacles?


As Petteri pontificates: People don't say: What a wonderful meal! What pots did you use?

Bob