Asking for Advice on a walkabout lens.

[GSiGuy]

yeah man, you should. I always go out with two primes, the 15 and 55. >

2 primes sound do-able for lens swapping... but don't you find it restrictive in terms of flexibility? this is what i wonder most about people who use primes mostly... can they switch lenses fast enough and not miss the opportunity?

On a predictable situation, like a gathering of people in a limited space room or when you know what shots you are after, its fine. But what if you are on a walkabout (which current TS is asking about)? have you guys who use primes been able to capture most shots you wanted or lost many bec time was spent changing lenses?

 

[le petit prince]

2 primes sound do-able for lens swapping... but don't you find it restrictive in terms of flexibility? this is what i wonder most about people who use primes mostly... can they switch lenses fast enough and not miss the opportunity?

On a predictable situation, like a gathering of people in a limited space room or when you know what shots you are after, its fine. But what if you are on a walkabout (which current TS is asking about)? have you guys who use primes been able to capture most shots you wanted or lost many bec time was spent changing lenses?

I used to be a zoom guy when I started, but that lasted a few months, and stopped right after I 'got' the FA 50, both in the literal and figurative senses. Now I use primes only (not even mostly, but only).

(It's not the or even a better way, I want to stress here, just that it suits my style.)

First, I see better with primes, cos I already know how to frame the subject. This makes for better photos, for me.

I think the most important part of using primes, for me at least, is to accept I will not get some shots, because the 'wrong' lens is on at that moment. But I keep in mind that even if I have a super zoom, or a pair of 16-50 and 50-150 for quality maximum coverage, I will still miss some shots. And this is where the zen part comes in. Let them go, it's not possible to get every shot we want.

And the other key factor is, I can last longer when using primes. How so? When I use a zoom, the bulk, the weight and the zooming itself tires me out faster, so I get more uncomfortable and fatigued easily. It's both a physical and psychological thing, I guess.

Hope this throws some light on why and how some people use primes exclusively! Cheers!

 

[Reportage]

2 primes sound do-able for lens swapping... but don't you find it restrictive in terms of flexibility? this is what i wonder most about people who use primes mostly... can they switch lenses fast enough and not miss the opportunity?

depends how experienced they are in quick changing lenses. The slow part is when need to cap the rear of the lens you are using to the rear of the lens you are keeping.

If your bag is really clean, can ignore the cap part to really shave precious time during the change process.

 

[oyama85]

Same experience as prince. Was a zoom guy.

In the end, its all about compromise.
Prime - light & max F1.4.
Zoom - convenient but heavier & max F2.8.

 

[detritus]

depends how experienced they are in quick changing lenses. The slow part is when need to cap the rear of the lens you are using to the rear of the lens you are keeping.

If your bag is really clean, can ignore the cap part to really shave precious time during the change process.

depends which lenses. i don't think thats a good idea if u're using older lenses.

for some of those, the auto aperture lever could be a thin piece of metal that sticks out from the mount. it'll either cut the lining of your bag, or worse, u may bend it and damage the lever.

the newer FA / DA ones are more refined in construction in that area and is safer to just dump into a clean bag.

 

[GSiGuy]

I used to be a zoom guy when I started, but that lasted a few months, and stopped right after I 'got' the FA 50, both in the literal and figurative senses. Now I use primes only (not even mostly, but only).

(It's not the or even a better way, I want to stress here, just that it suits my style.)

First, I see better with primes, cos I already know how to frame the subject. This makes for better photos, for me.

I think the most important part of using primes, for me at least, is to accept I will not get some shots, because the 'wrong' lens is on at that moment. But I keep in mind that even if I have a super zoom, or a pair of 16-50 and 50-150 for quality maximum coverage, I will still miss some shots. And this is where the zen part comes in. Let them go, it's not possible to get every shot we want.

And the other key factor is, I can last longer when using primes. How so? When I use a zoom, the bulk, the weight and the zooming itself tires me out faster, so I get more uncomfortable and fatigued easily. It's both a physical and psychological thing, I guess.

Hope this throws some light on why and how some people use primes exclusively! Cheers!

it does! thanks!

i do know different people think and approach this differently and i want to be able to give this a try if not all my prime lens buying becomes and expensive deadweight in my dry cabi...

i will comment shortly about my usage of the 18-135 though, not as something that is better as a walkabout lens, but merely my novice experience with it's usage...

 

[CorneliusK]

The decision to use zooms or primes is ultimately a personal one - for example I am perfectly willing to bear the weight of 2 large zooms and a prime when I am going out to shoot as, as I know I won't really mind the weight, and I will be switching between them regularly. Many others will swear by just using the wonderful small primes in the Pentax lineup. Its really up to your own preference and shooting needs.

I would suggest starting off with the excellent tamron 17-50, as it is cheap, good and fairly easy to resell - from there you can have a better idea of what your needs are and then plan your next acquisition accordingly.

 

[CorneliusK]

2 primes sound do-able for lens swapping... but don't you find it restrictive in terms of flexibility? this is what i wonder most about people who use primes mostly... can they switch lenses fast enough and not miss the opportunity?

On a predictable situation, like a gathering of people in a limited space room or when you know what shots you are after, its fine. But what if you are on a walkabout (which current TS is asking about)? have you guys who use primes been able to capture most shots you wanted or lost many bec time was spent changing lenses?

I used to do this with my K-x. I will fix a wrist strap on my K-x and attach a piece of velcro on it. I will also attach a piece of velcro on the rear lens caps.

When I need to change lenses, I will first hand the camera with my right hand and take out the new lens with my left hanf.

I will then stick the velcro on the rear lens cap on the velcro on the handstrap, then twist to remove the rear lens cap.

Next I will use my left hand to remove the attached lens (with small primes you should be able to hold two of them with one hand).

Then I will attach the new lens.

Finally I will replace the lens cap (which is still stuck on the velcro on the handstrap) on the previous lens and twist to remove it from the velcro, and dump it back into my bag.

I was able to change lens in 10-15 seconds with practise, especially after I got hoods for the primes so I could leave the lens in the bag without the front lens cap on. Where there is a will, there is a way!

 

[GSiGuy]

I used to do this with my K-x. I will fix a wrist strap on my K-x and attach a piece of velcro on it. I will also attach a piece of velcro on the rear lens caps.

When I need to change lenses, I will first hand the camera with my right hand and take out the new lens with my left hanf.

I will then stick the velcro on the rear lens cap on the velcro on the handstrap, then twist to remove the rear lens cap.

Next I will use my left hand to remove the attached lens (with small primes you should be able to hold two of them with one hand).

Then I will attach the new lens.

Finally I will replace the lens cap (which is still stuck on the velcro on the handstrap) on the previous lens and twist to remove it from the velcro, and dump it back into my bag.

I was able to change lens in 10-15 seconds with practise, especially after I got hoods for the primes so I could leave the lens in the bag without the front lens cap on. Where there is a will, there is a way!

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[GSiGuy]

GSiGuy,

Bro can show us some pics of the 18-135mm? Many thks.

Here's a link to my flickr page with 18-135mm pics which i downloaded last nite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30923228@N07/sets/72157627061471813/

A word of note if you are evaluating the pictures; These were taken a few short months after buying a k-x, my first DSLR so i am a noob. Similarly, i am a noob when it comes to Post Processing. The pictures of Egypt were most likely PP'd on Picasa and those in Australia were PP'd on LR3. However, i was very new to the features, and so they could be mostly just auto corrected. In almost all cases, there was little or no sharpening done (i did not really know how to use the feature then) and that's why i picked them. So in evaluating the pictures, do keep this in mind (and the fact that i was and am still learning).

In many cases, when i look at the pics again, i do note that good light makes a world of difference. When you have good light, i think almost any lens will shine. The opposite may be true too. When you have lousy light, only better (faster?) lenses shine. See the pics taken of the stained glass windows and you will note that they are not fantastic in sharpenss or contrast. This could well be the biggest handicap of the 18-135.

My humble conclusion is that the 18-135's main strength will be the WR and the versatility of the focal length, combined with decent (but not prime standard) IQ.

The last picture is of a dog...

...now i put that iso6400 picture up as an illustration of how it managed to capture a fairly ok picture of a moving object with the 18-135 in low light indoor conditions, when my FA 50 1.4 did not manage a sharp picture from that same position at the same time... now, in no way am i saying that the FA 50 is not as good, but my suspicion is that the 18-135's DC motor focused just that tad faster to help me capture the moment. I would however add that, if you learn the movements of your subject a little better, you might be able to get really great pics with almost any lens (AF fast or slow), which i am sure i would have been able to do if i perservered with the FA50 in that situation.

Hope this helps...

 

[machiavellian]

I read about this Singaporean who bagged an acclaimed award recently. he said he dont capture the moment, but make the moment happen, and that every of his photos are planned.

using primes, more often than not, I make the moment rather than capture the moment (damn, I'm one step closer to become an indie pro, haha).

anyways, this is a little bit off topic cause you wanted a good walkabout lens. and depending on your philosophy of photo taking, to make or capture, and having used a prime set up, I had undoubtedly lose a lot of opportunities to capture the moment. but whatever man. you lose one, you'll get one in the future.

so I guess if you are hellbent on capturing the moment, the zooms are the way to go.

 

[machiavellian]

but man, if you're new and want something outstanding, fast, good, but don't know which direction of photography to dive into yet, get the DA40! it's a lens that I fell in love with. hahhaa.

 

[GSiGuy]

I read about this Singaporean who bagged an acclaimed award recently. he said he dont capture the moment, but make the moment happen, and that every of his photos are planned.

using primes, more often than not, I make the moment rather than capture the moment (damn, I'm one step closer to become an indie pro, haha).

anyways, this is a little bit off topic cause you wanted a good walkabout lens. and depending on your philosophy of photo taking, to make or capture, and having used a prime set up, I had undoubtedly lose a lot of opportunities to capture the moment. but whatever man. you lose one, you'll get one in the future.

so I guess if you are hellbent on capturing the moment, the zooms are the way to go.

from that short little walk where we exhanged lenses and shot, i would say primes suit you. you notice things quicker and you move faster (but you are also much younger than me! haha!) so by the time i decide to take the shot, it may well be out of my focal range... but maybe it's just practice.

i do do love the IQ of my primes very much, including the DA40!

 

[le petit prince]

Actually, I don't quite get the idea we miss more shots with a prime than with a zoom. Or rather, I understand what it means (I have had the same experiences! "aauggh! too far! if only I can zoom in!" or "oh shucks! too tight! if only I can zoom out!"), but I can't bring myself to agree with it.

The chap who shot many famous 'decisive moments', Henri Cartier-Bresson, used a Leica with a 50mm lens. And that's it.

We're not HCB of course, but we certainly can catch those moments; it's a matter of practice, practice, luck and more practice. And having an eye for detail. And patience. And some more luck. And then some more practice.

 

[le petit prince]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3932712259_72b09ca9c9_z.jpg?zz=1

Here's a link to my flickr page with 18-135mm pics which i downloaded last nite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30923228@N07/sets/72157627061471813/

I like your photos -- the compositions and colours and style; I can't tell you are new to DSLRs actually, but nor do I care. And you sure do get around to some cool places!

Just one tip, if I may, and nothing to do with the photos. Captions.. maybe I'm the more literary type, but I find that well-written, descriptive captions always make the photos that much better.

 

[machiavellian]

I used to be a zoom guy when I started, but that lasted a few months, and stopped right after I 'got' the FA 50, both in the literal and figurative senses. Now I use primes only (not even mostly, but only).

(It's not the or even a better way, I want to stress here, just that it suits my style.)

First, I see better with primes, cos I already know how to frame the subject. This makes for better photos, for me.

But I keep in mind that even if I have a super zoom, or a pair of 16-50 and 50-150 for quality maximum coverage, I will still miss some shots. And this is where the zen part comes in. Let them go, it's not possible to get every shot we want.


Hope this throws some light on why and how some people use primes exclusively! Cheers!

Love the zen part. Totally agree witcha!

 

[machiavellian]

from that short little walk where we exhanged lenses and shot, i would say primes suit you. you notice things quicker and you move faster (but you are also much younger than me! haha!) so by the time i decide to take the shot, it may well be out of my focal range... but maybe it's just practice.

i do do love the IQ of my primes very much, including the DA40!

haha thanks!
and for those who wants to know the extent of the versatility of what a DA40 can do, check out my mini-review: http://mkvlln.posterous.com/lens-review-pentax-da-40-limited-the-true-pan

 

[evolutioner]

Here's another approach to consider:

Get a simple, manual, prime lens. It's a walkabout, slow down, take your time and enjoy the photography process.

There's no need to rush in order to capture absolutely every moment.

 

[CorneliusK]

Actually, I don't quite get the idea we miss more shots with a prime than with a zoom. Or rather, I understand what it means (I have had the same experiences! "aauggh! too far! if only I can zoom in!" or "oh shucks! too tight! if only I can zoom out!"), but I can't bring myself to agree with it.

The chap who shot many famous 'decisive moments', Henri Cartier-Bresson, used a Leica with a 50mm lens. And that's it.

We're not HCB of course, but we certainly can catch those moments; it's a matter of practice, practice, luck and more practice. And having an eye for detail. And patience. And some more luck. And then some more practice.

Indeed the FOV of a focal length is only one out of many aspects of a great pic. But as someone who is still learning his way (myself) it is nice to have a zoom so you can continuously explore different FOV as you are shooting.

The flip side of this convenience is that it may not make me think so hard when shooting, and therefore slow down my growth. A lot of the conveniences of modern cameras do make it too easy to take a decent picture, and takes away from you the need to learn or understand basic fundamental stuff.

 

[xtunbox]

close focusing is not macro. it is a misleading label at best and sigma is notorious for over-using it.

Yupz... that is why i added close focusing capability. I somehow got disappointed with the "macro" capability when i got the lens.
Anyway, the close focusing is good enough for me because I dont do real macro. ;p