Zoom or Prime Lenses

If you are taking photographs using a camera with interchangeable lenses than you will be making various decisions about what lens to use. Why not take a look at my previous photography post on Focal Length of Lenses.

This post will quickly discuss why you might choose a zoom lens or a prime lens for you photography.

- What is a Prime Lens?

• Prime Lenses have only one focal length.
• They come in many many different focal lengths (i.e. 20mm, 50mm, 100mm and so on.)
• You cannot zoom in and out.
• Usually cheaper in relation to quality.

- What is a Zoom Lens?

• A Zoom Lens has a range of focal lengths.
• This means that as you turn the zoom ring it moves through 20mm-100mm (for example).
• This is zooming.
• Zoom Lenses are convenient.
• Its like having many lenses all in one.
• They are a wide angle and telephoto at the same time.

The focal length specification of a prime lens will describe itself as 50mm (one number). A zoom lens will describe it’s focal length as 20mm-100mm (two numbers). In other words, the zoom lens is like many prime lenses in one.

So why would you bother with a prime lens? It sounds restricting.

Zoom lenses are said to be improving in quality but are still regarded as not as good a primes.

Prime Lenses are considered to assist in better quality, sharper and cleaner photographs.

One is designed for a sole purpose and one is multi-tasking.

At university we were all required to use prime lenses and not zoom lenses. There are many reasons for this other than quality. It also makes you think much harder about what you are doing.

Thinking Harder:

Prime Lenses make you think harder. Rather than being able to control your environment by bringing it closer to you or farther away whenever you desire, you are forced to concentrate you energy on a common mode. You have to think harder to plan how you will photography the subject given the circumstances. You choose a certain prime with a certain focal length for a certain purpose and then stick to it.

It also takes  a lot of pressure off you – you do not need to photography everything in sight in 20 different focal lengths. As you cannot zoom in, you don’t!

Thinking more about the process will also get you more in touch with photography as a medium as you learn not to take the photograph for granted. Your input is increased and you final shot is achieved through higher levels of creativity and understanding of how the camera works in relation to your viewpoint, the world and the science of the lens.

There a benefits to zoom lenses of course. Freedom to take one lens with you means you needn’t worry about photographing all sorts of moments and subjects.

Thanks for Reading,

Dan

UV Filters : Two Second Tip

What is a UV filter?

Apparently it brings out details that the haze of the sun stops. Its a bit like wearing polarised sun glasses.

Do I need one?

Use them to protect your lens. Once you’ve scratched your lens, you’re buggered. So why take the risk?

The argument is that it will reduce the quality of the final image in some cases. Its true, that if you are going to go to the bother of buying a lens in the first place then spending £30 on a very good B+H UV filter is worth it.

Look at it this way: you buy a nice lens and then stick a crap piece of glass in front of it. Why? Cos you don’t know any better you silly plonker!

If you don’t want to buy a filter the alternative is a lens hood. This is meant to protect from wind, dust, rain and light. It therefore protects the lens, and stops your fingers getting near it too.

If you scratch the filter, you buy another, your down £30, not £300. Sounds good to me.

Remember, before buying, check the size you need (in mm) if you don’t know, google your lens and check the specs.

Thanks for reading,

Dan Larsson

Rangefinders and SLRs

A quick post to identify and examine Rangefinders and SLRs.

Its most likely that you are familiar with SLRs. Mirrors inside the camera allow you to see through the lens itself via the viewfinder. When you press the button (shutter release) to take the photo it makes a loud noise, which is the mirror dropping thus you cannot see anymore. The mirror has to fold away, doesn’t it? because the film is behind it.

On a SLR you focus the lens as usual and you see the image go from blury to not blury.

Rangefinders are different. You may not have used one yet but they are good fun and provide a different experience which you may find has advantages over SLR, or not…

One advantage is they are thin as there is no mirrors inside. They are also light.

In a rangefinder you look through a viewfinder but not through the lens. Like on a compact digital camera that fits in your handbag… or briefcase… the viewfinder is to the side. It is the same in a rangefinder.

When you look through the viewfinder you see two images. Like layers. These two layers need to sit on top of each other exactly.As you turn the focus ring these layers move together or away from each other. Where you want to focus, the two images should match. The areas not in focus will remain as two layers, out of sync. Just as in an SLR the bits in focus are sharp and the bits out of focus are blury. In a rangefinder, the bits in focus are sharp and the bits out of focus are out of sync or seperated.

You may find it harder to use or easier to use, so go and try.

Here are some rangefinders I know and have tried:

Mamiya 7ii

Fuji GW690 (there are many editions)

If you want to know more about them individually, click them. I am not recommending them, rather, I am showing you them. (though I do recommend the mamiya!) (if you clicked the links above, did you notice how flat they are?)

Good Luck, and don’t worry about messing it up (but do worry about dropping them.)

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Two comments to add to this post 24/07/09:

Fujica GW690 – is a fixed lens camera, meaning you cannot change the lens. The lens on it is wide angle, and you can also focus on things reasonably close up. There is also a superwide version of this camera.

Secondly, Just a note to say, rangefinders give a feel that resembles 35mm cameras more than other medium format cameras.

Thanks for reading,

Dan Larsson.