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07-15-2014, 08:35 AM   #1
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Going Light

Has anybody ditched all their zooms and is strictly shooting with primes ? I'm thinking about doing that because the quality-zooms are just too big. I rather put up with the noise the screw mount makes than lugging a big heavy zoom because it has SDM.

07-15-2014, 08:49 AM   #2
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Well not really ditched... I just never went the zoom route by personal choice. IQ wise I understand that many of the modern zooms are right up there or thereabouts.

Unfortunately my fast manual primes are probably just as big and heavy as many zoom lenses are.

But I guess I'm just not the average sort of photographer, those that know me would probably agree with that.
07-15-2014, 09:02 AM   #3
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Yes, I have. I recently sold my last zoom and am now 100% manual focus primes.
07-15-2014, 09:10 AM - 1 Like   #4
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For me going light means sticking my DA18-135WR on my K5 and taking nothing else. I must have gotten an awesome copy because I can pixel peep with mine! Primes needed to cover that range would actually weigh more and take more space.

07-15-2014, 09:30 AM   #5
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I own one zoom which is the tamron 70-200. When I first started in photography 2 years ago I was all about long lenses. That's all I wanted and 600mm "just wasn't big enough". Now I rarely use the one remaining zoom and I'm straight primes for the most part. I have a small backpack with my camera and all my lenses. I would have no problem doing an around the world trip with my setup. I evolved from one end all the way to the other.
07-15-2014, 09:36 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by hjoseph7 Quote
the quality-zooms are just too big.
The new DA 20-40 Limited zoom is not.
Paired with the DA 15 and DA 70,
I've been finding that it makes a great lightweight travel package.
07-15-2014, 09:44 AM   #7
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I've done a whole lot of trial and error and a lot of buying to figure out what I like. My requirements were specifically to create a "travel pack". That was my aim when I put together my kit. I had a rule. I must be able to carry all my stuff (usually a backpack for clothes) and haul all my camera gear yet still be able to comfortably drive a scooter. If I was going on a big trip I would leave the tamron at home most likely, but there are exceptions possibly when I would want it. The only thing I don't have yet to complete my kit is a second body...not for anything else other than luxury. More than anything you should figure out what kind of photographer you want to be. There are plenty of people who do just fine with zooms.

07-15-2014, 10:07 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by lytrytyr Quote
The new DA 20-40 Limited zoom is not.
Paired with the DA 15 and DA 70,
I've been finding that it makes a great lightweight travel package.

I definitely have my eye on the 20-40mm and the 15mm: The 20-40mm is a zoom, but it is not big and heavy. I wish Pentax would make more lenses like this. It's a bit expen$ive but, I looked at the 21mm(semi-pancake) and decided it was too small for my tastes. This is a real nice looking lens !

---------- Post added 07-15-14 at 12:10 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by VoiceOfReason Quote
For me going light means sticking my DA18-135WR on my K5 and taking nothing else. I must have gotten an awesome copy because I can pixel peep with mine! Primes needed to cover that range would actually weigh more and take more space.
The good thing about the 18-135 is that it is weather sealed and covers a lot of territory. Optically some swear by it while others don't.

Last edited by hjoseph7; 07-27-2014 at 03:41 PM.
07-15-2014, 12:26 PM   #9
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If you want to travel light get a zoom period.


If you want to travel very light get a single small prime anything between 30mm and 50mm,


If you want to travel ultra light get a point and shoot.


Anything else is travelling heavy.


If you want quality get a good prime.


If you want convenience get a zoom.


If you want to buy a bunch of primes to replace the range of a single zoom and think that the whole bundle will be less bulky and heavy than that single zoom, your mistaken.


What you can do is buy a bunch of primes and only take one out at a time with you, and restrict yourself to using a single focal length, then your traveling light.
07-15-2014, 03:19 PM   #10
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I disagree with those saying that one zoom is the lighter option. I like to make a difference between "kit weight" and "hand weight". If you can take only 1 zoom lens then you always have to carry all those focal lengths in your hand regardless of what you need. With primes, the weight in hand is significantly smaller generally. And that is what counts in the end: How muh weight you put on your neck or hand for the day / hike. The lenses you are not using are in the backpack so...
And the good part with Pentax, is that the limited lenses weight arround 120gr in average. You can take the DA15, 21, 40 and 70. Mount one of those on your DLSR and I know the hand weight canīt be more than 900gr. The other 3 wonīt sum up more than 400 gr in your backpack. You cna also choose the DA35/2.4 or DA50/1.8 in the 120gr range.
07-15-2014, 03:28 PM   #11
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Nope. I use both. But I do tend to carry around less when I'm not in the studio shooting. Walking around outside taking pics unless I know I am going to be taking shots of birds I'm not carrying my 300mm zooms usually or my 300/40mm prime. Prime lenses can be heavy too. The longer the lens the greater the weight. It doesn't matter really which is which, not to me. If I go out to bird I need the extra length and the weight is a necessary evil. If I am just walking around taking general pics that 200mm or less will do for than usually I've got a decent all purpose zoom plus maybe a 50-55 mm prime. I hardly ever carry more than 2 lenses with me while traveling and neither one of them is heavy. I'm not one for traveling with a whole backpack of gear. Not unless I'm on a six month trip to Europe or something and even then I probably would take half of what some people would take on a similar trip. If it doesn't all fit in a duffle and a messenger bag, clothes, camera kit and all? It doesn't go.
07-15-2014, 03:40 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Imageman Quote
If you want to travel light get a zoom period.


If you want to travel very light get a single small prime anything between 30mm and 50mm,


If you want to travel ultra light get a point and shoot.


Anything else is travelling heavy.


If you want quality get a good prime.


If you want convenience get a zoom.


If you want to buy a bunch of primes to replace the range of a single zoom and think that the whole bundle will be less bulky and heavy than that single zoom, your mistaken.


What you can do is buy a bunch of primes and only take one out at a time with you, and restrict yourself to using a single focal length, then your traveling light.

Or more importantly you can figure out what kind of shooter you are, what kind of images you want... and THEN make a kit around that concept that will be 'light enough' for your needs.

For me I value quality of images. Its in the whole 'zen' of how I do things. I might take 10 shots but all 10 should be well thought out. Now pair that with travel... I did an extended travel of about 3 years and had nothing but a point and shoot. By the time I came home I was satisfied with the trip, but not at all with the images. Its super easy to point and shoot, but is that the kind of images you as a shooter really wants? Are you cataloging your stuff as sort of a 'journal' or are you actually trying to take creative artistic 'photos' instead of mere 'snap shots'?

Answer that and then plan accordingly.
07-15-2014, 05:34 PM   #13
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I'm putting together a "light" film package based around the MX body and primes; A 28mm F2.8, A or M 35mm F2.8, M 50mm F1.7, M 100mm F2.8, Takumar 135mm F2.5. I've yet to pick up the 35mm and am waffling on the A or M versions. I don't have a 50mm equivalent for my digital bodies so the A version would be nice to have but the M version has the same optics and is generally less expensive. I'd like to replace the Tak with a Pentax but the Pentax 2.5 is just too expensive.

I just got around to testing the focus of all the lenses with my K30 this weekend and was pleasantly surprised that I had no back or front focus issues and they were all acceptably sharp.

Last edited by MD Optofonik; 07-18-2014 at 09:53 AM.
07-21-2014, 02:20 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by carrrlangas Quote
I disagree with those saying that one zoom is the lighter option. I like to make a difference between "kit weight" and "hand weight". If you can take only 1 zoom lens then you always have to carry all those focal lengths in your hand regardless of what you need. With primes, the weight in hand is significantly smaller generally. And that is what counts in the end: How muh weight you put on your neck or hand for the day / hike. The lenses you are not using are in the backpack so...
And the good part with Pentax, is that the limited lenses weight arround 120gr in average. You can take the DA15, 21, 40 and 70. Mount one of those on your DLSR and I know the hand weight canīt be more than 900gr. The other 3 wonīt sum up more than 400 gr in your backpack. You cna also choose the DA35/2.4 or DA50/1.8 in the 120gr range.
Hand weight does make a difference. Also those big zooms tend to scare people away. Here is my dream-list 15mm F4, 20-40mm f2.8/4, 35mm(macro) f2.8, 77mm f1.8, although I might not take all these lenses with me when I'm traveling.
07-21-2014, 03:31 PM   #15
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The DA15, 35 and 70 make a good walkaround prime kit. For me, hiking can mean wildlife so I sometimes go for two smallish zooms instead - Tamron 17-50 and DA 55-300.
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