[les3547]

After buying and selling many lenses, I've narrowed my kit down to five primes that cover the focal lengths I shoot most often -- 20mm to 90mm. I've had a few zooms, and still own the DA 55-300 for the occasional longer telephoto shot, but I've sold all the rest (I've even sold the DA 55-300 twice before buying it a third time ). My problem has been that I couldn't bring myself to use a zoom lens when I knew I had primes that could be doing a better job.

I'm looking for wisdom on prime lens-only shooting. I didn't find much in my search here at PF, or on Google. I did find Ken Rockwell's opinions, as well as this article which is similar to what Rockwell has to say. They were mostly giving reasons why shooting with primes can make one a better photographer rather than sharing strategies for various situations. Anyway, if you have learned something about choosing which focal lengths for what, or getting the most out of a session using a one or two lenses, or anything else about living without zooms, please post.

[Andrew Lang]

I have one zoom, and 3 primes, wish i just had 4 primes. i have the 16-50, the da55, m200 f4, and a 300 2.8, i find i shoot 75% with the 55mm, and a mix of the rest, (da16-50 gets used at 16mm most of the time). primes make you think beforehand what you want to be shooting. i will ask myself, what am i shooting, can i get close to my subject, how comfortable are they with cameras (I'm not going to use my 300 2.8 to shoot portraits of kids most of the time because it's a bazooka) . once those questions are answered i look at the weather, if it's going to be crappy, i take the 55. then when i'm shooting, i try and "see" my frame before bringing my eye to the viewfinder, i move to where i think the shot might look good and snap a few shots, then move closer/farther depending on how the image is looking and muse around that way. don't switch lenses unless you need to, i find "working a shoot" with a lens gives you more learning than switching to use what you think might work right away (switch after you work the shot with one lens, if photography is a hobby you have time to kill and it will only help you know what lens to use where by finding out what works and what doesn't) take lots of pictures and chase your passion, you'll find yourself not fussing over the glass, or the body but just using them as tools to get the best shot.

hope my rambling is of some use

[Ash]

No wisdom, just an opinion: primes DO do it better, so long as you can zoom with your feet to get the shots you want. Anything beyond this is of lesser consequence.
It should be reasonably clear which focal length you'll need to shoot the subject in front of you.

Giving the example of people portraits, I look at the conceptual idea I have in mind in creating the portrait (fun, creative perspective, flattering/glamour, background elements) and choose the lens (focal length and bokeh properties) that most suits the concept. So for a top-down distorted portrait, I'd consider a wide-angle lens or fish eye. For a location shot with a desire to flatter the model and create a smooth bokeh of the background environs, I'd choose a fast mid-telephoto lens.

Landscapes have fewer considerations as such, but still require thought as to the best perspective and what to include in the frame to make the landscape come to life as envisaged in the 'mind's eye'.

[usmcxm35]

wow Les,
from what I have seen in your various posts, you are very good photographer. I just start selling my zooms to bring myself to an all prime kit. If you are asking for advice, then I must be crazy to think I can walk around with an all prime kit.
I will have to watch this thread and see what helpful hints comes up.

You already say that you have your most used focal lengths covered. I'm still getting there. I have 35, 50, 50, 70, 180. Still debating 15 vs 21...for wide angle.
I went out yesterday with only a DA35 2.4 and the DA70. I'm still getting used to not having a zoom to go from one FL to the other.

[les3547]

No wisdom, just an opinion: primes DO do it better, so long as you can zoom with your feet to get the shots you want. Anything beyond this is of lesser consequence.
It should be reasonably clear which focal length you'll need to shoot the subject in front of you.

Giving the example of people portraits, I look at the conceptual idea I have in mind in creating the portrait (fun, creative perspective, flattering/glamour, background elements) and choose the lens (focal length and bokeh properties) that most suits the concept. So for a top-down distorted portrait, I'd consider a wide-angle lens or fish eye. For a location shot with a desire to flatter the model and create a smooth bokeh of the background environs, I'd choose a fast mid-telephoto lens.

Landscapes have fewer considerations as such, but still require thought as to the best perspective and what to include in the frame to make the landscape come to life as envisaged in the 'mind's eye'.

Thanks Ash. Do you ever go out and about with just a single prime lens (or two)? If so, which would you choose?

[jimr-pdx]

I have one zoom, and 3 primes, wish i just had 4 primes. i have the 16-50, the da55, m200 f4, and a 300 2.8, i find i shoot 75% with the 55mm, and a mix of the rest, (da16-50 gets used at 16mm most of the time).

Always interesting to see how kits are made: my zoom+3 kit is flipped, with the 50 as my longest prime (15-28-50) plus a long zoom (70-150 f/4 manual, but can swap in the 55-300)! The ideas presented are good ones though: visualize, pick a lens, then do the work to get a great shot. My K-5 can do snapshots when that's all the time I have, but I can tell the snapshots from the images that I worked to get.. only a few of the snapshots really grab me, when subject or lighting is enough to make the shot.

[Bob from Aus]

From what you have said, I would say you already have a stack of wisdom so you may not get much additional help. Prime lenses makes you think more about taking photos and hopefully you end up taking fewer snaps. So I think more about the composition than going zoom bang. I also feel that loving your lens also helps get more out of your photos. So the idea is thinking about getting the most out of the lens as well as the camera. Usually with a zoom the thinking process is too much about the camera. .

[RioRico]

All lenses are different tools for different tasks. Those making a living as camera-slingers know what tools are required to stay fed. Those tools might include certain zooms or primes. For the rest of us, it's a matter of desire, and maybe capability. I would have a damn hard time without zooms because foot-zooming isn't always available to me.

Since it's no longer my job, I can choose my own shooting regimens. I usually divide kits into 1) certain zooms when I don't know what to expect, 2) a mix of lenses when I think I know what to expect, and 3) a small set or single prime when I want to explore within strict limits. Your mindset may vary.

Yes, working with just one or a few primes is great eye-mind discipline. Yes, working with zooms allows greater flexibility. I've mentioned this over-generalization: AF zooms for TAKING pictures, MF primes for MAKING pictures. IMHO they're all part of the game. We choose to play the game as we will, making-up rules as we go. Fun fun fun.

And part of the fun is devising different kits for different purposes. Selections can be based on experience or numerology or budget or whatever. I won't bore y'all with yet another listing of my favorite mini-kits. Some are primes-only, some are zooms-only, some are mixed, and they all keep changing. Experimentation is the spice of photographic life.

[les3547]

I have one zoom, and 3 primes, wish i just had 4 primes. i have the 16-50, the da55, m200 f4, and a 300 2.8, i find i shoot 75% with the 55mm, and a mix of the rest, (da16-50 gets used at 16mm most of the time). primes make you think beforehand what you want to be shooting. i will ask myself, what am i shooting, can i get close to my subject, how comfortable are they with cameras (I'm not going to use my 300 2.8 to shoot portraits of kids most of the time because it's a bazooka) . once those questions are answered i look at the weather, if it's going to be crappy, i take the 55. then when i'm shooting, i try and "see" my frame before bringing my eye to the viewfinder, i move to where i think the shot might look good and snap a few shots, then move closer/farther depending on how the image is looking and muse around that way. don't switch lenses unless you need to, i find "working a shoot" with a lens gives you more learning than switching to use what you think might work right away (switch after you work the shot with one lens, if photography is a hobby you have time to kill and it will only help you know what lens to use where by finding out what works and what doesn't) take lots of pictures and chase your passion, you'll find yourself not fussing over the glass, or the body but just using them as tools to get the best shot.

hope my rambling is of some use

Thanks Andrew, and everyone. I've had a bunch of different combinations of lenses, like most people. After studying my photos, I saw almost all were done between 20mm and 90mm, so I decided to sell everything but a few great lenses and see if it would make me rely on them exclusively. I think I worry because a zoom covers every single mm of its range, where with primes it seems like there are "gaps" between whatever primes you've chosen. But as Rockwell points out, now I have to move myself and think more.

[les3547]

Since it's no longer my job, I can choose my own shooting regimens. I usually divide kits into 1) certain zooms when I don't know what to expect, 2) a mix of lenses when I think I know what to expect, and 3) a small set or single prime when I want to explore within strict limits. . . . Selections can be based on experience or numerology or budget or whatever. I won't bore y'all with yet another listing of my favorite mini-kits. Some are primes-only, some are zooms-only, some are mixed, and they all keep changing. Experimentation is the spice of photographic life.

I think if I had all your lenses I'd be frozen in indecision.

[RioRico]

I think if I had all your lenses I'd be frozen in indecision.

My main quandary is deciding when to stop.

But the LOTD (lens-of-the-day) strategy helps. Unless I'm going some place where I don't know what to expect. But I try not to get overloaded. Try try try.

[L33tGreg]

Still debating 15 vs 21...for wide angle.

The 15 is a more magical lens I think, but the 21 is a much more useful FL. The 15 is very wide!

[usmcxm35]

Thanks greg, so is magic worth more or useful fl worth more?

[RioRico]

The 15 is a more magical lens I think, but the 21 is a much more useful FL. The 15 is very wide!

The solution: both, of course. Very different lenses, very different AOVs, 68 vs 86 degrees (on my K20D; your sensor may vary).

[usmcxm35]

I need to spend a month with just the 12-24 to see what I really need. I think I need a DA 12mm f4 LTD...