Primes or zoom's?

samking

samking

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Sam
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Basically I just got a D700 a few weeks ago and I love it. I'm looking to get rid of my 35-70mm though because it's not quite what I expected. I also have a 50mm f1.8.

I'd love a 24/28-70mm and then a 70-200mm but don't really have the money so do you think I should just get primes? I'd love to have all primes and for about the same price as the above 2 lenses combined, I could get roughly a 20mm 2.8, 35mm 1.8, and 85mm 1.8 and then maybe something even longer?

What would you do? Or any other lenses I should really be looking at? It wont be a while until I get them because I'm paying for driving and a couple of other things right now, but yeah haha.

EDIT: I must add, I don't really shoot anything that would need a massively long lens, it would normally just be quite wide. I'd also at some point want to get a 16mm fisheye for my BMX/skate stuff. And another thing I'd like to get before a couple of lenses would be some Skyports :)
 
Tamron 28-75 is available SH for around £200 and is almost as good as the Nikon costing 5 times more!! I would go for that, then maybe the 35mm and / or 85mm
 
I've go with the zoom(s) first. I'd feel a little naked with only primes. Artistic, yet naked.
 
Yeah I was thinking of getting maybe the 35 or 20mm, then I had a quick look at maybe the Sigma 70-200 2.8? Then maybe pick up the 85 later on? Does that sound like a bit more of a plan?
 
I thought the DX lenses would only work on the D700 in crop mode? Would not the 35mm work out more like a 50mm but just down your ISO and Res?
 
what would i prefer, primes all the way! what do i use, zooms. If everyshot was planned primes are the way to go. I have a prime and love going out with that alone and i get some great shots. the focal lengths didnt suit me on crop. Now that i am going FF i may well find my love for them again.
 
Hi Sam,

First of all decide on your budget.

If your budget procludes buying all primes which are of course reckoned to be the best you can get, then you need to look at a good zoom or zooms. The sigma 70 - 200 2.8 is good, but don't be fooled into thinking any 3rd party lens is as good as a Nikon. It just isn't, check with people who like me start with something like the Sigma 70 -200 and then moved to the Nikon.

But, if your budget procludes you from getting the Nikon equivalent then choose wisely. I had a Tamron 17 - 50 2.8 which had good reviews. To be honest it was no good for me and not a patch on the Nikon 24 - 70 2.8 that I now own and yes I did try a few different ones. Of course it is down to money and what you can afford.

Most certainly buy second hand and when you are able to afford to move on you will not loose too much if anything, when you come to sell, after all there are always people who need to start somewhere and move up.

It is always about horses for courses, some will be happy with a Sigmatron Wowie 5 - 5000 zoom for a long time and will produce some of the best images we might ever see.

To answer your question you may find the Sigma 70 - 200 2.8 the only lens you will need to start with. It is what I had with my D300 and then D700 and used it above any other lens at the time. I will say my final realisation that it had to go was due to having a cheap filter on it and getting a lot of light spill messing up my images. When I moved up to the Nikon I also moved up to Hoya HD filters. But filters are another story altogether:)

Best regards

Chris
 
For me, primes - every time. I have three; an old Pentax 30mm f/3.5, needs a bit of a contrast boost in PP, but produces an absolutely gorgeous colour rendition, nice bokeh, and is tack sharp - probably my sharpest lens. A nifty fifty 1.8, which is pretty much faultless in every way, very fast too. And a 135mm f/3.5 telephoto. Often needs a contrast boost, is reasonably sharp wide open and pretty sharp stopped down. The 135 and 30 cost me around a tenner out of a charity shop.

The advantage of primes is that they are often faster, and the fact that they are a fixed focal length means you need to use your feet to zoom, and they really make you think about the composition more.

The argument about third party lenses being inferior doesn't really fly with me; I have a Sigma 10-20 and I highly doubt that the Canon 10-22 is twice as good, yet it is twice the price. The barrel distortion off the 10-20 is minimal, the colours are great and sharpness is fantastic. I can take a photograph of the entire spread of a newspaper with the 10-20, and easily read all of the print.
 
trencheel303 said:
The argument about third party lenses being inferior doesn't really fly with me; I have a Sigma 10-20 and I highly doubt that the Canon 10-22 is twice as good, yet it is twice the price.QUOTE]

Hi,

I cannot comment on your Sigma 10 - 20 and the Canon equivalent, but I can tell you that every lens I thought was good, when replaced by the Nikon equivalent turned out to be an inferior product.

I am also aware reading a number of other forums as well as this one that many people swear by 3rd party lenses until they try the main manufacturers product! I don't think I have seen or heard of anyone going back from a Nikon or Canon lens to a 3rd party one!

Best regards

Chris
Click to expand...
 
I got rid of my 10-20 and replaced it with the Nikon 12-24. The distortion at 10-12mm was hideous, and the extra 20-24mm was fantastic.
I suspect the 10-20mm is better on Canon APS-C, with the slightly smaller sensor.

To the OP: you could always get a 24-120. I know it's not a great lens, but you could buy second hand (£300), and sell it again when you can afford a 24-70. Or buy more primes in the meantime.
 
I think I'll just stick to Primes for now then and build my way up from the wide end of things. I've seen some awesome stuff from the 20mm and the 35mm, so those two will probably be on the list first, then maybe the 85mm, and 135mm later down the line. Sound like a plan?
 
david1701 said:
:p


also I know of only 1 f2 zoom and thats on olympus


whereas lovely primes gow well below f2
Click to expand...

2 - the 14-35 and the 35-100. I have the former and am after the latter! :woot:

Both are outrageously sharp wide-open and get even better stopped down half a stop - the nearest I've seen to prime-quality in a zoom - and they're better already than most primes...

Andy
 
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