What's the benefit of a longish zoom as first lens? ie fashion togs in studios

[fontmoss]

Is it for the flexibility of being able to zoom in and out?
70-200 range etc seem to be what any tog will have on their camera when you see most fashion set ups (with standard digi SLR) is it just to hold onto that flexibility, more useful than having to switch primes?

outside the studio i can see more of a benefit being that you might move about more or is it the same principles?

 

[Blue Eagle]

Well primes are ideal in a studio but canon/nikon's 70-200 lens are of such high quality they will usually be adaquate.

They will use longer lenses for the more flattering perspective. link I found it a bit more difficult to get my head around 'perspective' than other areas of photography but if you ever take a 18mm or wider lens and stick it right in someone's face so that they fill the frame, you will see what you are avoiding