Goodbye Zooms, Hello Primes

Dec 12 2011

Goodbye Zooms, Hello Primes

Camera Equipment 9 0

It’s taken me few months, but now I’m starting to realise the obvious. My Adobe Lightroom library is 10,000 images full, and over 90% of them had been taken with my cheapest, smallest lens, the 50mm f1.4.

Regular readers to my blog will know I have a bit of a love affair with my 50mm. It’s the perfect lens, that suits my style of quick, candid, and bokeh-ed up photography. Mean while, my heavy, tank like 24-70mm f2.8 stays in my camera bag.

Therefore ,I have decided to make the transition to a camera bag full of primes lenses, before I waste any more money on big, fat, expensive zooms I just won’t use.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to “do” photography, and what equipment you choose to use is entirely a personal choice and down to you. No one says professional photographers have to use “professional gear”.

I plan to buy the Nikon 85mm f1.4 in the New Year. After this, I will then sell my nikon 24-70mm to fund a Nikon 35mm f1.4. So hopefully, by the summer, my camera bag will look like this:

Nikon D700
Nikkor 35mm f1.4
Nikkor 50mm f1.4
Nikkor 85mm f1.4
Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Macro VR.

And I can’t wait. A 35mm prime is going to live on my camera, I just know it. And the 85mm, that going to be my new favorite portrait lens.

And double teaming them both on two camera bodies, the 35mm/85mm combo is going to rule for my first wedding next year.

I’d love to hear from other photographers, could you live without a zoom? Any other all prime shooters out there?

I’m so looking forward to being an all prime lens man, that I’ve even done a video about it!

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About the Author

Written by Chris Scuffins

Chris Scuffins is a creative photographer and blogger from Gloucestershire. With years of experience in landscape and commercial photography, he now concentrates on capturing creative, natural and beautiful fashion and lifestyle portraiture, as well as photojournalistic wedding photography.

9 Responses to Goodbye Zooms, Hello Primes

Steve 12 December, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Although I have two zooms (24-70 and 70-200) I can’t remember the last time I used either of them. I have the a 50mm and a 135 and will soon be getting a 35mm. After that I don’t think I will be wanting another lens for a while. I wish I had just bought primes from the onset.

Reply
- Chris 12 December, 2011 at 11:41 pm
  I have to admit, I am quite jealous of that Canon 135mm. Seems like a lovely lens. Not sure the Nikon matches up.
  
  As you say, I wish I had decided at beginning this was the route I wanted to take, but there you go. Lenses are always a bit of an investment, so it’s not like they are a regular purchase once you’ve found the right ones….
  
  Reply
James 12 December, 2011 at 10:47 pm
I use the wide end of my 18 - 70mm all the time . i want a 18 mm prime !!

Reply
- Chris 12 December, 2011 at 11:47 pm
  I think you can pick up an ultra wide prime from somewhere, but most seem to be fisheyes.
  
  If you ever went full frame, 18mm is the equivalent of 24-28mm, and there are some fantastic 24mm and 28mm primes for not a lot of money.
  
  I may pick up an ultra wide one day, but at the moment, 35mm should be fine for me.
  
  Reply
Alex 12 December, 2011 at 11:50 pm
I’m totally with you on this one, I love prime lenses and hate zooms! I wish my camera bag looked like this:

Canon 50mm 1.4
Canon 85mm 1.2
Canon 35mm 1.4

Ahhhh! I’m considering the 85mm 1.8 *hmmm* .. we’ll see. Everyone seems to love the 35mm .. I have the 28mm but it’s way too wide!

Great post!

Reply
James 13 December, 2011 at 11:54 am
I must admit the arguement for primes is becoming more and more convinving . Since i looked in my bag a thought about what i actually use. 50mm 1.8 85% of the time 18 - 70 mm 10% but only ever at 18 - 20mm and macro for the rest , which is loads of fun . my zooms rarely comes out to play . I think you may have sold the arguement for primes to me . Given what you could sell your zoom for on talk photography you could get 1 or 2 decent second hand primes from there and break even

Reply
Jennifer 31 January, 2012 at 1:16 am
Hi Chris,

I use my 50mm 95% of the time and have actually been thinking about getting a 24-70mm. So if and when you would like to sell your, please let me know.

Reply
Tenisd 4 July, 2012 at 1:50 pm
I had a 28-75mm F2.8 zoom lens some time ago. I sold it after realized I use it only at 28mm all the time.
And I had a Sigma 10-20mm once that I used only at about 14mm
That is how I found out I like the prime lenses better.
Then I got the Sigma hit by a skateboard straight in the lens, so the AF started to fade.
I miss the 14mm sometimes, so will get something a like, soon some time.
Mabey the 14mm from Fuji if I will go the X-Pro1 road.
After I got the 35mm and the 85mm prime lenses the 50mm lens become irrelevant to me.
My 50mm lens was broken at the time and I found out that I can do everything 50mm does with the other two lenses better
So did not bother to get a new one to replace it at all.
I use the 35mm lens view most of the time now= Fujifilm X100.
Great post. Thank You for sharing Your thoughts.
What lens are You using the most right now?
Is it still the 50mm?

Reply
- Chris Nash 4 July, 2012 at 5:51 pm
  Hi,thanks for your comment.
  
  No I have now sold the 50mm. I only use the 35mm and 85mm. It’s great combination of primes to work with.
  
  Reply

Goodbye Zooms, Hello Primes