Very shortly after I got my K1000 (as a gift from my mom; Thanks mom!) I bought the 28-80 Takumar-A because, of course, I NEEDED a zoom and it was a Pentax and looked nice, etc. I used it exclusively for awhile until it loosened up to the point of absurdity. I could change the framing and focus just by wiggling the front element from side to side. I started using the 50mm that came with my camera and realized what I had been missing in terms of the ease of focus and beautifully bright view. I found I didn't miss being able to adjust the angle of view too much, and I think it helped me begin to understand what's important to include in a given frame and what to exclude.
I only picked up the zoom again recently just to see if it was as I remembered it. I held out a fleeting hope that its ability to focus slightly beyond infinity would allow me to capture images of objects as they once appeared in the past, but they just turned out fuzzy. I'm still looking for a four-dimensional zoom. :-) -Michael --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Both primes and zooms have their place. I really > don't think it makes all > that much difference whether you use a zoom or a > prime for the type of shooting > most of us do. I think it is more a question of what > feels good at any one > moment. For many of us it is as much about the > experience as the result. > There are times I want the convenience of a zoom and > there are times I want > the light weight (generally faster) traits of a > prime. > Quality- unless you're looking at publication in > National Geographic or huge > enlargements, I really don't think it's anything to > waste too much time on. > My belief is that what makes a lens great for any > particular photographer is > not necessarily the quality of pictures it takes > (providing it meets a certain > standard) but it's usefulness, it's handling, build > quality and most > important its range or its particular focal length. > > For example, I love zooms in the 28-105 focal > lengths. They are incredibly > useful tools for me. If you were to ask me what my > favourite zoom is it would li > kely be the 28-105. Not because it is necessarily > the best lens I have but it > is the one I reach for most often. Therefore it's > (in my opinion a great > lens.) > For someone else it is an 80-200. > For someone else it is an 85 prime, a 24 prime.... > That's the lens they use > most often. To them that's a great lens.... > I think build quality and how the lens feels with > the camera and looks > through the viewfinder influences people's opinions > as much as what the lens > produces in the way of pictures. If you feel > comfortable with a lens and like the way > it feels, chances are you will produce great images > with it. This is often > what influences people more toward loving a > particular prime lens. They're > small, well built, simple to use and they are > usually faster than they're zoom > counterparts. Photographers like what they see > through the viewfinder, they like > the feel of the lens on the camera ... and they > create nice pictures as a > result and enjoy the whole process. I don't think it > means that the pictures are > really much better in most cases. > Just my 2 cents > > vic > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
