Prims-zooms and wide angle . . . ?

[Sutton Warrior]

A subject I was watching on another site on my enforced day off work was in fact two topics. One was called 'Ultrawide overload' the other was the '+ and - 's of prime lenses over modern zooms'! The emphasis on 'modern' in the zoom discussion.

 

Well, passions ran a little high on the 'prime v modern zoom'. Personally as a laid back armature photographer, not wishing to prove anything to anyone except ones self, and, who fits photography around my life and other interests, I sit firmly in the modern zoom camp.

 

'Ultra wide overload', discussion was a little more measured. As one who has recently purchased a Siggy 10-20HSM, I read with interest. The perceived limitations of WA lenses, on a personal front, I love the WA perspective, but already, on occasions, am finding I miss the convenience of the universal zoom, because of 'my life style and other interests'.

 

What I'm now considering is, the new Tamron 18-270VR lens, which has rocked the photography world a little . . . so indicates the media. This to replace my Nikon 18-200VR as my standard walk about. Or to look for something a little less stretched 18-130'ish with possible improvements in image . . . but they say the Tamron is special on image??

 

Not unhappy with the 10-20, but am finding carting three lenses and a camera body is heavy . . . for me that is, on a long walk about.

 

Subjects for discussion . . .

 

SW

[Sutton Warrior]

To ad a little more, an interesting point that came from the other site. In the days of film, 24mm was considered 'very wide', and 28/30mm or more was the choice of landscape gurus at the time. Wider lenses were into the weird world of freaky distortions and fish-eye? These days 10/12mm is the norm = 15/18mm at 1.5 crop. Technology is such that distortions are very low, even so what the hell, we have photoshop!

 

The above then throws up the question of the over use of sky in 'landscapes'? How the eye sees, and the eye/brain capability to produce 'panorama view'? peripheral vision was also mentioned?

 

Certainly, I'm looking at how much 'WA' do I actually need?

 

SW

Edited March 11, 2009 by Sutton Warrior