[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >For my first quarter century of serious photography, I never owned a zoom. A >few years >ago I bought a Pentax K 80-20/4.5 for a special project that required a locked >off camera >and numerous shots at varying focal lengths. I found that lens quite >satisfactory at most >focal lengths, but no match for my primes. When I bought my second D, I >decided to take >advantage of the rebate offer on the DA 16-45, since the widest prime I owned >was a 24. >I found it to be a very good performer, and used it for a number of paying >jobs. When I >had to complete a job that required room interior shots, I needed something >even wider, >so I purchased the widest Pentax rectilinear lens available -- the DA 12-24. I >have found >it to be even better. I'm extremely pleased with its performance, as is my >client.
I used zooms somewhat reluctantly for years. Then I got the FA*80-200 and lo, my eyes were opened ;-) If you stick with *really good* zooms the only penalty you'll pay is in size and weight (of any one lens - even a big zoom is lighter than all the primes it would replace). I have only 4 zooms: Pentax FA*28-70/2.8 Pentax FA*80-200/2.8 Tamron 17-35/2.8-4 Vivitar 70-120/2.8-4 Series 1 I really prefer shooting with primes for my own stuff, but when I'm doing a job I almost always go with zooms because of the speed and versatility they offer with fewer lens changes.
