I've used my own tools to evaluate lens/focal length usage since 2003, based on extracting the information from the EXIF data in my files with tools like EXIFtool.
It's one of the reasons why "normal zooms" ... eg: 16-50, 14-50, 18-55, etc ... simply don't appeal to me at all. I tend to use normal to wide normal (30-35 on Pentax DSLR), about 20mm and the longest value. Depending on time and interest, I'll use one of those three settings 80% of the time, and one of the others most of the rest. It is much more valuable for me to have three primes to cover the range: the savings in weight, the additional speed and performance, greatly outbalance the convenience of the zoom. Zooms work best for me in the ultra-wide range (12-24 mm on Pentax) and in the tele to long-tele range as I don't use those FOVs as often and the zooms' convenience and "several lenses in one" price/performance benefit are good, presuming the zoom has the quality I will be satisfied with. A Pentax lens kit that works well, for me, is the 14/2.8 or 12-24/4, 21/3.2 Ltd, 43/1.9 Ltd, and 50-135/2.8. Focal lengths beyond 135mm I use only rarely, so I'm either looking for something inexpensive that does well or a rental when needed. Similarly, my FourThirds primary kit is the 11-22/2.8-3.5, 25/1.4, 35/3.5 Macro, 50/2 Macro and 70/2.8 (50 Macro plus EC14 teleconverter). I have a Pentax 135/3.5 that I use occasionally, I'll rent the 150/2 when needed for speed and quality. -- Godfrey godfreydigiorgi.posterous.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
