Why do I shoot primes? Well, one poster was in-part correct that a favorite tool becomes ingrained with a person - and I am more effective with the tool I'm comfortable/happy/proficient with. Secondly, if I'm going to carry a tool - I want the highest quality one available for that specific function (focal length); I want the best combination of speed/IQ/size, and though it isn't tiny, the FA*24 is much smaller than any kit zoom, not to mention f2.8 glass. Another reason is the 'zone' one gets in when shooting a prime (this is hard to describe) - the familiarity of the focal length, with enough practice, leaves one to focus on composition and 'see' the shot without even lifting the camera to my eye. Though zooms are much better than they were 30 years ago, they are still large/heavy, don't encourage movement by the photographer, elicit different reactions than a small prime, and don't necessarily achieve the 'max IQ' that a prime like the FA*24 or FA31 can and do. I love shooting with a compact setup and getting the very very best quality possible out of my sensor (hence, why I also shoot RAW exclusively). This isn't an approach that will work for everyone (and it's definitely not the most convenient), but it's what draws me to Pentax, excites me about Leica, and fits my approach to photography (primarily artistic). Despite not being as convenient, there is nothing stopping me from shooting photo-journalistic (news) shots with a K-5 and a setup of lenses covering wide-angle to portrait.
I typically keep the FA*24 hood at home because it's excessively large, easily scratched up, and not really needed for the most part (the FA*24 doesn't have excessive flare). Another shot with the 'Silver Bullet' (in Chicago): http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc130/AMMouse/Pentax%20K100D%20Super/Pentax%20FA24/PK719676a1.jpg -- Andrew Allen Freelance Photographer and Writer www.andrewallenphoto.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.
