I wrote: > Bill Owens wrote: > > > How come no one has suggested a 70-210 zoom? They can often > > be had for > > > $100.00 or less, even a Vivitar Series 1. > > William Robb wrote: > > Zooms don't teach visual discipline. > > I disagree. I think they do exactly that. > (You've got to learn in which direction to turn the zooming ring > first, though...:) ) > > Lasse
Boy, is this pathetic, or not, responding to one's own messages... However, since Sask Bill obviously is too content this Sunday to pick up on my bait, I guess I will have to expand a little, without provocation, on this old issue on whether zooms are essentially good for "learning to see" (or in whatever way you want to phrase the question). My impression was that a majority(?) of those expressing an opinion in earlier discussions agreed that zooms were bad in that they'd promote some sort of visual sloppiness, or something similar. I guess it mainly depends on who you are, and mostly on what type of shooting you do (like in different forks for different folks, or how the saying goes). However, personally I distinctly remember how getting hold of a zoom lens actually triggered a whole new way and awareness regarding framing and composition, that shooting with just one fixed lens for some reason had inhibited me from. I couldn't seem to stop zooming in and out, looking at different subjects at different focal lengths (of the zoom) etc. It also seems, that when now approaching a scene with a zoom, judging what focal length to use comes so automatically or instinctively that I am often not aware of even having thought about it until I've shot the picture. My feeling is too, that using zoom lenses, in my kind of shooting, simply gives me a greatly higher number of good or desired shots, than when I'm stuck with just one fixed lens, where I often find myself thinking - Oh well, another shot missed. (Speaking, of course, about scenes that cannot be recreated.) Having said this, I still at times very much enjoy shooting with a fixed focal length too, although I am exactly sure why, really... But honestly - "discipline"? And a visual one at that? Doesn't sound much fun at all... :) (But o.k., I don't need to put that much into it.) Lasse - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
