Hi! BR> I think that it is something like practicing scales on a musical BR> instrument: it's an exercise to make you better, and not an end in BR> itself.
BR> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> >>Bruce, would forcing a zoom owner to use a prime lens, say 50 mm, for >>say 2 months, say forcing them to shoot, say one film a week, would >>help zoom owner improve? >> >> I know virtually zilch about music, but I agree with the second part - "it's an exercise to make you better, and not an end in itself". I have both zooms and primes. I know for sure that my head really works (though you cannot hear the gears moving <grin>) when I am out with a single prime attached to one of the cameras that I have. When I am out with zoom lens, two things are happening that I think are bad for me: 1. I am using exclusively ends of the zoom range. So in a sense, if I had two primes with these focal lengths, I need not have a zoom. Especially true for 28-135, since I have 35 and 135 mm primes. Though of course 35 mm is narrower than 28. 2. I am snap-shooting. I point my camera to whatever I think I like, I zoom in/out and I shoot. All my attempts to force me to choose one focal length of a zoom lens and pretend it is a prime, failed miserably. Ultimately, I think that for a student of photography, not a well defined maestro, primes are a good way to develop. OTOH zoom lenses can be a good way to start into photography. They allow you to try various things and decide which attracts you more. Then you could try to explore whatever you liked with zoom lens and start growing as a photographer. The first time my Sigma zoom was put onto the shelf for a long period of time was three of four months after I got my initial kit. I keep my zooms for those hopefully rare occasions when I would know in advance only zoom could do. By the way I am glad in a sense that William Robb (who happens to be a photo teacher) agreed with my previous thoughts on the subject. One more by the way - the PUG is coming... I made my submission already <he he>. --- Boris Liberman www.geocities.com/dunno57
