Bill you obviously feel strongly about this. Can you learn better with a 50mm? Maybe. I don't see why? Maybe the argument is that you can learn to see better with a prime lens rather than a zoom. I'm not sure about that either. I know the old school of thought certainly pushes this concept. But things have changed. I think the best way to study light is to use your eyes. You don't even need a camera or a lens. It's not worth worrying about. Some Students will benefit from the simplicity of a 50 mm lens. Others will flourish with the versatility of a zoom lens. There's no easy answers here. Vic
In a message dated 5/14/02 1:07:24 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: <<The whole friggin point isn't about whether the zoom is a better compositional tool or not. It's not about composition at all. It's about learning how to see what light does when it hits an object, how that gets translated into an image. This is best learned with a 50mm lens (if we are using the 35mm format as an example). It matches (more or less) the field of view of the human eye, and consequently, produces a picture with a perspective we can immediately relate to. The idea is to learn one thing at a time, and learn it well. First, learn what light does, that controls everything else. Composition is secondary to this, as compositional needs will change depending on the angle of light hitting the object. Not my fault a bunch of idiots think this is bullshit. People that have this figured out are better photographers. Look back at the subject line. The word "Student" should say something about where I am coming from. You can learn what I am talking about with any lens, it doesn't matter if you use a zoom, or a friggin fisheye. You will learn it faster, and better with a standard focal length prime lens, one that doesn't allow you to cheat, just because you want the instant gratification of easy composition. Some of this stuff is work. Now, back to my rock. Thanks Bill>> - 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 .
