If you only had one prime lens for all occassions . . .

<p>If you had only one lens, you wouldn't need a DSLR. Buy one of those high priced Fugi gizmos.</p>

I'm like Nathan and Peter - for me the

one prime would be the 500mm f/4 IS.

>>> It's about sharing.<P>

 

>>> I didn't ask the question for advice or 'usefulness' but just out of interest.<P>

 

That says a lot... Being a <i>photography</i> forum, one would think sharing actual photographs taken

would be of more interest.<P>

 

Next not useful topic of interest: <I>How long is your camera strap</i>?

<p>i primarily shoot on the street.People, urban landscapes, street posters(the more worn the better). My lens is almost always a 50mm Summicron collapsible, on a well worn M3. It is such a pleasure compared to when I shot fashion and PJ, with a Nikon System. The small body, the lens collapsed easily fits under jackets, coats whatever.<br>

Zooms are so heavy, lack contrast and sharpness i desire, and without a primary length, or having a variable angle of view, cause me, to get weaker shots. The point about low contrast really significant since the Summicron is low contrast already! Most zooms have terrible distortion. Some are correctable in "Photoshop". I prefer things to be right first time round.<br>

A truly small unit, a spare roll and I'm ready to roll.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>How long is your camera strap</em>?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Even funnier!</p>

<p>WW</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"Being a <em>photography</em> forum, one would think sharing actual photographs taken would be of more interest."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Why I chose the 35/1.4 as my answer:</p>

<p>Apart from being a fantabulous lens for taking portraits; and working indoors in low light; and a lens I know really well, such that I can use it shooting from the hip or over my head. . .</p>

<p>A good 35mm lens on 135 format camera, for me, has a picture postcard view of the world and it makes a crappy Winter’s day that little bit more enjoyable:</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/11906732-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="486" /></p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>i apologize, not realizing it was the EOS forum.My comments meant as no disservice to your systems.<br>

It's important to state though why a certain lens or lenses is chosen. The end product always an image!</p>

<p>A pin-hole</p>

<p>This Photography website. . . . however, this is the *Canon EOS forum*. This IS the place for Canon gearhead questions and dreaming about Canon equipment.</p>

40mm for me.

<blockquote>

<p>Next not useful topic of interest: <em>How long is your camera strap</em>?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Lately I've been feeling uninspired. I think I need to buy a new strap. Is it better to buy a longer strap or a wider one with more padding? Which one will make my photos 'pop'?</p>

<p>Follow up question: <em>If you could take only one strap to a desert island...</em></p>

<p>It occurred to me that the cause of the angst in this discussion is perhaps not the "prime" itself, but the "for all occasions" part of the original question.</p>

<p>Given that "all occasions" covers so much ground, it seems pretty nearly impossible to imagine that a single prime lens would be the best choice for trying to deal with that range of subject and shooting diversity. (Imagine one prime of shooting sports, your vacation, portraits, wildlife, fashion, portraits, street, etc.)</p>

<p>Perhaps a more useful question might be something like: "I'd like to try shooting with a single prime. What focal length might cover the widest range of uses?"</p>

<p>Dan,</p>

<p>who understands that even that is not a question with an objective "best" answer and who understands that factors such as sensor format, preferred method and subjects of shooting, etc. would also make a big difference.</p>

>>> Lately I've been feeling uninspired. I think I need to buy a new strap. Is it better to buy a longer strap

or a wider one with more padding? Which one will make my photos 'pop'?

 

 

Strap width. Don't get me going down that rabbit hole... Right now I'm sweating fabric denier ratings used

in camera bags.

 

My Maxpedition bags are 1,050-Denier, but am having serious doubts it's studly enough for all-condition

shooting. Is there a suitable 2,000-Denier ballistic nylon out there that's impervious to the elements, yet

still has a reasonable hand? Fabric abrasion marks on my 35mm f/1.4 L would really get me steamed.

<p>Agreed with a previous post: I'd like to try a prime 35 (though 2, not 1.4). </p>

<p>The above suggestion is interesting: which prime would provide the most opportunities over a wide range of situations (not necessarily ALL situations). </p>

<p>I'm continuing to play with the 50 1.8 and find it--so far--to be very flexible over a wide range of shooting circumstances.</p>

<p>Can't tell for sure if you guys are joking about the camera strap, but I'll say that for a while I've been using only a handstrap on the camera, plus a small camera bag. With the 50 1.8, however, I've switched back to a camera strap so I can ditch the bag. </p>

<p>See--it does matter!</p>

<p>I'd probably pick a variable focal length prime lens such as Canon's 24-70 or even 28-300.</p>

<p>Oh, did you mean fixed focal length?</p>

<p>If I only had one prime lens for all occasions I'd sell my DSLR.</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim. </p>

35 mm f 1.4 Samyang Manual is working great for me. I miss auto focus in panic situations but man is it ever tack sharp,

good tonality, good bokeh. Otherwise my Canon EF 85mm f 1.8

<p>John S., don't you miss automatic control of aperture?</p>

<p>I have a couple of old manual focus lenses (a vivitar 35mm 2.8 and no name 28 2.8) with adapters that I've experimented with on my 5D. Aside from exposure not being all that reliable, I found the manual aperture control (functionally of the old stop-down metering variety) difficult to use, unless wide open. I'd also be interested in others' experiences with the newer manual aperture lenses. </p>

<p>jason gold - your answer made perfect sense since you actually tried to answer the question. Apparently this forum caters only to photographers who need at least six lenses to walk out the door. Others who had no answer for the question attack the question. It's too bad seeing the EOS forum stoop to the level things have gotten in this thread.</p>

>>> Others who had no answer for the question attack the question.

 

Who had no answer to the question?

<p>28 1.8 on Canon 5D2. </p>

I've used MF and LF systems that were all prime all the time. Two primes can cover a lot of territory, but being restricted to one is a

serious constraint. (Fans of the nifty fifty may not agree.)

 

My answer recommended two primes, a wide angle and a tele/macro. Sorry if that equates to a corrupted forum in the minds of some

folks. I did my best to give a thoughtful response to the question. The strap sidebar was just for fun.

<p>Dan S.,</p>

<p>The suggestion for two primes is interesting. It reminded me of a National Geographic photographer from the 70's and 80's (and perhaps 90's) whose name I can't for the life of me remember. He shot with a Leica, and I recall reading that his standard setup included only a 28mm and 90mm. </p>

<p>That would make an interesting question. Perhaps I'll ask it sometime. </p>

<p>Dunno...</p>

<p>If you could shoot with only one shutter speed, which would it be?<br /> ... or shoot with only one ISO, or only one film<br /> ... or shoot with only one aperture value<br>

... or only shoot one subject</p>

<p>If your camera were permanently affixed to a cement wall on some street corner, which street corner would you choose, and which direction would you want the camera to point?</p>

<p>Strange question.</p>