The best thing about prime lenses
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
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Today I'm talking prime lenses for landscape photography, and what I think is the best reason to use them. It's not sharpness, and it's not weight... And you also don't actually need a prime lens to benefit from it...
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Sorry to everyone who had to watch lots of ads through this. I forgot to turn off the mid-roll ones that make UA-cam unwatchable. Fixed now, and busy trying to fix the scam comment replies! No active giveaways at the moment, so it’s not me! Thanks for watching 😃
Don't sweat it, I simply use that time to edit some photos 😎 (poorly)
I really don't mind the ads. I am happy to help support the channel.
It's so nice to see someone doing intimate landscape work instead of just epic or grand landscapes. Finding a compelling composition often involves reducing the number of focus points and leading lines, not seeing how many you can cram into one epic image.
You didn't mention the primary reason that I like primes and have for decades: low flare and low chromatic aberration. This combination of sharpness and low flare produces very rich textures, subtle colors, and deep shadows that still retain detail. More subtly, these lenses also tolerate much stronger lighting contrasts. Even ten years ago we were all told repeatedly that trying to take photographs at midday or with a clear sky was a clear mark of an unskilled amateur.
Ten years ago, I had some high quality zoom lenses for a Canon DSLR. Sorry, I don't remember the exact models. Right now, for other than wildlife I use the new Sony GM primes: 35mm, 50mm, and 135mm. The differences compared to a decade ago have been for me astounding and very liberating. I find, to my surprise, that the lens most often on my camera is the 135mm, although I find the 35 and the 50mm lenses very useful as well.
So, should everyone buy prime lenses? As a trained scientist, I look for confounding variables. From what I hear, design and manufacturing of lenses has changed greatly in the past decade, especially in the past few years. So, is it because the lenses are primes or is it because they are of much more recent design? Frankly, I don't have the money or time to do a proper test. I do suspect that Sony, Canon, and Nikon all have access to the same advances in lens-making technology.
I think that your mini-tutorial at the kissing gate is a good illustration of the advantages of low flare and sharpness. You show the same scene through a 35mm Sony GM prime and a GoPro lens of presumably much lower quality. Despite the fact that the ambient light is completely flat, the shadows in the deep woods compared to the brighter light on the vines on the trees makes for a lot of inherent contrast. Even on UA-cam you can see that the GoPro shadows are comparatively muddy and indistinct, as are the colors and highlights in the vines on the trees and the flowers near the path.
Nothing wrong with primes, I cherish them, too, both for their rendering and the reason you're highlighting. The danger of compositional laziness coming with zooms, however, can be mitigated if you accustom yourself to using them essentially as a stack of primes, with the bonus of not having to change lenses.
Very good point considering them as a stack of primes.
There was a lens, I believe Leica, that had 3 particular focal lengths obtained by extending to detents. It literally was a stack of primes.
Yes… A stack of primes… that’s exactly my thought process when using zooms
I feel like this is a “classic” James Popsys video, like the ones I first started enjoying from a few years ago. Really enjoyed it 👍🏼😁
The thing about lanes like that (for me, anyway) is the dichotomy between the peace and quiet now and the fact that at one point in time, there was a team of guys with big equipment laying that asphalt. And long, long before them there was a farmer whose very life depended on being successful at farming or raising sheep who laid those stone walls by himself, by hand out in the middle of nowhere.
The stone walls are what get me--the isolated areas that they sometimes run through that was so crucial to people so long ago.
I thought something very similar (and apparently 8 others did, too)!
I think a lot of it depends on genre. As a wildlife photographer, I think zooms are a must. Quite often I have minimal to no time to adjust camera settings, not to mention lenses. :-) Prime can be a fun exercise just to see how creative you can get with it, but normally need to be able to zoom.
Field practically in certain ways demands maximum flexibility in certain applications. Yours is a good example.
Ideally, I’d love a 600mm prime and a second body with a 150-600mm or something similar. It’s often in low light and the extra light gathering from a prime can be helpful. Pity about the price though. 12-14k is more than I can justify for a hobby.
Can confirm at least for myself. I do street and portrait stuff often enough that I know I don't need a zoom for how I shoot and I prefer a prime if given the option. I can't imagine doing wildlife without a zoom if you're not sure exactly what you're shooting and how far away as soon as you go out the door.
Good point!
I guess it depends on what you're shooting, but big, fast primes are very popular for wildlife. Also, knowing how to rapidly adjust shutter and aperature are pretty key for fast moving wildlife.
I loved this video! In particular, you talking through key elements of your composition thought process and showing it in real-time. Every time you do that in one of your videos I pick up something interesting to consider and it has helped me a lot so thank you :)
It was very nice of you to include your thought processes when considering the scene and composition. A lot to take from it, thanks ❤
The sounds of the birds is beautiful, this is how my garden sounds in the morning, and I live in Wales
Love your videos. You carry humility but also clearly know what you are talking about. Just one thing I thought, would’ve been nice to see all 4 of the gate frames you took in a single shot for easy comparison for us aspiring viewers. Keep up the awesome work. You’ve inspired me to get my camera out again!
James, thanks for a lovely calming video to watch on a Sunday morning. I love primes for the reasons you mentioned, especially the 35 and 50mm. They help me look for and hopefully ‘see’ a good composition. And I love the process of looking and actually taking the shot. I found that using manual focus lenses engages me more in the process and gives me much more satisfaction when I get it right. I’m trying hard not to take quick snaps but to take my time to enjoy it to the maximum. Incidentally I love that shirt you were wearing. Can I be cheeky and ask what make please?
I agree to a point. Limited to one focal length forces the photographer to be more inventive and compose very carefully.
Love your thought process. Love the images. I'm jealous of your "lanes" They look like something from a fairy tale. But mostly love the tenor of the whole video. You out did yourself sir.
Just want you to know that of all the Photography channels I subscribe to yours is the one I watch consistently. I always feel like I’m out taking photos with you and not a video at all. 👍
Love primes. Recently built up a full focal range with vintage primes. Some for video others for photography (Nikon) and it was really changed my photography. Going for a walk with just a 35 or 85 you see such different things. It's awesome
Same as you, James, I love routes, roads and pathways. They catch my gaze, draw me down and into the scene. Good video explaining your composition choices! 😃👍
Great stuff James! Loved the countryside feel with all the shots & the depth you created with F1.8. Hope you had a good nap 👍
Those were some gorgeous photos. A really nice video. Thanks.
Appreciate the reminder -- I have one zoom and two primes to cover a range. Having recently gone back to dedicated camera/lenses vs. a smartphone (ease of use, "good enough"), the zoom tends to stay on the camera most of the time, but I like that idea to restrict yourself to one focal length. Beautiful images as always, James! 🤗
really enjoyed those photographs. interesting video James.
Beautiful comps from everyday scenes many of us would simply stroll past. Nicely done. Thank you.
Those were really great shots! I love you walking through what you see in the shot and how you’re composing it.
I love that primes force you away from your typical shooting and make you improvise. I like the results
Great video James and your images are indeed very atmospheric. Really enjoy listening to your thought process when composing shots.
The three stacked photos look gorgeous together
My Sigma 35mm f1.4 is my favorite lens I own, something about 35mm just agrees with me. Great shots as usual man. Keep up the great work.
same
That is definitely a lovely morning out James, great stuff and great advice on using primes or one focal length, really helps with getting your mind into the game and not just your camera!
I have a thing about paths and roads. It’s probably a lazy way of finding a leading line but I’m always happy with a good shot of a road.
Great video, mate! I only shoot primes myself, and love it!
Thanks so much for this! I'm more of an editor myself but getting in to cameras more and more and videos like this really help! Cheers mate!
Hey JP, its not a sin to break, pick-away a leaf or two, to enhancing your composition. This movie was useful, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
My main landscape lens is a 24-105mm but I find the majority of my images with it are shot at 45-55mm. I do tend to walk around a lot to frame a composition, so I guess it's natural to shoot at focal lengths closer to how my eyes see.
I have fascination with taking pictures of the roots of fallen trees. When possible, I zoom with my feet, but I am so happy to have a zoom wth me when a picture might otherwise risk my life. :)
Agree with you on that last image, very atmospheric 👌
Honestly as a student I nearly always shoot at one focal length… 80mm (50mm prime on a cropped sensor) mostly because i don’t have the money for different primes. However I absolutely love shooting at 80mm and some of my favourite photos ever have been with that simple set up. It’s the lens that’s always on my camera
That gate picture was incredible man!
I have always used primes and agree 💯%
To zoom you change the focal length and to recompose you move the camera. You can´t do it the other way around by zooming with your feet. That´s impossible.
That´s why I hate the concept "zoom with your feet".
However, the zoom feature may be a disturbence to many new photographers while working on the composition. Eliminating the zoom feature by mounting a prime lense is a good way to force yourself to work only on the composition in peace.
That´s why I love the concept "zoom with your feet".
This is a very good video on the topic. Thanks for sharing James.
I spent a summer term in Wales and as I remember you didn’t have wait too long for the next rain shower. Great country for photography even if it did rain too much.
Thanks for the video.
In addition to digital cameras, I also shoot medium format and large format film cameras which do not have a large selection of zoom lenses.
Thanks James, Love the narratives here and the thought processes that go into each shot. There is something magical about paths and roadways. Lucky also that you seem to have so many beautiful walls and gates in Wales. I think I'm a bit jealous.
Nice, thanks for sharing. Yes, I know the benefits of primes. Certainly with say a Sony A7R-IV having 61 megapixels, you can crop in post without losing to much usable resolution. I do wonder how did you pack your bag and prepare your trip. Did you choose the 35mm before and how many times did you switch lenses ?
I did an entire holiday in Canada once with only a 50mm f/1.4 while having zoom lenses available, back in the film days.
Now I have a 24-105 and 100-400 lens that I use for everything. It saves weight and volume in my backpack during (uphill) hiking. Add a tripod, drone+remote, spare batteries&powerbank, spare clothing, food, drink and you probably know what I'm talking about...
A 35mm Lens is a great Prime Lens for many situations, though I do not like the size and weight of the Sony 35mm 1.4 GM and I do neither need aperture 1.4 or autofocus, so I have the excellent Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which are at least as good as the Sony, just much more compact, light and solid built. Prime Lenses rule ! I have got Sony 14mm 1.8 GM, Sony 24mm 1.4 GM, Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical, Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm 1.8, Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm 2.0 and Sony 135mm 1.8 GM, I like the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar Lenses much more than the Sony GM Lenses !!! My Cameras are Sony A7RIV and Sony A7RIVA.
It is fun shooting primes. It seems like whenever I'm enjoying a prime only shoot I get distracted by birds and want a telephoto lens and vice versa😂
If you can get close to wildlife, the Sony GM 135mm prime can take some excellent photos. The 135mm lens is so sharp that it often even works nicely as a macro lens.
@@stuartschaffner9744 Sounds like a great lens!
Great video as always! It would be really interesting if you could attach a little tag with the camera settings on each image that you frame, just showing aperture, iso and shutter speed for us newbies learning it would be super useful to understand your thinking behind each!
Another interesting video James, thanks for sharing. With any luck you and Nigel will be out shooting together when he is up and about
The kissing gate bit really is a fantastic demonstration of how you work with a prime lens and what kind of thought you actually put in a picture, well done.
I've been abusing my two Fuji primes these days, the 16mm F1.4 and the 50mm F2. Really does wonder to one's understanding of composition and focal lenght I think!
Love the ‘kissing gate’ photos….😘📸😎
Yep, the lanes at this time of the year are a pure delight, especially when they are lined with Cow Parsley, which takes on a very attractive, warm "glow" in the evening.......
Good point about prime's, good work
awsome shotz!! nice as always!! 😁 makes me wanna defy the rain and go shot in THE forrest.
I have really enjoyed watching this video, it was very atmospheric. Back in your studio you were commenting about compression. I don't think I really understand what that is and wonder if all my photos suffer from it 🤔
I love your video in video perspective. That is really really clever.
Love those shots, I think your edits on them are absolutely perfect! It can be very hard to edit shots like that, with so much green in them sometimes.
Loved it! I agree about rustic lane ways etc… cottages are too if they were built pre the age of characterless buildings
I love your road photos ... they tell such a story! Woods are such hard work ... unless you're Simon Baxter of course! 😁
Awesome video ! Will be looking out the old primes this weekend .
I like your point about roads, especially curves. Leaves you thinking: what is around that corner?
Video has influenced lens choice. Few still photographers demanded wide angle, wide aperture lenses previously. Now subject separation for arms-length vlogging has created a desire for such optics. How useful they are for still photography is debateable, given their size and price over smaller aperture equivalents.
Zooms have closed the gap down considerably over the years. I grew up with a 28,50,135 on my Pentax k1000. I own a plethora of lenses but I always gravitate to a 24, 50, 135 trio for most things.
My dad's Pentax K1000, which I learned on, had a similar selection - Pentax 28mm and 50mm lenses and a third party 150mm lenses. I realise I really gravitate to a 50mm focal length even with zoom lenses! Just seems right for many things.
There's something to be said about just going out in nature with only a prime lens. Looks like a cozy little adventure and you managed to take some real bangers too.
Great video, as usual!
Yeah, primes will teach you. I agree. I currently use only primes on my Fuji X kit but I bring four of them because they are so tiny. (16, 23, 35 and 50mm, the smaller ones.) Those four combined are only 50g more than the 16-55mm 2.8 zoom alone. That way I always have a small system in hand while still retaining the option to change focal length. But I would have to change lenses and ... I'm lazy. So I only switch when I really need to. Also I get away with 49mm filters, which is nice. (step-up rings on everything but the 16mm, don't use hoods)
I have the 28-60mm compact lens for traveling and I have some of my favourite photos with it but most of the time I have 50mm on because I just enjoy using it more. It just makes me think more
I like the old iron gate. I'd probably be doing some closer shots of the gate, studying it's shape and texture.
Jump up off my sofa for some wet leaf photos outside my front door, at 18mm 😁… and my son playing with green slime and Lego technic during half term… 40 & 135 Batis are my other 2 lens. I like the fact these 3 lens encourage me to have very different compositions when using each of them
As a former music photographer, where everybody else had 24-70 and 70-200 lenses, I was the only one shooting with 2, sometimes 3 primes, for the exact same reason you said, forcing you to move around and find better angles and compositions, and to think more on how to shoot a photo.
Another advantage, is if you shoot with a zoom lens at f/2.8, you are at full aperture where normally lenses are at their "worst" quality, where with a fixed lens, I can shoot at f/2, or even at f/2.8, and I already stopped down and got closer to peak performance for that lens (if you are starting from something like an f/1.4 lens).
Great video as always. But I have one equipment question. What is the clip that you use to hold the camera to the backpack strap ?
For filming videos, I use primes as kind of specialty tools. So I am using a Sony FS5 with a 24 - 105 f4 Canon lens which is really flexible for quick shooting. But If I need a really wide angle lens or an interview shot with more background separation, I like to use a 12mm f2 or a 30mm 1,4
Moved from Nikon FF to Fuji APS-C and gave up my zooms in the process. I have the Fujicrons and two cheap zooms, one of which I have never used. The other is a 50-230mm that I only use at grandson's soccer games. For everything else it's a prime lens. I love shooting at a fixed focal length but it still feels uncomfortable to not have a zoom with me. I relied heavily on zooms on my Nikon and only used primes for portraits or other special occasions. Quite a change, but I find I get better photos using a prime, perhaps because it truly does take time to get it right and you have to make it look right with the focal length you have with you.
Love that shot at 3:30. Nice composition. I rarely took photos without subject/person. Guess I need to go on a walk more..
Even with a zoom lens I find myself walking around a lot instead of zooming in or out. The latter would change the field of view and perspective and often I can‘t achieve the look I want. Also, with my zooms (18-55 and 70-300 on APS-C) I tend to use the ends quite often, especially 300 mm. It really depends on the situation. Some people here are mentioning wildlife photography, that‘s where zooms shine for me, and also family stuff or weddings where lens changes take too much time.
I was sceptical at first about your love of lanes, but the last great shot clinched it. I'm still not convinced about the use of primes. I love the flexibility my two zooms give me. Plus it's less to carry around and they are almost too sharp anyway!
Thank you James, this was a really informative video (not that your others arent) - It was great to see the POV from the camera when shooting that gate... I certainly need to shoot more with my prime lenses, I love them when they're in use, but too lazy on too many occasions to use them
Great episode
There is more to a lens than sharpness. In fact many famous photos in the past were not particularly sharp, especially in the corners. The latter you may choose to cover when adding vignetting. Colour rendition, aperture availability, colour rendition, distortion, image integrity… Perhaps this video should have been titled Composition of autumn country lanes in England?
Fantastic video as always! I agree, I love a good zoom, but i feel more accomplished when i get a great composition with a prime.
Because a prime makes you work a bit more.
Great video and loved your thoughts on the landscape versus portrait perspectives of the shot with the gate. I thought the landscape version was the "keeper."
I think I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely love photographing pathways.. almost to the point of being obsessed with them! So this type of photography really appeals to me. By the way, it's not the baby monitor that wouldn't shut up, it's the baby! 😁
Modern top-shelf zooms are mind-blowing compared to older ones, but primes definitely have a margin over zooms.
The discussion when taking the picture at the gate was very interesting, thanks. I loved the vertical. I'm too much of a coward to use just one focal length: FOMO. It would drive me crazy to have left the focal length I wanted to use at home! My camera backpack always has the FF equivalent of 16-800, thanks to the G9. BTW, I thought the term was "pixel badger" not "pixel peeping"? Cheers.
Really nice shots in this video. Agree that man made things can add to the image for this type of shots (many others too). Liked the last road with the grass/leaves in the middle a lot while the gates wasn't pretty enough (maybe old enough) for my taste.
Cow Parsley. Not big enough for Hogweed. Nice video as ever James. Love the challenge of a single focal length.
Funny enough, I dug my plastic cheapo 50mm f1.8 last weekend whilst taking me dog for a stroll and ended up with some crackin flower shots, normally I’m a 15mm landscaper shooter, nice video fella. Cheers
Love my primes
Need my zooms
😁
Primes slow down my photography and makes me think much more about the shot. So yup 100%
For me, ditto my tripod
@@cyclist68 yeh I can see that too although I’m with James as I dislike tripods 🤷🏻♂️
I only have primes and agree with everything you said.
Great shots man, really enjoyed this. Been sticking with 35mm this last couple of weeks primarily, nothing like the smell of wild garlic in the morning 👍
Yet another wonderfully informative video! Cheers for that, James! I've been thinking about getting another prime lens lately. I've already got a 24mm and 50mm as well as a 100mm macro. I see you were using your 35mm for this video. Do you have/use other prime focal lengths? Do you have a favorite? I really need to work on "zooming with my feet" and don't have nearly enough discipline to limit myself to a fixed focal length on one of my zoom lenses. So, the hunt is on!
That was a nice walkabout.
zooms offer easier composition - especially these Nikon R mounts ... aka Z lenses ... for example the z 24-70 f2.8 is as sharp as primes at any focal length. Personally, I think a prime like a 600mm is just too restrictive unless you're using a big megapixel camera that you can crop on. my 5cts worth.
This is a nice video, but BUT now I've got to go get a prime now ! I do have the z MC 105mm macro, which is pretty good for those scenes too Hmmmmm
Living in Britain, it's good you like these conditions :)
Nice intimate photos down those narrow country lanes James.
The best prime lenses compared to the best zoom lenses will have better low light capabilities when shooting wide open due the wider aperture at low ISO. You can also get better landscape astrophotography images for that reason. Even less expensive prime lenses compared to roughly the same price point zoom lenses will likely produce images at low light, low ISO photos. I guess it all depends on how large you want your camera bag to be and how long you intend to be out and whether you're shooting at night and day time during that one session. If you want to have all your lenses with you and you're not trekking far off the beaten path you can have your zooms and primes with you in a large bag and not worry about the weight. If you're shooting semi-deep sky astrophotography with a star tracker a telephoto prime, with as wide an aperture as possible is a good bet, if it's capturing the entire Milky Way, then a 14mm or 24MM F1.8 or F1.4 is your best bet. If you're doing daytime landscape, urban or flowering plant photography, then something in the 35 - 85mm range is likely your best bet. But buy used or whatever you can afford first and foremost. This is all my take on things of course and my examples stretch beyond the examples James used in this video.
You took a photo of the post office red box but did you take a photo of that bench with the plants about to overtake it? Nature overtaking human-made objects are awesome.
Sunsets are nice but I’ve shot them a million times. Trying to balance the exposure with bracketed shots or filters is tedious. I often won’t bother any more unless the sky is spectacular.
The kissing gate was my fav 👍
Thanks, a good discussion for a saturday morning. :)
The main advantage of primes for me is not the sharpness. I actually prefer older primes that are less sharp, but their tone rendering is the best, due to their low element count. I just can't find the tones and colours I get from my very old nikon lenses in anything else, and that's why I'm hesitant to ever switch to a zoom lens.
I really like the images of the bluebells with/without the gate. Are these gonna be available as a print?
curious how you evaluate your gravel bike against your old mountain bike for outdoor photography use - can you share your thoughts about it?
For me, zooms are for work and primes are for taking photos :-)
The last bit at the “kissing gate” was more of an in-plane lateral/vertical adjustment exercise than distance tweaking for the fixed angle of view. It was still very good. Showed what other considerations might be present when the optimal distance is set.
Great video!
…and you did get a sheep in a photo!