Zooms are much easier and quicker to work with at the expense of image quality, weight, and resistance to flare. I hardly ever carry primes these days. Primes are most useful for maximum sharpness on subjects that don’t move, like landscapes. In travel or documentary photography, primes don’t offer enough flexibility and are too slow to work with.
At the moment, my basic travel kit consists of my Canon Rebel XT/350D and 3 lenses: the Canon 10-22mm f3.5-4.5, a 50mm f1.8, and a 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM. The 70-300mm is great for nature photography but for shooting people, it is just a touch too long at the short end, and the maximum aperture isn’t shallow enough for selective focusing. When I don’t need the range, I’ll be substituting both the 50mm and the 70-300mm with the new Sigma 50-150mm f2.8, thus reducing my basic kit to just 2 lenses.
Most people think of wide angles for landscapes and telephotos for portraits. But really, you can use the unique perspectives of each type of lens to your advantage. Telephoto lenses like the Sigma 50-150mm compress the perspective, which makes it a flattering portrait lens. The compression effect is also useful in landscapes, making distant features seem closer together.
Photography is about creativity. The equipment is there to help you achieve your vision. Carry only what you need and be careful about carrying too much equipment. It can get in your way, sap your energy and stifle creativity.
Photos:
Top: Taj Mahal, India, taken with Nikon FM2, 75-150mm lens.
Middle: Desert Sandboarding, United Arab Emirates, taken with Canon 350D, 10-22mm, polarizer, fill flash.
No comments:
Post a Comment