Why Zoom lenses are a Nightmare for photographers...

[@WarKrieg]

I am in a tiny minority that absolutely *haaaaates* the beginner advice to stick to primes at first. I tried that and hated it and immediately bought a zoom lens and finally found JOY in my camera. Zooms are FUN. This is a factor that so much of so-called serious photography advice ignores. I spent my first year of photography running around with a travel zoom capturing all kinds of things near and far and loving every second of it. After a while, I had enough experience to become aware of the limitations of zoom lenses and the advantages of prime lenses and began using and appreciating the latter. We all have cell phones nowadays and when we first buy a "serious" camera, it needs to offer something significantly better for the interest to stick. For me, that was the zoom lens. It made photography a lot more fun than with my cell phone. That's how I fell in love with photography. When people start out, they just want and need to have fun. They don't need artificial limitations for the sake of pedagogy.

[@volodymyrd6132]

That plus as a beginner you get the possibility to try a bunch of different focal lengths and decide what primes to get if you want them later.

[@traceybartlam7737]

Agreed with you!

[@jacklachlangill8935]

Hard agree with this. I started out with the gx80 and it's 24-70mm equivalent kit lens and I immediately went and purchased the 90 - 300mm equivalent zoom for a trip round SE Asia for 3 months. Having access to such a wide range meant that I could take pictures of whatever I wanted and I discovered an absolute love of portrait photography that I never would have got with just a 35mm or even the kit lens by itself. I've since swapped the kit and zoom for a superzoom 28-300 travel lens (which I love) and bought myself small fast primes for speiifc purposes that my superzoom can't quite do justice to - a 40mm for street, a 90mm for portraits, and I'm currently hunting for a wide angle for astro. So yes - get some zoom, have fun, and see what you enjoy shooting at / taking photos of. After that we can look at honing our craft

[@manicfoot]

Couldn't agree more! My zoom lens enables me to think on my feet. If I had a prime I'd have no choice but to move on my feet😅 I haven't tried a prime yet, but I don't see myself giving up the flexibility a zoom lens gives me anytime soon.

[@josefsvitak4313]

Please bear with us, dinosaurs from the last century, whose first camera was a point and shoot and who went to large sensors in search of sharpness and large apertures.

[@SibruOfficial]

James explaining photography concepts through random, seemingly unrelated examples has got to be the best part of these videos!

[@newsigmundfreud3023]

ye ye.

[@MrFcasas]

Just a little tiny observation: a lock with three wheel, each going from 0 to 9, has 1,000 combinations (000 is a combination), and if it has four wheels, then you have 10,000 possible combinations.. On other matters, I love zoom lenses because they allow me to capture details of faraway subjects that I can't get close to.

[@halimrahman]

I was about to comment on this one 🙂 The event space is between 0 and 9, giving you 10 unique random variables that are mutually independent. Each wheel is independent, and each wheel must then exist in its own R+ dimension. Indexing each random variable to an integer, "0" maps to 0, "1" to 1, etc, we can safely assume (although it is already concretely in R) that the probability space lies in the R^3, uniquely for the three wheels probability. Then you can count all the possible events by multiplying the max number of events for wheels 1, 2 and 3 ie 10 x 10 x 10. Then, it is a similar process for any number of wheels. I have a love-hate with zoom lenses and I own only one, the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM and 8 prime lenses. If it is a stage concert (I volunteered several times to take photos during our uni annual party), I prefer the zoom lens as we are not allowed to go onto the stage. But if the events let me get closed and allow me to mingle around, I'd prefer to have Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM almost the entire time. But, I do usually have Sony FE 55mm F1.8 Zeiss the entire time, just in case. Last week I was in Spain for a holiday and I just got Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G that I bought two weeks prior and I just fall in love with this lens. Street photography, group photos at a table in a restaurant, foods on the tables, individual plates, beaches and half-body portraits. It might not be the best, but it works most of the time. Perhaps because it is small and light.

[@arthurkallinen]

I was about to comment this as well. You mean tele lenses. There are Wide&Tele lenses, and Prime("Fixed")/Zoom lenses. Zoom is with variable focal lenght (sometimes also variable apeture at different focals), 24-70mm would be a zoom lens 24mm is wide-end, 70mm is tele-end. 50mm lens is a fixed, considered tele lens. ≤24mm is ultra wide 24-35mm is wide 35-200mm is tele ≥200mm is super tele (These are half my assumptions, some have other definitions as well)

[@j797s25]

him saying "if i got the maths right" when he was wrong was just bait for us to comment and increase engagement and we fell for it.

[@CharlesLockyer]

​@halimrahman this is what I came here for, and didn't watch the rest of the video until I found the right answer 😅

[@jaybee2530]

Indeed, he made the classic "off by one error" software developers know all too well.

[@matthewsparks9005]

Came for the lens discussion, stayed for the far-reaching analogies. Great as always, James.

[@savnac]

FINALLY somebody addresses the problem with “zooming with your feet”. It’s almost never that parallax from “zooming with your feet” won’t ruin a composition you want to simply tighten into without shifting the components of your image. This is where zoom lenses are superior. Prime lenses are great for portability, low light, and intention. Knowing you have a specific focal length on your camera to shoot a certain way (for example, 35mm for environmental subject photography, or 16mm for establishing shots), it allows for less distraction and laziness from just zooming your lens when you may actually want to shift your composition around without realizing it. You can of course do this with zooms too, but you must stay mindful of that before turning the barrel. Also your point in a zoom lens offering a wider variety of options muddying up your workflow is SO relatable. I love how with a prime lens I can just walk away from a scene in little time because I only have so much I can capture, and limitations breed creativity, but with my zoom lenses I tend to stay there so much longer just looking for shots using every focal length printed on that lenses barrel. In conclusion I have yet to decide on wether I want to shoot all zoom or all prime, and for now I have a mix of both because they are apples to oranges indeed. I think your fail-safe mentality with zooms is a great way to use them, and a way I’ll try to use my tiny prime-sized Sigma 18-50mm 2.8 myself.

[@plusgood15]

Calm down

[@savnac]

@@plusgood15 huh?

[@mgegibson]

Fujifilm gang

[@savnac]

@@mgegibson yessiirrrrr

[@remektekmedia6641]

Get a high resolution sensor camera and just crop in during post.

[@banditalley9592]

My own advice about zooms is to leave the camera in the bag. Find your shot with your eyes - decide what you want to include and what orientation, then get the camera out and adjust to zoom to fit your vision. Otherwise I just 'see through the camera' and spend a lot longer fiddling about rather than just deciding what the composition is with my eyes, then using a camera to get it.

[@ThisIsWideAngle]

It's a very good advice, but not exclusive to zooms.

[@johnanthonycolley3803]

Excellent advice 🤗

[@tonyblake8841]

Your birds in flight photos must have a low keeper rate 😂

[@thomasmaughan4798]

@@tonyblake8841 "Your birds in flight photos must have a low keeper rate" You beat me to it.

[@173jaSon371]

Said no wildlife photographer ever haha

[@paul.zothner]

So close. 0-9 has 10 values as zero is its own distinct option, so 999 has 1000 options. I bought my camera with a 28-70mm kit lens and bought a 50mm prime later for the sweet, sweet bokeh. I forced myself to take all my pictures with the 50mm so I can learn the techniques for composition. One of the few times I've felt like a zoom lens would be better for me is when I've taken photos at a crowded event and not been able to move back far enough to get people in frame.

[@DavidinEssexUK]

Thx. You beat me to it.

[@Lucy-dk5cz]

Yes, this is right. We start from 000 not 001

[@MarcelVolker]

And on a related note, the 100-400mm lens would have 301 focal lengths by mm ;)

[@pinatacolada7986]

If you happened to have a suitcase with a 3 digit combination lock that was missing the number zero - there would be 729 possible numbers.

[@mrmicro1416]

There are 10 types of people.... People that get it and people that dont.

[@SilatShooter]

I'm a zoom fan, yes I have primes too but when traveling especially there are times and places I can't 'zoom' with my feet and/or I don't want to encroach on a stranger's space. Not to mention, having multiple focal lengths in my hands and less weight to carry all day is a major convenience. I gave up being a purist with primes and all the snobbery that went with it (at least for me) and have embraced my zooms.

[@reinhard8053]

I think you can easily use both. Find a motive, move as far as possible until it looks good, then use the zoom to get as much as you want on the picture. And additionally maybe zoom a bit out for further changes on clipping or if you need portrait instead of landscape or vice versa. With film it was even more important because most of the time you needed to fill a slide exactly as you wanted it because you nearly couldn't change anything afterwards (especially with a projector). I just tried a new camera (with zoom) in the city and found several motives. I also took a SLR with film and a 50mm. There were lots of motives which just couldn't work because you are limited on position. And even if you can move there often will be other obstacles get in you way.

[@SilatShooter]

@@reinhard8053 agreed completely with you. Obstacles absolutely exist and get in the way of getting closer to your subject. Thus zoom lens...

[@stefanwagener]

As long as you have got only 1 or 2 primes, yes, the choices and decision about focal length is easier than a zoom. But once you got a lot of primes like 24, 28, 35, 50mm your decision process which focal length to take (decide either at home which lens to put in your bag or when carrying all of them around) isn't really much easier but much more cumbersome if you want to check different focal lengths before taking the shot!

[@zeissiez]

Exactly

[@basuramanya]

I love that you say the island had not great photo options and then proceed to take a photo better than anyone I have ever taken. Great video.

[@Hangiinjohnny]

So far. And don’t forget we are our own harshest critic so you may have more gems than you think

[@Lazyparkbench]

I love how James is able to humanize his craft by putting himself in the shoes of a viewer that’s more than likely not as successful as he is. When I watch these videos I feel like a friend is talking to me and not a seasoned veteran (I mean that in the best way possible). Thanks for staying humble James!

[@RonanAquilius]

I think "down to earth" is the term you're looking for :)

[@Lazyparkbench]

@@RonanAquilius ahah well yeah that’d summarize the long version perfectly!

[@Augnos]

Interesting perspective. I’m fighting myself to keep using my 24-70 instead of buying more prime lenses, and I’m only scratching the surface of keeping the zoom at a pre-determined focal length to get the look I want. Thanks!

[@holycaketree]

For me the main reason to have a zoom lens (16-70 f4) is that I sometimes just want to take 1 lens with me without having to compromise on the possible compositions. Sure, I compromise on the aperture compared to my 30mm f1.4 or a 85mm f1.8 but most of the time thats not the main concern. Often my main concern is weight and portability. I dont want to carry an extra backpack just for lenses if I am going for a walk. And always sticking with one prime doenst work forever I believe. At some point you start seeing so many great shots that would benefit from a slightly different focal length.

[@stew_redman]

The Canon 28-70mm f2 has been a game-changer for me. It's attached to my camera 90% of the time, taking the place of a few primes for most use cases.

[@dannymacs]

excuse me, 28-70 f/2? WOW, I had no idea those existed. Not with Nikon it doesn't, sadly

[@jacksong6226]

I use a vivitar 28-75 on my Canon A-1

[@stevemadrid6522]

Yeah, the 28-70 is a beast! Best lens I've ever purchased!

[@AlfieRonin]

as a concert photographer who started off with only a prime lens, it was an absolute ballache of a learning curve and i had to work so much harder than those around me to get 'the' shot. however, i wouldn't have had it anyother way; i learnt some really useful discipline while also developing my eye for composition at (what felt like) an accelerated rate. but with that said, i only ever use a zoom lens now and i love it

[@ethannarrow5209]

How are you able to make money doing that?

[@trekkeruss]

I shoot for one band, and I am not constrained to a pit or three songs. I can shoot entire shows, and from anywhere. That said, I am still bound by the layout of venue and the stage wings (or lack thereof). My most used lens is a 100-400, followed by the first lens I ever bought, a 24-105. Last is a 14-24. I also use 70-200, but the 100-400 has mostly replaced that. I have been wanting to add a prime or two, not for the focal length, but for the stop or three of extra light.

[@DanaPushie]

The One Handed Southpaw Newbie Photographer here James. Love the channel! So very glad your out there. I think I most enjoy your approach to explaining your personal view of photography and your photos of course. Inevitably I come away with a better, deeper understanding of things like: concepts, this gear versus that gear; why do this not that. Love the dialogue. Love the stream of consciousness and your awareness of your surroundings. I'm quite glad I'm a Johnny come lately, because there is so much I want to learn and your a part of my library. My almost daily walks with my camera are now more intentional, focused and enjoyable. I really don't care if anyone ever sees my photos because that is not the point. As they say, It's the journey I'm into. All the best. Regards from Nova Scotia. Thank you for sharing.

[@TooTurntToad]

I feel like i'm listening to a 5 year old tell me a story, and somehow i'm understanding every single bit of it while understanding none of it. Job well done James!

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

The thing I realized when I got a 24-70, is that if I'm not shooting 24 or 70, I'm almost always somewhere between 35mm and 40mm. So I ended up buying a 35mm lens and use it most of the time. (and additionally, I use an X100 more than my mirrorless camera, probably for the same reason) I find the value of zooms to be more important on the long end of things. I shoot auto racing and team sports. 70-200 gives me a lot of useful focal lengths. 100-400 even more so.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Very true. And it can be small and light. Though, I would argue I'd rather a slower but quality zoom the same weight as a heavy prime when I need other ranges perhaps. It really depends.

[@SamoScopom]

I have a few thoughts on this 1) since I got a mirrorless camera I find that a lot more dust gets in compared to my DSLR, so changing lenses has become a more dangerous operation 2) I definitely had been thinking out this exact thing - that having a zoom makes me more lazy. You said it perfectly with the phrase muddies the water. 3) If you know what you want to say with your picture the range of options narrows down quickly. Yes, saying to somebody to get fixed focal length is good, but with one focal length they will never understand why I'm running away from the subject and zooming in rather than staying where I am and zooming out. I was shooting a concert yesterday (just for fun, not hired) and I had a fixed 20mm on, and a three of my friends waved at me from their table to take their picture, I snapped it on the 20mm because I was lazy to change lenses plus they didn't feel like moving closer together, and of course the picture came out bad. Had I had a zoom on, I would step back and zoom in.

[@jake_teki]

I will never get tired of your random interjections that have seemingly nothing to do with the topic at hand. It manages to keep videos interesting and engaging, top notch humor and great video as always!

[@anthonymartinez4212]

I personally always go for zoom’s because i don’t have the funds to be buying 4 quality prime lenses vs 1 quality zoom lens

[@peterhayward1848]

Agreed!

[@orvvro]

Not to mention the inconvenience of having to carry around so many prime lenses. 1 zoom and 1 prime could be more than sufficient though

[@slampest]

Its about the same price, depending on which prime lenses youre thinking of. One quality f2.8 is hella expensive. But you can zoom 4 primes likewise adds up, but you have to change the lenses. I would say a mix between zooms and primes is good.

[@NDakota79]

You don't need 4 primes, 2 is plenty

[@DylanSpitz]

Your analogies have a way of hooking me in, making me laugh and almost losing me, then making sense. Great video, James!

[@AmorLucisPhotography]

Thanks to the crop tool, you have the same problem with a prime as you have with a zoom. The basic difference is whether you are faced with the extra choices in the field or during post-processing.

[@jaynepainter1839]

Zooms have opened up a new world for those of us that are less able and do not have the option of zooming with our feet. Great video thank you .

[@utahnl]

A year ago i started using specific focal lengths on my standard zoom to learn their different perspectives and later on different focal lengths for their specific perspective, it really helped my creative process and got me creatively un-stuck again.

[@pastapleton]

I think there are cases for both. I found that as a beginner with not a lot of cash, a cheap prime was a great way to get some quality glass on my camera. But then when it comes to work, I would say that my 24-70 is by far my most used lens. It’s just so useful when you need to be fast and get shots on the go. But then again it’s much more expensive. So I think there is many reasons for both primes and zooms, all depends on what you need 😊 Great video and nice photos James. Looking forward to the next one!

[@rabonour]

The price factor is real. When I was in photojournalism school we all bought 50s because they were cheap and, with cheap cameras with bad high ISO performance, we often needed the wide apertures. Once we had nicer cameras and could afford good glass we started caring 24-70/2.8s and the primes became more niche tools.

[@erikyoung2193]

Yes, yes! Couldn’t feel more similar about zooms/primes. Seems ridiculous but using a zoom as a secondary option simplifies everything massively

[@plan9804]

I use mainly a 28 mm to 105 mm lens. When I employ Lightroom's metadata I find that the frequency of focal lengths prominently lies around four areas. Surprisingly, my favourite length is 28 mm and then a close second is 50 mm (49 mm actually). My other favourite length is 105 mm. For this lens, my eyes eliminate the majority of possible focal lengths when I am out in the field.

[@nicolasquermia455]

I am using exactly the same approach with my zoom. Forcing to use a specific focal lens help to improve my composition. I usually do use the 45/50 range. When I did look at all my pictures, interestingly, most of them are often around 50mm as they look more 'natural'. Thank you for all your great video.

[@aidanwilliams9452]

Always love hearing your thoughts, all the random tangents and spontaneous background events included

[@chrishowell5718]

Hmm. If I use a 14-150 lens on a M43 camera, do I have 136 different focal lengths, or do I have to factor in that it is the equivalent of 28-300, so 272 focal lengths (or- horrors! - is my M43 zoom less smooth because it goes up in steps equivalent to 2mm on full frame?!). As always James, the overthinking is engaging and amusing (I half expected you to start trying to decide whether it is possible to shoot a moving tortoise with an arrow). I *think* I tend to use use zooms either as 'wide-angle', 'standard', or 'close as I need to pick out a detail', rather than sweating over whether I'm using 28 or 30 or 34, or 280 or 300mm. There can be a temptation to get lazy and stay in one place, but if you remember that it's changing the view point that changes the image, it's usually okay (you don't 'zoom with your feet' , you do something much better than that).

[@iainmacadam2119]

So glad to see someone actually address the problem with zooming with your feet: your feet are what controls perspective, and using them to zoom will create fundamentally different images. I think there's perhaps value in having a beginner stick to a prime precisely because it forces them to observe how position impacts the composition, and gets them out of the trap of standing wherever they end up and composing by zoom, but it shouldn't be dogmatically pushed on them as the only proper way to learn. And for many it's just a learning tool, not something they should commit to for an extended period, and that's why the advice to buy a prime, and ignoring the possibility to simply use a zoom like a prime, is often impractical and a bad use of funds. Better to have a beginner commit to a focal length on a zoom, experiment with others when they realize a choice won't work, and get experience with multiple focal lengths before committing to one in a prime. I'm an exclusively prime shooter myself, but I think the advice pushing beginners towards primes often gets a little out of hand. Maybe a prime will be perfect for them, maybe it'll harm their development to be stuck with it-either way they should get some experience with multiple focal lengths rather than investing in just one before they're qualified to know if it's right for them.

[@Andy_Diep]

Hey James new to the channel! I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this topic, as a video first person, this reminded me when I first started going down the visual journey. If as a new Photographer/Videographer you find yourself not know what to shoot because of the endless options, what focal lengths to shoot, what composition, aperture, iso, etc. Limit your options! Limiting your options may sound like a bad thing when you're first beginning, but ironically the process of limiting yourself helps you refine your thought process on an individual factor, allowing oneself to practice more of that skill. For example most of us could can communicate, but we didn't start with telling our life stories. We started with learning the sounds of each alphabet, practice writing out each individual letter, putting letter together to form words, Learning what the formed words meant. Putting words into a sentence, putting sentences to form a paragraph. You get the point. So, I like to refer to the concept as the three C's, Constraints Creates Creativity. Similar to how back in English class the teacher gave us a topic to write about because they knew that most of the students wouldn't even know where to start. Thanks for the video James!

[@thomaswhittaker5199]

Having recently picked up film photography after acquiring my uncle's film camera and lens collection this was my exact reasoning for just grabbing the 50mm and sticking with it. In comparison to my digital camera where I'd shoot aperture priority with autofocus, going to completely manual was definitely a step up so to make the whole process easier my first thought was to remove the need to think about focal length. So far it's been great and I don't see the need to pick up any other lens for the foreseeable future.

[@billb8262]

Great point about zooming with your feet. There are really two options when using primes and we ignore the more difficult one when using that comment. The other, to get a tighter shot but preserve the view, is to change lenses. That takes extra gear, a bit of time, and patience that, in a moment, may not be reasonable or could force a missed shot. I’m a mostly prime shooter, taking zooms only when going to unknown places with unexpected shots at any moment, and I feel the pain of not just carrying a couple zooms at times. It’s a choice for me, mostly about size and weight for convenience. However, it’s a trade off and one that has to be made consciously to avoid situations like the shot around the 4:00 mark. I want to use quality zooms, but most are larger than I want to carry. I feel like i could talk about this endlessly because it truly is a choice and a set of trade offs.

[@dronevideos1872]

I think what you want to say in this video is: "Don't forget that you still have the option to walk forward and backward when you have a zoom lens!" This way you can put a beautiful mountain or whatever into or out of view. The zoom function can glue photographers to the ground. Thanks for this eye opening video! 👍

[@МиланПавловић-ф3т]

1:37 Island of Brač, the last letter is Č=CH [as "chain" in English]

[@inshadowz]

I use zoom more or less as a “live cropping tool”, i.e. I don't think too much about the actual focal length while shooting, but concentrate instead on getting the composition I want (which still involves moving around to get the right angle). Tons better than cropping in post! The Nikkor 18-140mm (~27-210mm) is my go-to, like 95% of the time with my D7200. Yes, it's a budget solution; yes, it's a hobby; no, I haven't sold any… yet? But it's decent quality for the cost and convenience. Also I'm lazy, so my feet don't zoom very well. If I want the fixed focal length challenge I do also have a 35mm (~50mm), which can be really nice some times, and it sets a whole different mood for the shooting process. This all said, I do most of my shooting “from the hip”, picking subjects as they appear. This doesn't allow for much planning, focal length wise, so the zoom is essential.

[@Jazodog]

I recognized Croatia on first clip. Hope you had a great time, Brač is my favorite Island and summer destination for last 20 years. Thank you James!!

[@johmbon]

1:44 can someone explain to me why there isn't nice light ? I'm a beginner and I don't know what is a "good" light

[@shaunieponde7080]

I’ve been a fan of this channel since I started my first year in college. I find the subject you talk about easy to understand and often times similar to how I feel about photography. Each week I look forward to your videos and can’t wait to see how this channel continues to grow. Also I hope anyone reading this has a lovely day.😊

[@jonstout7635]

Always great points that pierce the heart and mind. Any footwear advice for great foot zooming techniques?

[@rdallen9211]

I truly enjoy your take on zoom lenses. For years I've been told by many other photographers to "move your feet and get closer" as opposed to zooming. Now you've brought my main argument against that school of thought to light. For this I thank you!!

[@EntropicRemnants]

Hi, James. Good video as always. I don't struggle with zoom lenses at this point -- maybe because I'm 68 and been doing it so long -- but there's a principle I now use rather instinctively based on the idea of inclusion vs. exclusion. It also relies on one's ability to pre-visualize one's shot. You kind of hit on it at the very beginning about the mountain. I'll take a moment to explain if I may. Painters work by "inclusion" -- they put in the work what they want. Photographers must work in the field by exclusion -- framing to make sure nothing is in the frame we don't want since we don't control the scene. That is the first thing I consider before choosing a focal length of a prime or on a zoom. Do we want a lot of context in the non-subject areas? Or do we want less because it's "busy" -- some of the things one thinks of. The next of course is where to shoot from which really must be considered with the first idea. However, now it's more based on getting the distance relationship between background and foreground nailed down to once again control what's included in the shot and how it appears relative to the subject. Sometimes it much improves things to shoot wide and get close to make the background "small". Other times one wishes "compression" from the shot and a "longer" focal length is appropriate from farther back. Ha ha. I'll contradict myself now and say the FIRST thing I consider is whether or not it's a tight portrait. That immediately moves me into "longer" focal lengths. Never the less, I do believe that having some simple "rules" that eventually become instinctive, all based around the inclusion idea, rather simplifies the process. At least for me. Although maybe I'm kidding myself as I do believe you are a better photographer than I may be. And if I'm describing things you already know, please forgive me. Perhaps someone else will read this and benefit.

[@zampination]

I simplify a zoom lens like the 24-70 into two photo options instead of the whole 46 focal lengths available to me. Wider perspective & telephoto perspective. So when i am out shooting all i am thinking is how much of a wider or a telephoto perspective of this specific scene i need it to be and i adjust the focal length till the proportions of the elements in my compositions match the 3dimensional plane of field inside my borders of the frame. So if for example i say i want a wide perspective all i do is i first hit 24mm and the come really close till my subject fills the frame just before it touches the borders then i move back while simultaneous zooming in on my lens in order to get the specific distortion of my subject and the depth i am looking for and i take the shot. A similar procedure is what i follow for when i am deciding to go with a telephoto perspective but usually all I'll do with that is to go for maximum compression so I'll use 70mm and get as close to my subject as possible. I do the same for my 10-18 UWA lens as well as with my 35-150. But i will not use that technique for my 200-600 lens cause everything in this lens is purely telephoto compressed perspective either way so what focal length I'll choose solely depends on the framing i am after and nothing else.

[@hakeryk]

Oh my god... I started my photo journey with 50mm f/1.8 and after that slowly I grew my lens collection with primes only: 85mm 1.8, 135mm 2.8, 35mm 1.8 and I always wanted to have zoom lens. Finally, after almost 8 years I bought 70-200mm f/2.8 AAAAAAAND.... I was so disappointed. I thought that it will be so versatile, that now the land of opportunity opened for me, no more missed shots, perfect composition every time. Oh how wrong was I. Thank You for this video because I can agree with every word in it. I thought that there is something wrong with me that I just cannot use zoom lens properly. "Limiting yourself" is actually more creative, it is forcing you to find this perfect composition with every inch of your body. You just have to start feel the place around You. I will keep this 70-200 because I will be shooting with it only with fixed focal like 135 or 200mm because - same as You and for other reasons like sport/event photography.

[@jehudale2349]

Primary using a Cybershot with fixed zoom lens I early started to use it with fixed focal length and on my last trip I mostly sticked to three fixed Jones. Your point ist very importand: Do not use it to safe "your feet with doing less steps" but use it to switch between "primes" as a time saver. Sticking to some fixed focal length also gives more consistency to the portfolio.

[@jamesquinn8958]

The only prime lenses I would buy are a wide angle for landscapes and astro/night time photography, a macro lens for super close ups (although some zooms are capable of getting really close too), or an 85mm for portraits. I currently own a sigma 24-70mm as an all around travel lens that can do semi wide angle landscape shots or possibly portraits in a pinch, and a 150-600mm for wildlife. I plan on getting the viltrox 16mm and a Rokinon 85mm and then my lens collection would be pretty much complete and would cover all the bases.

[@rickyfrost8860]

Love the video (as usual). Next time you might want to touch on my reason to use primes over zooms, maximum aperture. I sometimes am looking for the look that only the 50mm 1.2 will give me.

[@yakamo]

Great topic! im battling with what lenses to get when i upgrade my camera. So difficult to figure out. I love my primes.

[@FalloutUrMum]

I've personally always shot with a zoom lense, unless it's raining then I'm using a DJI Osmo Pocket I don't mind getting wet. But the way I've learned to think of compositions is I'll see what I want a photo of and visualize what I think it'll look good at, then zoom in or out to that level. It's also interesting to experiment with lense compression on certain shots as well

[@liamrodgers3391]

Being new into photography and already obsessed with it, I'm really glad the algorithm showed me your channel James! Really helpful advice for a newby like me

[@bencompson]

As mentioned in the video zooms give you options. Options equal flexibility. For the opportunistic photographers like myself, flexibility is critical. Sure, the options can be overwhelming if you dwell on them too much. I prefer to look at the scene, decide on a composition and then make it work. You move, you walk, you change position and you zoom to get the composition you want. Simple. I fell for the purist street photography mantra of carrying a single prime and making it work. Went so far as to buy a Fuji X100v (fixed 35mm equivalent lens). It is an excellent and very cool (for the hipster doofus in all of us) camera and I got lots of great images on my last trip to Italy. But I also saw, but was unable to capture, a lot of other great images due to the inflexibility. A small camera or a typical DSLR with a small prime can be a pleasure to carry. However, for me the gigantic ponderous 24-70 f2.8 is going to be my go-to most of the time.

[@ЭтоДрючинский]

You've pointed it out very nicely. I too feel myself often lost with zooms, like I have too many choices with no way to determine which is right to pick. To many variables in the expression so it's progressively hard to solve. That's why I most often find myself on the very ends of my zoom range :D

[@christophernewton5816]

0000 is also an option, so you have 10,000 options. That aside, I really appreciated the zoom vs "zoom with our feet" illustration. I'll have to dust off the zoom!

[@elho001]

And then there is the additional option to use a TSA key instead of bothering to fiddle around with those dials... 😜

[@brucedelorme5026]

James, I love your perspectives. I feel like I just sat through a calculus class in college. But weirdly I totally understood what you were saying. Great job

[@mckinleygphotography]

Okay, I have paused the video at 5:00 and I am hoping your are going to explain the same feeling I have been having for years and can't seem to put into words. So first zooming with your feet, If I am on a wider lens then I would just crop in post that should keep your perspective the same. Second my issue with zooms was always the weird focal ranges when you zoom in for some reason it was off putting to me. Now I am primarily a wedding photographer so it might be different due to the subject matter, but I think it has something to do with compression which is why I love medium format so much.

[@mckinleygphotography]

@@chrisheath481 I think personally the term has changed. When I think compression it’s pulling two subjects closer together. There might be a better term, but I feel due to the comment you knew what I was getting at.

[@samuelcook9196]

I love your photography videos as well as your photography. As a beginner I'm still striving to take just a couple shots that capture a scene as well as the ones on your website.

[@philippt2883]

I started to do it similarly abt a year ago. I see my 24-105 as many primes and decide before the shot whether it's a 24, 35, 50, 80 or 100 mm. And only rarely fit the focal length to the scene

[@SebastianPastry]

I tuned in more so for your chirpy nature and funny phrases than expecting to leave with any new appreciation for my zoom Lens. But I was wrong, whilst I’m sure you explained your thoughts on it before, this time is hit different and using them as a prime made so much sense. I know some super zooms have a lock switch on them to stop lens creep whilst carrying. Do you or anyone know if you can lock them at any focal length whilst in use? I reckon that feature would could be real handy to lock in a really use and think of 1 zoom as a package of primes.

[@taliesinwilce5786]

Watching James has really helped me enjoy photography more and get better at it. His advice of sticking to one lens on a day of shooting really makes you look for a photo opportunity and think about the composition more, without the panic of swapping lenses constantly and finding you've missed a shot from all the faffing around. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thanks, James.

[@alandargie9358]

I think your scene early in the video with the disappearing mountain top sums up the advantage of zooms for me. One should get the perspective right first and then zoom or use fixed from that view point, cropping if needed. The quality of both zooms and fixed these days is so good that both can work but zooms retain more pixels and as described are so much more convenient.

[@Tardsmat]

Interesting to see zoom lenses positioned as the more advanced, more difficult option. I think more often you see zoom lenses associated with beginners. Honestly this video made me wanna use zoom lenses and master the difficulty.

[@AcidGrains]

I only carry two lenses, I carry two primes, the 24mm EF-s is always on my camera for my home town documentary photography project and spontaneous street in the city, my 50mm is for when i specifically ask for a portrait where i want compression and separation, the 24mm covers everything else that I do (Documentary stills, street, architecture, and travel).

[@tvsaint]

I’m about to go to NYC for the first time this weekend and I’m struggling with wether or not to even take my biggest zoom. I just think I’ll end up using my 40 mm pancake and my kit lens 12-60. But then I’m worried about the Statue of Liberty from battery park and I’ll really probably hate myself for not lugging it along. I really hate choices tbh. 12:02

[@realniteart]

You don't need to take all the pictures! Photograph a line to the statue of liberty ferry instead of statue with your 40mm if that's your thing! I always recommend zoom if you do not know what exactly you will be shooting. With 40mm you will not be photographing a lot of NYC, but you can get somewhat intimate with it.

[@natadm_5188]

I love the means in which you explain your ideas and get your points across, the tangents such as the pin lock and guitar make all your explanations memorable 😁

[@MrRTMcguire]

This is a reason I’m enjoying the Tamron 20-40. It’s a small(ish), limited zoom that I can use at 40mm, zooming out only when I need the extra real estate for my composition…which is often with a toddler.

[@PhatsoJuggalo806]

such an underrated lens!

[@everydaycarrycanada951]

I generally use zoom lenses as it opens up my creativity in some situations. Prime lenses are a favorite for set up shots in low light. But will use both in certain situations depending on my mood, less lens changes or more? What mood or feeling am i aiming for to be felt. Only type of photography i will not use prime is in sport's, just doesn't fit my style and i hate changing lenses all the time.

[@aquss33]

You should try visiting northern Croatia, Križevci or Zagreb for example

[@lisasimpson9343]

Just love your approach James, always makes me laugh. I have nearly always used a zoom lens, I find primes very restrictive. I'm not in your league but I never procrastinate over a shot, I see something I like, adjust my zoom to what I like and take the shot, no thought apart from taking the image I'm seeing in my minds eye. Maybe I'm just not careful enough..... Cheers, keep up the good work.

[@laurencet4502]

Thanks for this James. Your explanation neatly pulls together all the reasons I have always found using anything but telephoto zooms difficult. If you had asked me, I probably couldn't have given a reasonable explanation, but you've summarised it in one short video. That isn't to say a wide-medium zoom wouldn't be handy in some situations - it would - so I like the explanation of how you use your zoom - that's worth experimenting with. Cheers.

[@lesath7883]

Thank you for the vid and ideas. But when I use a prime, it is because of how sharper ir is compared to my zooms and for the larger aperture, which helps keeping my iso lower. So, there are some technical reasons to pick a prime over a zoom. Just as there are reasons to pick a zoom over a prime.

[@dance2jam]

Late to this party, and probably first time to this channel. Two quick points. First, it never fails that different genres, boiled down to their basics, are very much alike. In dance, when more people are having difficulty with slightly more complex choreography, it's helpful to have them go back to the basic roots of the movement, and understand those first. Second, I enjoyed your discussion on PRIMEs vs. ZOOMs, and in sum, agree. That said, for action or sports photographers, shooting at only one focal length is possible, but means lots of missed moments and potential shots. I know you meant this in a general way. You did say, that only when you couldn't get the shot at a focal length, you engaged the zoom. However, most sports photographers I know live with their hand on a zoom ring these day. Thanks for a thoughtful and uncommon look at this topic on KZbin. From your comments and views, you do not need my well wishes. Lovely work.

[@hjalmargrip]

Big fan of your content!! You always go on such nice jurneys and show of the best of landscape photography!

[@christopherdallenbach2524]

James you bring up some interesting points, here are my thoughts. The “zooming with the feet” isn’t an end all solution and while there are many cases where changing your position can help with composition there are just as many examples where it can have undesired results like the one you showed in your video. As for a zoom lens being an issue for a photographer I think that depends on how you go about using that tool. When I am taking pictures with a zoom lense, I am combining different focal lengths and different positions. In the era of digital photography where there is very little consequences to taking multiple photographs and having the flexibility to change your composition with a quick flick of the wrist is invaluable to me. When I first got into photography I started with a prime 35mm on full frame and quickly learned the limits of that focal length. It wasn’t until I got a proper zoom lense that I really started feel growth in my composition as a photographer. Certain shots and compositions are often best captured at different focal lengths and switching lenses is often not in the cards for many reasons. I believe that a 24-70mm or a 30-120mm zoom lense is the best option for a beginner. Primes should come after you start to discover that you are shooting a certain focal length more than another. Found that I love 85mm for that exact reason and it is my favorite prime lense in my kit. Let’s also not forget that if money is deciding factor as it often is for everyone, why not choose the tool that offers you the largest amount of options and flexibility? Primes are for the experienced shooter or for someone that has a specific use case. Product photography and vlogging come to mind as examples where getting a prime might be the right choice out the gate, but for everyone else go with a zoom.

[@christopherparsons7125]

I completely agree with you. When I started properly getting into photography, a knowledgeable family member of mine recommend I get a prime. However, when I bought the lens I did not realise that it was a prime. For the first while, I hated it. But then I started getting into it and I am now so thankful that he recommended that lens to me. It forced me to search and work for my compositions. These days, I use a 24-70 primarily. I do miss the days of just using a prime but I do feel a zoom lens has helped me to get better photos. One of my favorite things to do when finding a composition is working out exactly what should and should not be in the frame. It's something that James has echoed in previous videos. The biggest challenge in photography (at least in my experience) is working out how to simplify a photo to make it look good. That's where zooms come in to my workflow. I work out what I want in my frame and choose a focal length based on that. If I want less in my frame so I can focus on my subject I use a larger focal length. If I want more in my frame then I zoom out. That's something I can't do with a single prime. But the temptation to just be lazy and stand in one spot and zoom without thinking about the consequences is massive. I've fallen into that trap more times than I would like to admit.

[@jeffreywrightphotography]

Always interesting to hear your perspective and this one is very different from the way I photograph. I never think about the focal length I'm using, i find the composition first, then find the lens that lets me achieve that. I did start out with a 50mm prime on a film camera about 35 years ago though; and though I'll still use a 50mm perks for some things it remains my least favorite focal length.

[@ledheavy26]

When i started in film days with an old ae1 with a 50mm I bought a 24 and a 100mm lens to accompany it, and I hated carrying multiple lenses and changing them when I didnt have the focal length needed. I then switched to a Nikon autofocus body and bought a 28-70 f2.8 zoom after seeing how the pros really just needed a trio of 2.8 zooms from 17-300mm. That one 28-70 zoom stayed on my camera for years until I got my first Dslr, again with another zoom. This was before photography youtube channels making everyone second guess everything. I never thought about what specific focal length I was at unless it was getting dark and I needed to worry about my shutter speed. I would see a scene I wanted to photograph, zoom or not to get the desired framing (including moving with my feet) and then focus/expose. That zoom lens was a GODSEND for me, not a NIGHTMARE. Some of my favorite images even to this day were taken with just the one 28-70 on my Nikon, just grab the camera and go. I honestly think that the vast amount of youtube photography channels can be looked at as a nightmare for beginners because theyre looking for guidance and often getting confused by wildly differing answers to their questions or they get stuck with the same tropes that get passed along by people repeating bad information.

[@TheNathanMChannel]

I don’t know if any lenses have this, but click stops at fixed focal lengths would be nice to have on a zoom. Click stops for still photos and continuous zoom for video when Roy Scheider is worried.

[@benoitpiret9065]

I have the SL 2490 and I find myself just really using the same focal lengths. I’m usually between 24 and 35 most of the time and then I just push it to 90 or not too far when I need to do a portrait or I just need to reach

[@moviedorkproductions9465]

Loved the segment on Zoom Lenses, but my issue is a bit mre involved. I love my 28-90mm f/2.8, and my 70+200mm f/2.8, and the reason is simply that they are Manual Zooms. That vintage glass is heavy but that maintains stability when I shoot and the coatings makes all my photos unique. I cannot fathom the reason to buy a lens that's the price of my car or rent payment when I can get a better look from the lens that costs as much as a cup of coffee, or drinks with a good mate.

[@Josh_Showell]

Have you made any videos about your favourite focal lengths yet? Possibly something around the 40mm mark...

[@chengo51]

I vizualize mentally my picture and I don't bother what the focal lenght could be , that's is my use of a zoom lens.....but ....wait....I do the same with a fixe focal lenght ! So the zoom open up the possible number of interesting pictures. I am surprised because you seem to be pretty good at vizualizing your pictures, why should you block yourself into a "matrix" ? That will confine you at seeing always the same way. Only one focal lenght is used during a composition learning process and you have passed that threshold of the learning curve I guess ! Sorry but I am old man with 60 years of photo behind, if I write this it is because I appreciate very much your work.

[@MassimoRosamilia]

Wow, James, your ability to seamlessly transition from ambulances to guitars in a photography video is truly remarkable! Can't wait to see what noises you'll bring us in the next video!

[@carlmcneill1139]

I've started making a conscious effort to dial my zoom to a specific focal length as if it's a prime lens whenever possible. But there are times when I may be on a path and there's only one place to stand. Then I have no choice but to zoom in to a random focal length that gives me a good composition. Another thing you have to watch out for with zoom lenses is focus breathing. Sometimes 70mm on a 24-70mm is more like a 50mm. It may depend on how far away the subject is.

[@elizabethlaundra6481]

I use the zoom mostly to bring the background forward in outdoor portrait work. Making that mountain or cliff looking larger and more dramatic behind my subject.

[@GreatCambino]

Tons of opinions in here, and none are wrong. In the end people need to do whatever gets them out shooting photos. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos James.

[@SamKnutson]

I don't know that I agree with you but I think you expressed your current practice very well. I like my zoom lens but on reflection I typically use a few different focal lengths most often think of them as mental presets so the lens may have not fixed clicks between its two focal lengths but I do.

[@tristanrujano]

I think what you’re getting at is how easy it is with a zoom to try and solve your composition problems by just zooming in or out, rather than thinking creatively on how to best frame the shot.

[@QuicknStraight]

The thing about primes is that you generally get at least one stop more light, at that focal length, than you would with a zoom set to the same focal length (Unless you spend a lot more money). And i think light is the thing that gives the most creative flexibility.

[@semahj]

You could just bump your iso up or increase exposure in post

[@QuicknStraight]

@@semahj You're introducing noise then you do that.

[@semahj]

@@QuicknStraight I guess but one stop of noise isn't going to make or break a photo. I also said you up the exposure in post

[@QuicknStraight]

@@semahj None of that changes the fact that primes are generally of better optical quality than zooms...

[@semahj]

@@QuicknStraight not really my Ef 24-70 mk2 is as sharp as primes lol

[@ZakiWasik]

For me the new "zooming with your feet" is cropping. I know it sounds controversial, but with an A7RIV and 61MP I have loads of leeway to crop. Of course I will still try to walk closer to the subject depending on the situation, but so much of the time it's just not feasible and you might get a completely different perspective as described in this video. I used to carry my 80-200mm a lot. Now I stick with a 135mm or sometimes an 85mm and crop from there.

[@jimwlouavl]

I like your idea of treating it like a prime unless that just won’t work. As an example, I had a situation recently where I was on the edge of a flower field. Zooming in allowed me to tighten the view without trampling the flowers, which I would not have done. I could have also made it work by cropping but would have lost a few pixels that way.

[@alberte6109]

In my experience with an APSc camera (Nikon D80), 50mm is too tight, so I have to get an equiv. Not sure why my dad never bought a 35mm, but there we go. I used the 18-200 (just remembered), a 35 is a very nice not too close or far.

[@NathanLewisVideos]

Ok so what if there were a zoom lens that would click into place at specific focal lengths like 24, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70? I suspect people might find it intuitive to leave it at a single focal length on a lens like that.

[@alexkairis3927]

I'm not a protog, by any means, I like the art (I have sold and been in a gallery). Tele and prime each have their own feel. Painters do happen to change canvas, medium and brush types. Tele's are like multipurpose brushes.... but that specific brush, prime that up. I hope that makes sense.

[@11minslater]

Great video but where are the pictures of bins

[@johnclay7644]

Informative video Thanks James.

[@nathandoras]

This is exactly how I use zoom lenses. Cut down option paralysis by sticking to the common focal lengths, and pick my preferred focal length for the scene. Might take more trial and error than using a zoom the 'lazy' way but imo this gives some of the benefits of using a prime lens while still having the versatility of a zoom. Great video and discussion, James!

[@JohnSmith-ov7iz]

I don't know about where other folks live, but around here when I see potential shot I get one option of where to take it from. Right here. Otherwise you are in traffic, in someone's yard, in a load of poison ivy, etc, etc. I have a 50mm prime on an old canon AE-1 I have been trying to learn, and quite often I have to give up on a shot because it simply cannot be got from "right here". I don't own a prime for my Fuji X-T30.

[@brandonburridge]

Great video! I personally find myself much more creative with primes. They force me to simply find a way to get the shot or move on to something else. I wish I had the discipline to use them the way you do!