The professional class of photographers typically insist on prime lenses or nothing.
But photography is just a hobby and extra-curricular activity for me. As optically incredible and perfect as some of those f1.4 of f2.8 lenses can be, I just don’t think it’s prudent expenditure for an amateur like myself to pay $2K for a lens that I’ll have time to use for maybe just 2-3 times a year. With a day job, mortgage and utilities to pay and other hobbies, every lens purchase I think of has to take into account its longevity of use, and its versatility vis-à-vis the kind of photographs I normally take.
Moreover, all the great optical sharpness or fancy bokeh you can dish out on a wide aperture premium lens that cost a couple of thousand isn’t as important as great composition, framing, and capturing moments that tell a story. That’s why I feel that photography hobbyist sites can be a mite dangerous to visit for enthusiasts with no self-control – the fervor pitch in some of those forums whenever someone posts up new pictures taken with expensive glass sends them drooling with envy and potentially forgetful about whether the returns of a new toy will outweight the costs of acquisition.
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Ironically, I used to be a firm believer of not going for all-in-one lenses. Up till recently, I had three main-stay lenses: the Sigma 10-20mm for ultra wide-angle, the Nikons 18-55mm for general photography, and the 55-200mm for longer-range zoom. All three are (very) consumer-grade but nonetheless great lenses. Moreover, Matt had helped me get both lenses at even better prices when he was here last year May.
The San Francisco trip though reveal something: trying to walk the beat and manage your equipment alone is anything but easy. I had to ditch my tripod, and could only manage having the 18-55mm fixed on my D300 at all times while also juggling the Panasonic HD Cam. The strong winds at a couple of locations made me nervous about lens changes – and I’m aware of using your torso to block – what also with the crowds that were milling around at the spots I had time to visit.
The pretty short reach of 55mm even with the sensor multiplier on the D300 also meant that street portrait photography was out. I would have loved to take pictures of those black dudes I talked about in my March posts this year, but that would have meant shoving my lens into their faces. I don’t think Matt’s suggestion that I carry firearms while in San Francisco would have saved me in such an encounter.
More in another post, maybe tomorrow. Time to burp Hannah!
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