If you could only have 3 prime lenses

24, 85, 180
I'm saying this because I have a 24, 50, 85, 105, and 180.
I use the 85 and 180 the most by far, and then the 24.
When I had the 7D I did use the 50 quite a bit.
 
I hear primes are the way to go for a superior image, but I've never had the opportunity to compare resolution between a good prime and a good zoom. What's the difference?
 
Andrew McCarrick said:
One primary difference between zooms and primes is the widest F-stop you can get. Most zooms are slower (start from a higher F-stop than primes) and thus need more light. i.e; look at the Red Primes (T1.8) versus the Red Zooms (T2.9 - T3.0).

Other than that I can't think of much.
Click to expand...

1.8 is really fast, but 2.8 is still pretty good for most situations. Especially with the 5D's low light capabilities. Canon makes a zoom lens with a constant 2.8 aperture. I could get a wide prime lens with a normal to telephoto zoom. Or, a tele prime with a wide to normal zoom. I think the latter would be best because the difference in angle of view is much more noticeable on the wide end.
 
24, 50. 100 macro

i have the 85 and the 135, but i find that doubling the focal length is just enough of a change for it not to look like a jump cut (from the same shooting position), less is a waste, more is over doing it. i have the 24 1.4, 50 1.2, and even though the 100 is 2.8 it does have IS, plus the macro is very handy to have.

the 18 is too wide for normal situations on the 5d, but nice for wide effects. the next lens for me would be the 200, for those dramatic close ups, plus it is a nice lens, much better wide open than the 70-200 2.8, plus smaller and lighter.
 
I think a side note to this thread and something that's very fun to do is to just grab one prime and shoot an entire day and create a short with one.

It's something I recommended when I was reviewing some of the NYFA student's work a few years ago.

This restriction on lens flexibility really forces you to open your mind and use focal lengths creatively.

50mm is obviously a great versatile length, but shooting everything with a 200mm or 20mm lens is a fun challenge.
 
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