Walk-around prime

Jamtea

Jamtea

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With most people quoting the usual walkaround lenses being a decent zoom with a 35mm eq of being in the 24-105 range, I have to wonder, does anyone else here actually use a prime as their standard walkaround?

I find that my 50mm 1.4 works much better for me than any other of my lenses as a fast point and shoot whilst walking around the city. Whilst I do tend to keep my 16-35, 24-105, 70-200 and 85 in my bag, none of them spend as much time on the body as the 50 does. Does anyone else find this is the case with them, that they walk around with the prime for unexpected shots and general usage or am I just a crazy weirdo?!
 
Yep, my general walkaround with my 1Ds MKIII is a 50mm F1.4 lens, and my 7D it's a 200mm F2.8 (usually with a 1.4TC).
 
My standard lens for walking the streets at night with my 5D is a Sigma 20mm 1.8. On my GF1 it's the 20mm 1.7.
 
As above, my walkaround lens is the 50mm f1.4, it's all down to personal preference though.
 
Voigtlander 40mm, sometimes on the D300 or the D700 depending on my mood.

Although I am carrying the 85mm f1.4 at the minute as I am suffering from "new lens" fever.

Stuart
 
Jamtea said:
I have to wonder, does anyone else here actually use a prime as their standard walkaround?
Click to expand...

Yes, a 30mm f/1.4 is my standard walkabout (crop sensor, so equivilent to your 50mm). And most of my walkabout film cameras are fixed lens. I've even gone on holiday packing only one prime lens and a couple of fixed lens film cameras. For me a prime lens is easier for walkabout shooting, there isn't the delay of deciding what focal length to use.

When I am carrying a zoom, it's almost always a compact camera.
 
Only have one lens at the moment, but on the my last set up my 35mm prime was hardly ever off my 1D. Excellent for street shooting as it makes the camera seem less offensive and lugging a heavy body around for a walk a light prime is bliss!

Need a 50mm 1.4 desperately.
 
5D - Siggy 50mm f1.4 or maybe 85mm f1.4.
20D - Siggy 20mm f1.8.
GF1 - 20mm f1.7.
G1 - Voigtlander 25mm f0.95.
 
Alastair said:
For me a prime lens is easier for walkabout shooting, there isn't the delay of deciding what focal length to use.
Click to expand...

:plusone:

Mine is a F1.8 35mm

Exception to this is if I'm purposley searching out candid shots (particularly head and shoulder/ peoples facial expressions) then I'll go out with a 55-200 zoom
 
SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 or 28mm f3.5 on my Spotmatic F (only got zooms for my Minolta AF cameras, primes are so expensive for them!). Depends on how I feel and the location of where I'm going for a 'walkabout' as to which one I will take (although I usually will take both with me as their so compact)

For my 'other' camera though (Pentax Auto 110 SLR) I'll always takes the 18mm, 25mm and 50mm (equivalent to 35mm, 50mm and 100mm) if I'm going out with that as their just so small! (Still trying to get hold of the 70mm and 20 - 40mm zoom lenses for it)
 
Of course its all down to preference. I don't actually own any zooms now. My 50mm (and now) 35mm f1.4 are all I need for most situations.
 
I am in London next week for a meeting in the afternoon. So going to get myself in to town early for a 7am start to go walkabout. Thinking of either taking the 50 f1.8 or the Tamron 17-50 f2.8.

I am leaning towards the prime so i don;t waste time thinking about focal length and spend more time on actual composition ?. Want to get a few candids in though on the tube etc, so the only thing that worries me is that the 50 minght not be wide neough in a tight place like the tube ?
 
I usually use my Tamron 17-50 when I travel, a small lens like the 50mm in your bag will not have much of a weight difference! I just bring it around just for taking landscapes or normal shots, else the 50mm will be on it especially in the evening :)
 
Alastair said:
Yes, a 30mm f/1.4 is my standard walkabout (crop sensor, so equivilent to your 50mm). And most of my walkabout film cameras are fixed lens. I've even gone on holiday packing only one prime lens and a couple of fixed lens film cameras. For me a prime lens is easier for walkabout shooting, there isn't the delay of deciding what focal length to use.

When I am carrying a zoom, it's almost always a compact camera.
Click to expand...

Another vote for the Sigma 30mm 1.4, since i've had this lens it's rarely been off the camera.
 
50 1.4 is lovely and wonderfully versatile. apart from missing the odd 15-20mm on the wide end occasionally, sometimes that old trusty foot zoom really gets you back hunting for your shot
 
as very often im looking for portraits,headshots and not wanting to get to close to those im photographing,my walkaround lens has been my Nikon m/f 105mm f2.5 which equates to 150mm on my S5pro,its suited me well even though i dont get to nail every shot so im now considering a 105mm a/f as i like the range

i guess it comes down to what you are wanting to shoot
 
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