My first experiences with a DSLR were thrilling yet somehow intimidating… intimidating because buying lenses is one of the quickest ways I know to empty one’s pockets.

Like other novices, my plan was to buy a zoom lens. Then another zoom. If the subject being photographed was wide, a zoom that started around 18mm would cope. And, if the subject was distant, zooming to 200mm would close the gap.

Buying a lens that offered only one focal distance made no sense. At the time…

I am now somewhat poorer and, in one aspect, wiser.

For now, I have seen the light. Non-zoom lenses — prime lenses, as they’re better known — are things of sheer beauty.

In the Canon range, I can express deep and sincere satisfaction with the EF50 f/1.4, the EF80 f/1.8 and the amazingly versatile EF 100 f/2.8 Macro.

Note that these are fast lenses. Many Canon advocates suggest that the price of these lenses would triple if they bore a red stripe around their barrels.

Popularity: 2%

Related posts:

1. My View – Canon EF 20mm 2.8 USM Got a new lens recently. I found that with a lot of my lifestyle work I use wide angles a lot, and wanted one that was fast (wide aperture). To that end I wound up getting a Canon EF 20mm 2.8 USM from my friends at Camerasdirect.com.au. I gotta...
2. Thoughts on Buying Lenses Buying lenses deserves serious contemplation. It can be complicated and this overview is merely the tip of the iceberg. Advice early on from someone in the know is advisable if your photographic experience is limited. The thing is, a well chosen lens will be with you long term… most likely...
3. Zoom Boom Doom Lenses? Everybody seems to want zooms. Challenging the status quo, I put to you the following proposition: you will get more joy from PRIME LENSES. Despite the sad fact that nowadays some people are unaware of them, primes are simply the essence of really good photography. All those legendary photographs...
4. Why Buy ‘Name Brand’ Lenses? Working in the photographic retail industry, I do get some interesting insights into customer trends and, more importantly, product performance. I spend a lot of time talking with our customers. I get a very good feel for their needs and also how consumers interpret the oooodles of information that is...
5. Apertures… Open Wide And Say Aaah! Everybody is aware of what it means to have a 70-200mm lens, or a 18-105mm. These days, the emphasis always seems to turn to the zoom range when it comes to buying a lens. But how about that other set of numbers… the ones after the “F”? Those numbers refer...