Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]on 8/2/04 4:46 PM, Peter Klein at pklein@2alpha.net wrote: > > Mike Johnston's "Sunday Morning Photographer" has a very witty guide to > the uses of each focal length lens. My favorite concerns the ubiquitous > 70-200-ish zoom: > > "Covers all the telephoto range most photographers ever need, at least > until they become afflicted by the terrible urge to photograph birds." > > (sorry, Doug Herr, Mark Bohrer et al. . .) > > The whole article is here: > > http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column57/ > or here: > http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-august-04.shtml > > --Peter Klein > Seattle, WA > I think Mark is on the 'other' list.. but for me the 70-ish to 200-ish zomm is not particularly useful. I've had a couple of 'em and I get the occasional urge to see just how good the 80~200 f/4 Vario is but for the most part the 35 - 50(60) - 90 combo does everything I want apart from wildlife. I know working styles differ, but for me the short end is better served by a dedicated portrait lens (a Mike Johnston 'essential') like the 90mm Summicron-R 'cuz of the 90's close focus and fast maximum aperture and small portable size and bodaceous bokeh, and at the long end 200mm isn't long enough for much of any wildlife and meanwhile there always seems to be some "gotcha" with zooms - the bokeh's bad or there's distortion or flare. For me there's not enough benefit in changing focal lengths with a flick of the wrist if I keep running into these quirks. Now about that terrible affliction... I might be considered sane if not for that. Doug Herr Birdman of Sacramento http://www.wildlightphoto.com