Image quality, focusing speed, and aperture are all great reasons for prime lenses. I often find that not being able to zoom out when I am too close to the subject forces me to capture extreme closeups or details that I would have otherwise missed if I did zoom out.
Those are some great points, thanks for the input! I've gotten those extreme closeups before as well because I can't move or zoom out, and they definitely turn out nice. Really just comes down to knowing your gear and personal preferences.
300mm f2.8 prime plus 1.4 & 2x TC gives a compact, relatively light weight and adaptable set up ( 300, 420, 600mm ) especially on a high mp full frame sensor. You quickly get to know the angle of view / magnification. Often primes AF speed is quicker. And for BIF & fast moving subjects I prefer primes. All the best from Scotland, Jimmy, I enjoy your presentations.
Great point and feedback, thanks so much! Do you find that the autofocus slows down at all with a 2x extender? I have one of the older models and have used it on a few primes, and it occasionally seems to slow things down a bit. Thanks again for the input, I greatly appreciate your support!
Great video! I primarily choose my lenses based on subject to camera distance, time of day, and the composition I need. Most of the time when I photograph birds, I use an 800 mm lens. If I’m photographing small songbirds, like warblers, I find that it helps to be closer to them, and a zoom lens is often quite handy in that setting. Alternatively, a 400 mm f/2.8 or 400 mm f/4 or f/4.5 lens can provide 1-2 stops brighter aperture than most zoom lenses. When I’m photographing large mammals, like elk and moose, I prefer use a zoom lens, like the Nikon Z 180-600 mm f/5.6-6.3. The 400 mm f/2.8, 500 mm f/4 and 600 mm f/4 lenses are often great choices for large mammals, especially in low light. It helps to have two camera bodies, one with a super telephoto large aperture prime lens and a second body with a zoom lens.
Great feedback and input, thank you so much! You have some great insight on which lenses may be best for birds vs larger mammals, and which scenarios might be best for a prime vs a zoom. I couldn't agree with you more. I'd love to rock the double cameras and lenses one day, it seems it would be very handy in the field. Thanks again!
I agree. Especially if the second body is very small, it doesn't add much weight to the bag compared to the lenses. I have my old M6ii with me most of the time as a second body, and connect it to whatever is the secondary lens for that day. The added weight is 300-400g if I am not mistaken, very light compared to the possibilities it gives.
Another very good video Jimmy, I am primarily a bird photographer and mostly use prime lenses for all the reasons that you identify. I would never have been able to use prime lenses except for the fact that Nikon has recently started to produce some lower priced primes that are also much lighter than the exotic primes. For example the 600mm f4 TC in Canada is $20K. A 600mm f6.3 PF lens is less than half that amount. Still expensive but it has made it more accessible for hobby wildlife photographers. I love the prime lenses but I also can see the benefit of having a zoom lens in your bag, I just got a Nikon 180-600mm zoom lens and I have already found out how valuable they are, it will be in my bag every time I go out. Thanks for all that you do and have a great week!!
Thanks for the feedback Keith, I always enjoy hearing your advice and what gear you're using. Your images are always amazing, it's easy to tell that you have a setup that works very well for you and utilize the gear you have. I'm excited to hear how you feel about that zoom in the coming weeks and months, I've already heard wonderful things about it and I'm always a fan of a good zoom lens!
Another great video Jimmy. The one word you hit on which absolutely sums up this subject for me is "tools". There is no 'best' lens for wildlife photography, there is just the most suitable lens for the job that you want to do. No mechanic will tell you that one tool is better than another. The best tool is the one that gets the job done. As photographers we should have an understanding of what we are trying to achieve with our images and that being said we then just need to select the right tool/lens for the job. Never having been a wealthy man I fully appreciate the frustration of only being able to afford certain items of kit but for those of us in that position I say make the most of what you have. Learn the full capabilities of your gear and choose subjects and situations which suit the gear you do have.
Thanks so much Robert! I agree with everything you just said and I don't know if I've heard it better said than that. I have the opportunity to work with a lot of other photographers, and I'm so surprised at how many people I still talk to that either believe you need the most expensive gear to get the best photos, or that there really is a "best" lens and camera for wildlife photography. I'm constantly so grateful that I've had to budget and save for every piece of camera equipment that I have. I feel it's really taught me to know the camera and equipment backwards and forwards, and think outside the box to get the images I want. I always appreciate your feedback my friend, I hope you're doing well!
It also seems that extenders work much better with primes compared to zooms. Sometimes that is useful. I am waiting / hoping for Canon to come up with a lighter RF version of the 200-400mm with internal 1.4x extender, hopefully even extending the reach to 500mm. Then it's byebye time to my kidney. Thanks for the great videos!
I've had the same experience with the extenders. Tried a 1.4x on a zoom lens once and the camera had such a hard time focusing on anything. I never used that 200-400mm, but I know someone who does and he swears by it. Thanks so much for the input!
We received a tip on a location of where short eared owls hunt in the evening the other day. Unfortunately only 1 showed up just as it was getting too dark too dark to shoot. We tried anyways. My husband with a zoom lens couldn't get anything to turn out. I managed 1 or 2 shots at a high ISO that were documentary worthy but not great by any means. I was really wishing I had the f2.8 rather than the f5.6 at that moment. I could have switched to my 150mm Macro for the f2.8 but then the owl would have been just a speck. I still haven't seen the fox but it is about marking its territory, and leaving its calling card on the trail around the pond. Hopefully one these days it will happen and I sure hope my walks don't deter it from coming around. I have spotted a hole close to the road, not sure it is the den or not. You made some good points yet again. Have a great week!
It's exactly scenarios like that where a prime can come in handy. I love Short Eared Owls, that's so cool that you got to see one. It's been a minute since I've run into one. This is the time of year when Foxes are mating and establishing their territories, so you may have a den somewhere nearby with kits in a couple of months. That would be so exciting!
The RF 100-300f2.8 is a real 300mmf2.8 that ate a 70-200😉 but for the quality it’s a real 300mm f2.8 prime. So same bokeh same IQ and fact that it’s a zoom it can do more
Image quality, focusing speed, and aperture are all great reasons for prime lenses. I often find that not being able to zoom out when I am too close to the subject forces me to capture extreme closeups or details that I would have otherwise missed if I did zoom out.
Those are some great points, thanks for the input! I've gotten those extreme closeups before as well because I can't move or zoom out, and they definitely turn out nice. Really just comes down to knowing your gear and personal preferences.
My prime lens is primarily used for birds. It's very rare when I am to close. Have a good week, Jimmy.
Thanks Terry, that's usually when I prefer using one as well. I always appreciate your input, have a wonderful week!
300mm f2.8 prime plus 1.4 & 2x TC gives a compact, relatively light weight and adaptable set up ( 300, 420, 600mm ) especially on a high mp full frame sensor. You quickly get to know the angle of view / magnification. Often primes AF speed is quicker. And for BIF & fast moving subjects I prefer primes.
All the best from Scotland, Jimmy, I enjoy your presentations.
Great point and feedback, thanks so much! Do you find that the autofocus slows down at all with a 2x extender? I have one of the older models and have used it on a few primes, and it occasionally seems to slow things down a bit.
Thanks again for the input, I greatly appreciate your support!
Great video! I primarily choose my lenses based on subject to camera distance, time of day, and the composition I need. Most of the time when I photograph birds, I use an 800 mm lens. If I’m photographing small songbirds, like warblers, I find that it helps to be closer to them, and a zoom lens is often quite handy in that setting. Alternatively, a 400 mm f/2.8 or 400 mm f/4 or f/4.5 lens can provide 1-2 stops brighter aperture than most zoom lenses. When I’m photographing large mammals, like elk and moose, I prefer use a zoom lens, like the Nikon Z 180-600 mm f/5.6-6.3. The 400 mm f/2.8, 500 mm f/4 and 600 mm f/4 lenses are often great choices for large mammals, especially in low light. It helps to have two camera bodies, one with a super telephoto large aperture prime lens and a second body with a zoom lens.
Great feedback and input, thank you so much! You have some great insight on which lenses may be best for birds vs larger mammals, and which scenarios might be best for a prime vs a zoom. I couldn't agree with you more. I'd love to rock the double cameras and lenses one day, it seems it would be very handy in the field. Thanks again!
I agree. Especially if the second body is very small, it doesn't add much weight to the bag compared to the lenses. I have my old M6ii with me most of the time as a second body, and connect it to whatever is the secondary lens for that day. The added weight is 300-400g if I am not mistaken, very light compared to the possibilities it gives.
Another very good video Jimmy, I am primarily a bird photographer and mostly use prime lenses for all the reasons that you identify. I would never have been able to use prime lenses except for the fact that Nikon has recently started to produce some lower priced primes that are also much lighter than the exotic primes. For example the 600mm f4 TC in Canada is $20K. A 600mm f6.3 PF lens is less than half that amount. Still expensive but it has made it more accessible for hobby wildlife photographers. I love the prime lenses but I also can see the benefit of having a zoom lens in your bag, I just got a Nikon 180-600mm zoom lens and I have already found out how valuable they are, it will be in my bag every time I go out. Thanks for all that you do and have a great week!!
Thanks for the feedback Keith, I always enjoy hearing your advice and what gear you're using. Your images are always amazing, it's easy to tell that you have a setup that works very well for you and utilize the gear you have. I'm excited to hear how you feel about that zoom in the coming weeks and months, I've already heard wonderful things about it and I'm always a fan of a good zoom lens!
Another great video Jimmy. The one word you hit on which absolutely sums up this subject for me is "tools".
There is no 'best' lens for wildlife photography, there is just the most suitable lens for the job that you want to do.
No mechanic will tell you that one tool is better than another. The best tool is the one that gets the job done. As photographers we should have an understanding of what we are trying to achieve with our images and that being said we then just need to select the right tool/lens for the job.
Never having been a wealthy man I fully appreciate the frustration of only being able to afford certain items of kit but for those of us in that position I say make the most of what you have. Learn the full capabilities of your gear and choose subjects and situations which suit the gear you do have.
Thanks so much Robert! I agree with everything you just said and I don't know if I've heard it better said than that. I have the opportunity to work with a lot of other photographers, and I'm so surprised at how many people I still talk to that either believe you need the most expensive gear to get the best photos, or that there really is a "best" lens and camera for wildlife photography. I'm constantly so grateful that I've had to budget and save for every piece of camera equipment that I have. I feel it's really taught me to know the camera and equipment backwards and forwards, and think outside the box to get the images I want. I always appreciate your feedback my friend, I hope you're doing well!
It also seems that extenders work much better with primes compared to zooms. Sometimes that is useful. I am waiting / hoping for Canon to come up with a lighter RF version of the 200-400mm with internal 1.4x extender, hopefully even extending the reach to 500mm. Then it's byebye time to my kidney. Thanks for the great videos!
I've had the same experience with the extenders. Tried a 1.4x on a zoom lens once and the camera had such a hard time focusing on anything. I never used that 200-400mm, but I know someone who does and he swears by it. Thanks so much for the input!
We received a tip on a location of where short eared owls hunt in the evening the other day. Unfortunately only 1 showed up just as it was getting too dark too dark to shoot. We tried anyways. My husband with a zoom lens couldn't get anything to turn out. I managed 1 or 2 shots at a high ISO that were documentary worthy but not great by any means. I was really wishing I had the f2.8 rather than the f5.6 at that moment. I could have switched to my 150mm Macro for the f2.8 but then the owl would have been just a speck. I still haven't seen the fox but it is about marking its territory, and leaving its calling card on the trail around the pond. Hopefully one these days it will happen and I sure hope my walks don't deter it from coming around. I have spotted a hole close to the road, not sure it is the den or not. You made some good points yet again. Have a great week!
It's exactly scenarios like that where a prime can come in handy. I love Short Eared Owls, that's so cool that you got to see one. It's been a minute since I've run into one.
This is the time of year when Foxes are mating and establishing their territories, so you may have a den somewhere nearby with kits in a couple of months. That would be so exciting!
Another great video and your reasons are spot on. I heard the RF100-300 2.8 produces bokah like the EF300 2.8. Considering this for Alaska.
The RF 100-300f2.8 is a real 300mmf2.8 that ate a 70-200😉 but for the quality it’s a real 300mm f2.8 prime. So same bokeh same IQ and fact that it’s a zoom it can do more
Thanks Richard, I've heard great things about the lens, I think it would be a great option for photographing those bears!
@dan_gibson_photographer_insta Haha, well said. I've heard great things about it, can't wait to try it out sometime!
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Prime Lenses are always the Kings and Emperors.
They're definitely great lenses for sure in the right scenarios.
@@JimmyBreitenstein Prime Lenses are always great ! I do not own and will not own a zoom !
Unless you have fujifilm, u get what u get, there’s no option 😢
OK if you are rich !
I hear ya, they're definitely expensive. There are a lot of great shops out there where you can rent them from for a reasonable cost.