Pavel Offline Dedicated FM Upload & Sell: Off
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p.4 #22 · Primes! Has Nikon forgotten? | |
Those who buy a new slr, and who buy at the low end such as D40's rebels and such ... they tend to buy with the kit zoom lens and then perhaps buy one more zoom lens. I'd say that these folks must be a good 20 percent of the population. Not much higher than that as some would like to suggest.
Those that buy mid level cameras like the D80, D200 or the 20D and such, even if they are soccer mums buy at least one or two primes somewhere down the road. Primes are still selling well and the only things that has happened is that zooms now are not the red-headed stepchildren that they used to be. Zooms now sell better than primes for sure, but when you get to anyone who is interested in photography, even the soccer mom - they start to buy lenses slowly and then it is not long before they discover that primes have a place and are supperior in several factors to zooms. Those are the folks that keep the market going. The non-photo enthusiasts buy a body, and use the kit lens and perhaps one more. THen they don't buy a thing for ten years.
The enthusiasts keep the companies afloat far more than their body purchase percentages would suggest. They buy a body, perhaps with a kit lens. They want to improve their picture taking abilitiies. So they look around, THey take classes, talk to photo enthusiasts or join places like FM. VERY quickly they see the culture that leads them to lens purchases. Lenses are where the money is for Companies ... and as soon as they turn into any kind of enthusiasts ... they soon get at least one prime.
Don't go assuming that enthusiasts are a small part of the over all schema. THey are the bulk. Just think about it. You have to have more than a tini interest in photography to take the crazy route to an slr over that of a point and shoot.
In my non-photography circles I'm constantly amazed by how so many people want to learn about photography, how many consider themselves budding photographers. So many want to seek advice and when they do, only a rank newbie would tell someone that zooms are all you need. Sorry that is just dumb, like saying ... you don't ever need flash. Sure, its true ... but what a shame that some dolts believe in limiting themselves that way.
F 2.8 is bearable, but only fast for a zoom.
If you want to learn, I mean really learn the nuances of a lens, a few years with a prime may start to get you there, but forget ever really predicting your zoom. Too many factors.
I know, its no longer popular to learn the equipment, after all the trend is to buy a new body every chance and a few zooms so you don't have to think much and walk less.
But for those that want to make photography something to control and take to the highest levels of personal satisfaction - primes are still, and always will be, necessary and desirable components in our bags. So, yeah, Nikon ... if you build them ... we will do our part.
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