astrolucida
Registered: Jan 07, 2005
Total Posts: 1661
Country: Finland
|
WebDog wrote:
BTW I have both the 135 and the 70-200/2.8 and when I want the ultimate IQ I always pick the 135, but when I cannot plan my shots easy, the 70-200 stays on cam.
+1
And also when I want a more lightweight lens for trips where photography is not the main goal. Then I take the 17-55 IS, 135f2L and 1.4x TC.
As for OP's question, I agree with others that the 70-200f2.8L IS would be the best choice, especially for low-light situations. However, if your budget does not allow it, then the pick between the 135f2L and 70-200f4L IS depends on a few things:
- if you can or want to do creative framing, the prime is way better alternative
- if you need to do conservative framings and cannot change or plan your position, pick the zoom.
People often say that with a prime you cannot get the image if you don't have time or freedom to move to the spot that you want/need. However, this is only true when you get fixed on a specific framing. If you are good at dynamic framing, you can always get an image with a prime. It might not be the "obvious" one, but then again, it probably will be a more creative one.
If you have the 135 and would need a framing that you would get with 200mm, you need to add extra things to the framing. Pick something that supports the main subject, and/or change the framing from horizontal to vertical or vice versa. Very often adding something from the environment to the subject will support the story better. You can also crop the image later if you decide that you don't want the surroundings.
If you have the 135 and would need a framing that you would get with 70mm, you need to cut away something from the framing. Decide what is the most important part of the subject and take only it. Very often the story can be told by showing only a part of the image and then the story actually becomes much stronger. In weddings you often see full portraits of two people while the story could be told with just two faces and two hands (e.g. putting on the ring).
Doing those framings requires split-second decisions. Being able to do that requires experience. On the contrary, having a zoom will create images all having very similar framings. Decide which kind of images you want and pick the lens accordingly. The experience will come with using the lens.
When travelling I often spend a lot of time agonizing whether I should take a zoom or primes with me. The right question, however, is not what I need but rather what kind of images I want as a result. So far I've never made a lens choice that would result in no images at all. 
When taking images for your own consumption, you never have to get an image. Or you don't have to get an image with a specific framing. But rather, I want images that I want to return to and look them again and again.
Maybe I should test that theory and take a trip with only 15f2.8 fisheye and 200f2.8L. I would at least see things from a very different perspective.
|
