Nick Silva wrote in article ...
> In article <19970909020500.WAA27553@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
> looper9006@aol.com (Looper9006) wrote:

> > My final thought? I'd rather get a good zoom like the 28-105mm USM Canon
> > for 35mm and save up for a decent/affordable medium format set-up like the
> > Mamiya C330. IMHO

> Well I'm 100% with you on this one. The difference in quality between good
> zooms and primes is insignificant considering the difference in quality
> between 35mm and the next jump, 645. The whole point of 35mm is to have a
> small portable camera with quick handling. A high quality zoom serves that
> purpose well. The only real argument I see for primes is the potential 1-2
> stop advantage.

Hmm..., it is generally more than a 1-2 stop advantage primes have
over zooms, if one considers the first (widest) really high-quality aperture
available... The one big advantage 35mm has over larger film-format
cameras is in their low-light ability, and many good primes (35mm FL
and over) for 35mm cameras both offer f2 and are good at f2, unlike
most good zooms - which are generally only adequate by f5.6, and really
good only at smaller stops (there ARE exceptions...). Combined with the
DOF and hand-holdability advantages at a given stop and angle-of-view
that 35mm has compared with larger formats (where the larger format
requires a longer FL lens, and a smaller stop for the same DOF for the
same angle-of-view), 35mm definitely has the advantage for low light
photography. When there is a high light level, it is true that almost any
mediocre larger format will make the quality differences between good
35mm-format lenses relatively insignificant - but within the 35mm-format
lenses, there ARE clear differences, and there ARE clear (and good)
reasons for choosing 35mm over a larger format (and for choosing
primes over zooms). Personally, I would much prefer to own and use
a great set of fast primes for 35mm than a few optically inferior zooms
(no matter how "convenient"...), or a cumbersome larger-format outfit.
I own a rather complete set of excellent 35mm-format primes, several
zooms, a good medium-format outfit, and a rather nice 4x5 outfit. The
quality possible with the 4x5 makes the 645 outfit look "small format", and
the same comparing the 645 with the 35mm - but the 4x5 is useless on
all but a few windless days around here (and has not been used in several
years), the 645 goes out only for large group photos, the zooms also
generally sit on the shelf, and I use my favorite primes because they are
sharper, more pleasant to use, and more versatile than the other gear
(maybe I should have a big sale soon...;-).
Hope This Helps
David Ruether - http://www.fcinet.com/ruether