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Re: [OM] 12-40 F2.8 Oly zoom for the EM-1

Subject: Re: [OM] 12-40 F2.8 Oly zoom for the EM-1
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:37:14 -0400
I think you're still mentally stuck on film.  Two ISO stops above 
whatever film you might have takes care of the difference between f/2.8 
and f/5.6.  The mZuiko 14-150 can be a "does most everything" lens with 
aperture priority set at f/5.6 where it is no longer variable aperture. 
  The WYSIWYG EVF on the EM-5 fully handles the lost brightness at 
f/5.6.  The flash photography "problem" doesn't exist if you've upped 
the ISO.  Flash power requirement remains the same.

To be sure, f/5.6 on an EM-5 doesn't handle the need for shallow depth 
of field but that's a two-edged sword.  f/2.8 and ISO 400 doesn't do 
much for deep depth of field which can also be required.

Easy for me to say since I don't shoot weddings anymore and certainly 
not with film.  The blunderbuss constant aperture Tokina 28-80/2.8 and 
80-200/2.8 just aren't getting exercised these days.

Chuck Norcutt


On 8/28/2013 5:02 PM, Ken Norton wrote:
>> Fast zooms were a big deal in film and early digital days. We associate them 
>> with serious/pro photographers because they are big, heavy and pricey and 
>> because they were bread and butter lenses for many actual pros.
>
> (major snip)
>
> I'll play this one a different way. Let's say that I'm photographing a
> wedding. I want consistancy between images and will nail down as many
> settings as possible. Shooting aperture priority mode is one of the
> most common things that wedding and event photographers will do. If
> you have a variable aperture zoom, that means you are limited to an
> aperture so deep as to essentially be worthless. I agree about the
> high-ISO performance and everything, but if I'm also using flash, the
> backgrounds will be so variable between shots that it creates a
> post-processing nightmare as well as a loss of exposure continuity
> throughout the album.
>
> I really hate variable aperture zooms. I've been using them throughout
> the digital era, but that doesn't mean that I like them.  I'd rather
> stick a prime lens on the camera than have to deal with a variable
> aperture zoom. I can stand F2.8-4.0 variable aperture, but F2.8 to
> F6.5 is a bridge too far. For one thing, you lose all the goodness of
> controlling the DoF at longer focal lengths, and the other thing is
> that with telephoto settings, I'm generally shooting farther
> distances. With flash photography, those longer distances require more
> flash power. It's all a spiral downward into a big stinking hole. As
> it is impossible to use aperture-priority, you're better off just
> sticking it on P (professional?) mode.
>
> For the hobbiest and vacation traveler photographer, it doesn't matter
> one whit, so variable aperture lenses are just peachy.
>
>
>
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