Fixed focal length vs Zoom

I have a nikon d90 and take most of my pictures at somewhat of a distance. I'm looking to upgrade my glass and was wondering what you guys recommend. Right now I have cheap kit lenses. 70-300 (not vr) and an 18-105 vr. I was thinking about the 80-400 vr but always see the fixed 300 or 200mm and it seems that they take sharo pics too.

I guess what I'm really asking is what kind of upgrades can I make for around $1500 tops.

The Nikon 300 f/4 af-s is a very good lens in your price range. Fixed focal length lenses equal or better most zoom lens' performance.

I use the Nikon 300 f/4 and it can be paired with a 1.7X TC and maintain autofocus (Nikon will tell you AF only works with 1.4X TC) for an effective focal length of 500mm. Look for either or both used to keep the price near $1500. The 80-400 from what I understand is nice and versitale and takes good photos but it's hard to be the sharpness of the 300, and the versatility of pairing it with a TC.

- Luke

I was wondering the same thing. I have a Canon 50D and my longest lens is the 75 to 300 zoom with IS. I was thinking of the 100 to 400L as I can afford this and would hope to get closer and sharper to my avian friends. I read that the fixed 300L with 1.4TC would be better but the price is quite a bit higher. The lens speed is not too much of an issue because I am not taking sports shots and mostly light is not a problem since I can shoot at 400 ISO before it starts to look grainy. I rarely enlarge more than 11X14.

What do you experts advise? Hope you don't mind be butting into this string. I think us Canon users need to be included.

As a general rule, prime lenses will give better image quality than zooms, although this depends on the individual lenses being compare. Tele-converters also tend to degrade image quality less with primes than with zooms. That being said, modern zoom lenses can produce very high quality images, especially professional grade lenses. Zoom lenses give greater versatility. Most accomplished photographers use both, although some do restrict themselves only to primes.

For the most part, macro lenses and super-telephotos are more widely available as primes than zooms, presumably because the higher magnification produces images that would be more susceptible to problems with zooms.

You should research specific lenses that you are considering. Read reviews and get opinions. Finally, ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances. Get the highest quality lenses you possibly can.

Over the past year or so, I have played around with a lot of Canon's L series lenses. Nope not Nikon's, but I think the general permise still applies. Personally, I think, if you want the best image quality, you should go with a prime. If you are willing to sacrifice a bit, or maybe more depending on the lens, of image quality for a bit more flexibility, then chose a zoom. As other have said, a good 300 prime and a TC gives good flexibility and very good image quality. That is a good way to go. In the end, I agree completely, get the best glass you can afford. If anything skimp a bit on the body and get good glass. You can get almost any shot with just about any of the bodies out there, but that cannot be said nearly as universally about glass. Cheers.

The last time I bought a lens I narrowed down to a couple I thought would work and rented them for trial. Perhaps that's an option for you. Some local camera store have rental programs or you can go online. I did not buy either of the lenses I rented but renting them let me find out what I didn't like about them.

If you will use a tripod, the 300mm + TC-17E is nice. If you will be shooting from a boat, the 80-400mm VR might be a better choice. All depends on what you are doing.


Kent in SD

With the Canon lenses, I think the 300F4 when paired with the 1.4 teleconverter is a little sharper and more consistent in producing quality images than the 100-400. The price is about the same as the 100-400, while the 300 F2.8 is a lot more expensive but also quite a bit sharper with very rapid autofocus.

The big advantage of a zoom of couse is the flexibility. I think it comes down to what you want the lens to do and what other lenses you have. If you just want to photograph birds I think you are better off with the 300F4 and 1.4x, on the other hand if you want to use that lens for other purposes such as photographing large mammals and/or landscapes, as well as birds, then you would be better off going with the 100-400 zoom (or for Nikon the 80-400 zoom).

Kevin,

I am an avian photographer and I don't own a single prime. I own the Nikkor 18-200mm VR, the 70-300mm VR, the 80-400mm VR and the 200-400mm VR which I use with the 14.x TC. It has not hurt my avian photography at all to have the zoom lenses, I invite you to look at my gallery and portfolio, not one shot is from a prime lens.

In many cases I've been able to get the shots that someone with a prime can not because they can not zoom back. With a flick of my wrist I can have space in a frame for composition that some one with a prime lens would have to back up for and often by the time you back up, the bird is gone.

Would I recommend a prime? Yes. Would I recommend a zoom? Yes. It depends though on how much you can spend, the shooting conditions and what you are photographing.

The 80-400mm VR can at times be slow to focus but it has not held my photography back one bit, I have some excellent flight/action images in my files from using it. I've gotten very good images with the 70-300mm VR and developed good stalking skills to use that lens. I've never used a TC with those two lenses. I use the 80-400mm VR and 70-300mm VR almost exclusively handheld.

I use the 200-400mm VR most often here in Utah because of the extra reach the 1.4x TC can give me.

I also can not walk 10 miles easily with my 200-400mm VR, tripod, black widow head and assorted gear whereas I can and have done that easily with 80-400mm VR and probably have gotten shots that a person with 25 pounds of just camera gear wouldn't have bothered to hike to see.

The zoom or prime question comes up often, one thing to remember is that any of those lenses are only going to be as good as the skill of the photographer behind the camera body. You have to develop good shooting techniques whether you are using a prime or a zoom.

I'd recommend renting or borrowing lenses until you find one you are happy with.

Thanks to all of you your suggestions and contributing your experience and expertise. Mia, I think that your comments really hit the mark for my personal style and related issues. I would be downright disappointed if I got close to a shot and then lost it because I did not have the time to zoom for composition. I have done this type of shooting for so long that it is very comfortable. I really just want the longer reach and without too much of a loss of quality. Mine are not the "cover" images of the amazing professionals out there.

Also, tracking around with heavy equipment no longer suits this aging body. I think I will rent the Canon 100 to 400 zoom and a TC just to get the feel.

Byron, one issue is the teleconverter won't autofocus on the 50D with that lens. I'm not saying don't try the tc with it but you will be restricted to manual focus with that setup. Of course the lens alone will autofocus with that body.