Again, a word about prime lenses, i.e. “non-zoom” lenses. I have said it before and it needs saying again.

Until the 1980s we used primarily prime lenses. Today, we use quality zooms – but quality or not, pros still use primes in many cases. I uses prime lenses whenever I can. Here’s why:

The main points for me are the lens speed – f/1.4 is better than f/2.8 as a maximum aperture – the sharpness, and the consistency of my shots. Zooms lead to laziness, while primes enforce discipline!

So if you only have zooms, then today get yourself a fast prime – a 24, 35 or 50mm lens perhaps – and go shoot some cool shots with that. On a crop camera, use 24 for events, 35 for general purpose, and 50 for portraits.