Zooming with your Feet?

Usually, I prefer it to use Zoom Lenses in my Photography. The only Reason fo that is their Versatility. But lately, I have been using my 22mm Prime Lens pretty much exclusively.

And I really like it. But that is not what this Post is about. There is one coming though. But first I feel that I need to clear up an age old Misconception. It is about Zooming with your Feet.

When I started out with my first DSLR, I got told that I should buy a Prime Lens to learn Photography because they are more restricted.

I was also told that I could just Zoom with my Feet if I wanted to get a Subject to be closer or further away in Frame.

And while you definitely Change your Composition by walking forwards and back. But your Lens and therefore its Focal Length will always be the same. That is why it is called a Fixed Focal Length.

But just changing your Framing is not Zooming in or out. It works to an extent, but it is definitely not the same.

Zooming always involves your Focal Lengths changing. That means that your Lens changes to. And that is just not possible with a Prime Lens.

Every Focal Length has its own unique Look to it. Wider Lenses have more Distortion than Longer ones, and usually their Compression (also not really a Thing, but more on that later) changes.

The same is also Tru with Cropping and Crop Cameras. Just not using a Part of the Image or having a smaller Sensor does not affect your Focal Length at all.

The only thing that does that is when you actually and physically alter it on your Lens. It is also the only Place when you can change your Zoom.

A Prime will always be the same Lens, no Matter how far you are from your Subject. Zoom Lenses contain all the Compositions in one Device. And that is why I like them.

But right now, I really love it to use my little Prime Lens. It has its Restrictions, namely having only one Focal Length. But it also has a wider Aperture. It is also very small and unobtrusive, I really love that.

But anyhow, you just can not Zoom with your Feet. You can only change your Composition to include more or less of the Scene.

And I still miss that 50mm I lost in a stupid Sink Hole.