So what is the alternative? Well, you could do what most of today's pros and some ambitious amateur photographers do and buy a "professional" 28-70mm zoom lens with a fixed f/2.8 aperture. These lenses are reasonably fast, quite sharp and well made. But they are heavy, bulky and very very expensive. For most people I believe there is a better alternative: the classic 50mm "normal" lens.
via vothphoto.com
A great piece by the photographer Gary Voth on the wonders of shooting with a 50mm f/1.8 or f/2 – I only just started shooting with a prime about six months ago (there was one with my Olympus E-P1 that my Dad gave/loaned to me) and the difference is remarkable. 50mms are the epitome of "keep it simple". If you haven't got one, get one, and your photography will improve almost overnight.
The one thing I hate about prime lenses is that, while they start off in your head as a portable, cost-effective alternative to pro-level fast-aperture zoom , they soon become addictive, and you start eyeing up primes that cost two or three times as much as really expensive zooms... Leica's 50mm f1.4 Summilux-M ASPH is a case in point...
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