Bird Photography, Birds in Flight, Cameras & Lenses, Micro 4/3 (OM-D/M.Zuiko)

Jigsaws or Drills

8 Comments

Sometimes we get drawn into heated discussions, like deciding whether jigsaws or drills are the best woodworking tools. 🙂 I appreciate that some of you may be thinking that the comparison posed is ludicrous… perhaps even bordering on asinine. And yet as photographers… we sometimes get drawn into these types of pointless comparisons on a regular basis… especially in online chatrooms.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-14 teleconverter @ 548 mm, efov 1096 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000, ISO-1000, cropped to 3702 pixels on the width, subject distance 52.6 metres

Recently I had a reader ask me if I thought the M.Zuiko PRO 300 mm f/4 IS prime, was a better lens than the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 600 mm, efov 1200 mm, f/6.3, 1/13, ISO-640, full frame capture, subject distance 2.8 metres

I responded by asking him if jigsaws or drills were better woodworking tools.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6,3 IS @ 150 mm, efov 300 mm, f/5, -0.7 EV, 1/60, -0.7 EV, ISO-2000, full frame capture without any cropping, subject distance 2.7 metres

He was somewhat taken aback and replied that my comparison was “kind of silly as the two tools you’re comparing are designed for different jobs”.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6,3 IS @ 600 mm, efov 1200 mm, f/6.3, -0.7 EV, 1/25, -0.7 EV, ISO-2500, full frame capture without any cropping, subject distance 2.8 metres

I pointed out that the two lenses that he asked me to evaluate were also designed for different jobs. It is true that both lenses are used for nature photography. But… it is also true that jigsaws or drills can both be used in woodworking.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 373 mm, efov 746 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500, ISO-640, cropped to 3024 pixels on the width, Pro Capture H, subject distance 7.4 metres

He explained that there was a debate going on in an online chatroom. Apparently folks were debating whether the M.Zuiko PRO 300 mm f/4 IS prime was a “better lens” than the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS with MC-14 teleconverter @ 420 mm, efov 840 mm, f/8.3, 1/2500, ISO-1250, cropped to 3911 pixels on the width, Pro Capture H, subject distance 12.7 metres

Of course there is no right answer to the comparison posed in that chatroom. The fundamental issue boils down to the specific needs that a nature photographer has when they make their lens purchase.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 600 mm, efov 1200 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500, ISO-800, cropped to 3921 pixels on the width, Pro Capture H, subject distance 51.8 metres

Can you cut a circular hole in a piece of plywood with a jigsaw? Yup. Will it be as precise as a hole cut with a drill? Probably not… especially if the required hole has a small diameter. Any tool does have its limits.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 500 mm, efov 1000 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000, ISO-500, cropped to 4756 pixels on the width, Pro Capture L, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, subject distance 45.9 metres

Can you cut out an intricate, solid wavy line in a piece of plywood with a drill? Yup… if you have enough time and patience. Will it be as smooth as one cut with a jigsaw? Probably not. Some tools are more flexible than others.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 600 mm, efov 1200 mm, 1/2500, f/6.3, -0.3 EV, ISO-1600, cropped to 2844 pixels on the width, Pro Capture H, subject distance 28 metres

There’s an old saying that if all you have is a hammer… then every problem looks like a nail.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 600 mm, efov 1200 mm, 1/800, f/6.3, ISO-800, full frame capture without any cropping, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, subject distance 17.9 metres

If you own the M.Zuiko PRO 300 mm f/4 IS prime, there’s a good chance that you value that lens because of its low light performance and overall image quality. So… when in an online chatroom debate you’ll probably push your perspective.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 328 mm,. efov 656 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500, ISO-1600, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3375 pixels on the width, subject distance 1.3 metres

If you’ve invested in the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom then it’s likely that your photographic needs are highly skewed to having a broad range of in-field flexibility. Your online debate contributions will likely push this perspective.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-14 teleconverter @ 840 mm, efov 1680 mm, f/9, -0,3 EV, 1/2000, ISO-1000, full frame capture without any cropping, subject distance 24 metres

Any lens can only be evaluated within the context of the specific needs of an individual photographer. What is perfect for one photographer, may not be a good fit for another.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 342 mm,. efov 684 mm, f/6, 1/1250, ISO-2500, cropped to 2668 pixels on the width, subject distance 2.6 metres

Personally I find these types of prime versus zoom lens comparisons and debates a total waste of time. Each of us has our preferred hammers in our camera bags… and we all see our own visions of nails around us.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 373mm, efov 746mm, f/6.3, 1/2000, ISO-320, cropped to 4026 pixels on the width, Pro Capture L, Bird Recognition AI Subject Tracking, subject distance 31.4 metres

Just for the record, my personal camera kit has eight lenses in it. Six jigsaws and two drills. Would I ever consider buying the M.Zuiko PRO 300 mm f/4 IS prime? No doubt it is an outstanding drill.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 548 mm, efov 1096 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000, ISO-320, Pro Capture L, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 3936 pixels on the width, subject distance 33.2 metres

Nope, I’d never consider buying the PRO 300 mm f/4 IS. It doesn’t matter to me how excellent that lens may be for its intended purpose… it simply doesn’t fit my shooting style or needs. I’m a jigsaw kind of photographer.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-14 teleconverter @ 528, efov 1056 mm, f/8.6, 1/2000, ISO-800, Pro Capture L, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 2916 pixels on the width, subject distance 30.2 metres

Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera equipment  noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,429 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 600 mm, efov 1200 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500, ISO-500, Pro Capture L, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 3480 pixels on the width, subject distance 32 metres

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8 thoughts on “Jigsaws or Drills”

  1. Thanks for the article. It would be nice to “have the perfect lens for all” and I really liked this article and comparing it to the items we have/use in our every day life. I recently did an analysis of my limited photograhs with the Oly 100-400mm lens (purchased in July of 2024) and much to my surprise found many of my pictures were taken at the lower end of lens as opposed to the upper end. I take photograph birds and thought most of my photos would be at > 300 mm but that was not the case. I do like telephoto lens and the flexibility it gives me. Thanks again for a very interesting article.

    Reply

    1. Hi John,

      Thanks for adding to the discussion and sharing your experience with the Oly 100-400 zoom lens. As your comment outlines, it can be an interesting analysis when we assess the focal lengths that we actually used with a specific zoom lens.

      Tom

      Reply

  2. You are oh so correct to each their own based on their shooting style and subject. Personally, as a primarily wildlife photographer I haven’t owned a prime lenses (except for my 60mm macro lens) since I gave up film in the early 2000sAlthough a lot of people just love their primes, I find them much too restrictive and value zooms’ flexibility.

    Reply

  3. “What’s the best piano,” potential and existing clients ask me. “Well,” I say, “I need to be sitting at the specific piano you are interested in to assess its quality.” When I recently purchased a Coolpix B500 refurbished from Nikon, I knew I couldn’t lose anything but the $89 they were asking. Then I went to the wharf and started playing around with it. Bingo! I discovered that using a high-powered zoom lens would fit my style better than any lens I had used over the past 15 years. I have some high-quality prime lenses, but experiencing the zoom capabilities set me on fire. So, argue away about which lens is good, better, best, but Mr. Stirr has authored an excellent article allowing photographers to feel good about their choices! I now have a Coolpix P900, and an IR converted P950.
    Peter

    Reply

    1. Hi Peter,

      Buying a camera/lens is a terrific investment when it unlocks our motivation and photographic potential… regardless of what that piece of equipment is or the size of investment made.

      Tom

      Reply

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