[pilot718]

Is it better to have one lens that can cover 28-300mm, or one lens for 28-105mm and a second for 70-300mm? There are other combinations possible as well, so is one lens that encompasses a wider range better than a couple lenses that cover less?

[Colonel Klink]

Camera lenses are like a lot of other things - a tradeoff. A fixed lens, in any size, will give you a better picture than any adjustable. I have two lenses, a 28mm and a 105mm. I have always gotten excellent pictures (provided I do my part). If you have never done it take a 105, or so, mm to a party and shoot candid shots. I have gotten some exceptional pictures that way. People look natural.

[General Sherman]

In general, the 28 to 105 or such will be smaller and faster than a zoom lens going from 28 to 300 or such. Maintaining quality in a lens with a very wide range is hard to do without costing a lot.
That being said, I have decided on a 28 to 200 for the working lens for my 35mm Nikon SLR while travelling if weight and size is a factor. Otherwise I would carry two or three bodies a half dozen lenses or more, as well as a tripod, if I wanted to ensure good results from a photo shoot.
In the digital world, the cameras with 10 or 12 times optical zoom are not the best for highest quality results. Their sensors are smaller and the megapixels are limited to 3.2, 4 or 5. Camera shake starts to come into play at the high end of the telephoto zooms and the image stabilizers are a separate topic in themselves.

[SJCA35]

"Better" is hard to say. If weight is a serious concern, then one lens is prolly better. But generally speaking the wider the range of the lens, the lower the quality of the images it will produce. Of course there are always exceptions, but they tend to cost $$$.

-Aaron

[T. Harless]

There was a time when a zoom was a compromise. I really don't think that's the case now. There was a day when I carried a 20, 24, 35, 50, 85, 105, 180 and 300 daily. Now most days I work with a 17-35 on one body and an 80-200 on another. and a fanny pack. I have a 50/1.4 mm in the bag just in case I have to have that middle ground. New zooms arew sharp as a tack.

Todd