Very naive question/ new xt

I just got an EF100x300 usm (and xt for that matter) are all zoom lenses "manual zoom"? My pro1 was motorized.

Yes they are.

Eventually you'll find yourself being able to control and zoom much faster and accurately than with the powered zoom system. I can never go back

The reason they do it this way is as lightstream says -more and better control

ron chappel wrote in post #2283081
The reason they do it this way is as lightstream says -more and better control

I think it's a COST issue.. They could put some buttons on the body that would drive a motor built in to a lens, but there's NO way they could do that without increasing the cost of the lens.

Not only that, but they'd have to create special motorized EF zoom lenses from scratch because no such animals exist now

I wouldn't want a motorized zoom...

Thanks everyone The first few times just seemed very jerky/primative. As mentioned, just a matter of becoming proficient

Jim_T wrote in post #2283122
I think it's a COST issue.. They could put some buttons on the body that would drive a motor built in to a lens, but there's NO way they could do that without increasing the cost of the lens.

Not only that, but they'd have to create special motorized EF zoom lenses from scratch because no such animals exist now

There was one early attempt, the EF 35-70 PZ. You occasionally find these.. abominations.. popping up on ebay. Zoom motor in the lens, two buttons (wide/tele) on the side of the lens, some writing, no zoom or focus rings, no distance scales, no nothing of what we would associate with a lens. Looks like genetics went wrong!

The PZ part is the giveaway. It was supposed to stand for "Power Zoom".

Lightstream wrote in post #2282640
I can never go back

Agreed!