As I get older, wiser, and better looking, I have discovered the joy of a one camera-one lens outing. Either grabbing the D2x w/ 16-85mm or the D700 w/ 24-70mm, and nothing else so I have to work within the limitations of what I have with me. I have tried the D700 and 50mm f/1.4 trip as well, and that can be inspiring. I find that when I carry too much get, it gets in the way of me both being creative, and of having too many choices. Lately if I take any other lenses, it is the 14-24mm, and the 105mm Micro VR. If I am shooting at the zoo or Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, I use the 70-200mm on either the D2X or the D700, and only take one other lens.
How many others here do that as well? How many have tried the One Camera/One Lens challenge for a week or so? Its rather refreshing.
The more I shoot the less I want to carry and the more comfortable I get with one lens. I actually learned photography like that and shot with just a 50mm lens for years in school.
I agree wholeheartedly. In fact I shot probably 60% of my wedding with the 28mm 1.8. The D700 certainly made primes more enjoyable, and I almost always bring just one lens.
What I like is not thinking about what lens to use and concentrating on how best to use the single lens. I've done this with a 24-70 and later with a 70-200. It really makes things interesting. I going to give the 14-24 a try the next time I shoot a festival.
Now I've never tried it for a whole week. I just got back from Morro Bay and couldn't imagine using only one lens--maybe I should give it a try.
This conversation makes a whole lot of sense. Was a time back in the film days when all I walked out of the house with was the camera and a 50mm. I sit and look at the pictures sometimes late at night and enjoy immensely the pictures and the fun I had taking them. The world has gone a little equipment crazy but it is what it is, so be it.
Years ago, I only carried one lens, usually a 50mm on the body with no camera bag. I didn't feel like I was missing anything, but once I started using the 70-200 and the 12-24 in addition to the mid-zoom, I grew to love the flexibility of being able to make any kind of shot.
Today I carry a bag with three lenses, probably a 4th soon + monopod + flash + accessories, etc. It is a pain carrying that bag, but whenever I take something out of the bag, I find I wish I had it, so I suffer carrying all that stuff.
Tools are there for a reason, to let you as a photographer express your artistic vision.
That doesn't mean you have to carry your whole kit, but rather be smart about what your likely to encounter, and knowing your own style and vision and knowing what you need to execute it, that may be one lens, it may be a full bag.
If I'm going to a destination thats know for both wildlife and breathtaking vistas, I'm darn well not going to leave long glass or wide glass at home because then it would mean not getting to shoot something I enjoy.
Simply be smart about what you'll need, take what you'll use, leave what you wont.
Jul 21, 2009 at 09:46 PM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
millsart wrote:
Tools are there for a reason, to let you as a photographer express your artistic vision.
That doesn't mean you have to carry your whole kit, but rather be smart about what your likely to encounter, and knowing your own style and vision and knowing what you need to execute it, that may be one lens, it may be a full bag.
If I'm going to a destination thats know for both wildlife and breathtaking vistas, I'm darn well not going to leave long glass or wide glass at home because then it would mean not getting to shoot something I enjoy.
Simply be smart about what you'll need, take what you'll use, leave what you wont. ...Show more →
If you look at my profile you will see that I have had a stupid amount of equipment going through my hands in the past yet trimmed it down to very little now, seems to work fine and it lets me do the shooting instead of juggling 3-4 lenses and constantly trying to decide what I "need" to use for "that" shot.
Kidding. I have an enormous backpack where i can place multiple camera bodies, my sigma 50-500, a 70-200 a standard zoom two flashes etc etc. Ridiculous. I bought a very small bag last year. I can only fit one camera body in there and one lens. There's some room left for either my grip, a flash or an other lens. That works fine. Most of the time i have just one lens in there.
Most of the time I bring 2 or 3 primes, but I also like to only have one with me. If I get to a location where I like to take pictures, I just have to take pictures with what I got. There's no need to take every sort of picture just because the scene would allow it.
The more lenses I get, the fewer I use. I feel confident enough to know that I can take good pictures with whatever lens I bring. I also hate dragging around with heavy bags. It takes away alot of the fun.
Today I'll probably bring 40 + 85 mm. That's a nice combo (on FF).
I find that if I carry more than one lens, it becomes (mentally) a case of "What lens do I need, what is the perfect lens to get this shot"? Instead of "Just take the photo darn it!" Like Cartier-Bresson, I find for me at times, a one/one is the best way to stoke the fires of being creative. The 50mm and no other took me back to high school days where thats all I had.
Grognard wrote:
I find that if I carry more than one lens, it becomes (mentally) a case of "What lens do I need, what is the perfect lens to get this shot"? Instead of "Just take the photo darn it!" Like Cartier-Bresson, I find for me at times, a one/one is the best way to stoke the fires of being creative. The 50mm and no other took me back to high school days where thats all I had.
Funny enough I found myself doing the same thing last week. 1 week I used nothing but my 50mm lens and enjoyed it. I almost missed using my K1000. Then I remembered changing the ISO dial on the camera doesn't change the ISO of the film, manually advancing the film, the joy of having film come off track
I really did enjoy and still have my K1000.
In my younger, madder days I used to carry a Mamiya 645/80mm, 45mm, 50mmshift, 150mm, 210mm, ext. tubes, and 3 film mags in one Billingham bag. In the other Billingham was a Nikon F4, F801, 24mm 28mm, 60mm, 85mm, 180mm and 300/4. I have no memorable or worthwhile images from then. I am now doing my best stuff with a D70/18-200 because I can travel further for longer, always asking myself,hmm, I wonder what`s round the next bend or on the other side of that hill?.
I've had a lot of fun with just my 50mm on my D300, but it can be a pain sometimes as it's not quite long and definitely not wide... stuck somewhere in the awkward middle, and I think it'd be much more satisfying on an FX camera.
I do that too. I rarely carry the entire backpack full of glass. Most of the time I load my shoulder bag with D200, 17-50/2,8, Tamron 90/2,8 and Nikon 50/1,8 or if I want some reach I replace one of them with the Nikon 70-300VR.
But sometimes I just take the camera and one lens to see what I can do.
I had a lot of fun with the D200 and Series-e 28/2,8 one afternoon.
Next time I'll only take the 28 and shoot it reversed for an afternoon.
Bring what you'll need. About half the time I leave the house, its with my D700 and my 50mm f/1.4, slung over my shoulder. But the other half, I know what I'm going to be shooting, and I fill my bag accordingly.
I agree.
What I also found I enjoy doing, is shooting the same subjects with different lenses. When the weather is good I will walk to work, and some times I will walk with a 50 on, sometimes with a 28, sometimes with an 85. Going through the same subject route, I find it interesting seeing them with a "different eye"!
