GarageBoy
Well-known
I'd like to get a nice 3 lens set down (wide, normalish, tele)
Normal's easy- pick a 50, but what to complement it with?
On the long end- do I go 85 AND 135 or split the difference and run with the 105?
Same on the wide- do I go 24/35 or 28?
Short of carrying everything (which is totally unecessary) how did you pick your "looks"?
Normal's easy- pick a 50, but what to complement it with?
On the long end- do I go 85 AND 135 or split the difference and run with the 105?
Same on the wide- do I go 24/35 or 28?
Short of carrying everything (which is totally unecessary) how did you pick your "looks"?
back alley
IMAGES
after years of using all types of gear, lenses, focal lengths etc…
my choice is 24/35/85 in full frame standard…in my case 16/23/56.
it's how i see things best.
my choice is 24/35/85 in full frame standard…in my case 16/23/56.
it's how i see things best.
Rodchenko
Olympian
For my SLR, the 35mm is the usual lens I use, but I do have a 50 fwiw. I'd like an 85mm, but can't run to it at the moment, so use zooms to cover the longer lengths.
Spanik
Well-known
Old habits I suppose. My kit is similar to back alley's: 24/35/85 but then in 6x4.5 as 35/55/150.
Often I trow in another lens because I think it might be useful at the place I'll be visiting. Like a shift or macro or longer or fish-eye.
Often I trow in another lens because I think it might be useful at the place I'll be visiting. Like a shift or macro or longer or fish-eye.
taemo
eat sleep shoot
it depends on where im going and what im looking to shoot
travel landscape combo is 21/35/90
travel urban combo is 28/50/90 or 135
if there's wildlife/zoo then i might bring the 200
travel landscape combo is 21/35/90
travel urban combo is 28/50/90 or 135
if there's wildlife/zoo then i might bring the 200
NicoM
Well-known
By trying a a lot of lenses, keeping what I liked and selling the rest. My all time favorite lens has been the Canon 17-40, shooting mostly at the 17mm and 40mm ends.
Vics
Veteran
On my FM2n I've settled on 2.8/24-1.8/50-2.5/105, but I almost always leave the 105 at home.
EDIT: John Shaw's idea of starting at 24mm and going up in "rough doubles" until you reach your carrying capacity. 24/50/105/200/400. My carrying capacity is one camera/one lens.
EDIT: John Shaw's idea of starting at 24mm and going up in "rough doubles" until you reach your carrying capacity. 24/50/105/200/400. My carrying capacity is one camera/one lens.
kuvvy
Well-known
Having had a few different lenses in the past I'm now going back to just two. At least after I put my Samyang 8mm up for sale. My Xpro will have just 18mm(28mm) and 35(53mm).
Paul
Paul
Dwig
Well-known
That's a very "classic Leica" kit. Back in the day (read: before the universal zoom) my SLR kit (Nikon) was pretty much the same, 20 f/3.5 / 35 f/1.4 / 105 f/4 Micro.
nobbylon
Veteran
On film,
It depends on manufacturer!
For Leicaflex I use 35/50 Summicrons, a 60 macro elmarit and a 90 Elmarit, as I believe these are the best lenses, picked by reading reviews and trying a lot of different lenses.
For Nikon it's 28/50/105 for the same reason as above. 28 AIS, 50AI AND 105AI. I sometimes use my 85/1.4 on film too.
Digital Nikon it's 24-70, 70-200 a 50 and the 85.
It depends on manufacturer!
For Leicaflex I use 35/50 Summicrons, a 60 macro elmarit and a 90 Elmarit, as I believe these are the best lenses, picked by reading reviews and trying a lot of different lenses.
For Nikon it's 28/50/105 for the same reason as above. 28 AIS, 50AI AND 105AI. I sometimes use my 85/1.4 on film too.
Digital Nikon it's 24-70, 70-200 a 50 and the 85.
Addy101
Well-known
Depends on a lot of things.
Cheapest for most manual SLR's: 28mm, 50mm, 135mm
Classic: 24mm, 50mm, 100mm
Classic with a twist WA: 20mm, 35mm, 85mm
Classic with a twist Tele: 35mm, 85mm, 200mm
Just choose the lenses you like. Recently I noticed I prefer 28mm over 35mm, making the classic 2-lens set-up (35, 85) having a big gap between 28 and 85 - how to solve that, adding 50mm for convenience or just forget the gap and at a WA or Tele depending on the situation, maybe? Anyway, your the only one who can decide what fits you!
Cheapest for most manual SLR's: 28mm, 50mm, 135mm
Classic: 24mm, 50mm, 100mm
Classic with a twist WA: 20mm, 35mm, 85mm
Classic with a twist Tele: 35mm, 85mm, 200mm
Just choose the lenses you like. Recently I noticed I prefer 28mm over 35mm, making the classic 2-lens set-up (35, 85) having a big gap between 28 and 85 - how to solve that, adding 50mm for convenience or just forget the gap and at a WA or Tele depending on the situation, maybe? Anyway, your the only one who can decide what fits you!
one90guy
Well-known
Started in 1968 and still have not settled on anything but 28mm and 50mm. I switch between 105mm and 135mm and several zooms.
David
David
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Trying different things, it's difficult to say why but once I got my 35mm I knew it was the lens I was looking for. I sold the rest and have been using pretty much that same lens since
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Considering 35mm full frame format: 24/50/90 is my standard. Right now. Sometimes I like more or less space between focal lengths, wider or longer as a bias. How did I come to that? By trying a lot of different lenses, over time, and seeing what worked for what I like to shoot.
Same goes for 6x6, APS-C or FourThirds format, although the ultimate setup varies based on what's available and how I like a lens FoV on the format specifically.
G
Same goes for 6x6, APS-C or FourThirds format, although the ultimate setup varies based on what's available and how I like a lens FoV on the format specifically.
G
YYV_146
Well-known
For me I like the 75mm FOV as a "normal" view instead of 50, and complement it with a 35 or 21mm.
Personally I feel that unless your work is demand-driven, these focal lengths are close enough that working with one or another is mostly a personal choice issue. The interesting -ness of an image depends rather little on whether you use a 75 or 50 or 28/35. But you may particularly like one focal length, and to find that out you'll need to play around a little...
Personally I feel that unless your work is demand-driven, these focal lengths are close enough that working with one or another is mostly a personal choice issue. The interesting -ness of an image depends rather little on whether you use a 75 or 50 or 28/35. But you may particularly like one focal length, and to find that out you'll need to play around a little...
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Coopersounds
Well-known
I prefer 28mm, 50mm and 135mm, but I will often sneak a 35-105mm in my bag for the 'just in case' bits.
Pablito
coco frío
There's this modern invention called a zoom lens (used to be called "zoomar")
:-0
:-0
michaelwj
----------------
This.
Start at the wide or most loved, and double or half until your done. This is easy on an SLR, 24/50/105, or 18/35/85 would be it for Nikon.
On a RF however, I'd fudge the maths for framelines.
Michael
EDIT: on the other hand pick three lenses, one for people, one for places, one for dramatic effect. And nuts to any formula.
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
No it's not !!
50 is rarely "right", either too long or too short, yes you can shoot everything with it but it's usually a compromise. For me a 40mm is "right" I tend to a 35mm FOV by eye but if its a one lens kit the 40mm can do it all.
Starting with a 40mm you can go a bit wider to 24mm for the wide end than a boring 28/35mm that everyone shoots and get a "real" wide effect compared to a 28mm or even go to a 21mm then 85mm/105mm becomes the tele, doubling as a portrait lens instead of a usually weighty and ungainly 135mm which is another usually "wrong" lens, more often just too long, for portraits, and not long enough for a "proper" tele effect. For four lenses add a 200mm a "proper" tele.
So 21/24 40 85/105 add 200mm if your back's OK and bag's big enough.
Not a boring predictable kit and real character choices in the lenses in those groups.