How many lenses do you own? Do you carry and do you double up?

12/5.6 Aspheric Ultra Wide Heliar
15/4.5 Super Heliar
28/1.9 Ultron
28/3.5 Color Skopar
35/1.2 Nokton
35mm IV Summicron
Leica TM 50/2.0 collable Summicron
Canon 50/0.95 converted to M-mount
50/1.5 Nokton
Leica Noctilux
50mm III Summicron
75/2.5 Color Heliar
75mm Summilux
Canon LTM 85/1.5
90mm E55 Summicron
135 Tele-Elmar late production

I have a thing about fast 50's as you can see. In fact I'm looking for a Canonn LTM 50/1.2 for use on my IIIG.

I frequently carry two bodies and a couple of extra lenses for each.
 
I'm a "one lens a day" guy and just make do with what I have on the camera. The rest are in the car if needed but I seldom go back to change.

Having said that, I choose between the 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 45mm on my Contax G. I also have the 90mm but find that is a very special purpose lens for me.

For my ZI rf, I choose between my 25mm & 35mm. I also have the 50mm but find that's becoming a special purpose lens. I did just buy a 15mm.

For my Mamiya 7, it's either the 50mm or 80mm, though I've been longing for the 65mm lately.

For my Bronica SQA slr, I usually pick between the 65mm and 110mm macro. I occasionally use my 50mm but almost never the 80mm or 150mm.

I have a Nikon DSLR w 17mm, 28mm and 60mm micro. I just never seem to shot digital.
 
Like Bob and others, I am a "one lens/one body" guy when I am out shooting. When travelling I usually take two bodies (in case one fails) and 2-4 lenses to choose from, since I usually have less of a plan when I am on the road. But again the extra stuff just sits while I am shooting.
 
CV 21/4
CV 35 1.7
Canon 50 1.2
Canon 50 1.8

for my 35mm rf's, that's all. The only doubling is in the 50's where occasionally like to mix up the canons for low light fun, or a particular look.

Normally I only have one 50 on the camera, and the 35 in the bag. If I'm specifically going shooting, I might throw in the 21, or put it on a second body.
 
I try to limit myself to everything fitting in one small bag. Just 4 lenses, a 50mm, a 35mm for daytime (CV skopars), a wide 21mm skopar, and the 40 nokton for available dark. That's it. If I can't carry it, I can't shoot with it. 2 lenses mounted on 2 m bodies and the other 2 stacked back to back with duct tape. All fits in the F5XB with room for film.
 
i'm kinda curious about the folks with a lot of leses listed; how often do you actually use them? my breakdown is below...

15 VC heliar LTM-- just a few times since i bought it, not very practical
35 Leica summicron ASPH M--practically lives on my M2
35 Leica summaron 2.8 LTM--once or twice a month on the M2
40 VC nokton ASPH--i forgot that i traded this one for something, wish i hadn't!
50 Leica summilux 1.4 LTM (2000 reissue)--practically lives on my M3
50 Leica collapsible summicron M--rarely
50 Leica collapsible summicron LTM--just got it with a IIIG, probably will live on IIIG
50 Leica summicron rigid M--very rarely
50 Leica summicron rigid black paint M--lives on black M3 in safe deposit box
50 VC color skopar 2.5--my wife uses it all the time on her R3A
75 VC heliar LTM--couple of times a year
90 Leica summicron V2 M--if wife is not using R3A, i keep the 90 on it
135 Leica hektor M--used a couple of times in all the years i've owned it

so, what say you?

bob

edit--i should add that i never carry a bag or more than one body and lens.
 
I normally carry only my IIIf with a 50 Summitar.

I'm planning a 2-week walkabout in Czech and Germany this spring, and am planning to take that plus a Bessa R with CV35 and 90 Elmar.

I have a Bessa L with CV21 essentially permanently mounted. I take it with on occasion.
 
In the 1960's I only had two lenses, a 35 Summaron and a 90 Elmarit, and I managed everything with those two. At some point the Summaron was replaced with a Summicron. Then I added a 50/2.8 elmar, then a collapsible Summicron, and I was fine with that for about 30 years. Then came an M6, and a 28mm Elmarit, which got replaced with a Summicron; a 21mm 3.4 SA; 24mm ASPH . . . well, you get the idea.

Doubling up? I have duplicate lenses in several focal lengths, most notably 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm. But I avoid duplication on trips--mostly. I pick out one lens of each focal length to take along. One exception: I may take the Tri-Elmar for convenient daytime shooting, but back it up with a couple of faster primes for the low-light hours. That's in addition to backing it up with the 24mm or 21mm; and either the 75 or the 90.

I carry relatively more gear (much more) on car trips, but for airplane trips I only carry what fits in a Domke 803. That is typically 2 M bodies and four lenses--well, maybe 5.
 
The lenses that I do NOT own but have to get them some day:

Biogon 21mm f4.5
C-Sonnar 50mm f1.5 (optimized for f1.5)
Zeiss ZM Sonnar 85mm f2
 
should I add, I also have a vintage chrome canon 50mm f1.8 ltm lens and a canon chrome 35mm f2.8, these were my first rf lenses and i got them for a bargain. I use em from time to time, mostly for B+W and they're a bit heavy (chromed brass). Nice cool color temps and high res.
 
I have three lenses. Thats it.

Zeiss 50/2 Planar
Jupiter-8 50mm
CV 28 Ultron 1.9



Personaly I feel I would only ever need at most 3 lenses. Hell I dont need the Jupiter-8 but it is fun to use the lens as it has a much more vintage look to it than the Planar.

As far as my other lens of choice? I'd love to have a 35 or 40mm lens.


I seriously dont see the need to have a ton of lenses. Not for me anyway. I'm not a professional photographer by any means. I hope to one day be able to finance my own dark room and hopefully get to a level that I can produce work and perhaps have it published and in exhibitions.

But that it still a ways off from now.
 
15mm Voigtlander w/finder
25mm Canon w/finder
35mm F:1.5 Canon
50mm F:1.2 Canon w/shade
50mm F:1.2 Canon w/shade
100mm F:2.0 Canon
One 50mm gets left home - everything else goes whenevr I go with rangefinder gear.

Paul
 
If I'm on working trip (like now), only one RF camera and one P&S (like it was not a camera Duh!) , if I'm on leisure trip, 2 RF's, one DSLR/SLR and the mention P&S.

Basic set is RF w 35, 50, 85.
Medium set 2 RF (R2S and Nikon S( 21, 25 , 2x50 (Heliar and 1.4) 85 and 105) and/ DSLR or SLR (DSLR 12-24/17-35, 24-120,80-400, 85 1.4.... SLR 35 1.4, 50 1,2, 105 1.8/2.5).
Heavy set...Holidays or trips by car.. rather not mention..but the Thinthank and the Billingham go.. full!
Wife goes screaming!! The teen Kid laughs (he picks a F3T with a 24 2.8 and 85 1.8).....!
 
I'm not nearly in the same league as Roger or BillP but I've managed to scrape together a half a dozen nice lenses for my M-6, M-4P and Canon 7.

1-CV 35/2.5 Classic
1-Canon 35/2 (my favorite right now)
1-50mm Summicron v.2
1-Canon 50mm/1.4
1-CV 50mm Nokton
1-90mm Tele-Elmarit

Am looking for a 50mm/.95 but will have to wait until one of my kids finally finishes college.
Jon
 
So far:
40/1.4 Voigtlander
50/2 Jupiter-8
85/2 Jupiter-9 (in the mail)

Next lens will probably be a 21/4 or 25/4 even though I don't like slow lenses.

I'd probably never carry the 40 and 50 together.
 
25mm snapshot skopar
35mm summaron
35mm color skopar
50mm summar
50mm elmar
50mm f1.8 canon
100mm f4 canon

I usually take a 35 and 50 when I go on a trip. Right now, I am carrying around the Elmar and my canon 50. I may get another elmar or russian elmar copy since the one I have right now has lost the little tab that stops it from focusing closer than its minimum focus.

Richie
 
25/4.0 Snapshot Skopar in LTM
50/2.0 M-Hexanon
50/3.5 FED collapsible in LTM

The 25 is used like its name suggests, in situations where I'm snapshooting. The M-Hexanon is for when I'm more dedicated to work on a composition. The FED doesn't see much actual use..
 
I've got a pile of lenses, but the ones that I usually end up carrying with me when I am out shooting are as follows:

Canon 50mm f1.2
Canon 35mm f2
CV 15mm f4.5

The 50mm sees the most use of the three.
 
kingjon said:
I'm not nearly in the same league as Roger or BillP . . .

Am looking for a 50mm/.95 but will have to wait until one of my kids finally finishes college.
Jon
Click to expand...
Dear Jon,

Ah, there's the clue.

I've been using Leicas since I was 19 in 1969 and I never had any kids. Across 4 decades you can get together quite an outfit...

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Jon,

Ah, there's the clue.

I've been using Leicas since I was 19 in 1969 and I never had any kids. Across 4 decades you can get together quite an outfit...

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...
I doubt that there's a single person on RFF who's got more kids than lenses.. 😛
 
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