How many lenses do you really need?

[lewis44]

3. One wide, one normal and one telephoto. You pick the focal length and move forward or back.

Mine is 35, 50 and 90, but whatever works for you. Probably 70% 50mm, 25% 35mm and 5% 90mm

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

You're kidding right? You like to confine yourself and other do not.

I honestly couldn't care less if photographers use one focal length their entire life or dozens every day. What I care about are interesting, skillful, emotionally engaging photographs. In my opinion, photographers who work at refining their craft (which usually, but not always, involves really getting to know a field of view) are more likely to produce such pictures.

 

[ampguy]

One only needs 35mm. Prior to the Summicron ASPH, various distortions, SA, and coma prohobited 35mm, so 50mm was standard. Now that the 35mm Cron ASPH exists, this is the only lens one needs to use.

 

[wlewisiii]

The 50 can be quite liberating and more times than not, I've gone out with just a 50.

That said, I like the basic trio of wide normal & short tele to be available. For me, that's a 35/2.8, 50/2 & 85/2. Between them & the two foot zoom I can do about 90% of the shooting I enjoy doing.

William

 

[maddoc]

(21), 35 (2x), 50. 21 gets least usage, most often I take either one of the 35 or the 50 with me. Having / carrying to much stuff is limiting, IMHO.

 

[alan davus]

How many lenses do you need? The answer is obvious, only one. How many do you want or how many can you afford are totally different questions. When I bought my first serious rangefinder 5 years ago (Hexar RF) my intent was to go back to a simple one lens system (a 50mm). However they were having a runout sale with the 28 and 90mm Hex's chucked in. Big mistake. Since then I've added a new M6ttl and 5 other lenses. I probably use my 35 the most but if forced to have a one lens only system, it would be the 50.

 

[swoop]

The lenses I have listed below are the only lenses I need or even want. I'm content when it comes to photo gear. Sure, every so often I eye the Zeiss 35 f2. But I don't need it. And on occasion I think about getting a DSLR for some studio work. But It's something I rarely do. So it's hard for me to justify the expense. And even then. I'm aiming cheap. Like a Nikon D80 or Canon 40D with a Tamron 17-50. Because I know it's going to sit in a shelf 5 weeks at a time between uses.

My M7 and my handful of lenses is all I need. And I use it everyday, because it's what I'm comfortable working with. Everything else is just extra toys.

 

[narsuitus]

“Can I, or you, get by with one lens?”

Yes, when I want to use one body and one lens, I will use one of the following:

40mm f/1.7 lens on 35mm rangefinder
35mm f/1.4 lens on 35mm SLR
20-35mm f/2.8 on APS sized digital SLR
90mm f/3.5 on 6x7cm rangefinder
65mm f/5.6 on 6x9cm rangefinder

 

[outforalaska]

I started digital and went film. Now it's just one camera - one lens. M6 & 50 cron. Sometimes I think I would enjoy a selection of lenses, but I fear not just the bill $$$$$, but also the extra baggage. I know if I took more time to learn other lenses I would mostly likely produce more "good" photographs, but to tell the truth, I've yet to even tap into my current camera/lens setup's capabilities.
It's like I went out and bought a pair of racing snow skis and am cruising around on blue squares. Now someone asked me if I needed another pair of skis to add to my arsenal... I'm sure other people would love the variety, but I'm still learning to handle the pair I've got!

 

[manfromh]

I started out with a digital p&s, and 6 months later wanted an SLR. Digital ones were way too expensive, so I got a film one (and im glad I did). I got into RF's when I bought a Minolta Hi-Matic F, since I wanted a small camera.

Now I have mostly been using a 50mm lens on my various cameras. I have recently grown to like the focal lenght of my 30mm Pentacon.

 

[oftheherd]

I honestly couldn't care less if photographers use one focal length their entire life or dozens every day. What I care about are interesting, skillful, emotionally engaging photographs. In my opinion, photographers who work at refining their craft (which usually, but not always, involves really getting to know a field of view) are more likely to produce such pictures.

That sir, makes much more sense.

 

[HuubL]

With my film RF I use 35 and 50 for 95% of the shots. So I guess I NEED two, although I admit to have more 🙂

With my 1.6 crop DSLR I use the 24-105 for 80% of the shots; the 10-22 for 15%. Again, I have more 🙂

 

[Colman]

None, obviously. Nor do you need a camera, in any absolute sense. It's all about wants, not needs.

The question should be what tools you need for some end. If what you want to do is get to know one lens and body really well, then you want one lens. If you want more flexibility or enjoy owning more gear, then you want more lenses.

 

[helen.HH]

For me 50 RULES........

then a 90
then a 21

🙂Best- H

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

That sir, makes much more sense.

I'm glad 😀

 

[pfoto]

One lens only (and therefore by definition one body) 50mm. But I use two bodies so it is 35 and 75, one on each body, and I take a 24 in the bag just in case. 24/35/75 covers most everything.

 

[Spider67]

Dangerous question to ask if you´re getting into it as you might buy lenses one "should have" or are "basic equipment".
Let it settle for a while until you realize what you really need.
When I started the "obligatory" set of lenses (for an SLR) was 35mm/50mm/135mm.
Well yes.....bought it and can´t say that did it for me.
I used the 50mm most of the time, the 135mm on special occasions and the 35 (as it was a f 2,8 and i did a lot of available light with 1/30th to 1/15th + f2) never at all. Later I got a 35/f2 and for a time I never used 50mm at all.
Right now I would say 2 Bodies and 3 Lenses were decent outfit I could use on most occasions.

 

[jmkelly]

Needs vs. wants... Well, for certain I've collected more than I need and probably a little more than I want, so there is a gear sale in my future 😉.

As for what I like to work with - I rarely swap lenses mid-roll so I carry one body-one lens (or 2 and 2). Something like 80%-90% are shot with 50mm. The balance is mostly 75mm (love the Summilux) with the rest spread across 21mm, 35mm, and 90mm.

If I had to pick a 3 lens kit mine probably would be 35/50/75. Long ago I decided if I could only keep one lens and one body it would be a 50mm.

 

[Robert Price]

How many lenses does one really need is the question and the answer too. I for one have many lenses. 28, 45, 90 for my Contax G2. 28/70, 70/200 for my Canon Slr's, 50 on the Leica, what have you. Need to get a macro soon too (for the Slr's you know) I would say that a person needs what they need. Remember the camera is a tool, and the right tool can make a project (or a photo) better. To say that you only truly need one lens, is like saying you only need one hammer. This may be true for some people but for me it is not. I need several lenses for different situations, just as I have several different hammers for different construction/ destuction projects.

 

[javimm]

I went back to film a year ago. I thought using primes was going to be a burden but it is really freeing me. I started using a 35, but didn't like it much. Wider than a normal lens, but not as wide as I liked, so I bought a 50 cron and a CV 28. I feel happy now. I shoot mostly with the 50. The 28 is for landscapes/cityscapes or certain kind of close shooting of people. I'd like to have a 90, for some shots, so 28-50-90, but mostly 50. I love wides, so a 15 or 21 may be in my future, but not because I really need it.

I really need a 50, that's what I shoot most. The other ones are nice additions for certain situations.