Lens to suit your photography or vise versa ?

[Peter_Jones]

Another thread, discussing the merits of curvature of field in a particular lens, got me thinking. -
Do you generally choose to use any particular lens because it suits your photography, or when you use any particular lens, do you adapt your photographic style to suit the lens? (regarding the lens's optical characteristics, not focal length)

 

[dnemoc]

Choose the lens to do the work... retrofitting an individual style to fit a lens sounds a little unconventional to me.

 

[aizan]

or maybe you just want to try something different. it's not unconventional if everybody does it.

 

[BSchall]

I match my equipment to match my style. I seem to see in wide angle, so I shoot in wide angle. Of course, that's focal length, which is not what you asked about. I'm not sure I know what you mean by 'len's optical characteristics'. If you mean I choose a sharp lens over a fuzzy lens, then yes, I choose the sharp lens. I don't believe in taking a fuzzy picture (Sorry Holga Fans). Do I choose a lens without distortion over a lens that distorts, yes. Why shoot a distorted picture. I see too much 'fine art' that is nothing more than a badly taken photo.

 

[Peter_Jones]

By lens characteristics I was thinking along the lines of Contrast, Colour rendition, Bokeh, curved/flat field. I was meaning with regard to lenses currently owned.

for example, do you prefer shots with an emphasis on the OOF areas, therefore use mainly lenses that enhance (subjective) this area, or conversely do your lenses influence the style of photograph you shoot, eg. if you have (brand x) lens fitted, and you know and like the way it produces OOF, do you concentrate on looking mainly for shots to utilise this feature ?

 

[back alley]

i bought the cv 35/2.5 for use on my r4m. it's a high contrast lens for me so i also got a 40/2 rokkor which is much less contrasty for me.
one i use in sunshine and the other on a cloudy day, unless i want the contrast on a sunny day.

joe

 

[arbib]

I choose the lens for the subject at hand...That is, What I see....Wide view, or tighter view, Close-up or whatever is needed to capture the image I see in my head. I prefer 45-165 (Zoom on DSLR with Crop facture) most of the time. Haven't used my 70-300 for a while. If I want wider, I put my 28-105 on my Canon EOS 1.

I really don't have differant lens's for high or low contrast, or color differences. Not a big deal with me. I can always adjust in my Editing program later. I don't print from Negs, hell, I don't print at all !! It is all for Web use.

So I guess I choose the FL that suits the subject. So I can't really respond the way you would like.

But, what the hell, I like being interactive anyway.

 

[RML]

It depends. I usually shoot a 50mm on both the M2 and the R-D1 with its 1.6 crop factor. VoF on either camera is different, and the difference in media also mean that the lens draws differently. I still shoot that particular lens (a Carl Zeiss Planar T*) because I like the lens itself.

I also shoot an M-Rokkor 40/2 on the R-D1 to get closer to a 50mm VoF (more like 64mm but it's closer than 80mm), especially when out and about in the street. I need the wider angle.

Then, I also shoot a CV 25/4. Hardly ever on the R-D1 as I don't have framelines for it or an adjusted external VF, so I can't compose properly with it. But I used it extensively on my Bessa R (and will again on my M2) when shooting in Mongolia where the average dwelling is the nomad's ger. Space is tight in these ger and the 25mm gives me plenty of angle to work in such confined spaces.

Do I choose these lenses for their characters? Not really. The Carl Zeiss is as sharp as a knife but I equally like to use a Jupiter 8, a lens that is much older and draws softer. The CZ is also a bit cooler than the J8, and their bokeh is different as well. But these things don't come to mind when I'm shooting. I usually bring one lens and deal with that. Makes for a much more relaxed shooting experience IMO as I'm not constantly wondering which lens to use, and can instead just focus on my subjects.