One lens or several (for an outing)?

[Brian Levy]

With my Leica I generally carry me 40 and 90mm lenses but, sledom mount the 90. With others such as my Bronica, I tend to carry only one and I do use several with nonremovable lenses, mostly in the 40mm range which is preferred focal length.

 

[helen.HH]

One ....makes Life Easy
At Present its a 35mm
The 35 Summarit

 

[Paul Jenkin]

It depends.

If I'm wandering the streets with my RF then one (maybe two) lenses works for me. Right now, I have my M6TTL + 28mm Elmarit-M and 50mm Cron.

If, however, I'm on holiday or using non-RF gear for other tha street work, I prefer to have a selection of quick primes.

 

[rbsinto]

I'm from the "better to have and not need it than to need it and not have it " school, so when I'm out with rangefinder gear, I carry three bodies with lenses attached (usually 21 or 25, 35, and 85 or 105) plus one SLR body with a 180 for more reach. Works for me almost all of the time on the street.

 

[Archiver]

Ha, I always have at least two cameras! One large sensor or film camera, one small sensor digicam as a snapshot camera, and usually another large sensor cam.

If I'm shooting with the M system, I always have a wide and normal or moderate tele. Mostly it's the M9 with the Zeiss 25 or Elmarit 28, and either the CV 35/1.4 or Summicron 50/2. On rare occasions, like travel, I will use the Zeiss 21/2.8 as the main wide, and have a couple of other lenses in the bag like the 35/1.4 and Summarit 75/2.5.

The other camera is usually the Ricoh GXR and M-module. In that way, all focal lengths are increased by half, which means:

- 21mm = 30.5
- 25mm = 37.5
- 28mm = 42.5
- 35mm = 52
- 50mm = 75
- 75mm = 112.5

This way, if I am carrying three lenses I get six focal length options, depending on the camera I use. I try not to have too much overlap.

 

[mdarnton]

Usually I put either a 24/28 or 50 on the camera, depending on my mood, and carry the other one in my pocket. I rarely switch whatever I started with, though.

 

[DSkjaeve]

I usually use a 50, but sometimes bring along an extra camera with 35 for extra dof or if I can't get wide enough. Don't like switching lenses.