One lens or several (for an outing)?

One lens or several (for an outing)?

  • I do my best work when I'm using just a single lens.

    Votes: 165 70.2%
  • I need two or more focal lengths to realise my photographic vision.

    Votes: 70 29.8%

  • Total voters
    235
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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