Who shoots with two standard lenses ?

[anu L ogy]

Hey Yanidel,

Sorry for chipping in late. I wouldn't consider my style street in any way - but I do walk around a lot with my camera. For a while I used a 28mm and a 50mm lens, and the entire time I had your dilemma. When shooting I spent more time thinking about what the shot would look like with the other lens than I did about the picture, so I ditched the 28 and kept the 50. I must say that prior to this post I had checked out your blog a number of times and found myself flipping through, and enjoying, all of your posts. Perhaps you should give this approach a shot for a bit, and see if it clears your mind.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

back alley,

I don't care about being right: I have asked for advice here on RFF: I care a lot more about my photographs... I don't need to ignore you.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Tim Gray]

Your original post is exactly why I sold my 35. It was just too close to 50 to ever really switch back and forth. I find 28 and 50 is a good combo. The same could be said for 35 and 75. Double your focal length. I use 28 for spaces, people in their environments, interacting with each other, etc. I use 50 for portraits, objects, more details, etc. I can actually motivate a change.

I have two cameras, but I rarely go out with both. Usually just one with a second lens sometimes. I take both if I'm going on a trip.

 

[Ljós]

Two bodies, two lenses - for film use

Two bodies, two lenses - for film use

Yanidel, thanks for bringing this up. I have been mulling over this myself. And I am transitioning from 40mm&28mm to 35mm&50mm.
I think one important factor is whether one uses film or digital. For me (film only), I feel the need for a second body (on its way to me now) not even because of one B&W/one for color, but because I want to have one body for sunny/high contrast and one for low light/indoors. And then two lenses begin to make a whole lot of sense. (I use B&W only, and develop myself. Any of the 400 speed films can be used to cover a stark variety of light situations on one roll of film - but to have one body (roll of film) that I can pull a bit, and one that I can leave in the soup a bit longer, will make a palpable difference in picture quality, and will make printing much easier. The only question then is whether to stay with one film(speed) and pull and push a bit, or have one body with 100 ASA speed and one with 400. Another can of worms is always just around the corner, you see... ;-))

I have spent a couple of years just owning 50mm (with Pentax MX) and just 35mm (Nikon). Then the change to rangefinder, and a 40mm Rokkor f2. Going over my negatives and prints I know that I could not go back to just 50mm, because I got into street photography and something wider than 50 does it for me. But there are keepers I got with 50mm (mostly "portraits", that make me want to have a 50mm available for my rangefinder.

A person smarter than me would just have hung on to the 40mm and saved a lot of money ;-) But now I have a 2.8 Summaron 35mm, and eventually a 50mm will follow. The Summaron with its tab and the nice dampening of the focus is great for prefocus/focusing by feel. And a 50mm will be good for situations when there is more time to compose and focus.

I hope you will find something you can settle with.
All the best, Ljós

 

[atlcruiser]

On the M8, if I am going out to shoot, It will generally have the 40/2 'cron on it with the 21 CV ready to go. More or less I have a 28/50 with crop factor.

With the film Ms I like the 35 on my M6 and the M4-P rotates between the 21 and the 50; if i have both bodies with me.

Day to day carry is a 28 on the M8 and a 35 on either film M i may have on me.

 

[NathanJD]

I predominantly shoot with a 50/2 summicron and a 90/2.8 Elmarit - the 2 lenses are of a similar age and have similar characteristics producing a homogeny across the roll when i change lenses during shoots.

I recently shot some promo shots for a local band (some pics in my gallery) using my OM-2n with Zuiko 28/2.8 and my M2 with my Summi 50/2 and the difference between the 2 rolls are very noticeable.

 

[Bruin]

Your original post is exactly why I sold my 35. It was just too close to 50 to ever really switch back and forth. I find 28 and 50 is a good combo. The same could be said for 35 and 75. Double your focal length. I use 28 for spaces, people in their environments, interacting with each other, etc. I use 50 for portraits, objects, more details, etc. I can actually motivate a change.

I have two cameras, but I rarely go out with both. Usually just one with a second lens sometimes. I take both if I'm going on a trip.

I also like 28 and 50, though I crop freely to 35 and 75. I used to do 25 and 50, but I traded 3mm for a stop of speed (and a lower price 😉). It was a good move - I find myself more in control of the 28 anyways.

I let the flow of my shooting dictate my lens changes. With static subjects and a relaxed pace, I think about what I want to 'see' in the shot and change lenses accordingly. Just having two to choose from makes it easy to decide. If the scene is changing rapidly, I pick one FL and stick with it until a pause in the action, then evaluate whether or not to change lenses.

And some days, I'll just take one lens, a few rolls, and tackle whatever comes my way with them 😎. Go with what resonates with your style, don't be afraid to experiment with combos, and see it all as part of your journey as a photographer.

 

[narsuitus]

I'd like to read about your experiences with shooting street photography with two standard lenses in your kit. By standard lens, I mean a 28mm, 35mm or 50mm focal. How many of you use mainly combos of the kind 28mm + 50mm or 35mm + 50mm and how do you deal the switches ? Is one of the lenses your main one or do you just go with the flow and use whatever is on unless a switch is absolutely needed ?

When I shoot street photography with one lens and one film rangefinder body, I use a 40mm or a 45mm lens.

If I need to carry two lenses, my first choice is a 35mm and an 85mm on a film SLR body with the 35mm being used most often. My second choice is a 50mm and a 28mm on a film SLR body with the 50mm being used most often. If I know in advance that I will be doing a lot of lens switching, I will mount each lens on it own body.

Rarely do I carry the 35mm with the 50mm or the 35mm with the 28mm because the two lenses in the pair are just too similar in performance for my taste.

 

[MPerson]

CL + Cron 40/2
M2 + Nokton 50/1.5 or Elmar-M 50/2.8
MP + 40/1.4 - occasionally the Summicron 35/2 ASPH but it tends to gather dust these days.

 

[Bingley]

Thanks, Yanidel, for starting this thread. I follow your blog and greatly admire your street photography. Here's my thoughts on your question:

1) These days, I usually use 50 or 40 as the basic lens for street photography. Those focal lengths work for me. I find I use 35 less and less. 40 in many ways is a perfect focal length for street, IMO.

2) When I'm out and about, I do carry a second lens in my pocket to handle situations where the 50 or 40 is simply not wide enough. These days, that second lens is a 28, although I can also see carrying a 25 for that purpose. Part of my decision regarding this second lens, however, is influenced by the particular optic: I really like the results I get from the little CV 28/3.5. I tend to pull that lens out when I need it. and then put it away and go back to the basic lens when I don't need the wider perspective any longer.

3) I tried a 75 for street photography and hated it. Too slow to focus. Too hard to keep site lines towards the subject clear. Not enough context for the shot, either. A 75 may be a great fl for portraits, landscapes, and more deliberative kinds of shots, but -- for me -- it simply didn't work for street. My experience was w/ a CV 75/2.5, which in most respects was a fine lens, expect for street photography.

Your street photography is so distinctive and excellent, I wonder whether a 75 will "fit" w/ your vision. You may find that your photos w/ a 75 become more portrait-like, but then maybe that's what you're after. Of course, rather than changing lenses when you're out and about, you could simply take one lens at a time, and make that lens work for the day. You certainly know how to get great results from the 35 and 60 lenses you have.

 

[yanidel]

Thanks Bingley for your kind words.

1) 40mm does work well indeed for street to go out with one lens, yet the only 1.4 available is the Nokton, and I did not find it good enough especially wide open which I use a lot.

2) I find it easier to shoot with 50/60mm lenses because of the extra two steps backwards, less intrusive. Nevertheless, I find that shooting with 35mm forces one to get closer which IMO leads to more interesting shots, with more of the environment.

3) you make a very good point about lines and the 75mm lenses. As I am pretty tall, I often need to kneel down with the 75mm lenses, not very convenient.

Since I started this thread, I have tried again the 35mm + 75mm combo for a few days but soon found it too limiting. The main issue is that a 75mm is much more difficult to focus and frame and in the end, the 50mm fov is much more useful. IMO 75mm is more portrait or travel photography kind of lens. But for street, 50/60mm is about the upper limit. It will provided similar feel to the shots, but give you that extra two steps backwards as well as less dof to play with when needed.

PS : went out on Les Champs-Elysées this afternoon and it happened again ... I started with the 35mm Lux, switch lenses for a specific shot, then kept on with the 60mm Hexanon. I guess that is just the way it is.

 

[jarski]

3) I tried a 75 for street photography and hated it. Too slow to focus. Too hard to keep site lines towards the subject clear. Not enough context for the shot, either. A 75 may be a great fl for portraits, landscapes, and more deliberative kinds of shots, but -- for me -- it simply didn't work for street. My experience was w/ a CV 75/2.5, which in most respects was a fine lens, expect for street photography.

CV75 on my M8 works great on street when I want to isolate subjects. one has to be fast though 🙂

about the original Q, having two normal lenses, dont see the point. its 15, 28 and 75 for me. am preparing to a long trip in Africa, Asia and Americas, those are ones coming with me 🙄

 

[robbeiflex]

I have a 50 and a 35 but actually avoid carrying them at the same time. I take the 50 and 21 during the day and/or when I carry a bag and switch to the 35 either for the evening and night when I might want the extra stop and/or when I just want to carry the camera and no bag. The 35 is definitely the better single lens option but I prefer the 50 for street. They're too close to each other though. Better to have one lens and work with it than waste time thinking about which one to use.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Brian Levy]

Back years ago I used to switch between the 35 and 50 on most of my systems but then starting to aquire cameras with fixed 40mm lenses and it weaned me off both the 35 and 50mm lens. I finally got a Leica CL with its great 40mm and find not desire or need to play the switch game. If I need more coverage, I step back and less, I simply step closer. As the 40 is in between the required movement of the feet is not as great as when using either a 35 or 50.

 

[lawrence]

Personally I don't like shooting with lenses that are too far apart because then if I take a series of shots they don't work so well together. Also, I'm not that keen on lenses that make themselves obvious i.e. very long or short. So I carry a 28mm, 35mm and 50mm. Personally I can see a lot of difference between them, often a difference between 28mm and 35mm (the 28mm usually appears to be obviously wide angle but the 35mm doesn't). So the 35mm ends up as my standard, the 28mm my wide and the 50mm my tele. Also, two bodies are very useful if you shoot film. You can be in a situation where there's a wonderful photograph staring at you and you have to reload and it's gone -- most frustrating! So two bodies, three lenses is my optimum...and it all fits in a Domke FX-5B.

 

[ampguy]

If I'm going out with just camera and 1 lens, it's usually the 35 lux with M8, or for film the Hexar AF with it's 35.

If 2 lenses, or I expect to do some portraits, it might be the 35/50, or 28/50.

If I know there will be wide open areas and sky, mountains, vast landscapes, tops of mountains, I'll bring the 15 and/or 21 along, but always have a fast 1.4 lens around for night/indoors.

 

[clayne]

Majority-wise it would be 20mm and 35mm.

Sometimes 24mm and 28mm for 135.
Sometimes 80mm and 127mm for 120 and 4x5.

I don't typically bother with anything above 50mm. For me, choice of focal length has nothing to do with focus/dof - but more so angle of view and perspective.

 

[fixbones]

Yanidel,

Have been a fan of your blog and i have to say most of my favs are ones taken with your 60mm Hexanon. The lens truly agrees with you!!!

As for 2 standard lenses, I used to shoot 35mm and 50mm exclusively for close to a year but somehow it just didn't feel quite right. I like 50 and find the 35mm just not quite wide enough most of the time.
So....... got myself a 28mm and i have to say, for me, the 28mm and 50mm combo seems like a winner.

Also, i am a 2 camera 2 lens kinda guy but I don't see why 1 camera and 2 lens wouldn't work.... like most things in life, it just takes a little of getting used to.

Do try a 28mm with your 60mm Hexanon. I think it'll be interesting to see your shots with a 28mm - I'll be able to see more of the Parisian charm with a 28mm then a 60mm too!! =D

 

[clayne]

The "problem" with wide angles is that people don't always use them effectively. The true power in using a wide angles is in getting close - immersed in the environment. "Getting it all in" is rarely a good use for WAs. Occasionally it works but mostly they're for complete involvement and commitment within scenes. It's then that the resulting images come alive and involve the viewer as the photographer was.

Shared space is a big deal in good photography. It's why telephotos usually produce mediocre distanced results.

 

[Bob Michaels]

<snip> I'd like to read about your experiences with shooting street photography with two standard lenses in your kit. By standard lens, I mean a 28mm, 35mm or 50mm focal. How many of you use mainly combos of the kind 28mm + 50mm or 35mm + 50mm and how do you deal the switches ? Is one of the lenses your main one or do you just go with the flow and use whatever is on unless a switch is absolutely needed ?

The divergent thoughts about what and how much equipment to carry / use is again discussed. I have no problems with what works for you being different from me or others.

I am personally a one body / one lens guy. I find that I shoot almost exclusively with either a 28mm or 35mm lens on a 35mm rangefinder. I photograph people and like to be close. I am getting out of the habit of having a 50mm & a 21mm "just in case" packed in the bag which is back in the car or room when I travel. It seems I never use them. In fact, I just sold my only 50mm lens and now have nothing longer than a 35mm. I was out yesterday with just the 21mm but was reminded of the challenges of that being your only available focal length.

I do believe our responses are primarily dictated by our choice of subject matter. Some people's photo ops remain static until the light changes. They can contemplate lenses. My photo ops appear then disappear in seconds, sometimes less. I typically have to shoot instinctively without time to consider composition or exposure much less what lens.