why the aura that surrounds the one camera/lens idea?

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No aura.

Some people spend their life mastering the playing of one instrument.

Some people apparently feel the same way about visual arts.

There is hardly anything mystical about it. Some people just want to do the best they can with a given instrument and you can't do that if you change instruments constantly.
 
jwicaksana said:
The aura, the idea that it is somewhat cool, are drawn from the heroes or favorite photographers, that is known to use one lens/one camera combo. Admittedly it also sharpen my vision although I can't measure how much, I know it does. For me personally, one camera one lens is applicable if I don't have to get the image, for my personal fun photography. But if I absolutely have to, as PKR said above, two or three zooms are my friends for the day.
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Of whom there are extraordinarily few. Most especially, the popular myth about Cartier-Bresson is pure twaddle.

My suspicion is that it's just generic nostalgia, seasoned with self-deception: "Yeah, I remember when I had just one camera and one lens, and if I had to use exactly the same kit today, I might be a better photographer because it would have forced me to concentrate." This is of course an illustration of the truth that all counter-factual conditionals are true.

Add to this a general feeling at certain points in our lives that we may have too many possessions, too much stuff, and the cameras and lenses are an easy target.

Basically, though, it's nonsense. I used to have just one kitchen knife. Now I have a dozen or more: I pick one for filleting and skinning, another for carving ham, another for cutting bread, another for cutting sausage, another for chopping vegetables... Sure, I could go back to the one knife. But why would I? Same with cameras/lenses. I use one camera and one lens for the vast majority of my pictures; but why would I limit myself when I need another camera? Pack shots with a Leica are a bugger, so I switch to an SLR.

Cheers,

R.
 
I never had just one camera for long. Not long after I bought my first SLR, for B&W, I bought a compact for colour. Then a medium format for montages, etc etc... And it's been pretty much like that throughout. However, I think I could be happy with one camera, but portability outweighs my love for macro & telephoto duties, which would be sad.
 
back alley said:
this is not about if you like the idea of one camera/one lens...that has been hashed to death already!

what i wonder is...why is that idea so appealing to so many people...?

i have to admit that it is my number one recurring thought/fantasy involving image making.
i get caught up in the thinking that by being that simple an approach that my pics are going to be 'different' than they were before...that the quality is going to improve...

why do you think this idea just stays with so many?
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Simplicity. Although I'm not a one camera/one lens person, I like cameras too much for that, I do "get" why people like it. It's simple, and takes away a certain stress.

I've read articles about how owning lots of stuff can cause stress in some people. I think I'm one of those people, I feel better when I have less stuff hanging about. It's hard to explain why.

So, yes, I like the idea of it, but it's unlikely to 100% suit me. Maybe one 35mm, one medium format, and one large format could work for me though.

Simplification is attractive. Just recently I stopped using a smartphone and went to a much simpler Nokia device, and I must say it is a pleasant experience.
 
Because people are lazy; they think there is some 'magic bullet' that will make them a great photographer, and this is one of them that they try. Fact is, that there is no magic bullet. There is natural talent that some have and most do not, and there is plain hard work, and those are the only two paths to greatness. Limiting yourself to one camera/one lens will not make you a great photographer and will just limit what you can do. You need to practice with a variety of lenses to learn what they can do so that when you finally have enough practice under your belt, you can intuitively pick the gear you need for the image you see in your mind.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Because people are lazy; they think there is some 'magic bullet' that will make them a great photographer, and this is one of them that they try. Fact is, that there is no magic bullet. There is natural talent that some have and most do not, and there is plain hard work, and those are the only two paths to greatness. Limiting yourself to one camera/one lens will not make you a great photographer and will just limit what you can do. You need to practice with a variety of lenses to learn what they can do so that when you finally have enough practice under your belt, you can intuitively pick the gear you need for the image you see in your mind.
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As lover of cameras and lenses who can't imagine only using one - I will have to respectfully disagree.

If you want to learn and learn fast, it is best to stick to one camera and one lens, and preferably one film (or at least one ASA) until you've figured out the basic relations between shutter speed, f-stop, depth of field, and exposure. In fact sticking to one lens will teach you a whole lot more about perspective and angle of view than being able to switch lenses willy nilly without really understanding why you are doing so.
 
I am convinced (because this is how I personally feel) that it is because it leads to less psychological stress. Choice is a very hard thing to handle I think for humans and often leads to stressing out over the choice itself rather than the outcome of the choice.

There is a reason people pack their bag full of gear before they head out, just to end up using a single body and lens combination, it has happened to me several times at least. It's simply because I cannot handle having to make a decision upfront, because I don't know what to expect when I get out there.

I also think it's nice because in many cases you only need one lens and one body - but I believe that because I think most of us tend to shoot similar shots all the time. And I don't mean that in the sense that we always shoot flowers for example, but rather that we tend to take the same view point and perspective when framing because it just comes natural.

It can be argued that you need some lenses for certain things, which I guess is a "fact". But in those cases, there is no stress in making the choice, because it is no choice, you "cannot" photograph something really really far away with a 28mm lens.

Anyway, on a personal level, I constantly strive for as little gear as possible, because I can't handle choices. :) It's the same thing with everything, I hate having two computers, I hate having remote controls with loads of buttons, I don't like products with many ways of doing the same thing etc.

But in the end, I think it only works if you are somewhat uniform in what you shoot. When I had my DSLR, I only had two lenses, one 50mm and one macro lens, because back then that is what I needed to have to shoot the stuff I enjoyed.

Then I grew tired of macro, so I sold the DSLR, got an M9 and now I have a 50mm and a 35mm, but I am thinking of selling the 35mm because it only stresses me out, and in most cases I have no actual use for it..
 
Minimalism. The Idea of leaving out variables in the equation to force you to use that kit more creatively instead of choose the easy option and change lens.......
Being able to concentrate on photography instead of whether this or that focallenght would be better for a given subject.
Best regards
 
It makes the most sense to me, similarly to how I have one house, one spouse, one car, one phone, one computer, and so on. I have more than one set of headphones (an open set, a closed set, and a lightweight portable set), but ideally, I'd just have one (and I prefer using my open set whenever I have the choice).

I currently have two cameras that I consider mine (a D700 primarily used for weddings and my old FZ7 that I pull out for random things now and then), but after we're done with weddings this year, we're selling just about all our gear and I'll buy one camera (an x100s) with one lens (that's built in and prime) that'll effectively be my only camera, even though I won't sell my old FZ7 and even though there's technically a camera in my phone.

I don't think it's an aura; it's just a preference, the way owning as many cameras and lenses as one can afford is a different preference. Similarly, I'm the kind of guy who would rather buy a used car than a new car no matter how much money I had, as I feel the money could be spent on better things, as I feel buying used instead of new is more sustainable, as I feel new cars are overpriced, as I don't want to contribute to consumerism and capitalism any more than necessary, and so on.
 
One cannot appreciate the wonder of ONE!
a friend of mine, Mauro Metallo uses the one camera, one lens ONLY.
Black and white only. The man sell his images, is published regularly.
The work is structured, well captured and beautiful.
The images linger in the memory.
Mauro Metallo. "Never in Color".
i cannot work with one camera, but can use the 50mm only.
It's becoming that way of one 'cause of the weight factor, for me.
 
leicapixie said:
One cannot appreciate the wonder of ONE!
a friend of mine, Mauro Metallo uses the one camera, one lens ONLY.
Black and white only. The man sell his images, is published regularly.
The work is structured, well captured and beautiful.
The images linger in the memory.
Mauro Metallo. "Never in Color".
i cannot work with one camera, but can use the 50mm only.
It's becoming that way of one 'cause of the weight factor, for me.
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Love Mauro... A good friend
I agree, he works Wonders with that 50 cron v4 & M4
And then there is ...
Junku Nishimura who uses just a 50 1.5 summarit...has shows, sells prints & exhibitions

Some peolple are able to work Magic with one lens ...
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Because people are lazy; they think there is some 'magic bullet' that will make them a great photographer, and this is one of them that they try. Fact is, that there is no magic bullet. There is natural talent that some have and most do not, and there is plain hard work, and those are the only two paths to greatness. Limiting yourself to one camera/one lens will not make you a great photographer and will just limit what you can do. You need to practice with a variety of lenses to learn what they can do so that when you finally have enough practice under your belt, you can intuitively pick the gear you need for the image you see in your mind.
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Dear Chris,

As so often, 100% agreement.

Cheers,

R.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Because people are lazy; they think there is some 'magic bullet' that will make them a great photographer, and this is one of them that they try. Fact is, that there is no magic bullet. There is natural talent that some have and most do not, and there is plain hard work, and those are the only two paths to greatness.
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This may explain some people but certainly not all people.

Funny that most of your reply could just as easily fit if the topic was, why do people acquire so much photo gear.
 
Going out with a single lens attached attached to your camera feels powerful - it eases pre-visualization. I felt it again when shooting our carneval on Sun (see here http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=130859) - a for me surprising amount of keepers came back. That Nikon + 50/1.8 is heaven for the film shooter.

I think people extrapolate that feeling of a single shoot to not needing much more in the long run ....

It is true though: the best camera bag is no bag at all; and chicks dig it :)

r4-Scan-130527-0033-XL.jpg


Roland.
 
gns said:
This may explain some people but certainly not all people.

Funny that most of your reply could just as easily fit if the topic was, why do people acquire so much photo gear.
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You are of course right. There are numerous arguments on both sides. Years ago, I wrote a whole piece on voluntary limiting your equipment. Some people may find it interesting. It's on my web-site at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps voluntary.html

Cheers,

R.
 
ferider said:
Going out with a single lens attached attached to your camera feels powerful - it eases pre-visualization. . . .
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Dear Roland,

AAAARGH! Not "pre-visualization". "Visualization" means "thinking what the final picture is going to look like before you shoot it", so "pre-visualization" must mean "thinking what the final picture is going to look like before you think about what the final picture is going to look like before you shoot it".

Besides which, I'm not entirely sure about the "easing". Most of us can (for example) adapt our behaviour on the road according to whether we are riding a bicycle; riding a fast motorcycle; or driving a slow car (and most cars are pretty slow, or at least, lacking in acceleration, when compared with fast motorcycles). I suggest that I make similar adjustments according to whether I'm shooting with a Leica; a medium format Alpa; or a large format Gandolfi. And, of course, that I am not alone in this.

Cheers,

R.
 
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