erl Posted January 9, 2013 Share #21 Â Posted January 9, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) My intention is not to discourage you, on the contrary, having a definite aim is good. However, if you were a painter (artist) would you consider using only one brush? Â My personal conviction is that 'only seeing in one focal length' is akin to 'blinkered vision'. It would frustrate me, so I admire your resolve. Aside from capturing a concentrate of 50mm pics, I would also count the loss of 'non' 50mm pics I was missing. YMMV. Â I wish you well with the project. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 9, 2013 Posted January 9, 2013 Hi erl, Take a look here 2013 a 50mm year!!! :D. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Manolo Laguillo Posted January 10, 2013 Share #22 Â Posted January 10, 2013 It's a good idea, even more, it's a must to put margins, limitations and bounderies, otherwise having too much choice can block us. That's one way of explaining why poets use some forms (the sonnet, or whatever). Â But a certain amount of flexibility is also advisable: why 365 days, a whole year? Seems a little bit too much... :-) Perhaps alternating that 50 Sonnar with other lens, each one 15 days, could be a richer approach. Â If the point is to push yourself against the wall, in order to "unscrew the cork", then perhaps it would be better to go exactly in the opposite direction of your, so to say, "natural tendency". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted January 10, 2013 Share #23 Â Posted January 10, 2013 To express myself a little more, I am 'unofficially' doing a similar thing to the OP except that my variation is 'a year with my 111f + 50mm Summitar'. I have just acquired it and am entranced by it. I'll not (yet) declare what my objective is except that it will be nominally one year. Â However, I will still use my other cameras and lenses in tandem at various times. I do need to exercise my vision in various focal lengths, because that is my style. Chipping rust off can be so painful so I'll not let it form. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orient XI Posted January 10, 2013 Share #24 Â Posted January 10, 2013 If your interests, like mine, are wildfowl photography and architecture then a 50mm approach will lead to many lost pictures! I once forgot to pack my 50mm f/2.8 Elmar for a summer's sabbatical in Washington State and never really missed it but the reverse is not true. Other people have said a year is too long for the experiment; perhaps giving up all other focal lengths for Lent would be more appropriate? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted January 10, 2013 Share #25 Â Posted January 10, 2013 Well, I would assume that if the OP's interests also were like yours, wildfowl photography and architecture, he wouldn't be limiting himself to a 50:rolleyes: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmldds Posted February 26, 2013 Share #26  Posted February 26, 2013 It will be the best decision you have ever made to improve your photographic vision! In fact after the year you will probably not stop! You will get rid of all those other lenses that just clutter your vision, slow down your decision making process and make your camera bag, if you still need one so much lighter not to talk of saving you tons of money. You will become a 'photographer' (I am not saying you aren't one already, this is just general talk... ) instead of a camera collector, a person that uses a camera instead of carrying a camera...It will give you a much better understanding of what you need as opposed to what you want, sheesh I can carry on like this all day long.... I talk from experience, I did it for almost 18 months, except my lens was a 35mm one. I now still use other cameras but all have 35mm or very close to 35mm focal lengths on them. On a recent 4day photographic trip I used three cameras, an apsc, 35mm and 36x48mm medium format for various reasons , but all had the same focal length on them....I now know that a 35mm lens is good for 80% of my needs a 24 and perhaps an 80 (which I havent got yet) will do for the rest.  I still have lots of other lenses but it just because my dayjob is a photographer and there you need all sorts of stuff to be able to do a commercial job...  But for ones personal work.....one lens will do....  and if you doubters don't believe me, go here and see what I have done with my one lens,.....May 2012 | Ivan Muller  Fantastic story and series, Ivan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gberger Posted February 26, 2013 Share #27 Â Posted February 26, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) It certainly can be done. I started with a IIIc / 50mm 3.5 in late 1945, and didn't have another lens for several years until upgrading to the M4. (Then, I really splurged on a 35mm and 90mm in addition to a Summicron 50) Â That IIIc took excellent photos with Kodachrome 25, Plus X and Tri X. Â Since I didn't have a different focal length, I didn't miss it - - - just concentrated on doing the best with what I had. Â You may be frustrated at first, but you'll quickly to "use your feet" for composition. Â Have fun !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted February 27, 2013 Share #28 Â Posted February 27, 2013 A lot of 'half truth' are espoused about 'one lens' scenarios. Â Certainly you can work with just one, but it is undeniably limiting. So why do it? Â That's a rhetorical question really, so don't bother teaching what I probably understand anyway. The point I believe that technique misses/fails on is the combination of composition AND perspective together. One lens locks that up irrevocably and does not permit freedom of controlling both. Moving you feet is not the same. It changes both, and does not permit varying one without the other. It's like working with handcuffs on. That's fine as long as the desire is 'discpline' before pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tanks Posted February 27, 2013 Share #29 Â Posted February 27, 2013 Hmmm, good luck. I myself can not see being limited to one lens. Some shots beg for a different focal length. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptZoom Posted February 27, 2013 Share #30 Â Posted February 27, 2013 Dood...awesome project. Go for it. Commercial work aside, I can not remember the last time I took more than one lens, which more often than not is a 50mm. I would join you, but I have at least one personal project coming up in summer that requires a 35mm; and a likely second project that will require a variety of lenses (28 or 35, 50, and 75 or 90). Will be with ya in spirit:) Â For those times when your resolve wears thin, allow me to recommend a film for rejuvenating your enthusiasm: The Five Obstructions. One director challenges another to make a series of short films each with five constraints/obstructions. The film is about helping a formerly great and now downtrodden director realize he's still amongst the best around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rramesh Posted February 27, 2013 Share #31 Â Posted February 27, 2013 Did try it for a while last year. Unfortunately I missed too much the other members of the Leica family. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted February 27, 2013 Share #32 Â Posted February 27, 2013 ... if you were a painter (artist) would you consider using only one brush? Yes, definitely. Not for a lifetime, I guess, but for a year ... it would be a worthwhile project. Hey, there even are musicians who play only one instrument! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted February 27, 2013 Share #33 Â Posted February 27, 2013 Yes, definitely. Not for a lifetime, I guess, but for a year ... it would be a worthwhile project. Hey, there even are musicians who play only one instrument! Â During that year, I would recommend using water instead of paint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted February 27, 2013 Share #34 Â Posted February 27, 2013 Great project, Eric. I know the only way I could stick to such a discipline would be to sell all my other lenses - and I don't see myself doing that... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest borge Posted February 27, 2013 Share #35 Â Posted February 27, 2013 I started the same project myself about 7 months ago. I also limit myself only to shoot black and white as well as with a fifty only. Â I don't miss colors or other focal lengths at all. And during the last 7 months I have developed my skills a whole lot especially in regards to framing and working the shot. Moving around, using angles, thinking differently and looking at things differently due to the limitations. It's been the most rewarding 7 months out of my 7 years in photography. Â With one focal length you don't have to worry about choices or being unsure or what if and blablabla... You just make the best of any situation without any hesitation due to considerations. Â Stick with it. You will learn and develop your skills a whole lot during your project. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted February 27, 2013 Share #36 Â Posted February 27, 2013 Yes, definitely. Not for a lifetime, I guess, but for a year ... it would be a worthwhile project. Hey, there even are musicians who play only one instrument! Â Yes, but more than one note, I hope!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petster Posted February 28, 2013 Share #37 Â Posted February 28, 2013 In my opinion and experience it is always very liberating using only one lens. It is also a good lesson as well. This is the most important part, whatever focal length you are using. Â I do not know how it works for other people, but I only use 50mm on my M. (Only exception is a 25mm Snapshot Skopar when shooting secretly.) Â But the most amazing thing about sticking to one focal length is the ability to be able to change my opinion about it. Â Cheers, Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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