sml_photo Posted May 25, 2017 Share #81 Â Posted May 25, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) A very experienced photographer who chooses one lens does not miss shots because they have the wrong lens. Like I have been saying all along - if you need to use 100 lenses, use them. Â Bravo! Â Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 25, 2017 Posted May 25, 2017 Hi sml_photo, Take a look here Is 35mm All You Really Need?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest Posted May 25, 2017 Share #82 Â Posted May 25, 2017 Bravo to which one of the four you use with your M-P, Stephen? To the 35mm, as this is the thread's title? Cheers, Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted May 25, 2017 Share #83 Â Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) Â I do not favour frantic lens changing, but I do try and visualise the subjects I will be shooting and the photographic conditions, and choose my lens accordingly...beforehand. It is a bit like one camera-one lens, (or maybe two) but adjusted to the circumstances. I would not like to tie myself to one focal length for some philosophic reason. Â Â While you could argue that underneath, an artists point of view it can become philosophic, it's more about surface level signature, aesthetic, personality, it's the sum total of their life experience, makeup and vision distilled and filtered in their work that has a direct impact on what they point the camera at. An artist with a distinct point of view and a voice is a vocabulary that they become known for and hired for, to take certain kinds of pictures. In this ever increasingly world of niche within niche it's increasingly relevant. I can tell you at length what each focal length means to me, but that is irrelevant to what it means to someone else and how they combine it with their own work and variables, genre, subject matter, colour palette, contrast, camera and lens type, tonality etc etc etc. Edited May 25, 2017 by Paul J 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted May 25, 2017 Share #84 Â Posted May 25, 2017 What's cropping? Cropping is a way to deal with the limitation of having one rectangle ratio for every picture. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sml_photo Posted May 25, 2017 Share #85  Posted May 25, 2017 Bravo to which one of the four you use with your M-P, Stephen? To the 35mm, as this is the thread's title? Cheers, Simon Here is my earlier post in this thread which may address your question, Simon:  I usually have one camera body and one lens with me. I then look for and "see" photos of that focal length. And, those are the photos I take. Those that I miss, I miss. I don't mind that. But I feel I have a keener approach to scenes with one lens only and my mind tuned into that focal length...and sometimes I get a surprising result that is not taken with the stereotypical or expected focal length for a particular subject. I have four lenses. I rarely go out with more than one. And I pretty much only take all four out together when I am traveling, for example. I literally can't recall the last time I changed lenses while out taking photos. Having said that, in answer to the original question, I think that "choice" of focal length is a personal preference, of course. I don't find a particular focal length to be perfect. I like the one that is on the camera, in my opinion. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentShutter Posted May 25, 2017 Share #86 Â Posted May 25, 2017 Well, the advantage of using only one lens is that year lern to master it in stead of having a large range of lenses which you really don't know. Â I think you are clever enough to handle more than one lens ? Learn to see and remember the angle what fits the subject ! Especially the M can show you all frames you may use in a fraction of seconds so why not use it ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted May 25, 2017 Share #87 Â Posted May 25, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Cropping is a way to deal with the limitation of having one rectangle ratio for every picture. Â Do you mean that rectangle is a limitation or an essential part in composition? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 25, 2017 Share #88 Â Posted May 25, 2017 While you could argue that underneath an artists point of view it can become philosophic, it's more about surface level signature, aesthetic, personality, it's the sum total of their life experience, makeup and filtered vision distilled in their work that has a direct impact on what they point the camera at. An artist with a distinct point of view and a voice is a vocabulary that they become known for and hired for, to take certain kinds of pictures. In this ever increasingly world of niche within niche's it's increasingly relevant. I can tell you at length what each focal length means to me, but that is irrelevant to what it means to someone else and how they combine it with their own work and variables, genre, subject matter, colour palette, contrast, camera and lens type, tonality etc etc etc.well, for one thing I do not see myself as an artist, more as a craftsman. Even a writer does not limit himself to one set of words. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted May 25, 2017 Share #89  Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) Not at all - I simply can't understand how a point of view can be suited by focal length (or field of view which might be a better determiner these days).  But the photographers you link to represent only one small genre. And I'd be very dubious about suggesting that they all stuck with merely one focal length because some certainly didn't as you yourself say. And things have moved on. Many on your list lived in very different times. I'm not arguing that its not possible to achieve stunning images with one focal length, just that its self-limiting and pointless unless you have an extraordinarily good reason for doing so (and I can't think of any offhand).  Since then street, landscape, reportage and portraits became as "only one small genre"? From photographers Paul J has mentioned, I'm only deeply studied GW and HCB photography by the books, interviews and online. GW did portraits, landscapes, reportage and street with plenty of 28mm and HCB did the same with mostly 50mm. I can't call those two artists photos as "only one small genre". Sorry. Edited May 25, 2017 by Ko.Fe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted May 25, 2017 Share #90 Â Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) well, for one thing I do not see myself as an artist, more as a craftsman. Even a writer does not limit himself to one set of words. Â Â Â I don't mean to be specific by that term. It still applies to anyone taking photos of anything. You press the shutter when it feels right - it's your point of view that determines that moment. Edited May 25, 2017 by Paul J 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted May 25, 2017 Share #91 Â Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) well, for one thing I do not see myself as an artist, more as a craftsman. Even a writer does not limit himself to one set of words. Â Oh I forgot your last sentence. Yes, a writer really does absolutely limit themselves to one set of words. The ones you end up reading. Edited May 25, 2017 by Paul J 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 25, 2017 Share #92  Posted May 25, 2017 Here is my earlier post in this thread which may address your question, Simon:   I usually have one camera body and one lens with me. I then look for and "see" photos of that focal length. And, those are the photos I take. Those that I miss, I miss. I don't mind that. But I feel I have a keener approach to scenes with one lens only and my mind tuned into that focal length...and sometimes I get a surprising result that is not taken with the stereotypical or expected focal length for a particular subject. I have four lenses. I rarely go out with more than one. And I pretty much only take all four out together when I am traveling, for example. I literally can't recall the last time I changed lenses while out taking photos. Having said that, in answer to the original question, I think that "choice" of focal length is a personal preference, of course. I don't find a particular focal length to be perfect. I like the one that is on the camera, in my opinion.  Sorry to be curious, but how do you decide about the lens of your next outing? And what has turned out so far to be your #1 lens, based on your last xy excursions? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted May 25, 2017 Share #93 Â Posted May 25, 2017 Do you mean that rectangle is a limitation or an essential part in composition? Aren't limitations essential steps to each composition? You limit the gamut of possible decisions and exclude visual elements. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted May 25, 2017 Share #94  Posted May 25, 2017 I don't know if you are being deliberately awkward? I don't know what is so difficult to grasp about some photographers feeling comfortable working with either one or a very limited set of lenses. I get the impression that some people in this thread are getting defensive, perhaps wrongly thinking there is some competitive element to this discussion – that there is something more worthy about using fewer lenses. It's really just a matter of personal preference, it just happens that some people have a vision of the world around them that they articulate using a preferred lens or field of view.  What has McCullin got to do with anything – I haven't mentioned any names.  I'm not being awkward I'm just trying to debunk a photographic myth. In 40 years of taking photographs and 27 years of being a professional freelance and meeting a lot of photographers, I've never met one who only uses a single focal length. It might be personal preference but where are these photographers who genuinely use only one lens?  Names were mentioned in another post, not yours, of which McCullin was one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sml_photo Posted May 25, 2017 Share #95  Posted May 25, 2017 Sorry to be curious, but how do you decide about the lens of your next outing?  And what has turned out so far to be your #1 lens, based on your last xy excursions? I change my lenses infrequently. Normally, I have (and keep) on the 35mm. I haven't checked my LR data lately, but I'm quite sure my 35mm is used the most with my Leica. Not sure if the 24 or 50 are next. But, I know the 90 is used the least. Ya know, I really don't have a clue what inspires me to go out with one lens over another, if I'm changing! Interesting question. I think I just grab what I feel like or, perhaps, a lens I haven't used "lately." Or something profound like that. But, again, I don't change lenses much...I usually leave the house with the camera and the lens that's on it. And, if I do carry multiple lenses for some reason, I really can't recall the last time I changed focal lengths when I was "out" taking photos. Over a year, I'm sure. Pretty much the same with my DSLR...and I use the 50mm the most (by far!) with that and the 24mm next. And, again, I don't think the 35mm focal length is "all you really need" as the OP asked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted May 25, 2017 Share #96  Posted May 25, 2017 Do you mean that rectangle is a limitation or an essential part in composition?  The rectangle is an annoying fact of life. The composition rarely matches a 2*3 border. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted May 25, 2017 Share #97  Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) For many years all I had was the 50mm Summicron. I was happy. First casual image. When I got 35mm Summilux (V2) I was happy. When I got the CV 10mm I was happy.  Today it is the 10mm and 35mm. I am happy.  Given one choice - 35mm V2.  Whatever makes you happy. Come on, friends, we aren't choosing wives here. . Edited May 25, 2017 by pico 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelwj Posted May 25, 2017 Share #98 Â Posted May 25, 2017 This is much more important Pico, someone is wrong on the internet. What a thread, I'm just waiting until we discuss what an artist is, then we're off and running for at least 10 more pages! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 25, 2017 Share #99 Â Posted May 25, 2017 I'm surprised not to have seen a comment from someone needing all 6 of their 35s to choose proper rendering. Â Maybe that would get the artistic debate going. Â Jeff 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted May 25, 2017 Share #100 Â Posted May 25, 2017 Only 6? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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