a photographer who uses only 1 lens

[jaeger]

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I've watched a youtube video sometime ago about a Leica photographer who uses only 1 lens, and I remember it was a 28mm.  He is a south east Asian somewhat looked like a Thai to me.  He does street a lot and was awarded by Leica.  I found that very inspiring but too bad I didn't add the video into my favorite.  I want to watch it again but I can't find the video, can anyone share the link if you happen to know.  Thank you!

Edited December 29, 2020 by jaeger

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[poli]

Perhaps you could  you find the video in your YouTube history? 

[jaeger]

33 minutes ago, poli said:

Perhaps you could  you find the video in your YouTube history? 

Ah thank you!!  here is the video if you're interested. 

 

[Infrandom]

Thanks for sharing the video! 

[Guest]

Seen this video before and the message rings true for me without a doubt.

Less is more for me but i also understand people who love photography spending their money on endless lenses and whatever is the highest megapixel camera right now.

[Mr.Prime]

Interesting guy; to me, his accent is Malaysian not Thai and note that he uses an M8 so he’s standardized on an equivalent 35mm fov.

I have a lot of sympathy for the one lens approach, enough that I may end up there myself one day, but I don’t have enough experience yet to have found where my style gravitates to (I’m starting with mostly 50mm). 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Mr.Prime

[shirubadanieru]

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He is in Singapore I’m guessing, and I also do agree with him 100%, get one lens, get one camera...and just shoot
Easier said than done though hehe 

[JoeLeica]

"I fear not the man who has shot 10,000 lenses once, but I fear the man who has shot 1 lens 10,000 times."

[cboy]

Thankyou.I want his setup...very minimal.love it! Goes to show how gearlust driven i am and it just takes empathic eye to create a visually compelling story. Very humbling thankyou.

Edited December 30, 2020 by cboy

[aksclix]

that surely works for photographers who do not want to do so many different genres in photography.. with one camera and one lens there is a lot of meaningful shooting you can do of course, BUT you'll miss out on 25 other dimensions.. 

perhaps there should be a World Wide "one-camera-one-lens-day".. ( or OCOLD).   
we can even make a yearly event out of it and celebrate photography with just one camera and one lens.. 

 

 

[Mr.Prime]

Because most of my life was spent using an SLR (28 - 50 - 100) the viewfinder magnification is a huge influence on me when it comes to picking a focal length for use with a RF. I have an M3, which means 50mm is the obvious choice and using only one lens on this camera makes a lot of sense. I’ve used no other focal  length on my M3 since buying it about 1 year ago. And I have a pre-ASPH Lux arriving soon as an alternative to my Elmar-M so I’m also now quite $ invested in the 50mm focal length.

Nevertheless, I wonder, if I had bought an M2 instead whether I would prefer 35mm. FOMO perhaps.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Mr.Prime

[Dennis]

8 hours ago, aksclix said:

with one camera and one lens there is a lot of meaningful shooting you can do of course, BUT you'll miss out on 25 other dimensions.. 

that's a good point. Working with just one lens is liberating, probably less stressful, less weight etc etc. But if your eyes are seeing something, and you want to shoot with different FL, you just can't.

Is this bad? Depending. It could be frustrating, it couldn't

[Narsuitus]

During my early life, shooting one camera with one lens was not a choice, it was a way of life.

I used a variety of fixed-lens medium format cameras (box cameras, Brownies, folders, 6x6 TLR, 6x7 rangefinders, 6x9 rangefinders, and 6x12cm zone focus).

For years, I shot with a Canon 35mm rangefinder with a fixed 40mm lens and a Minolta 35mm rangefinder with a 45mm lens. For years, I used an Argus C3 35mm camera before I discovered that its lens was interchangeable.

When I started shooting professionally for a wedding studio, I was given a medium format TLR with a normal lens to shoot weddings and other social events.

I was legally an adult before I could afford to buy my first 35mm SLR with a normal lens and a telephoto lens. When I started shooting professionally for a newspaper, my first assignment was to shoot the grand opening of a new Ethan Allen Furniture store. That was when I realized that I also needed a wide-angle lens for my SLR.

I now shoot with a Leica M6 rangefinder with 35, 90, and 21mm lenses. I also shoot with an RB67 medium format SLR with 90mm, 180mm, and 50mm lenses. I see no reason to buy an expensive camera with an interchangeable lens feature just to limit myself to one lens.

 

[Dennis]

3 hours ago, Narsuitus said:

For years, I shot with a Canon 35mm rangefinder with a fixed 40mm lens and a Minolta 35mm rangefinder with a 45mm lens.

There is always someone out there preferring the 40ish FL. 

WIth my M10, I was attempted to get CV 40, but the lack of a proper viewfinder to buy quickly with (my options to buy are very limited), and the guesstimate of composition, made eventually changed my mind.

3 hours ago, Narsuitus said:

I now shoot with a Leica M6 rangefinder with 35, 90, and 21mm lenses

terrific combination

[erniethemilk]

I love the disciplined idea of shooting with just one lens. I shoot predominately with 2 lenses, a 35mm Voigtlander and a Summicron 50mm. 
 

As much as I like the idea of wider and/or longer lenses I am quite content with just a 35mm or 50mm combination. Strangely I have an alternative system with a zoom lens and 90% of the photos I make with it work out o either 35mm or 50mm!

 

At some point I would like to purchase a Summicron 35mm ASPH and when I do I may end up with just that as the only lens I use. 

[m410]

15 hours ago, Narsuitus said:

During my early life, shooting one camera with one lens was not a choice, it was a way of life.

I used a variety of fixed-lens medium format cameras (box cameras, Brownies, folders, 6x6 TLR, 6x7 rangefinders, 6x9 rangefinders, and 6x12cm zone focus).

For years, I shot with a Canon 35mm rangefinder with a fixed 40mm lens and a Minolta 35mm rangefinder with a 45mm lens. For years, I used an Argus C3 35mm camera before I discovered that its lens was interchangeable.

When I started shooting professionally for a wedding studio, I was given a medium format TLR with a normal lens to shoot weddings and other social events.

I was legally an adult before I could afford to buy my first 35mm SLR with a normal lens and a telephoto lens. When I started shooting professionally for a newspaper, my first assignment was to shoot the grand opening of a new Ethan Allen Furniture store. That was when I realized that I also needed a wide-angle lens for my SLR.

I now shoot with a Leica M6 rangefinder with 35, 90, and 21mm lenses. I also shoot with an RB67 medium format SLR with 90mm, 180mm, and 50mm lenses. I see no reason to buy an expensive camera with an interchangeable lens feature just to limit myself to one lens.

 

YEP!  I agree.

[P1505]

This is how I work. One camera one lens. Has always been a 35mm lens. Recently I tried both 21mm which I’m enjoying as I have to get close, and 45mm which I’m not enjoying at all as it feels like using a telescope.

For me I like to be close to what I’m making images of, and I like to stick to one lens so I know I’m in the right spot before I raise the camera.

Which makes me wonder if I should sell my other lenses and invest in a properly nice 35mm.

[FrozenInTime]

I see two cameras - Bessa with 40/2 and a M8 with 28/2 along with mention of an iPhone in the video, nevertheless the keep it simple message comes through well.

Over the last couple years I'be been honing in on 40mm: either a 28mm on the TL2 or the superb 40/1.2 on full frame.

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[Stephen.s1]

Q2..  Problem solved.

[Stein K S]

6 hours ago, P1505 said:

This is how I work. One camera one lens. Has always been a 35mm lens. Recently I tried both 21mm which I’m enjoying as I have to get close, and 45mm which I’m not enjoying at all as it feels like using a telescope.

For me I like to be close to what I’m making images of, and I like to stick to one lens so I know I’m in the right spot before I raise the camera.

Which makes me wonder if I should sell my other lenses and invest in a properly nice 35mm.

Hi and just got curious... what 35 (s) have you used... which you have not considered to be properly nice 😉... and what 35 options do you foresee to be properly nice?

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Stein K S