Wednesday
May262010
ku # 719 ~ 2 eye kit with 1 lens
Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 04:14PM 
Lush roadside Spring growth ~ in the Adirondack PARK - Au Sable Forks, NY • click to embiggenWith the exception of professional picture making activities, could you survive / function with just 1 fixed focal length lens?
Can a picture maker ever develop/find his/her vision if he/she uses more than 1 fixed focal length lens? Does using a zoom lens hinder the development of seeing and therefore prevent the development of a truly personal vision?
Reader Comments (12)
"With the exception of professional picture making activities, could you survive / function with just 1 fixed focal length lens?"
I used a Fuji GS645S camera with a fixed 60mm lens for several years.
There's a story about french photographer Edouard Boubat. He would go out on a pro shoot and when it was over he would use the remaining frames on that single roll of film for his personal work. He used a Rolleiflex.
Now that was frugality!
Mark just curious, how many lenses did Matthew Brady and Senneca Ray have?
I just can't break my habit I have a Nikkor 18-135mm on my D90 all the time and can't shake it. I love it.
But if I needed one probably a 50mm
I own a bunch of lenses - a 10-20 and a 70-200 f2.8 Sigma, a 24-120 Nikkor, a 18-55 Nikkor, and a 50mm f.14 Nikkor. The only lens I carry with me when I walk out of the house without a purpose - when I'm not going out to take pictures, specifically - is the 50mm f1.4. I find that it's really all I need. It's small enough not to bother and it takes excellent pictures any time of day.
One focal length is enough. But restricting yourself to one focal length for an indeterminate time (e.g. for a year) is probably taking a good idea to an extreme.
Get rid of the zoom and just leave the house for a day or a week with just one focal length. Not as hard as some may think and it is likely to sharpen your vision. That's what I think anyway.
Personally, my most used camera doesn't even have a zoom and I only have 3 lenses and once I walk out of the house, I rarely change lenses even if I have another with me.
Absolutely. I've been using a 45mm for just about a year now and have never enjoyed photography more. A single lens makes the entire process more focused on what is before me. I have no crutch to lean on.
Whatever floats your boat. Whatever gets the picture you want. Equipment's there to be used so if you've got it use it. Enjoy it.
With the exception of professional picture making activities, could you survive / function with just 1 fixed focal length lens?
I could, but why would I?
Can a picture maker ever develop/find his/her vision if he/she uses more than 1 fixed focal length lens? Does using a zoom lens hinder the development of seeing and therefore prevent the development of a truly personal vision?
If your brain is the size of a peanut, maybe...
On Monday, when we were going into the hospital for electo-esophagal probe and the jump start (or whatever the medical terms maybe), Gravitas handed me a camera, and a camera bag.
Knowing I would spend the day having to carry my stuff around from waiting room to cafeteria to exam room to bathroom, etc, I had pared down my usual purse, added a water bottle and a book so I could be agile.
Therefore, I was willing to carry the camera (even though I was not allowed to stuff it in my stuff bag). However, I drew the line at the camera bag, so I cannot tell you how many lenses are needed for a day at the hospital with little to no access to a camera.
Ctein has a post up today that is, perhaps unintentionally, relevant.
Personally, I think equipment I just easier for a lot of people to talk about,blame, etc, so they focus on equipment.
Personally, I think equipment I just "easier for a lot of people to talk about,blame, etc, so they focus on equipment."
When I had a sailboat, I met two kinds of people: those who talked of sailboats and those who talked of sailing.
Photography requires a mix of equipment, technique, vision and a bit of luck. If you minimise your equipment then -- with the right attitude and effort -- you can develop your technique and vision.
Also, I'd suggest not buying another piece of equipment until you've solidly explored what you can do with your current set-up. You might be pleasantly surprised!
[You'll note that I've avoided trying to define 'minimum' equipment.]
To your three questions:, yes, yes and yes.
A bit more elaborate:
Q1: That'll be a Summicron M asph 35 mm, please.
Q2: It would be faster if the artist used one lens, but with discipline and a strong back, he can make do with a bag full of them.
Q3: A zoom lens is a big temptation to take the first viewpoint when you meet a subject and zoom in until it's "good enough". Well, it isn't.