Lens Dilemma

[Richard A Johnson]

Ok folks I need some help on this one, here’s my dilemma. We’re moving my son out to Wyoming to start college this fall. We will be packed to the gills with stuff for him for school. I will have a total of about TWO ( 2 ) DAYS.:confused: That’s right only TWO ( 2 ) DAYS to photograph @#$%^&*@#. I’m going to take my light weight 4x5 and I intend to limited myself to one lens. “It will just make life a whole lot simpler”. I’ll be doing mainly landscapes but there is a ghost town near by also that I might have a chance to explore.
I have a 135,150,180,and 210 lens. Yes I know these are all in the normal range. I have a 300 also but I will not take that lens do to DOF problems. Question is which one lens would you take & why? I’ve been stuck on this dilemma and I need your HELP!!!
Thanks Richard

[Patrik Roseen]

Here are my 2 cents.

I would bring the 150mm why?
The 210 and 180mm might be too long for the ghost town, and the 135mm has a smaller/limited image circle than the 150mm.

If you decide on bringing a second lens it would be the 210mm as well.

[photographs42]

Take the 135, 180 and 300. Put two of them under the seat and pretend you don't have them if it will make you feel better. Not having the right lens does not make photography easier, it makes it harder because you have to force images to match your equipment. Of course with only one lens you always have the "I could have had a great photograph but I didn't have the right lens" excuse.

Jerome

[Jack Flesher]

What Ole said.

Or, buy a 110 XL before the trip -- wider and lot of IC.

:D,

[Jim Galli]

I had this exact problem earlier this weekend and we were going up to the ancient bristlecone forest in E. California's White Mtns. I solved it by taking a 1946 Ciro-Flex twin lens reflex that I got on Ebay for 12 bucks. :D

[Ole Tjugen]

If one of them is a convertible, bring that.

If not, I would probably take whatever lens you tend to use most.

[Brian Ellis]

If you can only bring one lens I'd bring the 135 unless its image circle is significantly smaller than the 150, in that case I'd bring the 150. The point is to bring the widest usable lens. You can always take something out by cropping, it's hard to add something that isn't there. Actually if I were making this trip I'd tell the kid to leave something at home and take all my lenses.

[Gordon Moat]

Since I own a 135mm and a 180mm, if I compared the two, the 135mm gives a wider view, and the 180mm allows for more movements. So based on that, if I expected to use lots of movements, I would take the 180mm. If I expected little movements, or needing to be close up to my subject, then I would take the 135mm. You can always crop a wider shot.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[Ron Marshall]

Lenses don't take up that much space: 135, 210,300. Then you are covered for any eventuality. Good shooting!

[eric black]

If its just 2 days, and you have no clue what the lighting is going to be, and you are shooting objects which you can presumably move closer to or further away from as needed I'd opt for the lens you use most- in my case, the 150

[Bob Salomon]

Personally I would take a wide or extreme wide and leave the longer ones at home.

[Glenn Thoreson]

Which ghost town? Hmmm, silly question, we only have a couple. I'd bring the 150. It's a normal lens and should do everything you need it to. Hope you enjoy your visit. It's a great time of year here.

[Brian Vuillemenot]

I would take both the 135 and the 210. How much more difficult would one extra lens make things? If you really can only take one, though, for me it would be the 150.

[Steven Barall]

I vote for the 135 if the image circle is big enough.