How many lenses do you carry in the field?

[C. D. Keth]

This is shamelessly pulled from an idea that Heroique posed in the thread in this same forum about the frequency of using camera movements. It's purely for curiosity but it may spark some nice discussion regarding having the ideal equipment vs. tailoring your ideas to the equipment you have.

[C. D. Keth]

It occurred to me that many may carry convertibles of various types. I guess count those how you want and tell us about it.

[Dan Henderson]

Normally 3: 135, 210, 305. I have a big, heavy 90 that I often leave home if I'm carrying my gear very far unless I know I will use it (which I almost never do.)

I think an interesting aside to this poll is "how often do you use the lenses you carry." For me it is (1) the 210 most of the time, (2) the 305 if I can't get close enough to my subject, (3) the 135 if I'm forced to be too close to my subject, and (4) the 90 on the very rare occasion that I want the wide eyed view of the world.

[Vaughn]

My theory -- there are an infinite number of possible images in the world. Therefore nothing one can do (take only one lens, one camera, one film type, etc) that will reduce the number of possible images. Infinity minus any finite number is still infinity.

If one worries too much about the possibility of missing an image due to not having multiple lenses, one will most likely miss a bunch of images because it is the worry that is on one's mind -- not the light.

Vaughn

[mdm]

If you were not supposed to miss a shot you would be out there with a video camera, still photography, by defenition requires that you miss almost all shots. In any case there is more to life than a stupid photograph. I think a view camera imposes a lot of limitations on the photographer, and we must accept that and work with what is left. We all choose what our limitations are. Not abiding limits is a little childish, leave that to the peter pans, tinkerbells, pixies and Leigh. I agree that less is more.

[jnantz]

it depends on the camera i am using ...
for me at least too many is just a distraction ..

but YMMV

[John Kasaian]

With my 8x10, a second lens is a luxury, carrying a third is just showing off(and a bit more of a work-out!)

[Oren Grad]

Usually one or two, occasionally three, rarely four. In general, the larger the camera and the lenses, the fewer lenses I carry. (The fewer I *can* carry - duh!) I've recently started to use a cart sometimes, and when I do I may allow myself to take an extra lens with some of the larger formats - still feeling my way on that.

Regardless of what I've carried, I can't recall the last time I actually used more than two different focal lengths on any outing, or felt any need to.

[Vaughn]

With my 8x10, a second lens is a luxury, carrying a third is just showing off(and a bit more of a work-out!)

Not too bad if they are barrel lenses (without shutters) and/or slow optics. My 210mm Graphic Raptar is a tiny thing, yet covers nicely. My Fuji W 300/5.6 in a Copal 3 makes up for it, though!

[cosmicexplosion]

I have been using but one all year as was convenient

Or I'm to lazy to make second lens board

It does pay to limit the decisions you have to make as you chase time and light

[Tim Meisburger]

Three. A 90mm Optar (but there is an Angulon waiting for me in the US), a 135mm Fuji, and a 210 Rodenstock. These serve all my needs and together don't weigh much, so they go well with my featherweight Ikeda Anba.

[Heroique]

I have a three-lens kit for 4x5 (110, 150, 240) and I’d say they’re w/ me on 95% of my hikes, and they take care of 98% of my diverse landscape needs.

However, I do occasionally go w/ one lens to save space & minimize weight due to my regional mountains. They’re high & steep where I like to go. But funny – on these occasional one-lens hikes, I’ve never missed my other two. Never! Probably because my single lens makes me see how it does. What’s more, I somehow succeed in blocking out of my mind how the other two lenses might. (People w/ multiple lenses who try this usually confirm how liberating the one-lens experience is.) Need I say which lens is the one that goes solo w/ me? Why the extra-light-&-very-tiny Schneider 150mm g-claron, of course.

BTW, it just occurred to me that I’ve never carried just two lenses.

[Frank Petronio]

You probably should have done the poll with a bar for single, double, triple lenses as that is where the most people are.

I was a single 135/150mm on 4x5 for the longest time, although earlier I had a range for commercial work. Lately I've been using a 120-150-210 - pretty close spacing and all near "normal" - and really being careful about my choices. It's nice to introduce a new level of control to my workflow. But I don't see why it is necessary, it is just nice to have the option if you can afford it.

I also use a cart or work out of the car. Backpacking would make a one lens advocate out me quickly!

[Vaughn]

Is a Turner Reich 12-21-28 one lens or three?! :)

A casket set could really screw with the results!

[Zaitz]

3!

65mm Super Angulon
180mm Tessar
380mm Tele-Raptar

[IanG]

Is a Turner Reich 12-21-28 one lens or three?! :)

A casket set could really screw with the results!

Is a cnvertible Symmar or Sironar 1 or 2 :)

Usually in the UK a 65mm Super Angulon, 90mm Grandagon and 150mm Sironar, in Turkey a 90mm Angulon, 150mm CZJ (coated) Tessar or 135mm Symmar, 210mm Symmar.

Ian

[Michael_4514]

My theory -- there are an infinite number of possible images in the world. Therefore nothing one can do (take only one lens, one camera, one film type, etc) that will reduce the number of possible images. Infinity minus any finite number is still infinity.

If one worries too much about the possibility of missing an image due to not having multiple lenses, one will most likely miss a bunch of images because it is the worry that is on one's mind -- not the light.

Vaughn

+1

Way back in my youth (o god! where did it go?), I was travelling around Italy and I ran into a couple of American girls doing the same. One of the girls had a camera, and we got to talking. I was sporting about my Yashica FX-3 with probably three lenses. She had a 35mm something and only a standard lens. She explained how she took only the one lens because it made her a better photographer. The lack of choices freed her to be more creative. One might say that it made her focus her creativity instead of having it distracted by the mental energy spent thinking about choice of lens.

And then there was the couple I met in Mexico who carried no camera at all (and, a fortiori, no lenses), but that's a different lesson.

[Struan Gray]

On my home patch: just one, a 240 mm Germinar W

On my Scottish excursions (or other places I know less well), four.

90 mm Super Angulon (f8)
150 mm Sironar-N
240 mm Germinar W
420 mm Apo-Ronar

When I have the whole set, I use the 240 and 420 almost equally often, the 90 and 150 almost never - but when I need them, I need them.


Struan

[Corran]

Not going to answer the poll since it simply depends!

Casual walking - 1, a 150mm or 90mm
Somewhat serious - 90mm, 150mm, 210mm
Serious - 58/90/150/210/300
Kitchen Sink Kit - 47/58/90/120/150/210/300/360-500-720
8x10 Casual - 1, a 300mm or 210mm
8x10 serious - 120/210/300/TR triple for the longer stuff, at least until I get a 450 :)

Honestly, assuming one simply wanted modern, no-fuss optics, I have no idea why anyone would need more than the 47mm through 720mm kit I mentioned, which is 8 lenses and a couple spare rear-ends to the Nikkor T-set. I mean, give me one reason you need a 180mm between a 150/210? Or 135mm between 120/150?

[rdenney]

I own lots of lenses, but for my work last week I carried a 65, 90, 121, 210, and 12". I used them all except the 65, and did not feel as though I was limited in my choices. My Sinar case holds five lenses with room for everything else, so that's what I take. Which five depends on the subject.

Rick "who used the 90 most, for architectural subjects, followed by the 12"" Denney

[Jody_S]

I used to haul 5 or 6, I'm now quite happy with 2. Rarely 3.

[DrTang]

depends what I'm photographing... I rarely go out without an idea of what and where I'm going to shoot...so I pick a lens I think will work ..like a 12" (for 5x7) and then toss in a 210 and maybe a 360 just in case

with my 4x5..I might toss it into the car when out farting around so I will have a 90, 150, 210 with me


8x10 is almost always in a studio type shoot so..I'll bring them all - might as well

[C. D. Keth]

You probably should have done the poll with a bar for single, double, triple lenses as that is where the most people are.

Yeah, now I wish I had just made more specific answers rather than groups. I honestly thought more people here would be in the 7-9 category.

[vinny]

7 when I'm shooting 4x5, 5 (plus my 165 super angulon in the car) when shooting 8x10.

[David de Gruyl]

Crown Graphic: 1 (135)
4x5 (other): 3 (90/150/240)
8x10: 2 (240 and 12"/21"/28")

Three lenses seem to cover my range pretty well. The size of those lenses seems to vary based on which camera I am using, of course.

[Kodachrome25]

I own 6 for my 4x5, 65, 90, 135, 150, 180, 240 but will only carry 3-5 at one time. I don't like cropping in the darkroom so I make sure I have the composition I want in the camera. Subjects other than landscape I can do 1-3, landscape is more like 3-5 since I can often be perched on cliff bands and such.

[E. von Hoegh]

Three, 90mm, 6", 8 1/4" for 4x5; one or two (either a 30cm or a 240mm amd 360mm) with 8x10. They're all small and light.

[austin granger]

I've been shooting mostly 5x7 for awhile now. I have two lenses, a 180 and a 250. I use the 180 when I can't back up.

[alexn]

I take 75/4.5, 90/8 everywhere I go. I want to add a 210 to 360mm in the future...

[munz6869]

I take 3 - a 65mm, 135mm & 300mm. That said, the vast majority of pictures made on my 6-week travel epic in June were shot with one fixed lens (90mm) on a Fuji GW680III... thus confirming previous statements about one lens simplifying everything...

Marc!