Is having many lenses overrated?

[Doug Dolde]

I have recently realized that I'm quite happy just using my 110mm SS XL and my 210mm APO Symmar. They are both incredibly sharp and leave nothing to want in that regard.

I often read threads here where people list a kit something like 58/90/150/180/240/360 etc but think I'd go crazy trying to select a lens if I had this many.

Anyone else a lens minimalist?

[Colin Graham]

I'm leaning that way. I have six lenses for 4x5 but only 2 I use for 5x12 and much prefer having only 2 lenses to choose from. I'm thinking about selling off some of the 4x5 'redundancy'.

[Vaughn]

For the first 20 or so years of my photography, I had only one lens per format (a Rolleiflex TLR, a 150mm for the 4x5, 210mm for the 5x7, and a 300mm for the 8x10).

In the last few years I have added a few lenses for the 8x10 -- 159mm, 210mm and a 19". Still use the 300mm the most often.

I think it is good for the beginner to limit the # of lenses to one -- and that lens not a zoom. One can then learn to see as the camera sees without the confusion of multiple lenses.

Vaughn

[Walter Calahan]

If you don't use them, they are very overrated.

Less is more, until you need something you don't have.

[John Kasaian]

I am in complete agreement.

Of course I have and use
6-1/2" 9-1.2" 10" 12" 14" 19" and that is only for the 8x10!

I do have excuses of course. If I need a wide lens because of limited space I have one. If I need a long lens because I can't get over a fence or across a river, I have one of those. If I need a lightweight lens for back packing, I've got that base covered and if I need a fast(er) lens I've got that as well. Then with those old shutters its nice to have a back up in case one has to go in for a cla.

Besides, those funky old art deco shutters look really cool.

Realistically I can get by very well with just the 14" Commercial Ektar, and as a practical matter, in the field I'll only take along 2 lenses at most. Any more makes life too complicated!

[Ron Marshall]

I find that I use three lenses for 75% of my shots, the other 25% is split evenly between the other three. I could easily get by with a three lens kit if I had a wider focal length spread, say 90-150-240 instead of 110-150-210. However I am perfectly satisfied with my present lens kit and would not make any changes

[Jim Rice]

I currently own two: Caltar II-N 360 and G-Claron 240. Do I want a RDAA 24"? Yes. Do I also want something really wide? Yes. Will what I have cover 90% of practical considerations? Yes.

[Ed Richards]

Depends a lot on whether you are doing any architecture. Building need some wide lenses and more intermediate lenses because you are often limited in where you can stand to make the shot.

[Ole Tjugen]

With the kind of landscapes we have around here, I have much the same need of lenses as for architecture.

That much said, I could probably get by with only one 150mm lens instead of five, and two 210mm lenses should be enough - one "normal" for 4x5" and 5x7", and a wide for 8x10" to 30x40cm.

I don't use the 180mm often, but when I need it, I need it.

I like wide-angle lenses, so it makes perfect sense to have two 90mm's: One for 5x7" and when I need lots of movements on 4x5", and one small lightweight one for the longer hikes and 4x5".

That makes my 4x5" kit something like 65 - 90 - 90 - 120 - 150 - 150 - 150 - 165 - 180 - 210 - 210 - 240 - 355...
There are good reasons for the "duplicates" too - different coverage, different characteristics. A 150mm Heliar is very different from a 150mm Germinar-W, and the difference is visible in the pictures.

[Salty]

I have nearly 4 dozen lenses in shutters, from the 75mm SWD to the 24" RD Artar. I'm basically a hobbyist who likes to try things out. If I did do this seriously, I'd decide on a very limited set of lenses.