2 or 3 lens kit?

xtolsniffer · Apr 4, 2020

Just out of interest, what focal lengths would you all carry as either a 2 lens or 3 lens kit and why? No cheating, zooms are not allowed!

R.Gould · Apr 4, 2020

With my Barnack Leica's I carry a 35mm,50mm,85mm and 135mm, which cover's most eventualities, with my SRT101's a 28,50 and 200, that is the lenses that came with the camera,pretty much every rangefinder I have I carry the same lenses, execpt the Werra, just 35,50, and 100, and my Bronica etrsi's have a 50,75,150 and 200, again that covers all eventualities, for the rest either fixed lens or for my SLR system's mostly zooms,

BradS · Apr 4, 2020

two: 24 or 28mm and 50mm
three: 24 or 28mm and 50mm and 105mm

abruzzi · Apr 4, 2020

50 85 35, or if I want a wider spread, 50 105 28

cjbecker · Apr 4, 2020

50 or 55 macro, and either 105 or a wide depending on the situation.

BMbikerider · Apr 4, 2020

If I go hill walking with film, I like my 20/35 Nikon together with to 28/105 Nikon. If I am in my car, the two lenses as before, but also taking my 70/300 Nikon

OR

If I use my D7200 a Sigma 10/20 and another Sigma, the 18/250 in both cases

MattKing · Apr 4, 2020

My favourite kit is 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, 85mm f/2.
All made possible because they are all Zuiko OM lenses, and they are paired with whatever OM body appeals to me that day!
Relatively speaking, the bag is tiny.

Dali · Apr 4, 2020

_ 28 and 50mm for SLR.
_ 21 and 35mm for Rangefinder.

Longer than 50mm, it is too narrow for me.

Chan Tran · Apr 4, 2020

I used to use 28mm, 50mm and 85mm.

narsuitus · Apr 4, 2020

Here are the 1, 2, or 3-lens kits I carry depending on what I am shooting and what I think I will need:

Nikon SLR or Leica rangefinder
35mm f/1.4

Nikon SLR
35mm f/1.4
85mm f/1.4 (replaced 85mm f/1.8)

Leica rangefinder
35mm f/1.4
90mm f/2

Nikon SLR
35mm f/1.4
85mm f/1.4 (replaced 85mm f/1.8)
180mm f/2.8

Leica rangefinder
35mm f/1.4
90mm f/2
21mm f/1.4

Three-Lens Rangefinder Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Three-Lens Nikon SLR Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

tessar · Apr 4, 2020

For the Nikons: 50, 24 (plus 105 for 3-lens outfit).
For the Leica 35, 21 (plus 90)

mgb74 · Apr 4, 2020

35mm: 28 and 50. Though I suppose if I had an 85 I'd take that in place of the 50.

I've gone back to the 28 from a 24.

etn · Apr 4, 2020

Life has been simple for so many years, I only had a Rolleiflex and took it with me on every trip, weekend or hike. Then a few years ago I started to buy more gear, Hasselblad first, then a Leica or two, how to pass on a beautiful Nikon F3.... I have been subject to the "which lenses & films do I take on vacation" disease ever since. (And finally decided to quit buying cameras!)

I have no rule on a 2-3 lenses kit. Depends on the trip and photographic target. A few examples of past vacations:
Norway 2018, landscapes, cityscapes, people (family): F3 with Tri-X, Nikon 50 f/1.2 and 28 f/2.8
Paris 2019, cityscapes and people: M6 with Tri-X and 50mm Summicron Rigid
La Réunion 2016, mainly landscapes: 2 rangefinders (one loaded with Velvia, one Tri-X) with 25, 35, 50 and 85mm. The landscapes are so gorgeous over there I really should have taken medium format!
Israel 2017 & Philippines 2019, mainly landscapes: Hasselblad 60, 100, 180 which could be loosely compared to 35mm, 60mm and 90mm in small format (aspect ratio considerations aside), so if I had taken a small format kit on those trips it would have been 35, 50 and 85mm.

I used to like the 35 + 85 combo, nowadays I prefer the 50mm "1-lens only" option.

Rob Skeoch · Apr 4, 2020

For the SLR it's a 28mm, 50mm, 135mm
For the rangefinder either 25mm and 35mm or 28mm and 50mm.
I keep going back and forth between using the 28mm and 35mm lens as a favourite. If I could settle on one, I could sell the others. lol

grain elevator · Apr 4, 2020

Always hard to decide. Even though I have no strong feelings for the 50, it always ends up with me and I somehow take most successful pictures with it. I love the 28 more, and it's usually the other one with me, but less successful. Recently got a 21, so that's been the 3rd. I've also gone with 35/50, 24/50, 35/100 and 50/100. It all works, the hardest part is to stop pondering, and walking out the door. But if I could only keep two lenses, it would probably be 28/50.

nsurit · Apr 4, 2020

The answer would depend on what the anticipated subjects might be, however for my Olympus OM kit, would probably include the 24mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4 and 85mm f2. If I knew I might be light challenged would probably swap out the 24mm f2 for the 2.8 and the 50mm f1.2 for the 1.4. Regardless of the lenses, typically would carry a set auto extension tubes.

guangong · Apr 4, 2020

When traveling and want to keep weight and bulk down, but with some flexibility: rf camera (Leica sm or M or Contax IIa) with 35, 50 and 85/90 lenses. A rather traditional selection. If moving about in my own car, there is no limit.

Sirius Glass · Apr 4, 2020

For MF I take the 50mm and 80mm lenses which is equivalent to 32mm and 50mm in 35mm. If I take three lenses depending on the type of subject I add the SWC [24mm equivalent] or the 250mm [156mm equivalent]. Again depending on the subjects I would replace the 80mm with the much sharper 100m [62mm equivalent].

For 35mm 28mm to 300mm AF [or 28mm to 200mm AF zoom] and sometimes adding 20mm to 35mm AF zoom. My bad but that is just the way it is.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 4, 2020

xtolsniffer said:
Just out of interest, what focal lengths would you all carry as either a 2 lens or 3 lens kit and why? No cheating, zooms are not allowed!

to me a 3-lens kit is normal, 1/2 normal and 2x normal(as in 50,24 and 100); never heard about a two-lens kit.

neeksgeek · Apr 4, 2020

My Nikon F3 bag contains:

35mm f/2.0 Nikkor or Sigma 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2 (sorry, but it’s the truth)
50mm f/1.8 Nikon Series E
105mm f/2.5 Nikkor

If I can only carry two, it’s the 35mm and the 105mm.

Adrian Bacon · Apr 4, 2020

Does it have to be 2 or 3 lenses? And no zooms? Seriously?

That being said, I generally carry one lens, either a 40/50mm prime (I prefer 40), or if I know I'm going to need to cover a lot of range, a 24-105 zoom. Way simpler than carrying multiple lenses and having to carry a bag. Just the camera and the lens.

Ko.Fe. · Apr 4, 2020

I used to go with two lenses and find it not effective. One lens is better. Three, you don't know what you are doing.

MattKing · Apr 4, 2020

Ko.Fe. said:
I used to go with two lenses and find it not effective. One lens is better. Three, you don't know what you are doing.

Or alternatively, with three lenses you are able to shift gears and photograph in a really wide variety of situations.
If I go out with three lenses - 24mm, 35mm and 85mm - it is true that I will often use only one or two of them. But I won't be using the same two each time I go out!

AndyH · Apr 4, 2020

Leica III - 35, 50, 90, 135.
Pentax/Rollei SLR - 28, 35, 50, 135, 200 (they're so tiny!)
Hasselblad 500C - 50, 80, 150.
DSLR (Nikon crop) - 18-70 zoom, 35 1.8, and 70-300.

The lenses I shoot most often are the Leica 35mm, Pentax 50mm (7 element f1.4), Hasselblad Planar 80mm, and Nikon DSLR 18-70mm. I am a big fan of "foot zoom" in film formats.

Andy

M-88 · Apr 5, 2020

I had three initially: 28 mm, 50 mm and 135 mm.

Now I have only 35 mm and 100 mm. As I found out, these two lenses are enough for whatever I photograph, I don't need to juggle between 28 and 50 anymore and traveling lightly is another good thing, especially when carrying a relatively compact OM system.

2 or 3 lens kit?

xtolsniffer

R.Gould

BradS

abruzzi

cjbecker

BMbikerider

MattKing

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Dali

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narsuitus

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etn

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grain elevator

nsurit

guangong

Sirius Glass

RalphLambrecht

neeksgeek

Adrian Bacon

Ko.Fe.

MattKing

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AndyH

M-88

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