How many lenses do you really need?

guangong · Dec 31, 2019

Lenses are tools. A variety of chisel types and sizes needed to carve marble, different brush sizes and shapes for painting. I can sketch with one fountain pen. All depends on how a camera is used. Some photographers zero in on one sera of interest, others are less specialized.
Responses to this thread show the essential number range is from 1 to 44+.

BSP · Dec 31, 2019

For 2020 I am going to try and need only one lens on one camera body: a CV 50mm f/1.5 on a M2.
I feel I am almost ready to need only this one....until it breaks of course.

Maybe I need a backup? Does that still count as one?

Ariston · Dec 31, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
I was photographing in a cave shrine recently and discovered that both bulb and time on my Schneider 180 didn’t work, so I switched to my Schneider 120 6.8. Before the day was over I’d decided to bite the bullet and do what I’ve wanted to do for some time - just shoot with one camera and one lens. Best call I could have made.

(I am looking to get a backup 120 when the chance arises so that I can keep shooting while one is being repaired, and I’m selling off my other lenses now)

Cheers, James

Didn't you just make the case for why you shouldn't bring just one lens?

Rlibersky · Dec 31, 2019

All of them

jim10219 · Dec 31, 2019

Dusty Negative said:
I am forming the opinion that the number of lenses might correlate inversely to one's expertise level. As I get better with photography I find that I use fewer lenses. Anyone else agree?

I use fewer lenses, but I own more. I've definitely developed some favorites, and while they may not be my most expensive lenses, I know exactly what to expect from them, so they get the most use. That said, I occasionally find myself in a situation where I need a lens that I don't own to take the photo I have in mind. So I go out and buy that lens, and then never return to take that photo. Hence I now own a bunch of lenses that fill gaps that I only very rarely ever call upon.

macfred · Dec 31, 2019

Most of the time I need two - the viewing- and the taking lens of my TLR.

James Bleifus · Dec 31, 2019

Ariston said:
Didn't you just make the case for why you shouldn't bring just one lens?

Perhaps, but I don’t think so. Instead I think that I made the case that you should check your gear to ensure that it functions properly before hitting the road.

Upon rereading I realized that there are two ways to read the question. I read it as how many lenses do you need in your bag. It could also be read as how many lenses do you need total, whether you use them or not. In the second interpretation, I suppose that even though I’m looking to get a copy of the same lens my answer would be two, one for shooting and one for backup. Or the other answer may be that I should just keep a backup shutter.

One of the things that I’ve noticed since using just one lens (besides a lighter pack) is that my compositions are more diverse because I have to adapt my vision to the lens. I’d looked at photographers who chose to use one camera and one lens like Joel Meyerowitz (in his 8x10 days) and Thomas Joshua Cooper and wondered how they could stand missing so many pictures. Now I understand because I’m finding their approach more liberating than constraining because I just find different pictures.

Cheers, James

Dusty Negative · Dec 31, 2019

jim10219 said:
I use fewer lenses, but I own more. I've definitely developed some favorites, and while they may not be my most expensive lenses, I know exactly what to expect from them, so they get the most use. That said, I occasionally find myself in a situation where I need a lens that I don't own to take the photo I have in mind. So I go out and buy that lens, and then never return to take that photo. Hence I now own a bunch of lenses that fill gaps that I only very rarely ever call upon.

Ahh...what a familiar story. Curse these beautiful gadgets!

ciniframe · Dec 31, 2019

I have a pile of lenses, mostly because I could buy them for $5-$25 some years ago. One example is a 200mm f4 Osawa in OM mount picked out of the junk bin at a camera store for $1. Well really, couldn’t just leave it there. Rear element had gunk all over it but cleaned up nicely. Don’t use it much as I also have a very compact 200 f5 Zuiko. But, if a little faster tele is needed it comes in handy.
As to the original question, I could easily get away with 5 primes for 35mm.
A 24, 50, 85, 200, and 50 1:1 macro.

Arthurwg · Dec 31, 2019

Hasselblad: 60mm & 120mm.

How many lenses do you really need?

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