One camera, one lens...

batwister · Jun 15, 2013

I'll be travelling in August and to partially fund the trip, I now have no choice but to sell two of my cameras. This means I will only have one camera and one lens - which I'll be taking with me
It feels pretty audacious, but the truth is, I haven't used either of the other two for probably close to a year.

We only have one camera when we start out of course, but has anyone else on APUG ever been in a one camera position as 'serious' hobbyists/artists/professionals? Was it financially motivated or to encourage a more disciplined approach to your photography?

Also, am I mad?

cliveh · Jun 15, 2013

Absolutely, is there any better way - M2 and 50mm 1.4 Summilux.

Laurent · Jun 15, 2013

When I've used one camera and one lens (Rolleiflex in my case), this really helped me keeping focused on what was important, and this is when I got my best results.

There was no driver other than technical necessity at the beginning (I could not afford keeping care of two cameras in the workshop environment), but soon I discovered it was more a relief than a constraint.

MattKing · Jun 15, 2013

Laurent said:
When I've used one camera and one lens (Rolleiflex in my case), this really helped me keeping focused on what was important, and this is when I got my best results.

Technically, isn't that one camera and two lenses

removed-user-1 · Jun 15, 2013

I made a one-month, 7,000-mile cross-country train and bus trip once, from the US east coast to the west and back, with nothing but an Olympus Stylus Epic and a dozen rolls of film. The main motivation was space: I made the entire trip with just a single large backpack (the only other camera I owned at the time was a Calumet 4x5). I truly enjoyed being just another tourist with a camera, instead of being "Mr. Serious Photographer." I got nice photographs, too.

photopriscilla · Jun 15, 2013

What are you selling?

batwister said:
I'll be travelling in August and to partially fund the trip, I now have no choice but to sell two of my cameras. This means I will only have one camera and one lens - which I'll be taking with me
It feels pretty audacious, but the truth is, I haven't used either of the other two for probably close to a year.

We only have one camera when we start out of course, but has anyone else on APUG ever been in a one camera position as 'serious' hobbyists/artists/professionals? Was it financially motivated or to encourage a more disciplined approach to your photography?

Also, am I mad?

removed account4 · Jun 15, 2013

if i could sell everything off of mine
and just use one camera and one lens
i would in a heartbeat !

no, you aren't crazy, you are pretty smart ..
equipment tends to be a distraction,
the more equipment the more of a distraction.

not sure what camera and lens you are keeping,
but i am sure whichever one you save, it will work fine/

have fun on your travels !

john

darkosaric · Jun 15, 2013

90% of my trips are with one camera (leica or nikon) with 50mm, and one small cheap rangefinder (olympus mju, RC35 or something) as backup body.

Newt_on_Swings · Jun 15, 2013

I wouldn't be able to do that on an important trip or vacation. I always need at least 2 bodies that can handle the same lenses in case one broke. Its also convenient if you are shooting two different types of films, or want to go between different focal lengths without lens swapping.

But for everyday, and simple photo walks, sure one camera one lens is perfect. Today I headed out to Governors Island and went at it with a Bessa R and the 52mm 2.8 Industar I wanted to test.

illumiquest · Jun 15, 2013

iPhone.

ParkerSmithPhoto · Jun 15, 2013

illumiquest said:
iPhone.

On, no you deen't!!

illumiquest · Jun 15, 2013

There are so many of these threads and as far as I'm concerned they all have the same answer, shoot whatever camera you like, and, more importantly, the camera that you have in your hand.

lxdude · Jun 15, 2013

illumiquest said:
iPhone.

iThinknot

ambaker · Jun 15, 2013

I have cameras I haven't even shot yet. But then I also appreciate the equipment in its own right. That being said, I almost never take more than two cameras. Three lenses are about my limit as well. Most often it's one camera, one or two lenses.

I'm not a pro, don't hope to be a pro. But too much equipment, and I find myself spending all my time fiddling with my stuff, and not taking pictures, or enjoying the time out with the camera.

agnosticnikon · Jun 15, 2013

When you have lots of cameras, there's always a choice to be made. But an easy one for me, if I don't have a certain project in mind, and I'm just going out to poke around and take some pictures of what ever, I'll take my Canon EOS 1n with the ef 22-55mm zoom. Now I know a lot of folks like prime lenses, and I do too. I also tend to favor my Nikons more, but that little 22-55mm lens is really a nice zoom range to have. Quite wide to normal. Yeah, it's a inexpensive little thing, with a plastic lens mount, it's slow, and I believe it was made for the ill-fated APS camera, but it covers the 35mm frame fine. Surprisingly, I've gotten some really nice images with it. I am careful with it, and use the dedicated lens hood with it too, along with a yellow or red filter sometimes for dramatic skies with B&W film.
Any one else have any experiences with this lens?

MattKing · Jun 16, 2013

agnosticnikon said:
When you have lots of cameras, there's always a choice to be made. But an easy one for me, if I don't have a certain project in mind, and I'm just going out to poke around and take some pictures of what ever, I'll take my Canon EOS 1n with the ef 22-55mm zoom. Now I know a lot of folks like prime lenses, and I do too. I also tend to favor my Nikons more, but that little 22-55mm lens is really a nice zoom range to have. Quite wide to normal. Yeah, it's a inexpensive little thing, with a plastic lens mount, it's slow, and I believe it was made for the ill-fated APS camera, but it covers the 35mm frame fine. Surprisingly, I've gotten some really nice images with it. I am careful with it, and use the dedicated lens hood with it too, along with a yellow or red filter sometimes for dramatic skies with B&W film.
Any one else have any experiences with this lens?

I too like this lens.

It gives me a real wide angle for my 35mm EOS bodies, and some flexibility with my cropped sensor EOS digital body.

It isn't a stellar performer when it comes to the corners, and there is a bit of distortion, but I'm not going to use it for reprographic work.

benjiboy · Jun 16, 2013

My Canon F1 and a FD 35mm f2 Thorium lens.

MartinCrabtree · Jun 17, 2013

My F5 w/28-85 F3.5-4.5 Nikkor.

blansky · Jun 17, 2013

There's a saying in the watch collecting community, " when you have one watch you always know what time it is, when you have more than one, you're never sure".

There something to be said for one camera one lens and just dealing with it. More than one and you're always second guessing yourself if you're using the right one.

benjiboy · Jun 17, 2013

blansky said:
There's a saying in the watch collecting community, " when you have one watch you always know what time it is, when you have more than one, you're never sure".

There something to be said for one camera one lens and just dealing with it. More than one and you're always second guessing yourself if you're using the right one.

There's a lot of truth in what you write, at one time I used to carry loads of lenses in case that I never used, I now carry a maximum of three and make my pictures fit the lenses I have with me.

baachitraka · Jun 17, 2013

OM-1n + Zuiko 35mm f/2.8

Klainmeister · Jun 17, 2013

baachitraka said:
OM-1n + Zuiko 35mm f/2.8

That's an awesome single camera, single lens setup. I'd do that in a heartbeat.

I find that the more equipment I take, the less pictures I take as well. Now it's just one camera and one girl. Why make it complicated?

batwister · Jun 17, 2013

blansky said:
There's a saying in the watch collecting community, " when you have one watch you always know what time it is, when you have more than one, you're never sure".

Perfect sentiment.

MartinCrabtree said:
My F5 w/28-85 F3.5-4.5 Nikkor.

baachitraka said:
OM-1n + Zuiko 35mm f/2.8

Are these your 'Sunday' cameras?

I'm selling the Hasselblad - which was my first analog camera, so it does have a little sentimental value. And also a DSLR, which I have no lenses for at this point anyhow - and as we all know, it doesn't really count. Yet, selling it means I have to put to rest any niggling ideas about doing jobs for the time being.

I'm keeping the Pentax 67 and riding off into the sunset.

R.Gould · Jun 17, 2013

Apart from my Werramatic, which has a 100,50 and 35mm lens, if you can find them,(i am lucky in that I have them all) every other camera I use, 35mm or 120, has fixed lenses, either 50mm for 35mm or 75 for 120, and I can't say it has ever been a problem, They are all getting on in years but deliver the goods, and you always have your feet if yo need a zoom.
Richard

baachitraka · Jun 17, 2013

I may include an Yellow-Green filter + loads and loads of one type film.

One camera, one lens...

batwister

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benjiboy

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One camera, one lens...

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