the joy of choice

[back alley]

for many, less is more...paring down to a simpler kit is the goal.
i tried this philosophy and despite my wanting it to work for me...it didn't.
having more choice and i'm not talking about a gluttony of gear, just more choice than i had before, seems more approriate to how i really see the world.

[KM-25]

Originally Posted by back alley

while i like to carry 2 bodies with different focal length lenses attached...i quite often carry just one body/lens.

That's pretty much where I am at with RF gear. With the Blad I am usually carrying a 60, 100 and two backs, my favorite street setup for that, large format sees 5 lenses and 6 film holders.

So my go to camera is either the M3/50 or X100 for the one lens one camera walkabout. It took me awhile to get to what I would call my personal RF nirvana though. Last night I had a long-ish magazine piece to shoot. I put the D800 with the Blad in a backup bag that never left the trunk. I worked happily with my small "Oskar's One Day Bag" loaded with the M3/50mm 1.5 Zeiss, Xpan/45mm, both with Tri-X paired with a X100 set at 400 and in black and white jpeg. As the night wore on and the light got lower, I put away the Xpan, then the M3 and got as high as ISO 6,400 with the X100, it was really practical and a lot of fun.

So I guess what I am saying at least on behalf of what my goals are as an image maker is that I have a ton of choices I can make. But quite often the one I make is to bring one camera with one lens on it and it just works.

[FrankS]

Liberation (or not) is totally in the mind, regardless of the external situation.

The concept of being limited by choice just does not compute for me. But I can accept that others may feel this way. That is their problem, not mine. Do what works best for you.

[paulfish4570]

amen, frank, amen ...

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Originally Posted by Keith

But it forces you to think outside the square, apply a focal length that you assumed was less than ideal and sometimes the result can be surprising though not necessarily what you were expecting.

Eventually, one gets to the point where you don't want accidents and surprises, you want the image you visualize in your mind. I don't want my equipment forcing me to do anything, ever. I'm the artist, and I decide what the image will look like. I control my equipment, it DOES NOT control me.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by FrankS

Liberation (or not) is totally in the mind, regardless of the external situation.

The concept of being limited by choice just does not compute for me. But I can accept that others may feel this way. That is their problem, not mine. Do what works best for you.

Beautifully put, Frank.

Cheers,

R.

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by back alley

... having more choice and i'm not talking about a gluttony of gear, just more choice than i had before, seems more approriate to how i really see the world.

Funny you should phrase it that way. Choice is not bad; in fact, it is good. Overthinking those choices is a waste of time. For most photographic gear choices it really doesn't matter what the eventual conclusion is because the consequences just aren't that severe. Missing a shot is a severe consequence, especially when that is a result of overthinking situations. Seems to me that "overthinking" should replace "gluttony" as one of the Seven Deadly sins. After all, what's really wrong with eating until you puke... or having a few cameras you don't really need/use?

[Dave Jenkins]

For an alternate view, a pair of quotes by Picasso and Orson Welles:

“Forcing yourself to use restricted means is the sort of restraint that liberates invention. It obliges you to make a kind of progress that you can’t even imagine in advance.”
-- Picasso

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
-- Orson Welles

[dave lackey]

Originally Posted by Dave Jenkins

For an alternate view, a pair of quotes by Picasso and Orson Welles:

“Forcing yourself to use restricted means is the sort of restraint that liberates invention. It obliges you to make a kind of progress that you can’t even imagine in advance.”
-- Picasso

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
-- Orson Welles

Well done, Dave.

[Roger Hicks]

The whole question of voluntary limitations is also addressed in http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subsc...voluntary.html

Yes, voluntary limitation is usually a good thing. But you can also be too constrained, whether by budget or doctrinaire preconception.

Cheers,

R.

[KM-25]

Originally Posted by FrankS

But I can accept that others may feel this way. That is their problem, not mine.

Not so sure you genuinely accept it if you call someone's preference a "Problem". HCB, Webb and Harvey did and do *Far* more with one lens than most on here do with a bag full of them.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by KM-25

Not so sure you genuinely accept it if you call someone's preference a "Problem". HCB, Webb and Harvey did and do *Far* more with one lens than most on here do with a bag full of them.

Yes you can, IF you think you ought to emulate them. Then it becomes a problem. I agree, it's your problem, not theirs, though this is much a matter of linguistic precision as of photography.

That HCB used a single lens (or even single focal length) is, of course, a myth.

Webb & Harvey?

Cheers,

R.

[FrankS]

Originally Posted by KM-25

Not so sure you genuinely accept it if you call someone's preference a "Problem". HCB, Webb and Harvey did and do *Far* more with one lens than most on here do with a bag full of them.

Yeah, when I typed that I thought "problem" might become a contentious term, but I was reacting a bit to the implication (present over the years here at rff) that a serious photographer limits himself to one camera/one lens and that those with many cameras are just fondlers.

[Richard G]

"Doctrinaire preconception" - lovely expression Roger. That is what I am hearing a little of here. In the Master of Contemporary Photography volume on Elliott Erwitt there is a fine technical section at the back. There's a picture of the inside of his case: pretty full range of Canon lenses and two cameras. And a Leica.... The M9 owners I know all shoot Canon for a living. They have more than one lens. Even for their Leicas.

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by FrankS

... but I was reacting a bit to the implication (present over the years here at rff) that a serious photographer limits himself to one camera/one lens and that those with many cameras are just fondlers.

You might want to be careful of relying on recollection. I seem to observe that the attitude you mention is really limited only to a vocal minority.

[FrankS]

Originally Posted by Gumby

You might want to be careful of relying on recollection. I seem to observe that the attitude you mention is really limited only to a vocal minority.

My statement does not specify the number of posters, or imply that they are in the majority.
I believe that both of our recollections are accurate.

[SausalitoDog]

Nothing like a walk with some gear you really love. Makes you feel great whether you use it or not :-)

[gavinlg]

I was one of those kids that couldn't for the life of him choose which ice cream to get, so my parents got sick of waiting and walked out of the ice cream shop. I'm still that kid - so maximum 2-3 lenses in a system works best for me. I'm liking my contax G 28/35/45 setup very much.

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by FrankS

My statement does not specify the number of posters, or imply that they are in the majority.
I believe that both of our recollections are accurate.

Righto... you are correct. I should have said, don't waste your time reacting to the vocal minority. I know, I know... that is easier said than done.

[KM-25]

Who said anything about emulating them?

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Yes you can, IF you think you ought to emulate them. Then it becomes a problem. I agree, it's your problem, not theirs, though this is much a matter of linguistic precision as of photography.

That HCB used a single lens (or even single focal length) is, of course, a myth.

Webb & Harvey?

[zuiko85]

You sure know how to press everyone's button Joe.

Seriously, whenever I go out with more than one camera I wind up with poorer results. Too many choices. However the one accessory I can't be without is a notebook. Sometimes I 'see' a picture that will be better served with equipment not on me at the moment. If I don't write myself a note I'll probably forget to return. On this mornings walk I took my little fixed lens Pen half frame specifically to photograph a local closed down and somewhat run down brewery. I'll develop that roll tomorrow. Also made a note to return with the M4-2 and CV 21 f4 in a week or so.

That is what works best for me.

[back alley]

Originally Posted by zuiko85

You sure know how to press everyone's button Joe.

Seriously, whenever I go out with more than one camera I wind up with poorer results. Too many choices. However the one accessory I can't be without is a notebook. Sometimes I 'see' a picture that will be better served with equipment not on me at the moment. If I don't write myself a note I'll probably forget to return. On this mornings walk I took my little fixed lens Pen half frame specifically to photograph a local closed down and somewhat run down brewery. I'll develop that roll tomorrow. Also made a note to return with the M4-2 and CV 21 f4 in a week or so.

That is what works best for me.

when i started this thread i was feeling calm and content with myself...there was no intent to push any buttons...funny how things sort out.
i am wondering at my communication skills right about now...

[dave lackey]

Originally Posted by back alley

when i started this thread i was feeling calm and content with myself...there was no intent to push any buttons...funny how things sort out.
i am wondering at my communication skills right about now...

Joe, your communicating skills are fine...it is a two-way street after all, and sometimes the street signs just get ignored...

[Gumby]

Maybe I'm not reading things right, but I see no buttons that have been pushed. It's a good discussion on a legitimate philosophical issue.

[giellaleafapmu]

Somewhere at the beginning of the book "Light - Science and Magic" the authors have one of the most true sentences about gear (lights in their case) which goes something like: "No photographer has enough lights to lit well all assignments but most photographers have enough lights to lit well most assignments". It applies to cameras and lenses as well. You might have 10 systems and 100 lenses and you will always find that for a certain day you would like to have one more camera or lens but if you have a complete basic gear you will be able to do most of whatever you want. The "one camera one lens" lemma is nice but of course one camera and one lens are not enough if you really want to go home with usable images all the times, two bodies two zooms (or three primes) and two lights or a few reflectors should cover most of what one can think of. If the bodies are RFs you might miss the long lens and the fast autofocus sometimes and if they are huge DSLRs you might need some time in the gym or the swimming pool after every going out to recover you back's healt but one should have no problem with this outfit and one will for sure have eventually some problem if one bring less.

GLF