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A question of lenses

We start of in photography wanting to own and buy everything and then as things progress we realise that we need less and less. The image and the vision takes over.

I've just read a lovely book: The World's Top Photographers: Photojournalism: And the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images (World's Top Photographers) (Hardcover)
by Andy Steel

Their are some astonishing ommissions from these pages including many of the photojournalists I rate highest in the world, but perhaps they weren't willing to collaborate and I know it's impossible to include everyone. Anyway...

Something struck me reading through the pages. The diversity of cameras and equipment they use is amazing. However, it is clear that many stick to just a few lenses, often fixed focal length. Of course journalists working for daily newspapers who need to cover every eventuality from sport to hard news will have a wide range of lenses but even then it seems that they settle on a few favourites to get various jobs done.

My message as ever is focus on the vision and the image. What camera and lens suit your vision best?

Cheers,

Paul

Comments

Anonymous said…
I have pretty much settled on an old Hasselblad and the 80mm and 150mm lenses for it. When I do use an SLR, I like having a 50mm prime lens. It's sort of like having too big of a menu at a diner, I'd always worry that I should've gotten something else (or used a different lens).
00:04
Beyond the obvious said…
The menu is an excellent metaphor. My Blad doesn't come out of it's case much these days, sadly as it's a wonderful tool.

80% of my images are now created with a Canon 5D and 17-40L lens. For low light and minimal DOF I use a 50 prime and the only other lens I carry is the 70-200L, which is good for portraits and where I need a telephoto. That's it. I went for the 5D because it's light but delivers superb quality. I ain't lugging nothing else these days and I've gone off using flash too.
00:38
Anonymous said…
I have the 17-40L for my 20D too. It's pretty much the only lens that's on it (because the 50mm is just too much with the sensor crop). The 20D is even lighter then the 5D, wanna trade? :)
04:18
Beyond the obvious said…
No thanks Peter. Full frame DSLR is the reason I switched from Nikon to Canon and I'm sticking with it :))

Had a look at your website. Lots of strong, original images. A pleasure to visit.
09:06
Anonymous said…
Hi Paul,

Just to let you know I've blogged your blog.

cheers
Chris
09:45
Anonymous said…
When it comes to lenses I'm a day and night guy myself. Daytime I tend to use the 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom night time I use the 50mm f/1.4 prime with my feet making and apearence for zooming. Last three pro's I interviewed all had a favourite couple of lenses in the case of the Journalists they tended to be wide/normal primes.
09:48
Beyond the obvious said…
Thanks Chris.

Cheers David. So you've found the same thing in your interveiws. It's about the image and telling the story.
09:58
Anonymous said…
Funnily the last two people I interviewed didn't know what camera they used. One asked her publicist the other didn't know until I photographed him when he said 'oh thats the same one I have!' Which made me chuckle to say the least.
12:06
Anonymous said…
... hehe, nice incentive to check it out, Paul. Well, I do own lens of a range from 14 to 500 mm, fixed focus and zoom. After checking my last month's work I realized most of the shots were done with my 24, 50 and 85 or 100 mm lens, the rest more or less gathers dust ;-)
But why? I guess it's up to a certain kind of curiosity to approach my subjects. The fixed focus do allow me to move around and check the perspective permanently until it fits the vision of the image built in my mind.
Camera? The vast majority of my shots were done with the old horses F3 and F4, less with the DSLR. It needs a different, more goal kept sight in thinking working on film than just with the trash-bin... . And I really do hate this little window they do call a 'viewfinder' ;-)
15:08
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