It was the lens I had with me…100mm macro or the 17-40mm Zoom?
It seems that there’s no geographic boundaries when it comes to people fretting over lens. People from literally all over the world sign up for my online classes with the BPSOP, and photographers from all four corners of the globe take my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct all over the globe.
“What’s the best lens to have”?, I hear all the time. Actually if I had a dollar for every time I did hear that, I would be writing this post from my Island with a blue and frothy drink sitting on a table dangerously close to me.
The best lens to have is the one you have with you. I never worry about which lens to have on my camera. Whatever comes up in front of me I’ll deal with no matter what I’m shooting with; I have enough to worry about!!!
I’m certainly not suggesting that you use just one lens. In fact, I wrote a post about always using one lens.
I’ve seen fairly short people in my workshops walk off the elevator with a backback that I wouldn’t be able to carry. It almost as tall as they are and filled with just about every lens offered by the camera’s manufacturer.
One woman in particular comes to mind that walked ( slumped over) all around the grounds at the Palace of Versailes with a huge backpack stapped to her back. I asked her what in the world did she have with her. She said that she had seven lens with her…seven lens!!! When I asked her why would she torture herself like that, she said that she’s afraid of not having the right lens when she saw something interesting…wait! what?
You don’t need seven lens unless you’re a working pro on assignment. Otherwise, think about what you’re after and put the corresponding lens on and have access to maybe one more. For example, I might have a 100mm macro lens on and carry something like a 17-40mm zoom; two totally different lens.
Having said that, I would probably use the macro for portraits as well as it’s intended use, and the wide angle zoom for close-ups…to creat depth. I’ll explain this in the next post.
So my fellow photographers, it’s not the lens nor the camera, it’s the ten inches behind the camera that really matters.
Visit my website at: www.joebataban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.
JoeB
