Such a clever remark: „As we choose our lens, we choose the way we want to write our story.“ To me it often comes down to choose zoom lenes to cover it all. But your notion includes this liberating aspect, that restricting oneself to one or two primes is equally valid if that is the way we want to write our story!
That's exactly it! I think we often feel that having broad coverage with a zoom means we can tell a more complete story, but I don't think that's true at all. I believe that while a zoom allows a broader range of perspectives, a story doesn't demand a broader range. So if we choose a specific lens to tell our story, it's valid. Part of the point of this video is to say that a perfect kit is one that is adept at success. For me, that means one lens that I can lean on for everything, and one lens that is rooted in creativity. Thanks for watching and commenting, it means everything to me! Cheers
When I'm visiting a city and spending the entire day taking pictures, I usually leave my hotel with just one lens on my camera and I use that for several hours. Then I go back to the hotel and switch lenses and go out for a new vision. If I'm going out into nature, I carry two or three lenses but I have really found it liberating to use just one lens and stick to that focal length for framing and thinking and composition and all of it. It really does help you think about things when you stick to one.
Really cool technique and valuable insights. Totally agree that using one lens is often a great way to encourage creativity. You can usually pull more out of a scene than you think with a single lens.
I shoot M43 - so my go to is an Olympus 12-100 F4 paired with a 17mm F1.8 prime. I mainly shoot Travel and Street photography. So it's a very lightweight solution
I shoot m4/3 as well and I do like the 12-100f4. But I think if I was to only take out two lenses it would have to be the PL 8-18mm and 50-200mm. But as it’s m4/3 I couldn’t imagine taking a few others as well just because they are so much smaller and lighter than full frame gear.
Good thinking. A general setup I used for years was the Canon 5D Mark II with the 24-105 and 35 f1.4. Now I tend to use the Panasonic G9 with Panasonic 12-35 and Olympus 17mm f1.2. I'd love to get the Oly 12-100 in the future.
I like your take. One reliable middling lens and something special. I was expecting your second lens to be a fast prime for low light or shallow depth of field. My similar travel/adventure kit is an Olympus EM5iii with a 12-45mm f4 and an Olympus 20mm f1.4. This is a tiny weatherproof micro-four-thirds kit (double the numbers for FF equivalents). For me, small, light and weatherproof is more important than that last 2% of image quality.
Sounds like a great kit! To be honest, my special lens is often something different. Lately it’s been a bright super wide, but sometimes it’s a 35 or 50mm prime (old vintage glass adapted for my camera). I think what’s most important is having the opportunity to experiment with creativity! Thanks for watching and commenting 🤙🏻
I pretty much agree (even though I own over 30 lenses, and too many cameras.) I shoot MFT and use one camera mainly for photo and another mainly for video. For photo, the main lens choice is the Olympus 12-40mm f2/8. I shoot mostly on the wide side, so the 24-80 equiviant in 35mm format covers most of what I shoot. I use a Laowa 7.5mm f2 as my ultra wide. It's manual focus, but a great lense. The Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 is my go lens for longer reach, but the 12-40 and the 7.5 are must haves in the bag. Most folks do not need more than 3-4 lenses (if that.) I will say going out with a prime for street photography forces one to adapt your eye for the composition choice. Peace.
Great insights for sure! Super cool kit. I have quite a few more than 2 lenses as well, but when I have to rush out the door, this video explains what I’m grabbing. Ultimately when I have more than 2 lenses for an outing, I still end up using only two most of the time.
Many of the best pictures I ever took was with a rangefinder film camera with a fixed 45mm lens. I got used to being able to visualize composition for that focal length even when I didn’t have a camera along. The ability to previsualize has stood me in good stead ever since. When I got an SLR, zoom lenses were expensive and not very good, so I eventually wound up with an array of prime lenses. When traveling, the subset of those that I traveled with consisted of 28mm, 85mm, and 200mm lenses. That worked for me. My Canon FF DSLR came with a 24mm to 105mm zoom lens, to which I added a 16-35mm and a 100-400mm. I already had a 100mm macro, and 85mm and 50mm primes, but never need the last two very often. Now with my Fujifilm 100S, I take most shots with the 35-70mm. I also have a 20-35mm lens, which is great for landscapes. I still use the Canon macro and telephoto zoom adapted to it, and don’t feel the need for buying any more GFX lenses any time soon. They’re great, but expensive, and the Canon lenses are really good. For travel, I leave all that equipment at home, unless it is primarily a photography trip. I don’t want photography to interfere with my seeing and doing things from being too serious about picture taking. I still take quite a few pictures, many of them quite good. I use a little Canon G5X II, which makes excellent photos for posting on the web and making prints up to 13” x 19”. The lens is equivalent to 24mm to 120mm. For travel photos, I don’t miss having something longer, but in cramped interiors and for scenic vistas, I do miss my wider lenses. I sometimes shoot to stitch panoramas when I get home, or sometimes I’ll remember that my iPhone has a really wide-angle lens.
Thanks for taking the time to share all of this! I love that GFX lineup and respect the heck out of leaving the big stuff home for travel. I don’t have that discipline haha. I almost exclusively use zooms to this point, but I’m now on the quest for more primes.
Just wanted to pop in and say how much i appreciated the cinematics of this video, almost as the message that comes with it, being your take on photography. I also really enjoy landscape photography (although i'm kinda just getting starded) and you might have convinced me to get a "short" lens
Ah I’m so glad to hear that! I’m a bit dramatic with the cinematics, but it’s the most fun part for me (filming and editing it together). So glad you enjoy. Wide lenses are extremely powerful but, in my opinion, the hardest to make good photos with. I’d suggest not overspending and just nabbing something cheap to practice with. You’ll still have plenty of sharpness, and if you start to love it, then you can follow the endless rabbit hole towards nicer and nicer gear hahaha. Cheers!
Like you my xf 16-80mm f/4, and secondly my 27mm f/2.8 pancake. The 16-80 because it covers all bases and the pancake because it’s so small and discrete that I can get shots in situations where I just wouldn’t take a big zoom.
Perfect two lenses for me at the moment are the Sony 20-70mm F4 G and the 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G for my ZV-E1. I film in nature 90% of the time. I used to have the much bigger and heavier Canon 100-400 ii and a Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 with an R5, but I value size and weight much more now. Having the extra 4mm on the wide end makes a huge difference and clear image zoom means I basically have a 20-105mm lens - love it! Losing one stop of light on the lenses makes little difference with ISO performance these days, the bokeh loss is marginal and I use a deeper depth of field most of the time anyway. A third lens would be a fast prime like a 24mm, but it's not essential and I could happily make anything I wanted to with just the two previously mentioned lenses.
Amazing kit with some great considerations! I have my "big" kit in the nikon Z8 that I use for a lot of my paid work (and plenty of fun work too), and then I have a fujifilm system for days that I just want a super small setup. I may be nabbing a rather large lens soon that I'll make some videos on after use, and the hope is that while it's larger, it will actually cut out two lenses from my kit...more to come! Cheers
That's amazing to hear! Have a great time with your new camera! It's so exciting getting a camera, and I'm glad to hear this video will help you with your next choice, the lens! Cheers
Needlessly sappy here and I didnt even watch every second of this video because I came into this thinking "just tell which piece of gear to obsess over." But this video was beautiful ❤️ This has genuinely affected how I'm going to make photography purchases in the future. Thank you.
One of the best perspective about why glass is more important and critical than a camera body. I see hundreds of so-called YT photography pundits pushing camera bodies around like underwear’s. It’s crazy at the end of the 30 years of professional photography comes down what you so eloquently put into its all about what combination of lenses and optical/focal length match your type style of photography. For me as a hybrid landscape, architecture and portrait photographer the two lenses I cannot be without 24/70 F 2.8 and a 16-35 either 2.8 or 4 personally Im a big fan of Canon 16/35 II L series and my 24/70 choice is Sigma ART DN. I have covered World Cup 2022 as a team Argentina 🇦🇷 photographer with this combination my third which I keep on tours is 70-200. That’s it these 3 lenses do bulk of my professional and personal work.
Really stoked you enjoyed the video 🤙🏻 Sounds like you really know your stuff. Ultimately there’s no right answer on the kit portion, but there’s certainly a main lesson, glass matters most haha. I’ve never had a 24-70 exactly, but the range is so practical. My favorite lens ever will be a wide zoom like the 16-35. Cheers!
@ I am glad to find your channel because I can see your passion for photography and also admire not pushing what you may consider to be the best focal ranges but rather emphasizing learning about what’s suits ones style and preferences. I am thinking about sharing my experience would love to collaborate with you. I am based in Southern California if you are around give me a holler
Really enjoyed that. You’re absolutely right too. For me it’s Lumix S28/200 and the S14/28 both weather sealed and super lightweight which is how I think about photography now, gone are the days of carrying lots around with me in giant camera bags.
What I’m hearing is that you choose 1 lens to cover a high percentage of the shots you “have to” get and one for a few shots you “want to” get. Reasonable enough and similar to how I assemble a kit for any given shoot. The more “have to” shots there are, the safer and more boring the kit. The more “want to”, I just grab whatever I like even if it’s “wrong.” One example. I often shoot long or even multi-day events. I always start with the have-to kit (standard and tele zooms in this case) and get the expected overall coverage. After that I start mixing in the want-to lenses (usually primes: portrait, macro, even fisheye!)
Exactly! You have a great system and one I totally agree with. I’d also include a prime like a 50mm in that kit for have to shots, and it sometimes allows for more creativity with depth of field, but I still end up using a broad zoom for lots of my work. If I didn’t have something to mess with more creatively though, I’d get bored using the zoom
@@SamBugas My, um, “standard” zoom is the Canon 28-70 f/2 😁 I rarely bother with a standard prime for events anymore. OK, I exaggerate (a little) because the 28 f/1.4 still gets a lot of love because I, um, love it.
For this year, I made a point of not using zoom lenses, so I sold my 24-70 and 70-200 f2.8. My core kit is one body with a 35mm and one with a 50mm and I carry either a 16mm, an 85mm or a 135mm, depending on what I think I'm going to shoot. If I really have no idea, I'll sometimes take four lenses, or go for the challenge and just go with one body and one lens. I think the experiment led to some better compositions that had higher image quality, but I also had more decision fatigue, because it's hard to condense my kit to 2-3 lenses. I sometimes took way too long to decide on my kit and missed the best light because of that. I'll get the new Sigma 28-105 next month, because it has the most useful range of the 24-70 and 70-200 for me, while also not being as heavy as the Tamron 35-150. The second lens I'm going to take if I have the 28-105 is something the lens can absolutely not do, which is capturing wider images. So either my 16mm or 20mm.
Super interesting process you’ve gone through! I love the prime concept but find it wouldn’t suit my style. One or two primes plus a desirable zoom is my ideal setup for the most part. That sigma looks insanely cool. They don’t make it for Nikon but it could be adapted, otherwise I’m sure it’ll makes its way over eventually. Thanks for the chat and have fun with that new lens 🤙🏻
I've carried a Sony 24-105 F4 with a Sony 20mm 1.8. Handles landscape and astro nicely. I've recently been trying a 50-400 Tamron to for distance framing and have been trying to work out a good compromise so as to keep a kit that I can fit/carry with camping gear. The size is quite different, although it is versatile. Funny thing was I just went on a trip to the mountains with a larger camera cube to bring several lenses just in case and the old 24-105 was on my camera like 90% of the time 😂.
I totally get that haha. Most times I go backpacking, I end up bringing the 24-120, the 17-28, and the 70-180 (way too much). I end up using either the 17-28 or the 24-120 nearly the whole time. Just depends which lens is on the camera when I leave the house. Lately it’s been the 17-28mm most of the time, but back in the states it was the 24-120 or the 70-180 most of the time haha. No perfect system I suppose. New evolving favorite kit (per this video) is a 24-120 and a bright prime. Seems to hit a sweet spot
My favorite 2-lens kit is the Tamron 35-150mm f2.0-2.8 and the Sony 20-70mm f4.0. Using the small light unsuspicious 20-70 in urban environment and the 35-150 in the country side. If Landscape is my goal I add a 12-24mm to the kit though. I found out, that it is important for me that the focal length overlap quite a bit because I tend to be lazy on changing lenses
For work, I use a 12-60mm f/2.8-4 on Micro Four Thirds (MFT), so a wide to moderate telephoto on the system with its 2x crop. Plus a standard lens, 25mm f/1.4. At home, 12-35mm f/2.8, again with a 25mm f/1.4, also on MFT. These for event and street work. The reason for using standard zooms/primes is I'm aiming at a documentary/reportage look. The reason for using MFT is in protests and such, a light inexpensive camera body and lens give more mobility.
Great setups and reasoning! So many great MFT lenses I'd love to try. Seems the MFT bodies are no longer much smaller than other apsc or full frame models, but that doesn't mean they aren't excellent choices. I've always wanted to give some Lumix models a try. Cheers!
I’ve been looking for this same idea, I have been planning/using a 3 lens kit. I shoot fuji, and carrying too many lenses defeats the purpose of travelling light. So far I’ve been mostly using the 56mm f/1.2 and 27mm f/1.2, and the last lens that I’ve been mostly taking without using was the 70-300mm. I might buy the new 16-80mm f/4 or wait to see Fuji’s new rumoured 16-55mm f/2.8 mk. II as that one “do everything lens.” Great and inspiring video!
Welp... My go to lens is the 50mm and my only zoom lens is a 16-28mm. So I carry those and normally I try to bring one more lens, it's a 135mm f2. That covers most situations
Similar philosophy here. Fuji 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 does most jobs for me, backed up by the lightweight 15-45 for the wide. All on a xs-10 for a super compact set up.
Great little setup! I want to see how the eventual xs-30 looks (whenever it comes out in a year or two). Seems like an amazing photo video hybrid for the size. I’d love to nab one and use it for backpacking or fast packing.
Really enjoyed your video. I really enjoy adventure and the outdoors and I'm currently working on a nature short film with my kit. Speaking of which, my two lens kit is the Tamron 17-70 2.8 and the Fuji 70-300 for the X-T4. They both work great for hybrid use and conveniently, they both have a 67mm filter thread which is a great bonus.
Great little kit! I’ve never used the 17-70 but I’ve heard great things. I’ve used the 70-300 and love it for sure. Thanks for the support and conversation 😊🤙🏻
@@SamBugas yeah the 70-300 is such a great lens! So light with beautiful Fuji colours and the 1.4 TC works great with it too. Virtually no loss in image quality and the AF is just as fast. The Tamron is a superb all-rounder and the fact it's F2.8 on a 25-105 FF equivalent along with great image quality makes it a special lens IMO. I've heard really great things about the Nikon 24-120 too and if I was a Full Frame shooter, I'd definitely go with Nikon. It'd be a tough decision between that lens and the Tamron 35-150, but because I shoot a lot of sports and action, I probably would go for the Tamron.
Currently I am shooting on a Nikon Z8, and for landscape I usually walk around with the 24-120 F4 and the 20mm 2.8 by Viltrox. I am looking at get the 16mm from Viltrox.
For the last few years when I traveled, 16-80mm F4 is my lens choice for my Fuji X-T4. It is so versatile and lighter than 16-55mm F2.8 even though I lose 1 stop of light. The weight for an old lady is more important because I can carry it all day without killing my back.
I absolutely love that lens. It’s my most used Fuji lens and I’ll be making a video on it soon! I’m extremely curious about the new 16-55 f2.8 mkii released this morning. Looks like it solves the size issue and makes it quite a bit sharper…. I’d love to test that out!
I also like that focal range. I have the Sony/Zeiss A-mount 16-80. The wider angle compared to the kit lens (18-55) already allows some wide angle look :-)
My two two lenses kits. When home it's a 24-70 GM II and 70-200 GM II. When traveling it's a 16-35 GM II and 70-200 G II. This is what currently works best for me. As always, use what works best for you.
From a lens addict who now travels light. I get great hand held panos. Consider turning camera vertical. Better if you do not have levels in viewfinder use pano equipment. 4x enlarging n Adobe Raw allows crop for telephoto. Sometimes just make 3 photos and mount /frame and hang a 3 separate photos each in own frame.
I shoot loads of hand held panos! It’s one of my favorite techniques and gets used most days that I shoot. By nature, for better or worse, I’m usually shooting vertical. Great advice!
Fujifilm 16-55 and 50-140 when traveling by car. The 16-80 and 70-300 when traveling by plane, and I bring the 1.4 teleconverter for that extra reach(birds and wildlife). I do own the 10-24 too.
I’d love to have those primes and try that setup! Hoping to start working more with mid length primes soon (35, 50, 85, etc). I will say, I’m a massive fan of the 135 and would almost call that a “need” for my style
@@SamBugasI find the type of photography I love to do is really personal. The 50mm focal length is perfect for getting in “close” enough to feel like you’re in the scene, while seeing enough of the context to put yourself into the story. If that makes any sense lol
@@3100620842 absolutely! For street work, I always go to my 50mm. For story telling, 28-35 is great for the same reason. I think for my landscape and adventure stuff, the 135 can be a lot of fun. Best part about all this is that there’s no right answers haha
Very good video, love the pace and the message. Subscribed. My own favourites are the Canon 11-24mm and the 70-200mm. If I had the necessary muscles I'd add the Canon 100-400mm but 10 mile hikes every week are normal for me and as I get older I look to lighten the load. I'm beginning to think in combos, so 11-24 and 70-200, 180 and 24-70 and so on.
First, thanks so much for the kind words and support. That really means a lot 🤙🏻. That’s a great setup for sure. A wide zoom and a 70-200 was my main kit for several years. I still feel it’s technically all I need. Going out with a 24-120 and a wide prime is more minimalistic but gets the job done. No right answers haha. My favorite shooting happens while mountaineering and I usually end up bringing just one lens for that, either 17-28mm or 24-120mm
When travelling lens switching is a risk (dust) and hassle - unless you’ve got two bodies. I’ve compromised on 16-80 Fuji / Tamron 28-200 on Sony, and software stitch during day if it’s a wide angle shot. I then pack a fast prime for evening / night - but not quite landed on the one that really ticks the box - but Sony Fuji 28/18 f2 are both very compact and light.
Yeah it’s always tricky to switch. I end up doing it a fair bit, and it usually means some awkward switch inside a jacket while it’s raining haha. The Fuji 16-80 is amazing for me! Hoping to make a video on it soon. I also love using stitching to get bigger photos. I do it nearly every time I go out.
For me, one lens a bit wide and one a bit long is my do everything kit. So, in full frame terms, 35mm and 85mm or 90mm are the lenses I come back to again and again. If the long lens is macro, that’s even better. My current do everything kit is a Fuji GFX system with a 50/3.5 and 120/4 macro.
That’s a great setup. Simple and super effective. Also allows for a lot of creativity. The crop with the GFX means you have pretty much everything too haha. I’d love to try that system eventually.
great video! I love to shoot a little bit of everything thus I found myself shooting mostly with the Sigma 56mm 1.4 and the Nikkor 17-28mm 2.8 , absolutely wonderful for me!
That’s a really great little setup! Small but really effective. I am extremely interested in getting a mid length prime as soon as possible. Thanks for commenting 🤙🏻
My two lens kit: Tamron 28-200mm and Sigma 150-600mm (using them with Sony fullframe and APSC bodies). Replacing the Sigma with the Sony 200-600mm soon. I only shoot wildlife and some landscape, so these two lenses cover everything for me.
So difficult to decide what a perfect kit is ! I started with a Tamron 28-200 for my Sony a7r5 as a 1-lens kit. I’ve now added the 20-70 f4 and intend to add the 70-200 f4 GII. It’s so freaking tiny for a 70-200 lens + with macro capability. With a TC, that could definitely be my 2-lens light kit. 20-70+70-200 up to 280 or 400 depending on the TC (1.4x or 2x).
Hi Sam. For me it's the Z 24-200 f4 and the 20 f2.8. However, the 12-120 is more versatile than the 24-200 from the close-up and portrait point of views. I would rather have the Z 17-28 f2.8 but it is expensive.
If Nikon sold a 16-35mm 2.8 for the Z system I’d probably sell everything I could to get it. I use the 17-28 more than anything. Are you using the 24-105 2.8 from canon? Such a high tier lens
I shoot mainly street, conventions, and events so a 35mm and 50mm (or equivalent) are my two lenses. When I shot nikon it was the 35mm f/2D and 50mm f/1.8G On micro four thirds I go a little wider with a 30mm equivalent PL 15mm f/1.7 but I stick to a 50mm equivalent with a 25mm f/1.7
Great little kit! I've always found 35 too close to 50 to justify having both with me. I like the 35 and 85 combo or 50 and 85 or 135mm So much versatility in those "normal" focal lengths!
wide angles is very essential, my 2 lens setup is ef 16-35 f2.8ii and rf 24-240 f4-6.3. i sold my 70-200 after getting the rf 24-240. can't beat the range. good video keep.
Thanks for the support 🤙🏻 that’s an epic kit for sure. So much range!! Once I got my 24-120, I knew I wouldn’t get a 24-200 range lens, but that’s not to say they aren’t incredible. I’m just so happy with the 24-120. I also have a 70-180 that’s typically in my bag, but I didn’t mention it in this video because I wanted to focus on the absolute essentials that I consider “perfect”. Cheers!
I am old-school landscape photographer who loves to be out when others hurry home .. my two-lenses-kit that I use for many years unchanged is 16-35+70-200 .. Sometimes I take with me my superlight f1.8 nifty-fifty but in past years I went out in about 90% of cases with just two mentioned lenses ... Old (landscape) photography joke says that 24-70 is the most boring lens :) .. it says so for a reason .. In past I had similar kit like you .. I was using 20mm f1.8 super-sharp and lightweight prime + 24-120 ..
Thanks for chiming in! In all honesty, this video is my ideal minimalistic kit, but most often I’m out with a 17-28mm f2.8 and a 70-180mm f2.8. I travelled in Vietnam with your exact kit, 16-35mm and a 70-200 plus a nifty fifty. Such an excellent kit for making sure you can make great images of pretty much anything. Cheers!
My essential kit is similar... My primary do everything lens is the Fuji 16-80 and it's awesome. Then my second depends on what else I'm doing of course, but because I also primarily do landscape it's almost always going to be my Canon FD 80-200 F4L. I just really love a telephoto lol. But I also just got the TTA 10 F2 which I'm trying to use as much as possible, just to get better at wideangle photography as it's my first lens that wide. I also have a 56 1.8 for portraits and a 27 pancake for travel and everyday. But if I had to pick one it'll always be the 16-80.
Sounds like we have a lot in common hahaha. I rock the 16-80 all the time. The TTA 10 is an epic wide angle with minimal compromises for the price. I also LOVE telephoto and have leaned on it for years. However, since moving to NZ, I've been shooting wide way more. Tight, massive landscapes make the wide angle sing haha.
@@SamBugas Yeah I have been enjoying the 10mm so far, getting to understand the focal length. I live next to the Canadian Rockies so mainly shoot in the mountains, and such wide landscape is quite challenging, can't just ignore the foreground anymore for those long tele shots haha. But it does give you the ability to create some epic photos. I'm also trying more astro with it, and hoping to shoot the aurora tonight! Got a few decent images of it already this year, but 16mm f4 is not exactly ideal lol. New Zealand has some incredible landscapes though, seems like a pretty special place! Your work reflects that at least, really inspiring stuff.
90% of the time, I have a 180 degree fisheye lens or a f/2 macro lens on my camera. I've got a slow telephoto lens and a fast wide zoom lens, and they serve their purpose but seldom get used.
If you're going for range versatility on e-mount, the 24-105 f4 and the 70-200 f4 ii are pretty hard to beat. But lately I've been enjoying the signa 28-70 f2.8 instead of the 24-105, just depends on your needs and size/weight limits. Thanks for the video!
Great video. I ponder this conundrum all the time. Right now I’m rocking 35-70, 60 macro and 80-200 - both zooms are from the late film era and have a unique look I’ve come to enjoy. I’m not sure I could get to two honestly. My dream setup is 16-35, 60 macro, 70-200.
Sounds like you have a great kit! To be totally fair, I usually have three lenses as well. My focus in this video was what I’d grab as a perfect minimal kit, but I usually have a 70-180 in my bag as well. Whatever works!
@@SamBugas yeah I loved the idea of the video, what is the minimum kit I’d take. I actually find the 60 2.8D macro is a really great street lens. It’s light enough for just wandering around and it forces me to zoom in our out with my feet (as you do with primes). I often get a bit lazy with zoom lenses.
Ive got a 24-105 on Lumix. It's great because it has dual IS and 1:2 macro. Thinking for my second lens I want a prime like a 50mm 1.8 or 65mm f2 for portraits, low light, and something a little lighter to walk around with. I live abroad and document the lives of a minority people and need something versatile but wide enough aperture for low light and separating subjects in tight quarters
Nicely put together video! For landscapes I'd reach for the 24-200 but sometimes I just take a single prime like a 35 or a 50. I think they come into their own when you leave all your other lenses behind and you're forced to get more creative.
I couldn’t agree more about the primes. When I just go with a orime, it all clicks. I don’t have any mid length primes right now, but as soon as I can, I’m keen on a 35mm. Then I want a 135mm. I originally fell in love with photography on the old canon 135mm f2. Thanks for commenting and for the support 🤙🏻
I use 24-120 Z lens for my stop motion hot wheels. If the cars have brand decal, I will attached the 105 macro Z to get the close of small GT3 on a Porsche etc. Nikon lenses are cool I have to buy 2nd pair of lens for other cameras b-roll I will see.
Nice video. I have an OM System OM 1 MkII with the M. Zuiko 12-100 F4 Pro lens. I shoot mostly landscapes so I want to be prepared for dynamic situations; therefore, I want the lens to be weatherproof. I am looking at the M. Zuiko 17 F1.2 Pro or the M. Zuiko 20 F1.4 Pro. Both are weatherproof. I have also considered some night photography so a fast lens will be important. I am not worried about size as M 4/3 gear is smaller than most. Thoughts?
Sounds like great options across the board! I’d be super interested in that 17mm as it’s nice and wide (and bright). 20mm would be great too as that 40mm equivalent is really versatile. Sounds like you can’t go wrong. For night photography, I like to be at 20-24mm full frame equivalent and as bright as possible. Weatherproof is always essential if I can help it. Epic kit!
Such a tough call! That 24-200 serves a slightly different role as a one and done option, but from my experience and what Ive heard, the 24-120mm is a superior lens to both. What camera do you use? If it's a higher megapixel camera like the Z7, Z8, or Z9 series, then you have plenty of resolution to go into crop mode. I use this all the time to make my 24-120 a 24-180 by cropping 1.5x while shooting. I still have loads of resolution after the crop, and it makes the already excellent 24-120 an even more versatile lens. Just some food for thought! If you stuck with your two lenses, you'd likely remain a very happy photog, but sometimes it's nice to only have one. Cheers!
For outside my favorite is also a 24-120mm equivalent (12-60 m4/3) lens. It is interesting that I never liked 24-105mm lenses, but strangely the 24-120mm feels “enough”.
I liked the zooms flexibility but got rid of them because they just weren't sharp enough. I switched to a kit of 15-18mm, 35-40mm, and 75-82mm in full frame equivalent (I have 2 different camera systems). Honestly, I could get around the world probably with one 40mm/f1.4. Wide enough but could still do portraits, street, documentation, landscape, etc.
I’ve found some crazy sharp zooms, but generally speaking I think they just can’t compete. Really great range you’ve got, and I couldn’t agree more with the 40mm. I’m hoping to get a 40mm soon for the Fuji (27mm)
@@SamBugas New Leica Q is a 43mm! Their 28mm is actually a 25mm and too wide on the Qs, 35mm is boring, 50mm is too tight for many cities. 40'ish just fits and if you look at the film cameras from the 60s many of them had a 40 or 45mm lens.
You’ve got some really fun coverage! You might not need an ultra zoom with so many good lenses. Just a solid normal zoom would fill plenty of gaps if you really wanted them filled. Epic kit!
Most definitely! That's one of my dream lenses (#1 on the list at the moment). It's out of the range of what I can afford at the moment, but someway somehow I'll pick it up eventually! Thanks for the support!
Wow interesting, I have very similar requirements while mountainbiking. I bought 16-105mm f4 and a 50mm f1.8 anamorphic lens. Same idea what a coinsidence. I have 3rd one also 35-105 minolta lens with macro mode(handy for flowers and bugs). Depending on the routes or riding group I change between zoom lenses and if I want to go for creative crazy images I bring my anamorphic with me :)
GFX100S ii....you can crop in so lens choice isnt as important I carry 20-35 (16-28) 35-70 (28-58) 100-200 (80-180) Cropping means i have everythibg from 16- 400 (Cropping becomes extra lenses)
Absolutely insane kit. I love your approach to cropping as it’s exactly how I feel. Even on my Z8, I see every lens as two lenses because I can just toss it in crop mode without any real quality loss that matters to me. The GFX is a bit of a dream cam, I’d love to use it some day. Thanks for commenting 🤙🏻
im a lens hoarder :v mostly vintage lens. my everyday carry is 2 camera. 30x zoom pocket camera. sony hx60v. i use it the most. sony zv e10 with whatever one lens that i recently got.
I cheat a little because I'm shooting micro 4/3, so some of my lenses are tiny. That means I can carry my 100-400mm mounted on my camera body in a holster style case(Think Tank holster 2.0, I think) and have two primes in the side pouch, 25mm and 9mm. If I'm looking for wildlife, I'll go out with just the 100-400mm, for people and such it the two primes(sometimes just the 25)
Agree - 80% of my images are shot with the Canon RF 24-105mm F4 IS L, which image quality is excellent. Paired with the Canon RF 14-35mm F4 IS L I can do almost everything in the landscape - except wildlife.
Incredibly practical kit. That macro opens up a whole world! I’d love to add a 105 macro or a mid length macro eventually. Thanks for the comment and support 🤙🏻
That really means the world to me. I appreciate your support! Happy to have you around, and never hesitate to let me know if theres anything you'd like to see on the channel :)
Love it! Two powerful focal lengths. Can't go wrong with that combo one bit. 28mm was one I genuinely thought I would dislike, but after using it for a year, I found that it was arguably the best story telling prime I'd ever used.
Haha that would definitely be a great choice, and one that many people have suggested in the comments. Mine is a little less clinical and bit more versatile (for me and my use case). I’d like to get both those primes though
@@SamBugas depending on the speed you need between shots you either have to go zoom or can allow yourself the time to swap lenses. I rock a 20mm G, 35mm GM, Batis 85mm lineup for when I got time and can be creative. And if things have a lot of variables I can not control I go with my 20-70 but I prefer the 20-70 for video work. For pictures I prefer the primes.
@@boostfx4203 makes loads of sense. I haven’t had the money to invest in primes quite yet, but my plan is to do pretty much the same thing. A zoom setup for certain projects and a prime setup for slow creative work.
My two lens kit at the moment is a sigma 10-18 and 18-50 f2.8 on fuji. So tiny, 2.8 and lots of range! I'm curious, if you could only have one prime lens, what would it be?
That's a killer kit dude. That 10-18mm is on my list for fuji some day. If I had to choose a single prime, it would likely be a 35 or 40mm. I'm extremely interested in the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2. I think that's an incredibly potent story telling lens for both photo and video.
@@SamBugasif you own a Fuji and are more a walkaround adventure type, I’d rather get the 23mm f1.4 WR. The size and weight difference is huge and 35mm is just that bit wider to capture a scene better. The 27mm f1.2 is more portrait oriented and replaces a 33mm rather than a 23mm. The Fuji is also basically lens breathing free, while the Viltrox breathes a lot, plus has worse AF, as you mentioned video.
I agree, it depends on what you're photographing. For all-around images, my go-to 2 lenses: • Nikkor 16-35/4** • Tamron Z 35-150/2-2.8 ^^the Tamron 35-150 basically lives on my Z9/Z8 bc of its versatility. **I wish Nikon would announce a Z 15-35/2.8 S-line lens (or Z 16-35/2.8 S) ~~ Canon RF & Sony E has theirs, I wish Nikon would fill the gap. The Z 14-30/4 is wonderful, but I can't bring myself to purchase it knowing it 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 any of the options I mentioned. So I wait 😅
Great setup! I generally agree. I’ve been using the 17-28 for over a year and really love it. It’s 95% of what I need, but I’d love the full 16-35 range at f2.8. I’m extremely interested in the 14-24 as I use the wide end of a wide zoom far more than the mid end where the 24-120 would do an excellent job.
Well it doesn’t get more versatile than that! The 35-150 is very interesting. I’d love to try it as I think it could be a one and done option for big outings. Yes it’s heavy, but if it replaces three lenses for a backpacking or climbing trip, then it’s a net even. Seems like a really fun one
@@SamBugas yeah it a beautiful focal. mine is slow at f3.5, but to be honest never felt the need personally to change it. I bought the zoom because it was going for £15, very clean, no dust or fungus but it had a dent on the filter thread. I won't use this with filters anyway. 😃
Such a clever remark: „As we choose our lens, we choose the way we want to write our story.“ To me it often comes down to choose zoom lenes to cover it all. But your notion includes this liberating aspect, that restricting oneself to one or two primes is equally valid if that is the way we want to write our story!
That's exactly it! I think we often feel that having broad coverage with a zoom means we can tell a more complete story, but I don't think that's true at all. I believe that while a zoom allows a broader range of perspectives, a story doesn't demand a broader range. So if we choose a specific lens to tell our story, it's valid. Part of the point of this video is to say that a perfect kit is one that is adept at success. For me, that means one lens that I can lean on for everything, and one lens that is rooted in creativity. Thanks for watching and commenting, it means everything to me! Cheers
When I'm visiting a city and spending the entire day taking pictures, I usually leave my hotel with just one lens on my camera and I use that for several hours. Then I go back to the hotel and switch lenses and go out for a new vision.
If I'm going out into nature, I carry two or three lenses but I have really found it liberating to use just one lens and stick to that focal length for framing and thinking and composition and all of it. It really does help you think about things when you stick to one.
Really cool technique and valuable insights. Totally agree that using one lens is often a great way to encourage creativity. You can usually pull more out of a scene than you think with a single lens.
I shoot M43 - so my go to is an Olympus 12-100 F4 paired with a 17mm F1.8 prime. I mainly shoot Travel and Street photography. So it's a very lightweight solution
Really great setup! Similar in some ways to mine. Really solid coverage with the addition of a creative wider lens. Thanks for sharing!
I shoot m4/3 as well and I do like the 12-100f4. But I think if I was to only take out two lenses it would have to be the PL 8-18mm and 50-200mm. But as it’s m4/3 I couldn’t imagine taking a few others as well just because they are so much smaller and lighter than full frame gear.
@@pluggednickels7321 I agree, our lenses are so light, who would choice only 2?
Good thinking. A general setup I used for years was the Canon 5D Mark II with the 24-105 and 35 f1.4. Now I tend to use the Panasonic G9 with Panasonic 12-35 and Olympus 17mm f1.2. I'd love to get the Oly 12-100 in the future.
I like your take. One reliable middling lens and something special. I was expecting your second lens to be a fast prime for low light or shallow depth of field. My similar travel/adventure kit is an Olympus EM5iii with a 12-45mm f4 and an Olympus 20mm f1.4. This is a tiny weatherproof micro-four-thirds kit (double the numbers for FF equivalents). For me, small, light and weatherproof is more important than that last 2% of image quality.
Sounds like a great kit! To be honest, my special lens is often something different. Lately it’s been a bright super wide, but sometimes it’s a 35 or 50mm prime (old vintage glass adapted for my camera). I think what’s most important is having the opportunity to experiment with creativity! Thanks for watching and commenting 🤙🏻
I pretty much agree (even though I own over 30 lenses, and too many cameras.) I shoot MFT and use one camera mainly for photo and another mainly for video. For photo, the main lens choice is the Olympus 12-40mm f2/8. I shoot mostly on the wide side, so the 24-80 equiviant in 35mm format covers most of what I shoot. I use a Laowa 7.5mm f2 as my ultra wide. It's manual focus, but a great lense. The Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 is my go lens for longer reach, but the 12-40 and the 7.5 are must haves in the bag. Most folks do not need more than 3-4 lenses (if that.) I will say going out with a prime for street photography forces one to adapt your eye for the composition choice. Peace.
Great insights for sure! Super cool kit. I have quite a few more than 2 lenses as well, but when I have to rush out the door, this video explains what I’m grabbing. Ultimately when I have more than 2 lenses for an outing, I still end up using only two most of the time.
Oly 12-40 2.8 is a classic Micro Four Thirds lens. I’ve been using that regularly since it came out, mainly for stills at first but now for video.
Many of the best pictures I ever took was with a rangefinder film camera with a fixed 45mm lens. I got used to being able to visualize composition for that focal length even when I didn’t have a camera along. The ability to previsualize has stood me in good stead ever since. When I got an SLR, zoom lenses were expensive and not very good, so I eventually wound up with an array of prime lenses. When traveling, the subset of those that I traveled with consisted of 28mm, 85mm, and 200mm lenses. That worked for me. My Canon FF DSLR came with a 24mm to 105mm zoom lens, to which I added a 16-35mm and a 100-400mm. I already had a 100mm macro, and 85mm and 50mm primes, but never need the last two very often. Now with my Fujifilm 100S, I take most shots with the 35-70mm. I also have a 20-35mm lens, which is great for landscapes. I still use the Canon macro and telephoto zoom adapted to it, and don’t feel the need for buying any more GFX lenses any time soon. They’re great, but expensive, and the Canon lenses are really good.
For travel, I leave all that equipment at home, unless it is primarily a photography trip. I don’t want photography to interfere with my seeing and doing things from being too serious about picture taking. I still take quite a few pictures, many of them quite good. I use a little Canon G5X II, which makes excellent photos for posting on the web and making prints up to 13” x 19”. The lens is equivalent to 24mm to 120mm. For travel photos, I don’t miss having something longer, but in cramped interiors and for scenic vistas, I do miss my wider lenses. I sometimes shoot to stitch panoramas when I get home, or sometimes I’ll remember that my iPhone has a really wide-angle lens.
Thanks for taking the time to share all of this! I love that GFX lineup and respect the heck out of leaving the big stuff home for travel. I don’t have that discipline haha. I almost exclusively use zooms to this point, but I’m now on the quest for more primes.
Just wanted to pop in and say how much i appreciated the cinematics of this video, almost as the message that comes with it, being your take on photography. I also really enjoy landscape photography (although i'm kinda just getting starded) and you might have convinced me to get a "short" lens
Ah I’m so glad to hear that! I’m a bit dramatic with the cinematics, but it’s the most fun part for me (filming and editing it together). So glad you enjoy. Wide lenses are extremely powerful but, in my opinion, the hardest to make good photos with. I’d suggest not overspending and just nabbing something cheap to practice with. You’ll still have plenty of sharpness, and if you start to love it, then you can follow the endless rabbit hole towards nicer and nicer gear hahaha. Cheers!
Like you my xf 16-80mm f/4, and secondly my 27mm f/2.8 pancake. The 16-80 because it covers all bases and the pancake because it’s so small and discrete that I can get shots in situations where I just wouldn’t take a big zoom.
Perfect little adventure kit!
Perfect two lenses for me at the moment are the Sony 20-70mm F4 G and the 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G for my ZV-E1. I film in nature 90% of the time.
I used to have the much bigger and heavier Canon 100-400 ii and a Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 with an R5, but I value size and weight much more now. Having the extra 4mm on the wide end makes a huge difference and clear image zoom means I basically have a 20-105mm lens - love it! Losing one stop of light on the lenses makes little difference with ISO performance these days, the bokeh loss is marginal and I use a deeper depth of field most of the time anyway.
A third lens would be a fast prime like a 24mm, but it's not essential and I could happily make anything I wanted to with just the two previously mentioned lenses.
Amazing kit with some great considerations! I have my "big" kit in the nikon Z8 that I use for a lot of my paid work (and plenty of fun work too), and then I have a fujifilm system for days that I just want a super small setup. I may be nabbing a rather large lens soon that I'll make some videos on after use, and the hope is that while it's larger, it will actually cut out two lenses from my kit...more to come!
Cheers
I just bought my first camera a week ago and this video taught me how to buy lenses.
That's amazing to hear! Have a great time with your new camera! It's so exciting getting a camera, and I'm glad to hear this video will help you with your next choice, the lens! Cheers
Needlessly sappy here and I didnt even watch every second of this video because I came into this thinking "just tell which piece of gear to obsess over." But this video was beautiful ❤️
This has genuinely affected how I'm going to make photography purchases in the future.
Thank you.
That's the absolute greatest compliment you could have given me. Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and to chat. Cheers!
One of the best perspective about why glass is more important and critical than a camera body. I see hundreds of so-called YT photography pundits pushing camera bodies around like underwear’s. It’s crazy at the end of the 30 years of professional photography comes down what you so eloquently put into its all about what combination of lenses and optical/focal length match your type style of photography. For me as a hybrid landscape, architecture and portrait photographer the two lenses I cannot be without 24/70 F 2.8 and a 16-35 either 2.8 or 4 personally Im a big fan of Canon 16/35 II L series and my 24/70 choice is Sigma ART DN. I have covered World Cup 2022 as a team Argentina 🇦🇷 photographer with this combination my third which I keep on tours is 70-200. That’s it these 3 lenses do bulk of my professional and personal work.
Really stoked you enjoyed the video 🤙🏻 Sounds like you really know your stuff. Ultimately there’s no right answer on the kit portion, but there’s certainly a main lesson, glass matters most haha. I’ve never had a 24-70 exactly, but the range is so practical. My favorite lens ever will be a wide zoom like the 16-35. Cheers!
@ I am glad to find your channel because I can see your passion for photography and also admire not pushing what you may consider to be the best focal ranges but rather emphasizing learning about what’s suits ones style and preferences. I am thinking about sharing my experience would love to collaborate with you. I am based in Southern California if you are around give me a holler
Really enjoyed that. You’re absolutely right too. For me it’s Lumix S28/200 and the S14/28 both weather sealed and super lightweight which is how I think about photography now, gone are the days of carrying lots around with me in giant camera bags.
Seems everyone eventually chooses to simplify! It’s a beautiful thing to feel effective without a massive arsenal haha. Thanks for watching! Cheers
What I’m hearing is that you choose 1 lens to cover a high percentage of the shots you “have to” get and one for a few shots you “want to” get. Reasonable enough and similar to how I assemble a kit for any given shoot. The more “have to” shots there are, the safer and more boring the kit. The more “want to”, I just grab whatever I like even if it’s “wrong.” One example. I often shoot long or even multi-day events. I always start with the have-to kit (standard and tele zooms in this case) and get the expected overall coverage. After that I start mixing in the want-to lenses (usually primes: portrait, macro, even fisheye!)
Exactly! You have a great system and one I totally agree with. I’d also include a prime like a 50mm in that kit for have to shots, and it sometimes allows for more creativity with depth of field, but I still end up using a broad zoom for lots of my work. If I didn’t have something to mess with more creatively though, I’d get bored using the zoom
@@SamBugas My, um, “standard” zoom is the Canon 28-70 f/2 😁 I rarely bother with a standard prime for events anymore. OK, I exaggerate (a little) because the 28 f/1.4 still gets a lot of love because I, um, love it.
If I had to choose just two it would be my 28-200 for everyday/general/travel and my 150-600 for wildlife/birds.
Can’t argue with that level of versatility!
For this year, I made a point of not using zoom lenses, so I sold my 24-70 and 70-200 f2.8. My core kit is one body with a 35mm and one with a 50mm and I carry either a 16mm, an 85mm or a 135mm, depending on what I think I'm going to shoot. If I really have no idea, I'll sometimes take four lenses, or go for the challenge and just go with one body and one lens.
I think the experiment led to some better compositions that had higher image quality, but I also had more decision fatigue, because it's hard to condense my kit to 2-3 lenses. I sometimes took way too long to decide on my kit and missed the best light because of that.
I'll get the new Sigma 28-105 next month, because it has the most useful range of the 24-70 and 70-200 for me, while also not being as heavy as the Tamron 35-150. The second lens I'm going to take if I have the 28-105 is something the lens can absolutely not do, which is capturing wider images. So either my 16mm or 20mm.
Super interesting process you’ve gone through! I love the prime concept but find it wouldn’t suit my style. One or two primes plus a desirable zoom is my ideal setup for the most part. That sigma looks insanely cool. They don’t make it for Nikon but it could be adapted, otherwise I’m sure it’ll makes its way over eventually. Thanks for the chat and have fun with that new lens 🤙🏻
I've carried a Sony 24-105 F4 with a Sony 20mm 1.8. Handles landscape and astro nicely. I've recently been trying a 50-400 Tamron to for distance framing and have been trying to work out a good compromise so as to keep a kit that I can fit/carry with camping gear. The size is quite different, although it is versatile. Funny thing was I just went on a trip to the mountains with a larger camera cube to bring several lenses just in case and the old 24-105 was on my camera like 90% of the time 😂.
I totally get that haha. Most times I go backpacking, I end up bringing the 24-120, the 17-28, and the 70-180 (way too much). I end up using either the 17-28 or the 24-120 nearly the whole time. Just depends which lens is on the camera when I leave the house. Lately it’s been the 17-28mm most of the time, but back in the states it was the 24-120 or the 70-180 most of the time haha. No perfect system I suppose. New evolving favorite kit (per this video) is a 24-120 and a bright prime. Seems to hit a sweet spot
My favorite 2-lens kit is the Tamron 35-150mm f2.0-2.8 and the Sony 20-70mm f4.0. Using the small light unsuspicious 20-70 in urban environment and the 35-150 in the country side. If Landscape is my goal I add a 12-24mm to the kit though.
I found out, that it is important for me that the focal length overlap quite a bit because I tend to be lazy on changing lenses
Haha fair enough! I also hate changing lenses and tend to just use one or two for long periods of time.
For work, I use a 12-60mm f/2.8-4 on Micro Four Thirds (MFT), so a wide to moderate telephoto on the system with its 2x crop. Plus a standard lens, 25mm f/1.4. At home, 12-35mm f/2.8, again with a 25mm f/1.4, also on MFT. These for event and street work.
The reason for using standard zooms/primes is I'm aiming at a documentary/reportage look. The reason for using MFT is in protests and such, a light inexpensive camera body and lens give more mobility.
Great setups and reasoning! So many great MFT lenses I'd love to try. Seems the MFT bodies are no longer much smaller than other apsc or full frame models, but that doesn't mean they aren't excellent choices. I've always wanted to give some Lumix models a try. Cheers!
Also the Nikon 24-120mm and the Nikon 14-30mm. Thank you for sharing.
Can’t go wrong with that kit! I’ve been curious about the 14-30 for a long time. I’ll have to try it eventually
@@SamBugas I use a lot 14mm to 16mm in closed spaces where you can't zoom with your feet or combine photos into panoramas. Of course, is only f4 ...
I’ve been looking for this same idea, I have been planning/using a 3 lens kit. I shoot fuji, and carrying too many lenses defeats the purpose of travelling light. So far I’ve been mostly using the 56mm f/1.2 and 27mm f/1.2, and the last lens that I’ve been mostly taking without using was the 70-300mm. I might buy the new 16-80mm f/4 or wait to see Fuji’s new rumoured 16-55mm f/2.8 mk. II as that one “do everything lens.” Great and inspiring video!
Thanks for watching! I'm trying to get my hands on that 27 f/1.2, and the 16-55 mkii should be incredible. May be a substitute for my 16-80mm. Cheers!
Welp... My go to lens is the 50mm and my only zoom lens is a 16-28mm. So I carry those and normally I try to bring one more lens, it's a 135mm f2. That covers most situations
Love that kit! Good zoom and some amazing fun primes. I want a 135mm again soon. I had one stolen and miss it like crazy
Similar philosophy here. Fuji 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 does most jobs for me, backed up by the lightweight 15-45 for the wide. All on a xs-10 for a super compact set up.
Great little setup! I want to see how the eventual xs-30 looks (whenever it comes out in a year or two). Seems like an amazing photo video hybrid for the size. I’d love to nab one and use it for backpacking or fast packing.
Really enjoyed your video. I really enjoy adventure and the outdoors and I'm currently working on a nature short film with my kit. Speaking of which, my two lens kit is the Tamron 17-70 2.8 and the Fuji 70-300 for the X-T4. They both work great for hybrid use and conveniently, they both have a 67mm filter thread which is a great bonus.
Great little kit! I’ve never used the 17-70 but I’ve heard great things. I’ve used the 70-300 and love it for sure. Thanks for the support and conversation 😊🤙🏻
@@SamBugas yeah the 70-300 is such a great lens! So light with beautiful Fuji colours and the 1.4 TC works great with it too. Virtually no loss in image quality and the AF is just as fast. The Tamron is a superb all-rounder and the fact it's F2.8 on a 25-105 FF equivalent along with great image quality makes it a special lens IMO.
I've heard really great things about the Nikon 24-120 too and if I was a Full Frame shooter, I'd definitely go with Nikon. It'd be a tough decision between that lens and the Tamron 35-150, but because I shoot a lot of sports and action, I probably would go for the Tamron.
Currently I am shooting on a Nikon Z8, and for landscape I usually walk around with the 24-120 F4 and the 20mm 2.8 by Viltrox. I am looking at get the 16mm from Viltrox.
That viltrox looks incredible. I really want to nab the 20 or 16mm for Astro and aurora. Epic kit! Cheers 🤙🏻
Good philosophy. It's always worth having a reason for making one choice over another.
No doubt. Thanks for watching 🤙🏻
For the last few years when I traveled, 16-80mm F4 is my lens choice for my Fuji X-T4. It is so versatile and lighter than 16-55mm F2.8 even though I lose 1 stop of light. The weight for an old lady is more important because I can carry it all day without killing my back.
I absolutely love that lens. It’s my most used Fuji lens and I’ll be making a video on it soon! I’m extremely curious about the new 16-55 f2.8 mkii released this morning. Looks like it solves the size issue and makes it quite a bit sharper…. I’d love to test that out!
I also like that focal range. I have the Sony/Zeiss A-mount 16-80. The wider angle compared to the kit lens (18-55) already allows some wide angle look :-)
My two two lenses kits. When home it's a 24-70 GM II and 70-200 GM II. When traveling it's a 16-35 GM II and 70-200 G II. This is what currently works best for me. As always, use what works best for you.
Great kit and insight! My main point in this video is you should be able to be effective, as well as inspired. Thanks for commenting 🤙🏻
From a lens addict who now travels light. I get great hand held panos. Consider turning camera vertical. Better if you do not have levels in viewfinder use pano equipment.
4x enlarging n Adobe Raw allows crop for telephoto. Sometimes just make 3 photos and mount /frame and hang a 3 separate photos each in own frame.
I shoot loads of hand held panos! It’s one of my favorite techniques and gets used most days that I shoot. By nature, for better or worse, I’m usually shooting vertical. Great advice!
Fujifilm 16-55 and 50-140 when traveling by car. The 16-80 and 70-300 when traveling by plane, and I bring the 1.4 teleconverter for that extra reach(birds and wildlife). I do own the 10-24 too.
Great options! I love that 50-140 a lot, but I’ve also loved the 55-200 in the past. The 10-24 is one of my favorite lenses ever. Great setup!
Great choice 👍🏻 I am using a mix of this with my Fuji X-T5: the 16-55mm plus the 70-300mm (and the 1,4 tc as well) :) happy shooting!
yep a 35mm and 85mm prime is all you really need. 😁
I’d love to have those primes and try that setup! Hoping to start working more with mid length primes soon (35, 50, 85, etc). I will say, I’m a massive fan of the 135 and would almost call that a “need” for my style
@@SamBugasI find the type of photography I love to do is really personal. The 50mm focal length is perfect for getting in “close” enough to feel like you’re in the scene, while seeing enough of the context to put yourself into the story. If that makes any sense lol
@@3100620842 absolutely! For street work, I always go to my 50mm. For story telling, 28-35 is great for the same reason. I think for my landscape and adventure stuff, the 135 can be a lot of fun. Best part about all this is that there’s no right answers haha
Very good video, love the pace and the message. Subscribed. My own favourites are the Canon 11-24mm and the 70-200mm. If I had the necessary muscles I'd add the Canon 100-400mm but 10 mile hikes every week are normal for me and as I get older I look to lighten the load. I'm beginning to think in combos, so 11-24 and 70-200, 180 and 24-70 and so on.
First, thanks so much for the kind words and support. That really means a lot 🤙🏻. That’s a great setup for sure. A wide zoom and a 70-200 was my main kit for several years. I still feel it’s technically all I need. Going out with a 24-120 and a wide prime is more minimalistic but gets the job done. No right answers haha. My favorite shooting happens while mountaineering and I usually end up bringing just one lens for that, either 17-28mm or 24-120mm
When travelling lens switching is a risk (dust) and hassle - unless you’ve got two bodies. I’ve compromised on 16-80 Fuji / Tamron 28-200 on Sony, and software stitch during day if it’s a wide angle shot. I then pack a fast prime for evening / night - but not quite landed on the one that really ticks the box - but Sony Fuji 28/18 f2 are both very compact and light.
PS - would be great if Adobe could add pano and HDR to LR mobile for iPad ……..
Fair point! I don’t use Lightroom on mobile much, but I could see why you’d want it!
Yeah it’s always tricky to switch. I end up doing it a fair bit, and it usually means some awkward switch inside a jacket while it’s raining haha. The Fuji 16-80 is amazing for me! Hoping to make a video on it soon. I also love using stitching to get bigger photos. I do it nearly every time I go out.
For me, one lens a bit wide and one a bit long is my do everything kit. So, in full frame terms, 35mm and 85mm or 90mm are the lenses I come back to again and again. If the long lens is macro, that’s even better. My current do everything kit is a Fuji GFX system with a 50/3.5 and 120/4 macro.
That’s a great setup. Simple and super effective. Also allows for a lot of creativity. The crop with the GFX means you have pretty much everything too haha. I’d love to try that system eventually.
Sincere and logical. Looks like you're very clever. I want to be a part of your "gang". Subscribed!
I really appreciate the kind words. Stoked to have you here! Cheers
great video!
I love to shoot a little bit of everything thus I found myself shooting mostly with the Sigma 56mm 1.4 and the Nikkor 17-28mm 2.8 , absolutely wonderful for me!
That’s a really great little setup! Small but really effective. I am extremely interested in getting a mid length prime as soon as possible. Thanks for commenting 🤙🏻
My two lens kit:
Tamron 28-200mm and Sigma 150-600mm (using them with Sony fullframe and APSC bodies). Replacing the Sigma with the Sony 200-600mm soon. I only shoot wildlife and some landscape, so these two lenses cover everything for me.
Super versatile kit! So much range 🤙🏻
So difficult to decide what a perfect kit is ! I started with a Tamron 28-200 for my Sony a7r5 as a 1-lens kit. I’ve now added the 20-70 f4 and intend to add the 70-200 f4 GII. It’s so freaking tiny for a 70-200 lens + with macro capability. With a TC, that could definitely be my 2-lens light kit. 20-70+70-200 up to 280 or 400 depending on the TC (1.4x or 2x).
Perfect kit is the one that gets the job done and inspires you! That setup would be incredible 🤙🏻
Hi Sam. For me it's the Z 24-200 f4 and the 20 f2.8. However, the 12-120 is more versatile than the 24-200 from the close-up and portrait point of views. I would rather have the Z 17-28 f2.8 but it is expensive.
Sounds like you have a great kit! That 24-200 is an epic lens. Shockingly good
16-35 2.8 / 24-105 2.8. If I can choose just one focal length to tell a story, I´ll go with 24mm in APSC- or 35mm in FF
If Nikon sold a 16-35mm 2.8 for the Z system I’d probably sell everything I could to get it. I use the 17-28 more than anything. Are you using the 24-105 2.8 from canon? Such a high tier lens
I shoot mainly street, conventions, and events so a 35mm and 50mm (or equivalent) are my two lenses.
When I shot nikon it was the 35mm f/2D and 50mm f/1.8G
On micro four thirds I go a little wider with a 30mm equivalent PL 15mm f/1.7 but I stick to a 50mm equivalent with a 25mm f/1.7
Great little kit! I've always found 35 too close to 50 to justify having both with me. I like the 35 and 85 combo or 50 and 85 or 135mm So much versatility in those "normal" focal lengths!
wide angles is very essential, my 2 lens setup is ef 16-35 f2.8ii and rf 24-240 f4-6.3. i sold my 70-200 after getting the rf 24-240. can't beat the range. good video keep.
Thanks for the support 🤙🏻 that’s an epic kit for sure. So much range!! Once I got my 24-120, I knew I wouldn’t get a 24-200 range lens, but that’s not to say they aren’t incredible. I’m just so happy with the 24-120. I also have a 70-180 that’s typically in my bag, but I didn’t mention it in this video because I wanted to focus on the absolute essentials that I consider “perfect”. Cheers!
I am old-school landscape photographer who loves to be out when others hurry home .. my two-lenses-kit that I use for many years unchanged is 16-35+70-200 .. Sometimes I take with me my superlight f1.8 nifty-fifty but in past years I went out in about 90% of cases with just two mentioned lenses ... Old (landscape) photography joke says that 24-70 is the most boring lens :) .. it says so for a reason .. In past I had similar kit like you .. I was using 20mm f1.8 super-sharp and lightweight prime + 24-120 ..
Thanks for chiming in! In all honesty, this video is my ideal minimalistic kit, but most often I’m out with a 17-28mm f2.8 and a 70-180mm f2.8. I travelled in Vietnam with your exact kit, 16-35mm and a 70-200 plus a nifty fifty. Such an excellent kit for making sure you can make great images of pretty much anything. Cheers!
My essential kit is similar... My primary do everything lens is the Fuji 16-80 and it's awesome. Then my second depends on what else I'm doing of course, but because I also primarily do landscape it's almost always going to be my Canon FD 80-200 F4L. I just really love a telephoto lol. But I also just got the TTA 10 F2 which I'm trying to use as much as possible, just to get better at wideangle photography as it's my first lens that wide. I also have a 56 1.8 for portraits and a 27 pancake for travel and everyday. But if I had to pick one it'll always be the 16-80.
Sounds like we have a lot in common hahaha. I rock the 16-80 all the time. The TTA 10 is an epic wide angle with minimal compromises for the price. I also LOVE telephoto and have leaned on it for years. However, since moving to NZ, I've been shooting wide way more. Tight, massive landscapes make the wide angle sing haha.
@@SamBugas Yeah I have been enjoying the 10mm so far, getting to understand the focal length. I live next to the Canadian Rockies so mainly shoot in the mountains, and such wide landscape is quite challenging, can't just ignore the foreground anymore for those long tele shots haha. But it does give you the ability to create some epic photos. I'm also trying more astro with it, and hoping to shoot the aurora tonight! Got a few decent images of it already this year, but 16mm f4 is not exactly ideal lol. New Zealand has some incredible landscapes though, seems like a pretty special place! Your work reflects that at least, really inspiring stuff.
90% of the time, I have a 180 degree fisheye lens or a f/2 macro lens on my camera. I've got a slow telephoto lens and a fast wide zoom lens, and they serve their purpose but seldom get used.
Wow! You must have some serious style 🤙🏻 epic kit
Nice vid thnx Sam pretty much agree with your choice
Cheers! Thanks for watching
If you're going for range versatility on e-mount, the 24-105 f4 and the 70-200 f4 ii are pretty hard to beat. But lately I've been enjoying the signa 28-70 f2.8 instead of the 24-105, just depends on your needs and size/weight limits. Thanks for the video!
So many epic options 🤙🏻 I’d love a mid range 2.8 eventually. The 24-120 is so so good for Nikon that I never feel like trying to upgrade
105 f2,8 macro and the 24-70 F4
Epic kit! That macro looks like a blast
Great video. I ponder this conundrum all the time. Right now I’m rocking 35-70, 60 macro and 80-200 - both zooms are from the late film era and have a unique look I’ve come to enjoy. I’m not sure I could get to two honestly. My dream setup is 16-35, 60 macro, 70-200.
Sounds like you have a great kit! To be totally fair, I usually have three lenses as well. My focus in this video was what I’d grab as a perfect minimal kit, but I usually have a 70-180 in my bag as well. Whatever works!
@@SamBugas yeah I loved the idea of the video, what is the minimum kit I’d take. I actually find the 60 2.8D macro is a really great street lens. It’s light enough for just wandering around and it forces me to zoom in our out with my feet (as you do with primes). I often get a bit lazy with zoom lenses.
Ive got a 24-105 on Lumix. It's great because it has dual IS and 1:2 macro. Thinking for my second lens I want a prime like a 50mm 1.8 or 65mm f2 for portraits, low light, and something a little lighter to walk around with. I live abroad and document the lives of a minority people and need something versatile but wide enough aperture for low light and separating subjects in tight quarters
Very cool! Very solid journalistic kit
Nicely put together video! For landscapes I'd reach for the 24-200 but sometimes I just take a single prime like a 35 or a 50. I think they come into their own when you leave all your other lenses behind and you're forced to get more creative.
I couldn’t agree more about the primes. When I just go with a orime, it all clicks. I don’t have any mid length primes right now, but as soon as I can, I’m keen on a 35mm. Then I want a 135mm. I originally fell in love with photography on the old canon 135mm f2. Thanks for commenting and for the support 🤙🏻
I really enjoyed the intro. It was well put together, from sound to visuals.
I’m so glad to hear that! The intro has been my chance to really practice video work. Glad you enjoyed 🤙🏻😊
Ironically you have just sold me on buying a 24-120 for myself haha. Love your work bro
Haha love it dude, it’s worth it. The 24-120 is just too good too often. Thanks for the support 🤙🏻
I use 24-120 Z lens for my stop motion hot wheels. If the cars have brand decal, I will attached the 105 macro Z to get the close of small GT3 on a Porsche etc. Nikon lenses are cool I have to buy 2nd pair of lens for other cameras b-roll I will see.
Super cool! I’d love to try that macro, it seems excellent. Nikon makes some of my favorite glass for sure 🤙🏻
Nice video. I have an OM System OM 1 MkII with the M. Zuiko 12-100 F4 Pro lens. I shoot mostly landscapes so I want to be prepared for dynamic situations; therefore, I want the lens to be weatherproof. I am looking at the M. Zuiko 17 F1.2 Pro or the M. Zuiko 20 F1.4 Pro. Both are weatherproof. I have also considered some night photography so a fast lens will be important. I am not worried about size as M 4/3 gear is smaller than most. Thoughts?
Sounds like great options across the board! I’d be super interested in that 17mm as it’s nice and wide (and bright). 20mm would be great too as that 40mm equivalent is really versatile. Sounds like you can’t go wrong. For night photography, I like to be at 20-24mm full frame equivalent and as bright as possible. Weatherproof is always essential if I can help it. Epic kit!
Great video, I am trying to decide whether to trade my 24-200 and my 24-70 f4 on the 24-120 f4
Such a tough call! That 24-200 serves a slightly different role as a one and done option, but from my experience and what Ive heard, the 24-120mm is a superior lens to both. What camera do you use? If it's a higher megapixel camera like the Z7, Z8, or Z9 series, then you have plenty of resolution to go into crop mode. I use this all the time to make my 24-120 a 24-180 by cropping 1.5x while shooting. I still have loads of resolution after the crop, and it makes the already excellent 24-120 an even more versatile lens. Just some food for thought! If you stuck with your two lenses, you'd likely remain a very happy photog, but sometimes it's nice to only have one. Cheers!
For outside my favorite is also a 24-120mm equivalent (12-60 m4/3) lens. It is interesting that I never liked 24-105mm lenses, but strangely the 24-120mm feels “enough”.
I definitely agree! I’ve never been as drawn to 24-105 but the extra 15mm on a 120mm definitely makes a considerable difference.
I liked the zooms flexibility but got rid of them because they just weren't sharp enough. I switched to a kit of 15-18mm, 35-40mm, and 75-82mm in full frame equivalent (I have 2 different camera systems). Honestly, I could get around the world probably with one 40mm/f1.4. Wide enough but could still do portraits, street, documentation, landscape, etc.
I’ve found some crazy sharp zooms, but generally speaking I think they just can’t compete. Really great range you’ve got, and I couldn’t agree more with the 40mm. I’m hoping to get a 40mm soon for the Fuji (27mm)
@@SamBugas New Leica Q is a 43mm! Their 28mm is actually a 25mm and too wide on the Qs, 35mm is boring, 50mm is too tight for many cities. 40'ish just fits and if you look at the film cameras from the 60s many of them had a 40 or 45mm lens.
I have an ultra-wide, a low light, and an ultra telephoto. I was already thinking of buying an ultra-zoom.
You’ve got some really fun coverage! You might not need an ultra zoom with so many good lenses. Just a solid normal zoom would fill plenty of gaps if you really wanted them filled. Epic kit!
Your shots are breathtaking!
That's too kind, Ed, thank you!
have you thought about 14-24mm f/2.8 s for wide shots, it's expensive for sure but maybe more versatile? Thanks for your work
Most definitely! That's one of my dream lenses (#1 on the list at the moment). It's out of the range of what I can afford at the moment, but someway somehow I'll pick it up eventually! Thanks for the support!
For Nikon SLR:
35mm f/1.4
85mm f/1.4
For Leica rangefinder:
35mm f/1.4
90mm f/2
For Fuji APS-C digital:
23mm f/1.4
56mm f/1.2
For Nikon SLR:
28-70mm f/2.8
80-200mm f/2.8
For Fuji APS-C digital:
16-55mm f/2.8
50-140mm f/2.8
Consistent preference! Great setups across the board 🤙🏻 thanks for sharing!
Wow interesting, I have very similar requirements while mountainbiking. I bought 16-105mm f4 and a 50mm f1.8 anamorphic lens. Same idea what a coinsidence. I have 3rd one also 35-105 minolta lens with macro mode(handy for flowers and bugs). Depending on the routes or riding group I change between zoom lenses and if I want to go for creative crazy images I bring my anamorphic with me :)
Very similar perspective! That anamorphic would be so fun. Especially as I’ve gotten into video, a fun lens like that would be well worth it.
GFX100S ii....you can crop in so lens choice isnt as important
I carry 20-35 (16-28) 35-70 (28-58)
100-200 (80-180)
Cropping means i have everythibg from 16- 400 (Cropping becomes extra lenses)
Absolutely insane kit. I love your approach to cropping as it’s exactly how I feel. Even on my Z8, I see every lens as two lenses because I can just toss it in crop mode without any real quality loss that matters to me. The GFX is a bit of a dream cam, I’d love to use it some day. Thanks for commenting 🤙🏻
im a lens hoarder :v mostly vintage lens.
my everyday carry is 2 camera.
30x zoom pocket camera. sony hx60v. i use it the most.
sony zv e10 with whatever one lens that i recently got.
Great setup!
I cheat a little because I'm shooting micro 4/3, so some of my lenses are tiny. That means I can carry my 100-400mm mounted on my camera body in a holster style case(Think Tank holster 2.0, I think) and have two primes in the side pouch, 25mm and 9mm.
If I'm looking for wildlife, I'll go out with just the 100-400mm, for people and such it the two primes(sometimes just the 25)
Haha not cheating at all! You just did what we all should probably do by prioritizing size. I carry way too much weight most of the time haha
Agree - 80% of my images are shot with the Canon RF 24-105mm F4 IS L, which image quality is excellent. Paired with the Canon RF 14-35mm F4 IS L I can do almost everything in the landscape - except wildlife.
Great little setup! That 14-35 has always looked interesting to me. Canon makes some good stuff!
@@SamBugas Nikon too has stuff - but I prefer Canon for several reasons 😉
I also shoot Nikon. Here is my two lens kit:
24-120mm
50mm macro
Incredibly practical kit. That macro opens up a whole world! I’d love to add a 105 macro or a mid length macro eventually. Thanks for the comment and support 🤙🏻
You movies are so inspiring ! Thank You ! :)
That really means the world to me. I appreciate your support! Happy to have you around, and never hesitate to let me know if theres anything you'd like to see on the channel :)
50mm & 28mm is how I see the world
Love it! Two powerful focal lengths. Can't go wrong with that combo one bit. 28mm was one I genuinely thought I would dislike, but after using it for a year, I found that it was arguably the best story telling prime I'd ever used.
After this buildup I expected 35&85
But nice choice
Haha that would definitely be a great choice, and one that many people have suggested in the comments. Mine is a little less clinical and bit more versatile (for me and my use case). I’d like to get both those primes though
@@SamBugas depending on the speed you need between shots you either have to go zoom or can allow yourself the time to swap lenses.
I rock a 20mm G, 35mm GM, Batis 85mm lineup for when I got time and can be creative. And if things have a lot of variables I can not control I go with my 20-70 but I prefer the 20-70 for video work. For pictures I prefer the primes.
@@boostfx4203 makes loads of sense. I haven’t had the money to invest in primes quite yet, but my plan is to do pretty much the same thing. A zoom setup for certain projects and a prime setup for slow creative work.
Sony 20-70
Rock solid
What a great travel & walk around lens!
Smart.👍🏽
Thank you!
My two lens kit at the moment is a sigma 10-18 and 18-50 f2.8 on fuji. So tiny, 2.8 and lots of range! I'm curious, if you could only have one prime lens, what would it be?
That's a killer kit dude. That 10-18mm is on my list for fuji some day. If I had to choose a single prime, it would likely be a 35 or 40mm. I'm extremely interested in the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2. I think that's an incredibly potent story telling lens for both photo and video.
@@SamBugasif you own a Fuji and are more a walkaround adventure type, I’d rather get the 23mm f1.4 WR. The size and weight difference is huge and 35mm is just that bit wider to capture a scene better. The 27mm f1.2 is more portrait oriented and replaces a 33mm rather than a 23mm. The Fuji is also basically lens breathing free, while the Viltrox breathes a lot, plus has worse AF, as you mentioned video.
I agree, it depends on what you're photographing. For all-around images, my go-to 2 lenses:
• Nikkor 16-35/4**
• Tamron Z 35-150/2-2.8
^^the Tamron 35-150 basically lives on my Z9/Z8 bc of its versatility.
**I wish Nikon would announce a Z 15-35/2.8 S-line lens (or Z 16-35/2.8 S) ~~ Canon RF & Sony E has theirs, I wish Nikon would fill the gap.
The Z 14-30/4 is wonderful, but I can't bring myself to purchase it knowing it 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 any of the options I mentioned. So I wait 😅
Great setup! I generally agree. I’ve been using the 17-28 for over a year and really love it. It’s 95% of what I need, but I’d love the full 16-35 range at f2.8. I’m extremely interested in the 14-24 as I use the wide end of a wide zoom far more than the mid end where the 24-120 would do an excellent job.
Mine was the Tamron 35-150 f2-2.8 and the GM 16-35 f2.8 ii
Well it doesn’t get more versatile than that! The 35-150 is very interesting. I’d love to try it as I think it could be a one and done option for big outings. Yes it’s heavy, but if it replaces three lenses for a backpacking or climbing trip, then it’s a net even. Seems like a really fun one
@@SamBugas it’s a pretty incredible lens
28, 50, 135, 35-135.
Biggest one I want for my kit is that 135mm. One of my favorite focal lengths ever. I’ll have to get the Nikon Plena some day.
@@SamBugas yeah it a beautiful focal. mine is slow at f3.5, but to be honest never felt the need personally to change it. I bought the zoom because it was going for £15, very clean, no dust or fungus but it had a dent on the filter thread. I won't use this with filters anyway. 😃