[ladybug]

Hi loveisageless, good to find another female photographer in this male dominated hobby

I think your sling bag approach might just work for me. Are u referring to something like the Lowepro Orion mini?

[TOUGEFC]

I agree, the lowpro slingshot is great easy and simple for lens changes.

If your out somewhere shooting try to think of all the shots you want to take and with what lens'es you think you need to use, start shooting with your first choice and when done then you swap your lens and start taking all the photos you were planing to do with that lens and so on....

[Marc Sabatella]

Another practical hint - if you're not accustomed to using your neck strap, you might try it. Definitely facilitates lens changes, as you can have one lens in each hand without worrying about how to hold the camera. Although I use the top of my ordinary shoulder bag as a shelf sometimes too.

[anthers]

How do you guys do it? Do u guys just take out one lens and dump it into the bag without capping it so u have a couple of lenses just rolling inside the bag and when it is time to change lenses, u just take it out and swap it..is that the way?

This is a little late, but I'll add my lens changing technique:

1. Usually I use a shoulder bag with a camera insert, so I can store my lenses vertically in the bag.

2. I store them front element down, hood on (if they have a hood) with the front caps off. For my tele zoom with a collapsible hood I leave the front cap on in the bag.

3. With the neck strap over my head, I grab the rear cap off one of the lenses in the bag, dismount the current lens, cap the back and stick it in a free slot in my bag.

4. I take the capless lens out of the bag, mount it and go!

Takes about 7-10 seconds, depending on how quickly I need the new lens. I try to concentrate pretty hard on the lens swapping process to keep from dropping or otherwise messing up the lenses.

[Wheatfield]

I always seem to take a more casual approach to this sort of thing. When I change lenses, I take the lens off the camera and put it down on whatever level surface presents itself, then I take the new lens out of my pocket, take the back cap off of it and mount the lens. The back cap goes on the old lens, and it goes into my pocket.

[JayR]

Thanks Lowell, that sample kit you just mentioned is
How do you guys do it? Do u guys just take out one lens and dump it into the bag without capping it so u have a couple of lenses just rolling inside the bag and when it is time to change lenses, u just take it out and swap it..is that the way?

cripes no!
id be worried about the back of the lens being damaged - mechanics and/or glass!

the caps just get shifted from one to the next depending on whats being changed... my samyang cap is on the 31ltd, the 77 has the one marked 'lensbaby' etc
and although i bought a sling-type bag big enough to carry most of my primes, i wont generally take them all at once... sometimes i need room for the 3d Holga too

[pcarfan]

Here's a real life example for you:

I'm sitting in the car this morning at 6:30AM waiting to pick my wife up from work (she works overnights), and I have my 85 1.9 Super Takumar on the camera sitting on the seat next to me.

The below comes into view, and if I had my 90 Macro Tamron on there, I would have been able to get a HELL of lot closer and get a much better shot. But if I took the time to change lenses, it would have long flown away.

Great shot? No.

Best lens for the shot? Definitely no.

Did I GET a shot? Yes.

Same reason I didn't fiddle with flash at all--I just wanted to get the shot!

Looks like a great shot to me.

[kalison]

While I have wondered the same, mainly since coming to Pentax I never owned as many primes as I do now... I figured it would be a pain in the ass.

However, over the last couple months I just "know" which focal length is going to be what I am looking for, since I usually know where or what I am going to. I have also just got very proficient with changing lenses on the fly. With primes its easy as pie, especially since they are small and quick to handle.

I think in time you will be the same... you will just learn to know what you need when you need it. Thats if you end up just taking one with you.

[stover98074]

I own several prime lenses 28, 50, 85, 135, 200 and 300.

With exception of the 85 all are manual focus lenses. I bring this up due to your comments on budget. The total price for all four manual lenses was about the same prices as one new 85.

Most of what I shot does not require an autofocus or auto aperture lens. For sports with my kids I will use the 85 due to its fast autofocus. The 50 and 135 are 1980's Zeiss lenses and a lot of fun to work with.

These older lenses are metal and glass and stand up well with time. I tend to use them and not worry about damaging them - they are tough.

I keep them in a camera bag and in the trunk of my car if I am out for the day and near the car. If I am on foot, then like others in this thread, I will pick one focal length and work with it. I shoot for fun and I have yet to return from an outing wishing for more than one lens. It can be fun to spend some time with one lens and learn about it.

I also own a bulb blower that is used to occasionally clean my sensor. Part of the joy of digital and lens changing - your sensor may get some dust.

Last January I was in Chicago with my family visiting relatives. We did a trip into the city and I only took the Zeiss 50 1.4. This was a nice size lens to carry. I also enjoy taking a 28 for the day.

This was taken with the 50 manual focus lens on the Chicago trip.



This was taken a few weeks ago at a triatholon my daughter was in. It was taken with the 28 manual focus lens - which is the lens I chose for that event. A small focal length has a more generous depth of field which can make it easier to manual focus for moving objects.

[stevebrot]

Juggling lenses...
Despite having a bag full of stuff, I generally shoot with two lenses at a time depending on the range of subjects. One lens on the camera and the other in a pocket. Hoods on both lenses and no front caps. The time and effort to swap is minimal.


Zooming with one's feet?
Hmmm...works great if you are free to move around a lot...sort of. If you need to zoom with your feet, you may not be able to get the shot that you saw in your mind's eye. Don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of prime lenses and seldom use my two zooms. Allow me to explain.

The main advantage of a zoom lens is to enable a tight crop of the subject from the perspective of the camera lens. When you change the location of the camera lens (zooming with your feet), you change the perspective (angles and relative position of objects in the scene). In some ways, it may be preferable to crop in PP rather than moving in closer. It has only been in the fairly recent past that I have come to fully appreciate the importance of lens (and by extension, camera) position. I have been learning to use a view camera and have been able to see the significant difference small changes in position have on the final image when learning to use the camera's movements.


Steve


Oh...and another thing...when shooting around cliffs, traffic, people's flower beds, and large carnivores, zooming with one's feet may result in significant physical harm.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Another practical hint - if you're not accustomed to using your neck strap, you might try it. Definitely facilitates lens changes, as you can have one lens in each hand without worrying about how to hold the camera. Although I use the top of my ordinary shoulder bag as a shelf sometimes too.

YES on both counts.


Steve

[hcc]

I joined lately this discussion. I simply add an experience.

My lens suite is a combination of a DA18-250mm and a fast prime lens. I use the DA18-250m for most of my shooting. Only in low light, I use the fast prime from sunset to sunrise.

When I go bushwaking, it is often dusty and sometimes muddy and rainy. I normally do not change lenses, unless in a tent or a safe environnement. If I go for several days, I may take a couple of lenses and change at night.

In addition, I shoot a lot of actions and I dislike (really dislike) loosing a good shot because I have to change lenses.

I understand that you prefer primes, and I understand completely your choice.

[ladybug]

Thanks for all your helpful advice. Some of your comments have a good sense of humour and they just make me laugh

[RioRico]

I have too many lenses, too many that are under-utilized. A few are zooms, a few are AF, a few are Pentax K-mount, and most aren't. What do I use in the field? My Ameribag usually contains my original AF kit of DA10-17, DA18-250, and FA50/1.4, and manual primes: 21/3.8 or 25/3.5 or 28/2.8 wide-ish, 50/4 macro, and 85/2 or 100/2.8 or 135/2.5 fast short tele, and maybe 180/5.5 or 200/5.6 razor-sharp teles, or lightweight 240/4.5. Those see the most use now. (All those manuals together cost less than either AF zoom.)

How do I choose what to use in the field? Depends. For daytime touring it's the 18-250 mostly; for crowded spaces it's the 10-17; for darker places it's one of the faster primes; for walking around town it's one of the slower wides; etc. I'm traveling (with 25+ lenses!) and take this approach: Go somewhere. Walk it with the 18-250, with others in the bag. Evaluate the locale. Next day, return with appropriate primes -- from the above, or maybe a 16/2.8 fisheye or close-focus 35/3.5 or 50/1.8 or 90/2.8 macro or whatever.

Another approach is just to use only one lens per day. (I should number my lenses and use a random-rumber generator to select the day's lens, eh?) Exploit that lens' strengths, live with its limitations, especially if its iris is stuck wide open. See what the world looks like with just one fixed focal length -- no changes allowed. I learned to shoot seriously with an ancient 35mm folder with a fixed 50/3.5 lens. I still use its twin or other fixed-lens film or digicams. Such impose a real discipline. I'm told that discipline is good for me.

[SOldBear]

When I change lenses, I take the lens off the camera and put it down on whatever level surface presents itself, then I take the new lens out of my pocket, take the back cap off of it and mount the lens. The back cap goes on the old lens, and it goes into my pocket.

With a double lens mount cap, you don't need to put the lens down.

The way I change lenses:

- Take the new lens out (it already has a double lens mount cap attached).
- Detach the old lens from the camera body (hanging by neck strap or harness) and attach it to the other end of the a double lens mount cap. I can do this with one hand (the other hand is holding the new lens).
- Detach the new lens from the double lens mount cap and attach it to the camera body.

The photo below shows two lenses per cap. But in use, each lens has its own cap.