One or more

For a long time I always had a camera with me. Sometimes small and sometimes not. Usually a 35mm rangefinder, but I have carried a Minox and once, for about 3 months, I carried an Arax 60 with me all the time.
Over the last few years I have changed my habits. I have a phone with a decent camera and that is always with me so that has become my "just walking around" camera. But when I am going out to photograph, I will take what I think I will need. Which is usually one "real" camera. Very occasionally I will take two. Lately that camera has been my Intrepid 4x5 most often.
Seems to work well enough for me.
 
For professional assignments, I always bring two DSLRs with wide to normal and tele zooms along with back up batteries and appropriate primes if I think I will need them. My personal work is with 35 mm Contax RFs, and I usually take 4 or 5 lenses with me even though the vast majority of my shots are made with an 85 mm Sonnar.
 
Ideally I would have my Hexar RF with 35mm lens loaded with Velvia and a Leica IIIg and 50mm loaded with B/W of some flavor. But in reality it's usually just one or the other. I find it difficult to switch back and forth between B/W and color; the considerations are totally different for me, and when I do have both, I tend to fall into the "one of each" mode and then I know I'm just going through a technical exercise and not being creative
 
Groping around in the new site, I found my favorite forum! Hooray!

I'll take a Ricoh GRII when I can't take anything else. Great little camera. No dust issues so far although the camera is notorious for dust on the sensor.

I always carried three cameras when I worked. Later on, when zooms got better, I carried two. Today, old habits die hard--I still prefer to have at least two bodies when shooting. However, I'm coming around to just a single camera and lens, depending on the circumstances. And also considering the fact that as I become less and less mobile these days, I tend to carry lighter gear. I still use DSLRs but only when I'm shooting near or from the car. I hardly ever use any lens over 85mm anymore although the 85/1.4 is pretty hefty on its own.

I'm pretty paranoid about dust as well. My DSLRs seem pretty dust proof in use. Mirrorless bodies are a little worse but not as big a problem as I feared.
 
I usually only take one camera/lens out at a time, unless I'm going somewhere on a trip. Then I pack up the back pack with a couple of bodies and as many lenses as it'll hold. I only have to carry it to the car so the weight is not a problem.
 
Around town, I usually take one digital or analog rangefinder camera with wrist strap and one lens in a Billingham 72 (I like to stow away the camera in cafes etc.). When traveling, I usually take one digital rangefinder or mirrorless camera with wrist strap and three lenses in a Billingham Hadley Pro.
 
Usually only one serious film camera, Leica M6 or SLR (Nikon or Olympus), but also an Olympus XA3 in my coat pocket as an absolute backup.
 
Going for a walk or a drive, I’m another one-camera, one-lens photographer. I choose the camera and lens beforehand.

For a trip somewhere, I might take a second camera and its lens, but I still don’t have two cameras or even two lenses with me when making photos. I never travel with more than two cameras.

The issue for me isn’t lightness per se, as I’ll happily walk around with an RB67 and its armored prism, but it’s rather about not having my hands full or not being burdened.
 
Mostly one camera one lens. Last overseas trip I had Monochrom and 50 Summicron and 28 2.8. And for colour the Fuji X100. Maybe I missed the 21mm in the old city in Nice. I was pretty happy with that smallish kit. Haven't had dust on the sensor Monochrom or M9 more than once in the last few years. Next trip I am seriously thinking about IIIf and 50 and the iPhone.
 
JoeV said:
I don’t understand why mirrorless cameras don’t have a lens changing mode where the shutter closes to protect the sensor when changing lenses. It could employ a countdown timer to inform the photographer how many seconds they have left before the shutter resets.
Click to expand...

I think Canon has that in their mirrorless, it's a pain but the things we have to deal with.
 
Bill Pierce said:
,,,,,,,

I’m scared of getting dust on camera sensors and having to remove the dust spot on every frame of a digital take; so, I don’

.......
Click to expand...

Have been bugged by dust (read @$*@#($*&@#$%) in my finders of my Nikkormat FTn and then F bodies, I'm scared 5hitle55 about this (perhaps a bit OCD about this). As this results not only in my EVF but also on my sensor (think dust in the same spot on every frame of film). Not unlike having a dusty wet Darkroom in the old day (something to be avoided at all costs).

From time to time years back I would perform a mirror lockup on the body when I was worried about being in a dusty environment.

I think that if a manufacturer would add the ability to cover the sensor when you like (easy please 'cause I would do it every time I change lenses). I would pay an extra $100 or so for that functionality. Might make the body a bit thicker, but I'm ok with that too.

My two cents for this week.

B2 (;->
 
BillBingham2 said:
Have been bugged by dust (read @$*@#($*&@#$%) in my finders of my Nikkormat FTn and then F bodies …
Click to expand...

Once you’ve cleaned the dust from your groundglass, it shouldn’t be difficult to keep them dust-free … assuming there isn’t mirror cushioning material that’s flaking off.

What I do, both for film and digital cameras (especially my X-Pro1 because I change lenses on it more than any other camera) is that I just hold the camera so that the mount is pointing towards the floor (if at home) or downwards and away from the direction of any wind. I carefully check my rear lens element to ensure there’s no dust on it when either mounting or removing the lens. After nine years, my X-Pro1 photos are dust-free (and I would notice it). I think Fuji’s sensor cleaning operation (which I schedule at camera turn-off) does a good job.
 
I have an arsenal of lenses with every focal length possible in the Leica M system between 12mm and 135mm. But when I go out to shoot it's one body and one lens.
 
One camera, one lens. Usually M10 or M10R plus 50 APO or 50 1.4 ASPH. I do have a dozens of Leica lenses and two Small Domke bags That hold a camera and 4 or 3 lenses. 5 XB I think they are called
 
Usually one Barnack body and two lenses in my little Domke F-5XA bag. If the lens on the camera is a 35 or 50 the spare is an 85 or 90. If the lens on the camera is an 85 or 90 the spare is almost always a 35. I almost never actually use the spare.
 
Darlings,

Even when not working (which is more frequent most days these) the camera must come. This is simple. It's is not possible to take photographs without a camera. So, phone, or whatever. GRIII or X100(anyversion) is wonderful, yes.

Your American photographer, Jay Maisel, said, "Do you like photographing or photographs? Choose one." We like photographing. Photographs are the by-product and pleasantly so they are. To see and to try to photograph what you have seen is the struggle.

Carry something. Struggle.

Love,

Mme. O.
 
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