USING ONLY ONE LENS TO SHOOT Most hobbyist shooters started off with only one lens while there are others who purchased their cameras complete with two or more lenses. Back in the 60s till the mid-80s, the 50mm standard lens is bundled with any 35mm SLR camera sold. Nowadays, 35mm SLR cameras are offered in kit form with standard zoom lenses like the 28-80mm, 35-70mm or the 35-80mm. Whether it is a standard 50mm lens or one of these zoom lenses, don't let this be a stumbling block towards improving your creativity as a hobbyist shooter. Buddhist idols A Buddha statue photographed indoor     Shot from a higher angle Shot from a lower angle The above photos were all shot at Penang's famous centurion Buddhist temple, Kek Lok Si, with the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM standard lens. While I did carry the EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM zoom with me during this shoot, it was never used at all as the 50mm lens managed to cover 95 per cent of the requirements, with the balance accomplished with the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM. One of the reasons was the lens' maximum aperture of f/1.4, which enabled me to shoot via available light with ISO 100 film with shutter speeds as low as 1/15 sec. handheld at some points, a feat that will be impossible to achieve with either zoom lenses where their largest opening is f/2.8, and two stops slower! Another example was the exhibition of the Petronas-sponsored Sauber F1 car held at Suria KLCC when the World Championship event, held for the first time in the country during the 1999 season, was just around the corner. I happened to be testing the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM wide-angle lens. This lens alone was more than enough to ensure I have lots of usable photos of that occasion, all shot via available light. Horizontal, overall view Horizontal, closer and lower angle     Vertical, shot at low angle Vertical, shot looking down Of course, any EF lens having a maximum aperture of /2.8 can be used as well on that day with an ISO 100 film. Those having variable maximum aperture EF zoom lenses can opt for higher ISO film if they want to shoot via available light or switch to fill-in flash illumination. When you are limited to only one lens, make the most out of the situation, go for both horizontal and vertical formats, close-up and overall views, shooting from eye-level, low or higher angle. You have nothing to lose when the majority of the shots turns out fine with plenty of choices to select from. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 .