{"id":31321,"date":"2016-10-17T02:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T09:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=31321"},"modified":"2016-10-25T02:46:04","modified_gmt":"2016-10-25T09:46:04","slug":"3-reasons-why-i-love-cameras-with-non-interchangeable-lenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/17\/3-reasons-why-i-love-cameras-with-non-interchangeable-lenses\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Love Cameras with Non-Interchangeable Lenses"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2016 #cindyproject (shot on the Ricoh GR II)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve shot with tons of different cameras over the years\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Leica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, Fujis, Micro 4\/3rd cameras, Ricohs, Smartphones, Canons, DSLR\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, etc. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found that for me, I most prefer cameras with non-interchangeable lenses (lenses that you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t change).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why? Let me share some reasons:<\/p>\n

1. Creative constraint<\/h2>\n
\"Downtown
Downtown LA, 2015 (shot on the Ricoh GR)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the best benefits of having a camera with a non-interchangeable lens (like point-and-shoot cameras, the Ricoh GR II<\/a>, Fuji x100T<\/a>, Fuji x70) is that you are forced to be more creative by having fewer options. They call this a “creative constraint<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.”<\/p>\n

For example, if you are in a very tight place, and you only have a 28mm or a 35mm lens. You make the best composition given your constraint, and the constraint forces you to be more creative with the situation.<\/p>\n

Or let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting with a 28mm or 35mm fixed-focal lens. And your subject is really far away. Instead of taking the easy way out (using a zoom lens), you can either try to intentionally get a wide-angle shot of the scene (make the subject look very small), or you will use your \u00e2\u20ac\u0153foot zoom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to get very close to your subject.<\/p>\n

I very rarely find any photos shot with zoom lenses very interesting. Zoom lenses flatten the perspective, and make the photos feel less personal. Photos shot on wider-angle lenses feel much more personal, intimate, and it makes the viewer feel like he\/she was really there.<\/p>\n

2. Less stress<\/h2>\n
\"NYC,
NYC, 2016 (shot on a Ricoh GR)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I used to have a DSLR, I would always be stressed out when deciding which lens to shoot with.<\/p>\n

For example, I was about to leave the house and had to decide: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Should I bring my 24mm, my 35mm, my 50mm, or my telephoto lens?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Not being able to make a decision, I would just bring all of my lenses.<\/p>\n

Then I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d go out and hit the streets.<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d start with the 35mm lens, and then suddenly I found myself in a tight alleyway. I would stop, and put on the 24mm lens. A few minutes later, I see a good opportunity across the street, and then I change my lens again to the telephoto lens.<\/p>\n

All of this time and stress to change my lenses would cause me to get kicked out of my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zone.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t focus this way, and I was constantly stressed by not having the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153optimal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d lens for each situation.<\/p>\n

I then (mistakingly) bought a Sigma 18-200mm lens which I though would solve all of my problems. After all, having all<\/em> the focal lengths must be the ultimate solution, right?<\/p>\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n

I found out having that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153mega-zoom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d lens, I was actually less<\/em> creative in my photography. There is a funny saying, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A zoom lens only has two focal lengths: the widest focal length, or the closest focal length.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Because I was interested in street photography, most of my photos were shot at 200mm. And that prevented me from getting close and intimate with my subjects. It prevented me from overcoming my fear of shooting street photography. Not only that, but the lens was incredibly soft, and the maximum aperture was only 5.6.<\/p>\n

There is no perfect or ideal lens or focal length out there. Rather, it is about finding the lens or focal length which fits 80% of your needs. Psychologists call this \u00e2\u20ac\u0153satisficing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (a mix between satisfying and sufficing). Rather than aiming for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, you aim for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good enough.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And by aiming for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good enough\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, you are a lot happier and and satisfied than people who are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153maximizers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and aim for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfection.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

3. Cameras with non-interchangeable lenses are smaller, more compact, and lighter<\/h2>\n
\"Saigon,
Saigon, 2014 (shot on a Fujifilm x100s)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For me, the smaller, lighter, and more discrete the camera, the better.<\/p>\n

I remember when I started photography and just had a simple Canon point-and-shoot camera. I would always carry it with me everywhere I went, and shooting with it was an absolute joy.<\/p>\n

However as time went on, I thought I had to be more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pro\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by getting a DSLR and big-ass lenses. I kept upgrading my camera from a Canon 350D (Rebel XT) to a Canon 5D, and my lenses kept getting bigger and bigger. By the time I had a 70-200 f\/4 L lens, a Canon 5D, and battery grip, I started to hate my life. I hated traveling with my DSLR.<\/p>\n

Now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m back to just shooting with a point-and-shoot camera (the Ricoh GR II camera<\/a>). And man, my life is so much more pleasant. I feel that because my camera is tiny, I can easily bring it with me everywhere I go, without hassle. And because I always have the camera with me, I always am taking photos (whereas with my DSLR, it would just collect dust on my shelf).<\/p>\n

Cameras that are engineered to have non-interchangeable lenses are much smaller, compact, and lighter. And that is a huge benefit.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I think the ultimate camera with a non-interchangeable lens is a smartphone. Why? It is small, compact, and always in your front pocket. Some of the best photographers I know just shoot with smartphone cameras, and by shooting a lot, they are constantly learning, and improving their photography.<\/p>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get fooled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d advertisements and commercials will try to sucker you into buying big camera bodies and lenses. But smaller is always better.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\"Wedding,
Wedding, 2016 (Shot on a Ricoh GR II)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are a ton of cameras with non-interchangeable lenses out on the market (as of 2016) that are fantastic. Some of my personal recommendations:<\/p>\n