What is your favorite lens?

[havoc315]

Just wanted to start a new discussion..
Those of us who shoot interchangeable lens cameras...

Our lenses are our babies. We learn their special characteristics. Each behaves differently, each has its place.

Our favorite may become our favorite simply because it is the most practical, a solid regular zoom 2.8 lens. Maybe it's something unique like a tilt shift or fisheye.

My favorite is not a particularly practical lens..... At least not in all situations.
It is a 28-year-old Minolta 200/2.8 prime lens. It has a broken focus limiter switch. It has a loud old screw drive focus mechanism. And being a prime lens stuck always at 200mm, it's not as convenient as a zoom lens.

So why do I love it?

baseball-56.jpg by Havoc315, on Flickr

Sun Flowers at the Pool by Havoc315, on Flickr

Lorikeet by Havoc315, on Flickr

April flowers by Havoc315, on Flickr

zoo-113.jpg by Havoc315, on Flickr



Because even at 28 years of age, the lens's sharpness and resolution is almost magic. The bokeh is absolutely gorgeous.
And while the lens is not tiny at all, it's a fraction of the size of a "convenient 70-200/2.8. So I get the fast low-light/action performance of a 70-200/2.8, in the size of a medium kit zoom lens.

It's far from convenient, but I love the image quality so much from the lens, that I keep it on the camera far more often than a 200mm should be on the camera. In fact, I have 70-210 and 70-300 zoom lenses that I almost never ever use anymore.

So that's my favorite lens. The lens I'm particularly glad I bought, well worth the extra few $$$ compare to what I usually spend on lenses.

So what's your personal favorite?

 

[Pixel Dust]

My favorite lens is the Sigma 35 mm f/1.4 Art. It stays on my camera 90% of the time. I find that I would need a strong reason to not use this lens. The Nikon 50 mm f/1.4G is also in my bag. Though I've been using that less since I got the Sigma. The focusing is much faster than the Nikon. I just really love this focal length on a full frame.

 

[havoc315]

My favorite lens is the Sigma 35 mm f/1.4 Art. It stays on my camera 90% of the time. I find that I would need a strong reason to not use this lens. The Nikon 50 mm f/1.4G is also in my bag. Though I've been using that less since I got the Sigma. The focusing is much faster than the Nikon. I just really love this focal length on a full frame.

Beautiful shots, and I agree it's a wonderful walk-around focal length.

It is really telling, the favoritism to prime lenses by some, while so often we see the masses asking about, "what camera has the best zoom."

 

[SkaGoat]

I would have to say my favourite right now would be the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8. It's most definitely my sharpest zoom lens.


14 - 1 by SkaGoat, on Flickr


Helianthus Lemon Queen by SkaGoat, on Flickr


Never Shall Their Glory Fade by SkaGoat, on Flickr


Sam by SkaGoat, on Flickr


Riley in the Park by SkaGoat, on Flickr


Backyard Game by SkaGoat, on Flickr

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

My favorite and most used lens is the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II. It is on one of my cameras 100% of the time. I am never without it for the obvious below reasons of being the most versatile lens for motorsports (IMHO!).

IMGP1287 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

IMGP1281 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

IMGP1165 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

IMGP1173 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

IMGP1382 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

IMGP1128 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

IMGP1152 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

PS These are pretty much right out of the camera with reduced resolution.

 

[SrisonS]

Mine would be the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8. Love having a prime that has a wider angle; and the minor zoom range is just a plus. But I'm absolutely loving how the lens performs.


The Soul Harvest by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

The Way To Innovate by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

The Disney Prestige Collection - Fantasy by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

Hunting The Hunter: Zam Wesell by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

 

[havoc315]

Pretty astonishing that 3 totally different Sigma lenses have already been mentioned....
I've never owned or used a Sigma lens, but I suspect that may change in the near future.

No surprise that all the selected lenses are fast aperture. Though I am surprised nobody has mentioned anything ultrawide yet.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

While there are a lot of folks who prefer to stick with OEM lenses, Sigma does provide a quality product at a more reasonable cost. Another words, "more bang for the buck". I honestly believe that a great photographer (which I do not claim to be!) can shoot with about anything and capture a good image, however better equipment does make things easier. While I keep a consumer weather resistant 18-55 in my bag for inclement weather, when I'm working I only use fast lenses. Once you use fast glass its difficult (at least for me) to adjust back to variable aperture lenses. I like to keep things simple.

 

[nbaresejr]

Pretty astonishing that 3 totally different Sigma lenses have already been mentioned....
I've never owned or used a Sigma lens, but I suspect that may change in the near future.

No surprise that all the selected lenses are fast aperture. Though I am surprised nobody has mentioned anything ultrawide yet.

I am going to add another Sigma lens to the party.

Currently my favorite lens is the one I use most often. The Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS HSM. For what I shoot I need the flexibility of a zoom and these focal lengths seem to be perfect for this. This lens was also my workhorse for my last Disney trip and I suspect it will be again for my upcoming trip in November.

Here are some examples from this lens.
Light it up! by Nick Barese, on Flickr

[/url]Bethpage Black #18 Pano by Nick Barese, on Flickr

Flags of Everest by Nick Barese, on Flickr

Sorcerers Hat by Nick Barese, on Flickr

 

[jfinke]

Canon 70-200L f/4 IS. I really like it on my full frame camera.

However, I would like to get my hands on one of the Sigma Art Primes. I may have to rent one for our next trip.

 

[PythonFan888]

Though I am surprised nobody has mentioned anything ultrawide yet.

I got a lot of mileage from my Nikon 14 - 24 f/2.8 during our last WDW visit in March and during our recent Alaska cruise.

 

[fractal]

My favorite lens cost me about $60. It's a used Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm 1.4. First off, I love the way it looks on my NEX-7.

I have no autofocus and the aperture has to be adjusted on the lens - so I lose the "ease of use" factor. However, I've found the manually focusing to be not only more challenging ( and fun ) but I've gotten to the point where my hit rate is higher than AF. I've used this lens at lacrosse games and dance recitals.

When I first started getting serious with photography and started reading articles and reviews I would often read comments on how a lens would have a certain "character". I never quite understood this until I started using the Minolta Rokkor. Yes, it can produce annoying Chromo Aberration but the results look more "film like" to me than digital. Wide open at f/1.4 and you can gets some "dreamy" shots.

I find the bokeh smooth and very appealing.

But the characteristic that I enjoy the most from the Rokkor is the colors it produces. They are rich, deep and as I said before, film like.

These two shots are from a family cookout. The first one I completely missed the focus but kept it because I love the color.

Working on the files in Lightroom is interesting. I find that I cannot manipulate the image nearly as much as I can when using an image shot with a native lens. The "range" I can process a RAW file is about half of that of a RAW file from a native lens. This means the final image is very close to how it was originally shot.

Although the Rokkor is my favorite lens - it's not the lens I have on the camera most of the time due to the challenges of operating almost fully manually. However, when I don't feel lazy and have it on and take the time, I love the results.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

That's like asking "what is best, pizza, bacon, or chocolate." I love most of my lenses when I use them in the situations where they excel. I'd hate to show up at an indoor party with my 300mm f/2.8, but I love taking it to sporting events. On other hand, while I love using my 24mm f/1.4 at parties, I wouldn't want to rely on it as my main lens for a portrait shoot. I like the versatility of a fast zoom like the 70-200 f/2.8 but prefer primes when I don't need the extra versatility of one lens that covers a wide range.

 

[havoc315]

That's like asking "what is best, pizza, bacon, or chocolate." I love most of my lenses when I use them in the situations where they excel. I'd hate to show up at an indoor party with my 300mm f/2.8, but I love taking it to sporting events. On other hand, while I love using my 24mm f/1.4 at parties, I wouldn't want to rely on it as my main lens for a portrait shoot. I like the versatility of a fast zoom like the 70-200 f/2.8 but prefer primes when I don't need the extra versatility of one lens that covers a wide range.

Of course different lenses have different purposes. Everyone that has answered, owns and uses multiple lenses.

To go to your analogy, someone may really enjoy pizza and bacon, but chocolate has a special place in their heart.

Favorite lens... Which lens brings you the most sheer joy to use, or holds a special place in your heart and collection. If you changed systems, which lens would you miss the most.
May be your most frequently used lens. Or may even be a lens you rarely use, but gives you great joy. ( such as a macro).

It's pure discussion among enthusiasts. There are no right or wrong answers. But I find most serious enthusiasts have a favorite lens or 2, that goes beyond the simple convenience of the focal length.

 

[havoc315]

Fractal.. Now that's a "favorite lens"-- based truly on love of your craft and the unique character of the shots. I see lots of technical "flaws"-- vignetting, cat's eye bokeh, etc -- but in your final products, those all lend a special character.
And I agree that the color rendition is very nice.

 

[Groucho]

"Favorite" - well, I love a lot of my lenses, and the obvious choice would be my 10-17mm fisheye - but if you're talking about what feels special to you, for some reason, I just love my old preset Auto Takumar 35mm F3.5. Here's what it looks like - not my photo:

It's not the fastest... it's not the most convenient... it doesn't have the most aperture blades - only 5... but I love it. It was released back in 1959 and not only is it autofocus, it is permanently stopped down. The way it worked originally was that there's a pin on the back (later to become the standard M42 pin) that was pushed in by the camera before taking a shot, which would stop the lens down. You'd then press the lever on the side there to lock the aperture wide open for focusing. This was before auto-exposure so it was assumed that you'd use a lightmeter or your own skill to know what settings to use. The problem is that to use it on a modern DSLR with autoexposure, you want it stopped down. If you accidentally press the lever (not really easy to do), you need to dismount the lens and press the pin to get it stopping down again. From there, it behaves like a normal M42 lens on a DSLR - stopped down all the time which gives you accurate (more or less depending on the lens) exposure.

It's also tiny and very sharp, and the odd number of blades make for some nice starbursts. I just love the "look" it gives, the personality it has.

Glittering Ferrari by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Allard J2X by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Lotus Elan by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Dodge Viper GTS by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

 

[fractal]

Fractal.. Now that's a "favorite lens"-- based truly on love of your craft and the unique character of the shots. I see lots of technical "flaws"-- vignetting, cat's eye bokeh, etc -- but in your final products, those all lend a special character.
And I agree that the color rendition is very nice.

Thanks Havoc - great idea for a thread. One of these day's I'm going to step up to your Minolta 200mm 2.8!


Groucho - that's very cool! Thanks for sharing.

 

[havoc315]

"Favorite" - well, I love a lot of my lenses, and the obvious choice would be my 10-17mm fisheye - but if you're talking about what feels special to you, for some reason, I just love my old preset Auto Takumar 35mm F3.5. Here's what it looks like - not my photo:

It's not the fastest... it's not the most convenient... it doesn't have the most aperture blades - only 5... but I love it. It was released back in 1959 and not only is it autofocus, it is permanently stopped down. The way it worked originally was that there's a pin on the back (later to become the standard M42 pin) that was pushed in by the camera before taking a shot, which would stop the lens down. You'd then press the lever on the side there to lock the aperture wide open for focusing. This was before auto-exposure so it was assumed that you'd use a lightmeter or your own skill to know what settings to use. The problem is that to use it on a modern DSLR with autoexposure, you want it stopped down. If you accidentally press the lever (not really easy to do), you need to dismount the lens and press the pin to get it stopping down again. From there, it behaves like a normal M42 lens on a DSLR - stopped down all the time which gives you accurate (more or less depending on the lens) exposure.

It's also tiny and very sharp, and the odd number of blades make for some nice starbursts. I just love the "look" it gives, the personality it has.

Glittering Ferrari by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Allard J2X by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Lotus Elan by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Dodge Viper GTS by Groucho Dis, on Flickr

Great shots. Proof that we don't all need the $$$$$ lens.

Though I only use fully auto lenses, I do get a sense of the more manual lenses... Being so tactile, requiring the extra work.... They must really draw the photographer into the process more than an auto lens.

 

[Groucho]

Great shots. Proof that we don't all need the $$$$$ lens.

Though I only use fully auto lenses, I do get a sense of the more manual lenses... Being so tactile, requiring the extra work.... They must really draw the photographer into the process more than an auto lens.

That's very true. I often find that with manual lenses, you may have more "missed" shots - usually due to focus, although that's not such a major problem with a good focusing screen - but your keepers are a bit more special. You definitely slow down a little bit, which is fine with me. Heck, some of my best dark ride shots have been with a manual focus 85mm at F1.4.

I'm a big fan of the tactile part of photography; of aperture rings and manual focus and viewfinders. Back in the film days, I used to regularly have a few dozen rolls of undeveloped film at any given part - partly because of the cost of developing to a poor kid, but also because so much of the fun was the actual mechanical shooting process with my old K1000.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I guess I really don't have a "favorite". I only have one lens that I don't really like (Sigma 12-24). I have some that I'm fairly indifferent to (Canon 50mm f/1.8). That's not the fault of the lens, I just don't like that focal length.

There are some lenses that I use frequently but don't really get excited about (Canon 17-40mm f/4, 24-70mm f/2.8, 24-105mm f/4). They are good, versatile lenses, but they tend to be boring to use. They make you work to get a great shot instead of making it easy.

There are lenses that I like to use when I'm taking shots that are appropriate for them, but I can't say that they are "favorites". Those would include things like a 100mm or a 15mm fisheye. I'm just not much of a macro or fisheye shooter.

I used to really love my 70-200 f/2.8. It's still my go-to lens for candid people shots in rapidly changing conditions, but my wife usually takes it and leaves me with the primes.

The ones that I most enjoy using are:
24mm TS-E - It's a pain to use, but that is part of the charm. It really forces me to think when I use it. It gives you a lot of extra control over perspective and angle of the focal plain, but with all that control comes choices that you have to make.

24mm f/1.4 - I enjoy using it for shots that I want wide to show context but I want shallow DOF to isolate my subject.

85mm f/1.2 - It is painfully slow to focus, but it takes stunning shots. It's great for candid portrait style shots with subjects that aren't moving too fast. I'm thinking about getting the f/1.8 version to save bulk and weight for the situations where I don't really need to extra 2/3 stop.

135mm f/2 - Great for action within it's reach. I didn't really want this lens, but someone gave it to me. Now it is one of my most frequently used lenses. It focuses fast, is reasonably compact and light, and has really nice IQ.

300mm f/2.8 - This lens is so good that it makes me lazy. For sports, you just set wide open, set your focus mode, and collect great shot after great shot. The downside is that it is big and heavy and draws unwanted attention. On the other hand, I've used it many times to venture onto parts of fields that I'm not actually allowed on. Officials see the lens and just assume that I'm supposed to be there.