your top three lenses are???

Kodiak Qc said:
•

Three is by far not enough.
Click to expand...

3 is plenty for me, though I do have 4 (4th is an odd one I rarely use)

So my 3 main lenses are the best I've ever owned and the best for what & how I shoot

17-55 f2.8 - never to come off the camera its on so as to avoid dust bunnies :)

35 f1.8 amazingly sharp wide open and useful great focal length for such a cheap lens

85 f1.8 another sharper than I could have hoped wide open

I may (may as I'm undecided) add a 20 either f1.4 or f1.8 soon, in which case I'd have to have 4 best lenses as I wouldn't remove any of the other 3 from that list :)

Dave
 
Nikon 85mm 1.4D Wide aperture, quick to focus, really nice out of focus areas. Nice length for portraits.
Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 Not the most modern version by a long shot, a little battered cosmetically but optically a really good copy. Not really a go to lens for me but always produces really nice photographs.
Sigma 35mm 1.4A Wide aperture, quick to focus, sharp. My go to lens for most things

3 Favourites by andyroberts1868, on Flickr
 
I only have 3 lenses :)
Sigma 150-600mm
Sigma 17-50mm 2.8
Sigma 105mm 2.8 macro
All used on my Nikon D7000

I use the 17-50mm the most
 
andy1868 said:
Nikon 85mm 1.4D Wide aperture, quick to focus, really nice out of focus areas. Nice length for portraits.
Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 Not the most modern version by a long shot, a little battered cosmetically but optically a really good copy. Not really a go to lens for me but always produces really nice photographs.
Sigma 35mm 1.4A Wide aperture, quick to focus, sharp. My go to lens for most things

3 Favourites by andyroberts1868, on Flickr
Click to expand...


Andy I just sold the exact Sigma lens the 70-200 early version. Have to agree it is a great lens I thought so too.. Having just purchased the Nikon AFS 70-200 mk 2 version of this Sigma lens it is really a mind changer. Ok the price difference does come into consideration but all I can say is I am glad I made the leap over to the Nikon one
 
The three lenses I use most of all are, left to right: Olympus 9-18, Panasonic 12-32 and Panasonic 45-150...

25872671814_473bcb8a5a_b.jpg


For my full frame Canons I have some 'L' lenses but the most used on the big cameras, at the moment, is the El Cheapo Tamron 28-300, which is a lot less carp than I thought it would be for £80! :)
 
RichardtheSane said:
Hmmmmm.

Well. I'm going to base this on enjoyment not necessity.

Canon 35mm F2 IS
Canon 100-400mm Mk II
Canon 70-200mm Mk II

But if I were to look at my most used... well replace the 100-400mm with the 24-70mm Mk1
Click to expand...

I agree that a prime 35mm is a great lens to carry for a walkabout. In my case the Zeiss loxia f2.
 
realspeed said:
Andy I just sold the exact Sigma lens the 70-200 early version. Have to agree it is a great lens I thought so too.. Having just purchased the Nikon AFS 70-200 mk 2 version of this Sigma lens it is really a mind changer. Ok the price difference does come into consideration but all I can say is I am glad I made the leap over to the Nikon one
Click to expand...

Yeah cheers for that :p I've been hankering after the 70-200 vr2 for a while and managed to convince myself that I didn't NEED one ;) One day it shall be mine!
 
Nikon 85mm f/1.4G
Sigma 35mm f/.4 Art
Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC

These would be my top 3, I have plenty of other lenses but tbh I Would be happy with just the 35mm and 85mm really.
 
Sigma 17-50 2.8 on crop sensor for walkabout
55-200 nikon, cheapest most rubbish lens, but get's great 'dogs in action' shots when sun is out
and the lovely nikkor 70-200 2.8 that Dave Kiddle loaned me, and might have told me that it was mine in a weak moment mwwwaaahhhhhhh! :p
 
Nokton 25 0.95 m4/3, 35 1.2 FF, Leica 50 0.95 FF

EDIT : scrap the 25mm, add in my Hassy Planar 80 2.8.

Actually scrap the 35 1.2 for the Contax G 45 f2

EDIT : Actually scrap them all for a single Pentax 67 105 2.4
 
Last edited:
Mamiya 7 trio - 65, 80 and 150mm.

If I could end up with just those I would be happy.
 
The 3 on the left...

Fuji Gear by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

23mm f1.4
56mm f1.2
90mm f2

Or 35/85/135 in 'full-frame' speak.
 
saviour100 said:
Mamiya 7 trio - 65, 80 and 150mm.

If I could end up with just those I would be happy.
Click to expand...

If only the powers that be would produce a digital version of the Mamiya 7 (I'd probably end up divorced).
I used to have the 65 & 150 which were so easy to carry and produced fantastic images.
 
Last edited:
I use only three lenses for landscapes, family, kids, portraits and general nature - 12-24mm Sigma, 24-105mm Canon and 70-300mm Canon. I have taken them through Ozz, USA, Canada and Southern Africa and I am as happy as Larry with my setup. It is light, portable, easy to use and high quality.
 
Nikon 85mm f1.4G
Fuji 56mm f1.2
and for pure value for money, the under-rated Fuji 50-230mm zoom
 
Nikon 24-70 f2.8 is my most used lens. When I want to carry a little less weight I ditch the MB-D12 and go with the Nikon 50mm f1.4. Third most used is the Sigma 105mm Macro.
 
This is one of thoe priodical questions that crops up every few years' ISTR answering it before, but having a peek back in time, last time it was a slight variation, What is your favourite fixed focal distance?

That was a couple of years back, and then, I plumped for the fixed 35mm Zuiko f3.5 in my trusty old Olympus XA2 35mm film 'compact' that went everywhere with me (and often still does!) for thirty odd years, as probably my 'most-used' lens; though recent audit of negatives vs digi-pics, possibly gives lie to that idea.

In more recent times, the Nikon 'Kit' 18-55 is probably the most-used, certainly on the electric-picture-maker.

For my 'favourite' lens, last time round, I offered the Panomar branded Sigma 12mm fish-eye, originally mounted for Olympus OM, when I bought it twenty odd years ago at a camera-fair, but re-mounted to M42 in recent years. Less well used, but a lot of fun, and prompting me to buy the real-deal 'full-round' 180 Degree FoV Sigma 4.5mm Fish for crop sensor electric picture-maker, a couple of years back. Even less 'used' than the 12mm ever was, and certainly not really endeared itself to me anywhere near as much. So, struggling a little on this one now.

I am rather fond of the M42 fit, 50mm Ziess f2.8 for my old 35mm Sigma 35mm film camera, and its rather nice used on adapter on the electric-picture-maker, too, but hard to say exactly 'why'. It's just a nice lens to use I guess.

I think I would have to say, at the moment, my 'favourite' lens, is probably the Sigma 8-16 UWA I bought just after Christmas, for the simple reason that the novelty hasn't worn off yet and I am actively looking for excuses to use it. Having always wanted something wider than a 28mm for my film cameras, it's taken my quarter of a century to get one, and I have to admit to being a little under-whelmed by it, now I have it! So its only 'favourite' in the way a horse that gets most bets is! I'm not sure the enthusiasm for it will last.

Tough call, really; bit like asking me what my favourite spanner is; end of the day they are tools to do a job, so I pick the one that suits best whatever the job is!
 
By far and away, across either of my camera systems, my favourite single lens is the 85mm f/1.8. I love the focal length on an FX body, it's sharp enough wide open and great both indoors for studio (just short enough to avoid me needing to knock walls down!) and perfect outdoors.

My next favourite would be my 50mm again, f/1.8 and FX. I'm starting to really enjoy this lens for landscape shot, believe it or not. It offers that extra compression and "natural" sense of distance that you don't get with a WA let alone UWA. Also good when you want to make the sun larger but not the subject. It's funny I'm putting that second as I never really got on with my 35mm focal length on my DX kit.

And for me, the rest of my lenses and second system are just "nice to haves" and suit the purpose if I want to shoot something particular. If I see something "great" that I want to capture, I'm likely to be trying to imagine how I might fit it into an 85mm frame or a 50mm frame first, unless I want even more compression or that deliberate perspective effect from a WA.
 
Well i only have the 50mm 1.8g paired with d750 but soon to be in my bag will be the 24mm 1.8g and 85mm 1.8g,
Ive had the 85 before on crop and really liked it.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Well i only have the 50mm 1.8g paired with d750 but soon to be in my bag will be the 24mm 1.8g and 85mm 1.8g,
Ive had the 85 before on crop and really liked it.
Click to expand...

In my experience 85mm is a completely different beast on an FX... wafer thin DOF if you want it (much more so than on DX) and it's a useable focal length indoors - I'd have thought that the equivalent would have been closer to 60mm on a DX? The 50mm is a great lens (I have the D) and I find it easier to get more "reliable" landscape shots with it, funnily enough. But I'm probably shooting with the 85mm maybe 60+% of the time.
 
Tricky.
Sony Zeiss 16-80 3.5-4.5 (lovely optics, plasticine mechanics)
Sony 50 1.4
Nikkor 28 3.5 on the D610

I've not found any really great lenses for the D610 yet, though I have found plenty of bad ones, but the 28mm is the nearest to a great lens and I've used that for nearly half the images I've taken so far. The first lens I bought was a 50 1.8G, but compared to the Sony 50 1.4 in terms of sharpness, bokeh, aberrations etc it was a pile of poo. I suspect that to get anywhere near the image quality of the zeiss in a similar range zoom for the Nikon, I shall have to spend more than the camera is worth.
 
Any 28mm, 50mm and 100mm on an FX camera or equivalents on other formats. I don't give a stuff how sharp they are or how dreamy the bouquet (sic) is so long as they are compact//light weight and close focusing.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Any 28mm, 50mm and 100mm on an FX camera or equivalents on other formats. I don't give a stuff how sharp they are or how dreamy the bouquet (sic) is so long as they are compact//light weight and close focusing.
Click to expand...

I can't say I approve of that philosophy, Dave. It almost sounds like you're suggesting you use your lenses for taking photographs rather than as objects of lust that you can then cross reference during evenings spent on DXOMark.

You'll be saying next that you don't spend hours viewing your images at 100% to find those areas of CA that Lightroom has missed. You philistine!
 
Wider end for me... 14mm f2.8, 23mm f1.4 & 35mm f.1.4 with the 56 not getting as much use but it's a top lens.

 
15, 28 and 55 for me, although I've got a 12mm Voigtlander winging its way to me so that may well become more fav then the 15.

 
My ef-converted 1968 Canon 55mm f/1.2 FL - it's a bit special
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II - probably me most used lens
Canon 85mm f/1.8 - an incredible lens!
 
pjm1 said:
I can't say I approve of that philosophy, Dave. It almost sounds like you're suggesting you use your lenses for taking photographs rather than as objects of lust that you can then cross reference during evenings spent on DXOMark.

You'll be saying next that you don't spend hours viewing your images at 100% to find those areas of CA that Lightroom has missed. You philistine!
Click to expand...
There's a clue in my signature. :D
 
Why'd it have to be three ;)

I guess..

Canon 135L f2
Olympus 75mm 1.8 pro
Canon MPE-65mm

But in my current kit

Nikon 85mm 1.8G
Tamron 70-200 2.8 (I always hated the 70-200 before this one)
...not sure on the third
 
For my wildlife photography:

Canon 600mm f4 L
Sigma 150mm OS macro
Canon 100-400mm L

For my general shooting

Canon 16-35 f4 L
Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L
Canon 100-400mm L
 
1. Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II...Speaks for itself!, my most used lens
2. Canon 400 f5.6L...Love this lens, beautiful colours and contrast and tack sharp (if only for IS!)
3. Canon 100 f2.8L IS Macro...Lovely prime, great for portraits too, or anything really!!
 
CharleyBird said:
If only the powers that be would produce a digital version of the Mamiya 7 (I'd probably end up divorced).
I used to have the 65 & 150 which were so easy to carry and produced fantastic images.
Click to expand...


I agree, if only they still worked on rangefinders and people were making full size 6x7 digital backs aha
 
Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF-D
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF-D
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D

I don't like AF-S lenses much as I prefer the reassuring feeling of the motor hitting focus.
 
85mm 1.8G is my current favourite
Sigma 35mm Art as second
And hopefully an aquisition in the near future will fill the third spot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top