Which lens / focal length surprised you?

[cuthbert]

I've long felt more comfortable shooting with longer-ish lenses, 40mm and upwards and have been doing so for all the time I've been taking pictures.

It's 85mm or more when I need to blow out but sort of keep in a the background and 40mm/ 50mm when I need capture a bit more it's a focal length that seems so natural to compose and picture the scene in your head, as you pretty much get you are looking at.

Last year, just because I felt I needed something wider for interiors (some of the shots I need are in quite small spaces and even 35mm doesn't cut it), I got myself a Sigma 24 1.4, but what surprised me is just how versatile 24mm is, and to be honest, I've absolutely fallen in love with it. It has this quality, it captures this depth that I suppose shooting with longer lenses I hadn't appreciated before.

It's at the point where if I could only have one focal length of lens, it would be a really struggle to pick between 24mm and 40mm.

What lens/focal length did you unexpectedly fall in love with?

 

[Plain Nev]

I should think we have to talk about full frame, because crop sensors go all to pot. I've previously dabbled in 28mm, but wasn't overly impressed. However, I had occasion to use a Canon FDn 28mm earlier this week, and it really converted me. Mainly, I suspect, because I've previously used my right eye to focus, and always found it a struggle. But, have switched to my left eye and I'm amazed how much clearer things are. So, for that reason alone I love my little 28.

 

[woof woof]

I started with a fixed lens compact which had a 43mm lens and mostly I've stayed 35/40/50 although for a time a 12-24mm was my most used lens. These days 35mm is my most used but with 50mm close behind.

 

[Boots]

I should think we have to talk about full frame, because crop sensors go all to pot. I've previously dabbled in 28mm, but wasn't overly impressed. However, I had occasion to use a Canon FDn 28mm earlier this week, and it really converted me. Mainly, I suspect, because I've previously used my right eye to focus, and always found it a struggle. But, have switched to my left eye and I'm amazed how much clearer things are. So, for that reason alone I love my little 28.

I was going to post almost an identical entry - Canon FD 28mm really surprised me and is now my go to lens on my old film Canons.

Prior to that I am a "serial monogamist", I tend to stick a prime lens on a camera and fall in love with it. In roughly the right sequence (all are EF lenses): 100mm, 50mm, 24mm, 35mm (very odd this one, it's old, slow and noisy, but great), 85mm.

 

[delb0y]

28mm for me, too. Mine is on the Ricoh GRiii. This is a lovely camera and an excellent lens. It's taking a bit of adjustment as I've been using long lenses for a while, but this is the camera and focal length I'm turning to day after day at the moment. Can be scary having to get in close, but I'm enjoying it immensely.

 

[cuthbert]

Really interesting you've all gone for the 28mm, I really get that. A decent compromise between 24 and 35 but still with the WA look.

I think that's what I love about WA, getting in close looks so deep than framing the scene identically but with something longer, really takes some getting used to at times

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

The Tamron 16~300mm.

What other lens takes you from here...



to here...



with a quick twist of the collar?

 

[Phil V]

It might sound daft… but I didn’t discover the joy of the 35mm till I’d been shooting over 30 years.

Always considered myself a ‘longer focal length’ kinda photographer, my favourite FL being 135. Obviously I’ve always had wider lenses too, but when the Sigma Art 35 came out, I saw some interesting results, and I had the money, so I bought it as much to ‘have a go’ as anything.

And the 35 and 135 combo became my most used from that point on.

 

[gramps]

Discounting long telephotos for my wildlife photography, I always went for a zoom like the 24-120 'walkabout' or similar.
However moving to street photography I now use the Leica Q with fixed 28mm and the Ricoh GR III with fixed 18mm on APS-C (28mm).
So for me 28mm is the new norm because of the type of photography I do and I like its versatility.
It surprised me because I didn't think I would be happy getting so close to people, having had the zoom capability before and it also surprised me in what can be achieved with the wide angle it provides as it opens up the viewfinder.

 

[Tdes]

Shooting events I always use 24-70 and 70-200 (L f2.8's). But they are heavy so only took a 35 and 50 with me on holiday last year. The 50 never touched the camera! The 35mm is on the camera at events where I am able to move closer or away, the 24-70 is back on where I don't have that option.

 

[woof woof]

Years ago but in the digital era I walked into a camera shop when we still had three in town (there aren't any now) and I saw a Sigma 30mm f1.4 (an APS-C lens) in the display case and as I wasn't on line then and didn't read photography magazines I didn't know they made lenses with that wide an aperture. So I bought it

 

[swanseamale47]

For me it was 35mm on full frame. It's a lovely "walk around" length (for me anyway) great for street shots, landscapes, even the odd portrait, although not flattering unless your carfull or lucky. It just seemed the sweet spot for me. There was a time I only carried a body and that lens. Now with better faster zooms I still seem to use that area of the range more.

 

[Compuwight]

I bought a Nikon nifty fifty 'pancake' 1.8 lens on a whim from 'evilbay' fitted it to an old FF D600 and had some fun doing everything in manual. I was pleasantly surprised with the images from a 20 year old lens. Now my walkabout and kept in the car.

 

[zx9]

These last twenty years or so 35mm has been my walk around lens, I can see a composition before I lift the camera to my eye and know pretty much where to stand to get the framing that I want, 50mm much less so.

My surprise lens was getting a 11 - 22mm for my APSC. Surprise because it has become my city walk about lens, it was hardly off my camera when we visited Vienna last October. In the past I owned an EOS 5D and had a 17-35 f/2.8 L which got very little use yet the 11-22 on APSC is much the same angle of view and I love it.

 

[Kell]

I think the thing that surprised me most was when I first used my 24-70 on a FF.

I previously had a crop sensor and while I liked the lens, I never considered 24mm to be particularly 'wide'*. Then I used it on FF and was totally surprised by it.

Other than that, I had a 10-22 for my crop sensor and really liked that - despite its limited range.

So much so that I now have a 17-40 for the FF. Weirdly, and I can't put my figure on why, I don't like it as much.

*Which I suppose it isn't as it's equivalent to 38.4 on FF

 

[Kell]

These last twenty years or so 35mm has been my walk around lens, I can see a composition before I lift the camera to my eye and know pretty much where to stand to get the framing that I want, 50mm much less so.

My surprise lens was getting a 11 - 22mm for my APSC. Surprise because it has become my city walk about lens, it was hardly off my camera when we visited Vienna last October. In the past I owned an EOS 5D and had a 17-35 f/2.8 L which got very little use yet the 11-22 on APSC is much the same angle of view and I love it.

I think the thing that surprised me most was when I first used my 24-70 on a FF.

I previously had a crop sensor and while I liked the lens, I never considered 24mm to be particularly 'wide'. Then I used it on FF and was totally surprised by it.

Other than that, I had a 10-22 for my crop sensor and really liked that - despite its limited range.

So much so that I now have a 17-40 for the FF. Weirdly, and I can't put my figure on why, I don't like it as much.

Weird - I've just read your reply and have pretty much the same experience.

 

[mho]

I always used 24-70 as my walk around, but when I switched to Leica I decided i only wanted one lens and checked for my most used focal length with the 24-70 on my images and I was around 30-40, so decided to buy the 35mm F/2 Summicron APO ASPH and wow the best coice i ever made, just love it.

 

[Nod]

Probably the 28-80 (IIRC!) that came with my F65 as the kit lens. Not so much that it was a fabulous lens as that it was an auto-focus one and far faster (and more accurate!) than me focussing manually.

 

[billgatese30]

When I had my APS-C on my Canon 40D it hardly had anything other than a 24-105 on it most of the time and I was perfectly happy. However weirdly as much as 24-105 seems to make more sense on my 5D I tend to find the 5D now has my SIgma 35mm Art on it unless I want the reach of the 70-200 but that is something specific. For some reason the 35mm is just magical and if I ended up with a Leica (dream!) I think it would get a 35mm too!

 

[David_Mug]

I have always favoured longer than normal lenses and usually use a 110mm as the 'standard' lens on my Bronnie SQ-A.

I have, however, become somewhat entranced by the images from my 40mm PS lens. It's quality is amazing.

I think that I have been seduced by a stunning piece af glass!