What's Your Favorite Lens And Why?

[benjacobsen]

Favorite Zoom:
Sigma 24~70mm f2.8 EX DG
Great range with some walking I can get 90% of what I need. Great sharp optics and great price. Also it's fun having a macro zoom. I did just buy the 70~200mm f2.8 EX DG though so my favorite zoom might change. I like them both but for 2005 I would definately say the 24~70mm because I hardly used my other tele zoom.

Favorite Prime:
Canon 100mm f2.8 macro
Love being able to focus so close and make intersting subjects out of mondane items. This has helped me a lot in my PAD since I go to and get out of work in the dark. It lets me find a somewhat interesting photo inside at night. Also a very sharp lens weather using it for macro or not.

Ben

[dougj]

The lens that sits on my Canon 10D is the Canon 17-40L. A great lens for general purpose shooting, especially landscapes. The lens is relatively short and does not create a shadow when the onboard flash is used.

The Canon 24-70L optically is an excellent lens, this is probably my second favorite lens and I use it when I don’t need wide angle.

My favorite longer zoom is the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS. This is one of the best zooms Canon makes. Excellent optics and the image stabilization is great for relatively shake-free shots.

The Canon 50/1.4 is my favorite prime, although I like the 24/1.4 as well when I need a wider angle fast lens.

[tim_arbon]

Well I'm a newbie, having only got my 20D in September, joining PBASE in December and starting a PAD in Jan 1st. That said though, I'm so glad I got the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS as my first lens.

Take last night for example. I decided to take a picture of a church at night, so took my camera with the tripod. Typical beginner's mistake though... when I came to mount the camera, I realised I had left the base plate at home! So I tried it hand-held, and was absolutely amazed at the results when I got home - so much so that tonight I went back and took some more shots, and didn't bother with the tripod at all!

It's also a great "standard zoom" lens for keeping on your camera during the day - particularly because of that 17mm wide angle which is great for architecture and landscapes. I've even been pleasantly surprised by how good it is for indoor sports. Set the 20D at 3200 ISO and you can even shoot table tennis with it (obviously not as good as you could with a faster lens... but then again that's a strength of the 17-85... it may not be the best at everything, but it does a really good job as an all rounder (also a good match with the 70-300 by the way!)

Here's a link to one of the church shots:
http://www.pbase.com/tim_arbon/image/54489582

[johnwaine]

I'd have to go for my Canon 100mm Macro USM. It's not too large, very sharp, great for Macro's and if you have legs it can double as a standard if you have no other lens with you.

[northstar37]

I only have one lens, so I suppose that's my favourite

[bobfloyd]

I only have one lens, so I suppose that's my favourite

Right there with you.

[cjburianek]

Current favorite is my 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM... However I also just received this lens as a birthday gift so a bit biased towards it right now. That said it is incredibly sharp and alot of fun with the ~6" focusing distance... opens up a whole new world of fascinating aspects to life.

Prior to getting that my favorite for most everything is the 24-70 f/2.8 L. Very sharp lens - nice range. Love the 2.8 for low light situations. About the only downside I can think of is the size/weight - it isn't the lightest thing to carry around all day.... You can't let it just hang from you neck you actually have to carry the lens in your hand... unless you want a really sore neck and back... And as my son pointed out, it makes the 100mm f/2.8 Macro look puny...

I haven't gone for the 17-40 which seems to be a favorite of alot of people... decided with the 20Ds 1.6 that I wanted the EF-S 10-22 I really love this lens for wide angle. It is very light and very wide on the 20D.

Still want to get the 50mm f/1.4 eventually which was also mentioned at least once on here... but for now I'm having a grand time with the macro
CJ

[prideofanglia]

The one attached to my little Fuji F10, which comes with me everywhere, never lets me down, and is responsible for most of my PaDs!

On my D70, I have a huge soft spot for my Tamron 90mm macro lens - super sharp, creamy bokeh (aaaarrrrgh!! that word ) and a great creative tool when I'm running out of inspiration.

Also like the 50mm Nikkor for all the usual reasons, particularly for portraits of the kids etc.

Steve

[cjmorgan]

I can't say I have a favorite lens because it seems every few months
my brain shifts gears and I just start seeing the world around me
with the apparent perspective of one lens or another.

I might go through a few weeks where I find myself using my 8mm
lens a lot, and then for a number of weeks after that, perhaps
my 100-400mm lens gets a lot of use while the 8mm lens seemingly
gets ignored.

Every once in a while I'll feel the urge to get back to basics and
so might walk around with nothing but my 50mm lens.

And then perhaps a few weeks after that, it might seem I'm using
my 12-24mm lens for a goodly amount of my shooting more than
any other lens I have.

So for me at least, my "favorite lens" almost depends on which
week you catch me... it seems to go in cycles... like short burst
love affairs which have an unwritten rotation.

And I won't be surprise to learn that some other photographers
have somewhat of a similar relationship with their lenses as well.

CJ

[shelleylauren]

I can't say I have a favorite lens because it seems every few months
my brain shifts gears and I just start seeing the world around me
with the apparent perspective of one lens or another.

I might go through a few weeks where I find myself using my 8mm
lens a lot, and then for a number of weeks after that, perhaps
my 100-400mm lens gets a lot of use while the 8mm lens seemingly
gets ignored.

Every once in a while I'll feel the urge to get back to basics and
so might walk around with nothing but my 50mm lens.

And then perhaps a few weeks after that, it might seem I'm using
my 12-24mm lens for a goodly amount of my shooting more than
any other lens I have.

So for me at least, my "favorite lens" almost depends on which
week you catch me... it seems to go in cycles... like short burst
love affairs which have an unwritten rotation.

And I won't be surprise to learn that some other photographers
have somewhat of a similar relationship with their lenses as well.

CJ

I think you hit the nail on the head with this, and my own post for example was basically an expression of a recent back to basics mood.

[four12]

Depending on my photographic mood (changes frequently), I'd have to say either my Canon 10-22 f3.5-4.5 EF-S USM or the EF 70-200mm f/4L USM.

The 10-22 is wide. Really, really wide. Incredibly wide. If I have any down-angle at all when I take a picture, my toes make it in to the shot (and not only because I have size 13 feet). The image quality is excellent and has very little distortion.

The 70-200L is... well... the 70-200L. Absolutely a-mazing colour, detail, clarity, DoF, everything. It's heavy, it's long but man... can you make a nice shot with it.

I have the 17-40L on my Amazon wishlist if anybody is feeling really generous... I think I would use that lens a lot.

[plbh]

I carry three lenses in my bag, and I like each of them:

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro HSM

I couldn't pick a favorite among them -- it depends what I'm shooting.
<a href="http://www.pbase.com/plbh/image/54588003"><a> <a href="http://www.pbase.com/plbh/image/54815994"><a> <a href="http://www.pbase.com/plbh/image/54805204"><a>
The Sigma 150 macro replaced a Canon 100 macro that my wife took over, and I'd rate them equally good. The Canon focuses much faster -- slow focus is the Sigma's worst fault. But the extra reach of the 150mm makes up for it, particularly with my lens set (Donna has the 100-400L for her telephoto needs).

[terberg]

Strangely enough, my favourite lens is the cheapest fixed focus lens that Canon has ever made. The 50mm F1.8. On the older digital cameras such as the D60, 10D and 300D this converts to a perfect 80mm lens which is ideal for portraiture. Hence, for the price (GBP 20-35) it is the best piece of glass that I have in my bag.

[twalker294]

I'd have to say that right now my favorite is my newest -- the Sigma 30/1.4. I got it about 2 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. Almost every one of my PAD shots has been with this one since I received it. Of course my 80-200/2.8L will always be at the VERY top of the list

[jeremygood]

I don't play favorites.