What's your favourite lens?

[throt]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

That's the 35mm f/3.6 Macro? It's one Olympus lens I haven't used much. The 50mm f/2.0 Macro has had a lot of use though.

Ian

Getting a good macro out from 35mm can be challenging as for 1:1 the subject has to be only couple of cm off the lens end. When I was about to get a new lens I was thinking about Oly lenses 50; 12-60; 14-54; 25. As for 50 it seemed too long, 12-60 a bit out of the budget, 14-54 after reading reviews and thinking over it decided rather would get 12-60. So at the first planned to get 25mmf2.8 for my first lens. But just before getting it saw that 35mm has the same price tag. So had couple of days debate with myself shorter and brighter (that would benefit indoors I mainly shoot) or quality with macro. So finally made the conclusion to go after quality and as it doesnt cost that much it could have been sold later to get other one. Was in doubt about the choose the whole time it delivered but after shooting with it never regretted having this one. AF speed, image and built quality is a lot better than kit lens.

The fist pic I took with it


Last time I went out shooting was a village dance party about month ago. On following image the sky and water stream looked a bit burned out at first but somehow the details were preserved by ancient E-1 sensor and nicely recovered in PP.

[Ian]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

This thread is being dominated by Zuiko shooters! Surely we have some Canon, and Sony Alpha (Minolta) users who have favourite lenses

If Bob Ross is looking in - he will have a hard time choosing from all is Leica M-series glassware

Ian

[al_kaholik]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

That fire engine picture is really special throt.

For me it is the classic Zukio Digital 14-54mm. It is a reasonably affordable "pro" lens when bought second hand which can deliver so much. Its such a versatile lens in all conditions. I find myself doing far less PP with this than I ever did with the the 14-42mm, which would be my budget/kit favourite lens - mostly due to the wide angle and compact size.

Macro

[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/atb321/7783194048/[/ame]
[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/atb321/7783194048/[/ame] by a_t_b321, on Flickr

And low light handheld, f2.8 really delivering

[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/atb321/7906845014/[/ame]
[ame]http://www.flickr.com/photos/atb321/7906845014/[/ame] by a_t_b321, on Flickr

[OlyPaul]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

Before I sold all my Olympus FT gear it would have been the 50mm Macro.

But my most used lens on my little Olympus E-PL3 (which I have only owned for 2 months) at the moment is the Olympus mz 40-150mm as it is very versatile.









I have not incuded my Pentax.

[Ian]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

We want to hear about your fave Pentax lens, Paul!

I like the shy bloom in the first picture (Dahlias?)

Ian

[OlyPaul]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

We want to hear about your fave Pentax lens, Paul!

I like the shy bloom in the first picture (Dahlias?)

Ian

Yep they are Dahlia's Ian.

As to the Pentax lens that would be the DA 55-300mm.

[Pol]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

I love that picture of the Orange Poppy. I'm also loving the 2 pictures of Gabe - both from the Pentax lens and the one off the Oly 40-150.


Pol

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

I too enjoy Wide & Ultra Wide Angle lenses. The 7-14 often gets used to produce dramatic close-ups and even portraits with huge distortions.

My 9-18 is the default lens on the MFT System.

But without doubt the favorite is my 14-35 f/2

[David Morison]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

I agree with the 7-14mm although I don't often use it, but it is always there in my bag. My favourite is, as you may guess, the Leica 14-150mm - excellent resolution and minimal distortion and I'm happy with it's performance at all focal lengths and it's even good for semi-macro too:



It stays on my E-M5 97% of the time.

David

[David M]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

I replied to an earlier thread.

http://dpnow.com/forum2/showthread.php?t=12165

Mine's still the 350mm f/2.8 now followed by the Samyang 85mm f/1.4.

[Ray Shotter]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

Do you have a really favourite lens? A lens that stays on your camera the most, for example? What is it that makes this lens special for you?

Ian

If I may comment on what was my favourite lens which was almost fixed to my camera - then - when I owned an E-1, E-510 and an E-3 - it was the Olympus Zuiko 14-54 Mk1. The 50mm F2.0 Macro was next because I tended to shoot flora etc.. However, when I owned an E-P2 it was the mZuiko 14-150mm (a superb all purpose lens in my opinion).

When I owned a Leica M2 from approximately 1959 - 1976 and now that I have an M9 it is the Summicron M 50mm F2.0.

However, when I anticipate that I may have to take a group or landscape shot I usually take the Summarit M 28mm F2.8 as a reserve.

Both lenses are small enough to fit into my small Tamrac camera bag along with an extra SD card, extra Battery, battery charging gear, lens cleaning equipment. Total weight 3lb 14oz. Not as light as my E-P2 with 14-150mm lens attached plus similar accessories; but much lighter than my E-1 and E-3 equipment which needed a bigger bag anyway.

So, I imagine that most people, like me, tend to choose a lens or lenses primarily for their overall capability and ease of carrying when out for the day or when on holiday.

Regards.

Ray.

[Barr1e]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

Another Olympus fan.

I have a few favourites -

70-300

50-200 + 1.4 converter

12-60

and the fantastic 50mm.

Regards. Barr1e

[Bob Ross]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

This thread is being dominated by Zuiko shooters! Surely we have some Canon, and Sony Alpha (Minolta) users who have favourite lenses

If Bob Ross is looking in - he will have a hard time choosing from all is Leica M-series glassware

Ian

Well Ian, I do have a favorite Minolta Maxxum lens,,,,the pre-G 85/1.4. I keep a KM5D just to use it digitally.
I have for most of my life liked the short tele lenses and I have a few like the 90/2 Summicrons M and R, Vivitar Series One 90/2.5 macro and some 100mms. My E-5 has the 50/2 on it and my E-3 has the 35/3.5. The E-1 has the 11-22mm. On the M8 you can usually find the 50/2 Summicron, but at the moment it has a CV 50/1.1 Nokton, as I am in the learning phase with that lens.
My "favorite" may be in a state of change, beacause I have become a left eye photographer after 50 years, due to a cataract in the right eye. Now I get to check the theories on right brain/left brain in the art of composition habits.
Another question here is why X lens is a favorite. Is it the field of view?; the out of focus rendering?; your usual subject distance? If the subject you are after has been imagined, what focal length does your brain use?
Bob

[al_kaholik]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

Bob, it is an interesting question. For me its the 14-54 because it is such a flexible lens. It does probably 95% of the shooting I want to do, and it does it well. That range gives most city shooting and enough zoom to find interesting things nestled amongst what is around us.

On top of that is makes me look like a serious photographer. That I find, counts for quite a bit.

[David M]

Re: What's your favourite lens?

Good point Bob, maybe your favourite lens should be to one that you've taken your most published photos with, or the one that earned you the most money or won you the most awards. If using those criteria my choices would be very different.