So, what are your favorite lenses to use for your EOS camera. Just curious to know, for all categories: macro, portraits, zoom, wide, prime. No right or wrong answers, just looking to see what other EOS users like to use.
My 28-70mm/2.8L, it's an old one, but still my favourite. It's sharp, has very good contrast and excellent colors. And even on my crop camera it has a good zoom range. It's on my camera all the time. My 50mm/1.4, I used it a lot on film camera's, but on my crop camera it's a range I don't use very often. I will use it a lot again when I go (back) to FF. I used the 17-40mm/4L on a 5D, and I find it a very nice combination, because of the nice wide-angle range. Also used the Sigma 12-24 on a crop body, which is a good lens as well and results in almost the same range ... it's a really nice range to shoot with. Played around with the 70-200mm/4 IS and the 70-200mm/2.8 IS, of which the latter is just a tank. They are really nice lenses and I will get either some day soon. Also used the 24-105mm/4L IS, which is also a very nice lens, but I always tend to miss the 2.8 when I have this one.
On my 5D, it's got to be the 70-200/2.8 IS, although the 24-105 sits on it most of the time. On the 40D it would be the 300/4 IS (+/-1.4x), a combination that gives excellent length and resolution, but is still light and easily hand held. On the 20D, it would be the 70-200/4, another nice and light combination, which gets used for most purposes. However, the 50/1.8 generally sits on that body.
Just throwing the camera in the bag: 50/1.8 (lightweight, fast, nice IQ) I'm always having fun when using that lens. Serious photography: 70-200/4L IS (handles like a dream, good reach, great IQ) I always feel great when using this lens. Both on a crop factor camera (400D) by the way.
On a 400D: I use the 17-40 for landscape - a great all round lens for that purpose. Feels rugged. Great results. People often talk about the benefits of having something wider but if anything I tend to want the opposite i.e. to have a longer range to pick out details in a landscape. I use Canon's 50 / 1.8 for people, mostly using natural light - It's noisy and feels like it will fall apart in your hands but the combination of sharpness, weight and aperture means that it is astonishingly good value (I have a limited budget!) ... I love the results and also love using a prime for people work as losing one thing to think about helps me focus my mind on the subject.
generally ef135 good casual portraits and short tele, low light and close shots Zuiko 50 f1.4, zeiss 50 & 80 with tripod stuff
Hi, Julian, if I may. I'm from Namibia and am following the different threads and the two lenses that you mentioned, namely, 17-40, f/4 and 50mm, f/1.8, are also on my list. I also want to include the 85mm, f/1.8 for outside portraits. I want to get the Canon 40D as a starting body with the mentioned lenses to do weddings and general people photography. I have had Minolta film equipment, but it's time to change to digital for me. What do you think of those lenses and their coverage when one is on a thin budget, mainly because of our poor exchange rate to the US$ (8.00)?
Martijn, I had Tokina ATX-Pro lenses to go with the two Minolta bodies, which I sold. I still have the bodies, since the buyer of the lenses have the new Sony bodies. I believe that Canon has very good equipment, especially lenses and that's why I'm changing. Should I pay more and go for the 50D when it comes out?
In order of most favourite first: 70-200/2.8L IS, 24-70/4L, 300/4L IS, 17-40L, &100/2.8 Macro USM; regardless of camera.
Johan, compare the 40D and 50D specs and decide yourself if it's worth the extra money. The 50D is basically a 40D with a new sensor and a better LCD. I would personally buy a nice lens to go with the 40D.
Right now my favorite is the canon 17-85 USM IS But others are the 85mm 1.8 and the 50m 1.8 both canons I use the 40d
In order of preference: 24-70mm f/2.8L, then 135mm f/2.0L, then 100mm f2.8 Macro. I seldom use the 17-40mm or the 200mm.
On my 40D Sigma 30 1.4 Sigma 50 1.4 Tamron 17-50 EF 70-300 IS in that order. I really like prime lenses. Next purchase might be 85 f1.8 and 100 f2
On a 5D, 24-70mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.2 indoors. I used the 24-105 for over 2 years, but I take better pictures with the 24-70mm. 70-200mm f/2.8L IS outdoors when I want to lug it, 135mm f/2 when I don't. I mostly take "environmental portraits" of my daughter. For travel, the 17-40mm f/4L + 350D makes a very lightweight package that I like to grab-and-go with.
17-40/4L, 400/5.6L,100/2.8 USM Macro Or at least, I use those lenses the most these days, although the 10-22 may start moving up in the ranks if we get some rain.
24-70 F2.8 L It works in most situations, it's fast, it's sharp. If I had to choose just one lens to own, it would be that one.
EF-S 17-55 F2.8 IS. The best general purpose zoom I have ever used on an APS-C body. For full frame I would have to say I really like the 24-105 F4 IS L, a really nice lens indeed.
5D=24-105mm F/4 L IS is my favorite and most used combination. 30D=70-200mm F/2.8 L IS is my favorite combination, but i probably use the Sigma 18-200mm OS more on this body.
Right now it's the EF-S 17-85 IS, if only for it's focal length range on my XT/350D. However, I just bought the EF 70- 200 f/4L though, so we'll see how long that lasts.
On my 40D, the 24-105mm F4 is my workhorse. I found it was wide enough for the majority of my shots. For wildlife & birds, the 100-400mm L Zoom is tons of fun.
Hands down is the 70-200mm f2.8. It the sharpest lens in the bag. It goes with me on every job. Next is the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8. You can't beat the performance of this lens for the money.
70-200/2.8 IS, of course, on my 5D. It's a truly mystical lens, worth every hard-earned dollar I paid for it.
85 1.8 is my favorite so far want the 24-70 2.8 70-200 2.8 IS and a fast wide prime to augment the excellent 17-40 that I do have
16-35 mm f2.8 L II and 50 mm f1.4 - both on 5D, I used to have 24-70 f2.8 and unfortunately i sold it - if i didn't probably that would be my fav... also i liked 17-55 f 2.8 on 30D - great lens... i don't do any macro so i can't say anything about this field, the only tele that i had was 135 f2 - great lens that produced great images but for some reason i didn't use that very often - i believe it's not every day lens, definitely it wasn't for me...
I must admit that using the 70-200MM F2.8 Image Stabilizer Canon lens is the best I came accross, sharp and of very well balanced, other wise using the Sigma/Canon 150 F2.8 is another wonderful lens I use. I have tried this morning using the Nikon D2X along with the Sigma 50-150MM F2.8 lens and I was so disappointed with the result, I am not sure if the luck of sharpness is due to the Sigma lens or the Nikon D2X camera itself. This is the sort of thing which put me off the Nikon system and looking for more to add Canon original lenses. All of the best
With all of its warts (and why doesn't Canon offer a revised Mk II version?), my favorite on a 15x22mm sensor is still my EF-S 17-85 mm. It's just so handy. Its problems where it matters are easily solved in PS, and most of the time they are not noticeable in real world shooting.
On my 5D, 24mm f/1.4. Maybe it is just the way I see the world, but as far as I am concerned it just rocks. I wonder if the new one is really better.
I'm shooting a 5D. I'd say the 24-105 f/4L gets the most use. True wide-angle to good portrait lens in one package is great. The autofocus speed on this lens is amazing -- almost instantaneous. I shoot a lot of live theater, and the 70-200 f/2.8L IS on a monopod is wonderful. Very sharp, very fast. Also very heavy, but still hand holdable. I'd love to use it for candids, but it is huge and white and attracts attention. I'm also enjoying the Tamron 17-35 f/2.8-4. The extreme corners are soft till f/8, but I use it outdoors in daylight so that's not much of an issue. Except for the extreme corners, it really is a remarkable performer. I'm looking forward to using many of the other lenses mentioned here, but my 2008 lens budget is spent (and then some...).
I was expecting something different, something more in brief: For me as an amateur: 1- 70-200 f4L IS is sharpest ever and best quality of all 2- EFS 10-22 widest angle, not sharp enough, but good colour 3- 18-55 kit lens, dowhatever you want with that lens... may not be good enough but not bad at all for the price... you won't regret if something happens to that lens... you just buy a new one: My wishlist: 1- 100-400 L IS (Affordable) 2- 17-40 L (Affordable) 3- 100 macro
Ashley, you didn't tell us your favorite. As average (or below) as it is, since it's the only lens I own other than the XTi kit lens, my favorite to use is the 75-300 USM non-IS. I did rent the 100mm macro and loved it too. I'm hoping to get the 100-400 this coming year.
I'm using an XTi. My favorite, hands down, is the 100mm f/2.8 USM macro lens. I shoot a lot of macro and I've also used this as a portrait lens. Great color and clarity and loads of bokeh. The lens that's usually on my camera is the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. The focal range covers most of my walking-around needs. For reach I have an EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. I used this to photograph an Indy car race and a late model stock car race at the "Milwaukee Mile" in Milwaukee, WI. Despite being 20 rows up in the grandstand I had plenty of reach. I used servo to maintain constant focus on cars doing well over 100 mph. My photos were sharp and clear enough that I was able to crop and enlarge them enough to be able to read the sponsors decals from the opposite side of the track. To me a very impressive lens for somebody who is shooting on a budget and can't afford the "L" lenses.
APS-C crop sensor: the 16-35 2.8L Full frame/135: the 24-70 2.8L My fave prime is the 85 1.8 My fave telephoto zoom is the 70-200 2.8L
50 1.8 on 5d. I have the 24-70 2.8 and it is great, but it is heavy and big. The 50 1.8 is actually sharper than my 24-70, and of course faster, smaller and lighter. I borrowed the 70-200 4 IS and that is an amazing lens, shoot wide open and it was very very sharp.
No real favorites, or perhaps a long list of them. Depending upon the purpose here are my frequently used right now with 1.6X crop sensor DSLRs: - Portraits: 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 28/1.8. - Sports, events: 24-70/2.8, 70-200/2.8 IS, 300/2.8 IS, occasionally 20/2.8 or 17-35/2.8. - Table top (studio) product shots: 45/2.8 TS-E, 100/2.8 Macro - Outdoor macro: 100/2.8 & (quite a bit less often on crop cameras, 180/3.5). - Wildlife: 70-200/2.8 IS, 300/2.8 IS & 1.4X (and, a bit less often on crop cameras, 500/4 IS and 2X). - Street photography: 20/2.8, 28/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8. - Architecture/landscape: 20/2.8, 24/3.5 TX-E, 17-35/2.8. One thing I occasionally find lacking is a wider lens. Not a lot, I've always only lightly used wide lenses, tended to use teles a lot more. But, I'm pretty close to trading the 17-35 for a 12-24 Tokina. If/when I go full frame, the 20/2.8 would be wide enough for my purposes. If I were to shoot full frame again, I'd probably reconfigure my kit a bit: - I'd put away the 50/1.4 and get a 35/1.4. A 50mm "standard" lens never was a favorite of mine on 35mm film cameras. I tend to use 35mm, 40mm & 45mm lenses as standard, depending upon the system and what's available. I'd also want a 24/2.8 or just use a 24/2 Nikkor AI-S I've already got, and probably leave the 28/1.8 at home. Again, just a personal preference for 24mm over 28mm. (But, on croppers the 28/1.8 is a great "standard" lens, IMO.) I really wish Canon would come out with a 24/2 USM, or at least upgrade the 24/2.8 to USM. I really don't need f1.4 at this focal length, so even the new L isn't of much interest to me, frankly. And, I'd add a 135/2... That's a definite "must have" on full frame, IMO. And, last but not least, a 200/2 IS as soon as it settles down and becomes "affordable" (yeah, right!)
I use my sigma 105 f/2.8 for macro as well as portrait photography, and I just picked up a Canon 70-200 F/4L which I have promptly fallen in love with. I also have a 50 f/1.8 and the Kit... but they rarely seem to get used any more.
EF 400mm f/5.6L USM, tack sharp wide open, focusing is supper fast, pair with 40D = 640mm. I shoot wide open all the time with this lens and never dissappointed with the result. Of course it doesn't have IS so you need to crank up the ISO a bit, on sunny day I use ISO 200 to 250 to keep my shutter speed around 1200-1600. If you shoot birds and can't afford other fast super telephoto + the Tripod + the Gimbal Head, you should not overlook this lens, oh and it's light enough to handheld all day, as the matter of fact it's lighter than my EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM.
i sold my 500 4IS and bought the 600. Regretted it immediately. 500 was as sharp as my Leica Summicron 35 with beautirful contrast and lightning focus. I just wish film wasn't dead. The 500, and all my lenses, worked best with my EOS 1V.
Canon 85/1.2L, Sigma 180/2.8 APO Macro, Tamron 28-105/2.8 SP, Canon 50-200/3.5-4.5 L, Canon 70-200/2.8L, Sigma 24/1.8, Sigma 15-30/3.5-4.5, Canon Life Size Adapter (Makes anything into a macro of sorts), Canon 28-70/2.8 L and it's little brother, the 28-70/3.5-4.5 II, Canon 35-135/3.5-4.5 on a crop body only. Now for the unbelieveable...Canon 28-90/4-5.6 III! ! ! Only used on crop body to shoot small items for the internet, mostly ebay. The 38 CM minimum focusing distance is great for what I do and stopping it down to 11 or 13 together with flash makes it perfect for this application.
The F4 zooms... 17-40 - 24-105 - 70-200IS 24-70 for the brief time I had it. The 58mm threaded primes... 28 1.8, 50 1.4, 85 1.8, 100 F2 and macro. And last and best... 135L
As a learning amateur, I like my 24-85mm, and having the 50mm f/1.8 appears to be a good choice, too. Great images when I do what I need to do as a photographer, light and fun.
The one I use the most (parties & groups): 16-35mm f2.8L USM II... The one I like the most (portraits): 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM. By the way, I have an EOS 30D.
24-105L 4.0 on my 5D. I have used it on 99% of my pictures, the rest 50mm f/1.8. Before digital I used 20-35 f/3.5-4.5, 28- 105 f/3.5-4.5 almost equally often, and 50 f/1.8 for people. But the first two lenses are now unacceptably soft on digital. My 100mm macro sees very little action at the moment unfortunately.
28-135 is my favorite walk around. I love the range, but on my 20D it isn't wide enough and I spend most of my time in the 100+ range I better pull out that 50 prime. Other reviews have inspired me to use it again. 10-22 makes me see the world differently, which I need from time to time. 70-300 for zoos.
5D and my trusty 70-200 2.8 IS along with my primes 24 1.4 135 2.0 50 1.4 and on my crop body 100-400 IS used mostly on aircraft shots. When my 40D is not being used for it's 6.5 fPS, I use it as my back-up with a 24-70 and 10-22. v/r Raz
all round; sigma 100-300 f/4 and then the 24-105 L, Portraits; canon 24-70 L , Canon 135L, 70-200 f2.8, 85 f1.8, macro; sigma 150, wide Tokina 17 f3.5
On a Canon 20D: Sigma 30/1.4, no doubt. Fast focusing and sharp enough wide-open to make a Leica-phile bristle. For something wider - but not nearly as sharp wide-open or otherwise - the Sigma 20/1.8 is a commendable chunk of glass as well.
-70-200 f/4 (sometimes with 1.4x teleconverter, often with a monopod) - great combo for day time kid sports, short end is fine for portraits, very sharp, great IQ (do wish I'd bought the IS version, though); -17-55 IS - nice walk-around lens, good for indoors, moderately low light, love the IS; -10-22 - excellent lens for architecture, interior shots, cityscapes, very sharp from 11mm on up; -300 f/4 IS (usually with teleconverter) - good, sharp entry-level wildlife set-up (and not too heavy); -50 f/1.8 - nothing really wrong with this lens, but I prefer the flexibility of the 17-55.
For weddings, the 15mm fish eye is a blast and a half! But of course you can over due it with that lens. It still remains a favorite lens.
I use a 1.6crop body. 28-70mm/2.8L is my walkaround lens which I have used to make great family portraits: 100-400/4.5-5.6LIS and 300/2.8LIS w/ or w/o TC (1.4 or 2.0x) for wildlife; 17-40/4L for landscapes; 70-200/2.8LIS and 300/2.8LIS for sports; 135/2.0L if I want great bokeh. These preferences may change when I acquire a 5D MKII.
On my 400D The 85 f1.8 is my favorite although my 24-70L is my workhorse. The 50 f1.8 is definitely my "Best Buy" and I've probably gotten my most interesting shots with my 70-300mm IS. And as someone above said, I want the 70-200 f2.8 IS....
My favorite lens is my 70-200 f/2.8L IS, hands down. It's amazingly sharp and fast, both in terms of aperture and AF speed. On my 30D it's a killer combo, and on my 1vHS it's even more of a killer combo. I also use the 17-40 f/4L a lot as well as my trusty old 28-135IS, a lens that I think is fantastic but gets a bad rap from people who haven't learned all of its idiosyncrasies. The focal range along with the full-time AF and IS are priceless, and mine is apparently a very sharp copy.
Michael, I don't have a lot of lenses, I have 2 kit 18-55 lenses (one is IS), a 75-300 1:4-5.6, and a 60mm macro. I'm going to go with the macro as my favorite. I wanted to ask this question to see what other users liked to get ideas on new stuff for myself, so thank you all for your responses, they were greater than I expected.
70-200 f4 L. It focuses very fast and built solid. Also 17-40 L for landscapes. I use an aps sensor camera.
I currently shoot a Rebel XT (on waiting list for 5D MkII) and I always make sure I carry these lenses; 24-70L 2.8 (great for portraits) and the 70-200L 2.8 IS when I want either extreme close-up or looking for a candid (while trying to be inconspicuous). Both are phenomenal and I can't wait to see how they work on the 5D MkII.
I use 40D body.... My fav lenses... portraits... EF 50mm f/1.8, el-cheapo & EF 85mm f/1.8 USM zoom... EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L USM wide... EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM prime... EF 50mm f/1.8, el-cheapo & EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
For my 1D3 and 5D: 16-35 2.8L 24-70 2.8L 70-200 2.8L IS 50mm f/1.8 In that order of how often I use them. Michael
I am using a 5D. My field is nature (landscape and macro). So if I have only one lens to bring, I usually take with me f4 24-105. For macro, I like the incorporated IS feature. But in most cases : f4 17-40 and f4 70-200 IS (+1.4 converter). If I want to limit myself in equipement I leave the 24-105 home. I also use 24 TSE and 45 TSE, to set the horizon where I want in the frame and also to stich panorama images.
Shooting with a 350d (but soon to be 50d once the reviews start coming in) I use the 24-105L. It produces fantastic IQ, is light, versatile and good value for money. I also have the Canon 100mm macro but need some more practice with it.
Portraits: 85 f1.8 (indoors) 135 f2 (outdoors) Zoom: toss-up 11-16 f2.8, 17-50 f2.8, 70-200 f4 (non-IS) Wide: 11-16 (but I would like a really sharp 14mm at a good price--why is this such a hard feat for the lens makers?) Prime: 135 f2 (my favorite lens) Macro: 17-50 f2.8 (until I get a dedicated macro)
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. This is my favorite lens, the f/2.8 allows me to control DOF much better than 100-400. Zooming is easy and the lens does not extend while focusing or zooming. I really love this lens!
For my 20D, Sigma 10 - 20 F4.5/5.6 For my 5D, 17 - 40L F4, 24 - 105L IS F4, and 70 - 200L IS 2.8 For 1V, 50 mm 1.8
EF 24-70 f/2.8 USM L, but It's big and I wished Canon made a compact and bijoux f/4 L version. And I don't mean a new 24-105 f/4 LIS, which is about as big.
I own a Canon EOS 300 film camera and two Canon lenses, EF 28-90 mm, 1:4/5.6 and EF 90-300 mm, 1:4.5/5.6 . I also purchased a Sigma macro lens 105 mm 1:2.8 recently and I am experiencing it as primary lens nowadays.
I run with a 500mm f4, (sigma) 120-300mm 2.8, 80-200mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8, (sigma) 10-20mm 4-5.6, and the 50mm 1.4. Looking to get a 400mm 2.8 shortly. 120-300, 500, and the 24-70 are my favorites. Ben
I use a Tamron 17-50mm, a Canon 50mm 1.8 II and a Sigma 70-300mm Macro on my Canon 30d. The Tamron is great, the 50mm very good value and the Sigma just soso for outdoor sports. Generally I'm happy with this set but I would like to switch the Sigma with the Canon 70-200mm F4 L but first I'm saving for a iMac. You just can't have it all. When I compare my shots made with the 17-50mm and a 17-40mm F4 L lens I can't see why the Canon has to be doubled in price.
I think the 24-70 f2.8 on the 5d is a pretty good winner and often couple that with the 70-200mm f2.8 on the 40d. That gives a straight through 24-300mm f2.8 on the both which covers everything i think i could ever need and then some. That said the results of the 70-200 mm on the 5d are pretty special stuff too and prefer that combo over the 40d in low light conditions.
a 17-40 and 35-350 canon has given me the best result amongst my 24-105 and 70-200 f 2:8 lenses with my 5D. with regards.
40D MP-E65mm 100mm macro 100-400mm 17-40mm My wish is for a 70-200 f2.8 They are in order how I use them but depends on the need at that time
I have 40D and 90% of the time I use 17-40 f4 (because of landscape pictures, I long for 5D), but the best lens I have is 70-200 f4 IS, sharp, amazingly sharp. Sometimes I use 50 f1.8 (but now mainly on film body).
Hmmmm... well, I've been left behind with my 10D rig, but on that modest and ageing beastie I tend to use my lenses in the following order: 17-40/4L - gives me moderate wide to moderate telephoto and is my 'standard' lens - very sharp on my crop-frame body and handles very well. 50/1.4 - capable of spectacular results but on the 10D I sometimes find it difficult to keep things in focus when shooting wide-open or close to wide-open. 100/2.8 Macro - stunning lens, lousy AF but great fun. A bit too much reach on the 10D, but even when I bought this lens (three or four years back) I knew one day I'd be moving to a FF body, on which it will be perfect. 85/1.8 - a good lens but sadly I find that a great many of my shots are plagued by the extremely short DOF (or maybe it's focus error with the 10D). Splendid stopped down a bit though. And that's it. I only own four lenses. I am thinking 5Dmk2 next spring, and I might go with a used 70-200/4L lens to give me more reach on that body. My thoughts are that 17-40 : 50 : 70-200 has a nice symmetry, and I may sell the 85 to fund the 70-200...
My camera bag has two 40Ds. One has a 24 f1.4L and the other a 85 f1.2L. There's a 14 f2.8L in the bag, too. The 24 & 85 are my two main lenses with the 14 if I need it.
Favorite lens is probably my 100mm f/2.8 Macro . . . thing just has beautiful color and sharpness. Plus it's a portrait lens. Second is my 50mm f/1.4 - but that recently broke . . . need some repair, unfortunately. I have the 24-70mm f/2.8 L but for some reason . . . I don't like it as much as other people do. I'm not sure why. (Canon 40D)
I'm humbled by all these expensive lenses, but for a poor guy like me, my 40D with: macro: 100mm macro walk around: one 40D with the 24-105L en the other 40D with the 100-400L wide: 10-22EF-S I love my 100-400 a lot.
On rebel xt and 40D: 100-400 is my most used by far and I like it even better now on the 40D tamron 17-50, 85 1.8, 50 1.8
The 50 mm 1.4 (the 1.8 as well) Both on full frame cameras. They give the dreamiest results in low light, plus awesome for portraits and just about everything else.
I have a humble collection to go with my 40D comprising: EF-S 17-85 IS EF 70-300 IS Sigma 50mm DG Macro Spoiled by the IS of the Canon lenses, I often curse the little Sigma when I try stupid things with it that it doesn’t like doing, otherwise it's a very capable lens. 17-85 has some annoying optical quality issues but it's such a versatile lens that I wouldn't want to part with it. 70-300 is ok but a bit slow at the full zoom end, instead of shooting wild animals, I mostly use it to make flower portraits now.
I have 3 lenses Im not qualified or experienced enough to answer this. But here is my 2 cents worth I have the 24-105 L I love it, its clear sharp just a great walk around lens. The 100mm 2.8 Macro is a great little lens I use it for people and Macro it could be used as a walk around as well. The lens that seems to like "me" the best though is the 100-400 F4.5-5.6 L IS USM that lens seems to get the best shots more often. Course when I use that lens its on a tripod becouse I just can't hold it steady for more than a few shots because of its size. So more than likely thats the reason why it gets better shots. Ok I have done enough spouting, I'll return you to the the regular programing with people who know what they are talking about.
It really depends on what for, but when I travel light my kit is EF 17-40mm f/4L & TS-E 24mm f/3.5L for my 40D or EF 24-70mm f/2.8L & TS-E 24mm f/3.5L for my 1v
It HAS to be the 70-200mm f/4 IS lens for me ..that I acquired yesterday! Woo Hoo!<br><br>Bur, apart from that the lens that I relish every time I use it, is the 85mm 1.8. Such a sweet piece of kit that is.
"the lens that I relish every time I use it, is the 85mm 1.8. Such a sweet piece of kit that is." My thoughts exactly. A pleasure to use and wonderfully sharp from edge to edge. If only there was a 28mm as good....
I pretty much keep the 24-105 f/4 on all the time, with the 17-40 f/4 available when I need to go wide. I also have the 70- 200 f/2.8 which I love but it's a bit heavy to lug around when I need to be on my feet a lot.
Travel, nature, wildlife: 5D + 24-105 & 100-400 or 40D + 100-400 for a two body system. I also often use 35 f2, 85 f1.8 indoor group or portrait and 60 & 100 macros but I have definitely been spoiled by IS. I should also mention the 17-40 for both bodies but wider than 24 takes skill on the 5D that I'm still learning. I get good performance and versatility from all these lenses but the first two are my favorites.
As usual the answer is it depends. Favorite for what? I've been shooting a long time first with the original Japanese market EOS 5 bodies which quickly proved inadequate for the abuse of motorsports. That bad experience caused me to jump to the EOS 1n and EOS 1nRS bodies which I loved and used for many years to cover motorsports. When the EOS 1D came out I bought one and six months later I never shot a roll of film again. I have owned and/or used virtually every significant Canon EF lens offered except for the EF1200 at some point or another and my list of favorite lenses has evolved over time depending on the subject. Shooting a lot of interior and exterior architecture using EOS 1DsXX bodies I almost always take shots using my trusty old EF15 2.8 and EF16-35 2.8L lenses. But interiors are funny and a lot of the high-end buildings and homes I shoot are huge and require some focal length and I frequently use an EF70-200 2.8L IS or if I can my middle length primes EF85 1.8USM, EF100 2USM, EF135 2.8L or the EF300 2.8L. I often have to shoot a lot of table top product shots usually taken with an EOS 1DsXX and an EF50 1.4USM, EF85 1.8US or EF100 2USM. Back in the golden days of CART I used to shoot motorsports and for those jobs I usually had an EF70-200 2.8L on a secondary EOS 1n body and booster and depending on the track an EF300 2.8L or EF400 2.8L sometimes with an EF1.4X on the monopod with my primary EOS 1n body and booster mounted. I would also carry an EF16-35 2.8L and sometimes EF15 2.8 to add interest. I also used to shoot a lot of music groups and personalities for European and Japanese music magazines and trades with a shooting partner. We used just about everything in the bag from EF15 2.8 to EF300 2.8L depending on what the magazine or outlet was looking for. For straight portraits and candids I currently shoot an EOS 1DsXX with EF28-70 2.8L, EF100 2USM, EF135 2L or EF70-200 2.8L IS. For personal work which is largely street scene, people and purely graphic I like EF50 1.4USM and EF16-35 2.8L or EF28-70 2.8L backed up with the EF70-200 2.8L IS on an EOS 1DsXX.. My most favored lenses are EF15 2.8, EF16-35 2.8L, EF28-70 2.8L, EF 50 1.4USM, EF70-200 2.8L IS, EF85 1.8USM, EF135 2L and EF300 2.8L. But I also have and find regular use for the EF14 2.8L, EF20 2.8USM, EF28-105 3.5-4.5USM II, EF100 2USM, EF300 4L IS, EF1.4xII and EF2xII converters. But in all honesty I'm pretty spoiled given the lenses I have sitting on the shelf.
For portrait photography I love the Canon EF 28-70 mm f/2.8 L USM lens or the Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L USM For street photography the CANON EF 28-135MM F/3.5-5.6 IS USM and the CANON EF 35-350MM L F/3.5-5.6 USM are my favorites. When I don't want to take the bulky 35-350 with me, I sometimes use a Tamron 18-200 AF Aspherical XR Di ll 3.5-6.3 Macro as a walkabout lens. I also have several prime lenses but I rarely use them because the zoom lenses are so much more flexible.
thirty five one four opened up <p> <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/2770198213_b53d96f8c1.jpg?v=0"> <p> <img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2378520407_038e4bc1d4.jpg?v=0">
on a 1D MkII I definitely use most of the time my 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS; alternatively I use the 24-105mm f/4 L IS + 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS combo when travelling cities; for macro work I use a 20D with a 100mm f/2.8
16-35/2.8 II sits on my 1D virtually all the time. I'm also very fond of the 24/1.4 and I'm starting to like the Sigma 30/1.4 + Rebel/450D combination.
not my most used lens now (my 17-55 f2.8IS is) but if i can only keep 1 lens it will be my 50 f1.4 usm
1) If I travel on business, 5D with 50mm/1.4 is my kit in my backpack plus laptop etc. I find that 5D and a 50mm lens are very discreet and versatile. 2) If I know I will have time to shoot but don't know what object, 24-105/4L IS and 50/1.4 are my kit sometimes with a flash in a seperate pistol bag. 3) If my trip is mainly for pictures, 16-35mm/2.8L, 70-200/2.8L IS, 50/1.4, EF 1.4x plus the strobe are my standard kit in a shoulder bag 4) After the new 24-105/4L IS, I found my old 28-70/2.8L rarely used 5) I used 28-135mm once or twice only after 5D before 24-105/4. I don't see any reason to use it now. My reality of usage frequency is in above mentioned order.
Canon EF 70-300mmDO IS on a 400d totally non professional photo enthusiast:O) simple sharp lens for my wanders through the woods to the days out with the family
My favorite lens is the 28-300 mm 3.5-5.6 L IS USM . It lets me cover all kind of shots I want to take with one lens.Although it is on the heavy side it is worth the sacrifice. And recently I have purchased the 50mm 1.2 L USM and I am quite pleased with this lens too as it is light weight , very sharp and quick.
On 350D 24-70mm f2.8L is sharp and very good general purpose lens 85mm f1.8 is an affordable lens with great value for money, I have produced quality portraits with it. 15mm f2.8 Fisheye- I am using this for architecture and interiors, correcting the deformation with software’s