Which is your favorite lens? Why?

Which is your favorite lens? Why?

My "favorite" lens is the one I select to put on the camera to get the job done; I don't do "favorites". I could figure out what my most used or most useful (for a given circumstance) lens is. I could also tell which lens I (currently) enjoy using the most; it's a fleeting assessment though that can change at any time and it does not necessarily have to coincide with my most used or most useful one.

I agree with Dieter. Lenses are tools. I like my No.1 Phillips screwdriver when that's the right one to use, at other times a No. 2 or a hammer.

 

There is a lens I consider my least favorite ever--an early Tokina 65-200mm f/4 with an intermittently malfunctioning diaphragm. It ruined many (film) exposures before I figured out what was wrong and sent it to the factory, which couldn't fix it. I put up an ad on photo.net with full disclosure and gave it away for the price of postage to another photo.net member on the condition that he never return it.

I differ, sometimes a lens can be a favorite without being more-or-less suited to a particular task. The best lens is another matter altogether and can only be measured in relation to practice. I'll grant my choice below has nothing whatsoever to do with wedding photography.

 

Without regard to function, my all-time favorite lens is my Nikkor-PC 35mm f/2.8. It shaped years of my camera and photographic acquisitions.

 

Here with an adapter on a Canon body:

 

Perhaps useful if one of the partners is VERY tall?

It depends on what I am doing but for portraits it is the 180 on my RB67 and the truly amazing 105/2.5 Nikkor. For general use the 80-200/2.8 ED AIS is like nothing else. My favorite walkaround is a Tamron 28-75/2.8.I have a couple other real favorites but they tend to be more limited in application.

 

Rick H,

My favorite lens is my Nikkor 105 f/2.5. Put it on an F2 and it sums up Nikon film photography IMO.

To do weddings and events you need a range of focal lengths. You probably won't find it covered by a single zoom at appropriate speed. Image quality is another issue. My most versatile zoom is a Sigma 17-70 /2.8-4.5 for APS C bodies (mine have IBIS). - It is unlikely to be a killer lens sharpness wise, but if HD stills for the Internet are the demanded results, why not shoot it?

For serious work I'd pick a Konica Hexanon 35/2, Zeiss 21/2.8 and a 85 or 90mm. If you wanted a "what should I buy?" answer:

Spend on a versatile zoom. - Canon 24-105 or Nikon 24-120, both f4 & stabilized. Dunno what Sony are offering. If you have 2-3 FF bodies: Go for more lenses; 70-200 & 24-70/2.8? Toss in some decent primes if you can handle them or maybe even earlier to be backed up, especially if you skipped the 24-105(+x).

I'm not running a wedding business, just out of money. That 's my reason to not own any of the wider zooms recommended above. - My APS kit is getting long in the tooth but keeps clicking and is paid off and maybe I am not the only lazy person liking their Leica Ms.

Trying to just shoot a bride & groom on B&W film, I'd grab 135 f4.5 and 80mm f2.8 Sekors on the backup body, planning 3 - 7 rolls.

Down to casually shooting just one single prime in dubious lighting, I'll call a 50mm Summicron my favorite choice. - The 90mms are too hard to focus and 50mm isn't the worst compromise ever.

Being in the wedding forum, my answer would be the 24-70 f/2.8 that fits whatever (fullframe DSLR/mirrorless) camera I'd use, followed by a stabilised 70-200 f/2.8. I've got neither, since I don't do weddings, and those I did were a good time ago. Would it be my profession, it would be the pair of lenses I'd get first as bread-and-butter tools.

 

I do have favourite lenses, mostly because they're more speciality tools and they deliver something to the photo that I particularly like, plus I prefer some focal lengths over others. Now typically this means my favourites are not so good at being allround dependent tools. If anyone would ask for advice, it's these boring, dependable, reliable tools kind of lenses that I'd recommend buying over the temperamental flawed little gems that I favourite. So, in short, whatever are my favourites, it's a personal preference and won't apply to many others, nor are they practical.

 

What exactly is the scope of this question? Do you need ideas how other approach and shoot weddings? Are you looking to get into weddings, and need advice what gear to get? It would probably help if you defined your question a bit more explicit, so that you're likely to get answers that actually can help.

Rick, I'm with you on the 180 for the RB, but for 35mm I reach for the 135 2.0 dc. They produce the look I like most, hence are my favorites.

Thank you so much for your replies.

I would have to agree with what is the objective that we want to achieve with the lens. If that lens does that job then that would be my favorite. The lenses are just tools. In a broad sense with me personally I like a 200 2.o , a 17 TSE, 85 1.4 , 135 2.0 24 1.4 and 35 1.4 Now, if the OP asked what is your favorite lens for portrait for me would be the 85 1.2 and now the new 1.4

Since I only have the one lens in the 'normal' range, so by default it is my "favorite," it is the 18-140 DX on a D7200.

Shot 2 weddings with it; 1) classmates son and 2) my nephew.

Favorite zooms for weddings and events:

 

28-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor for SLR

 

16-55mm f/2.8 Fujinon for APS-C Fuji X mirrorless

 

 

 

Favorite prime for weddings and events:

 

35mm f/1.4 Zeiss for Leica M10 rangefinder

 

23mm f/1.4 Fuji for Fuji X mirrorless

 

 

 

Any one of the four lenses listed will allow me to capture 50% of the images I need.

Edited December 18, 2017 by john_narsuitus

For people, in my film days they were the 35mm Summicron-R and the 80mm Summilux-R. In digital it would be the 35 f1.4L and 135mm f2 L. Neither of these I have any more, as although they were my favorite in terms of look, their general utility was not so great, and these have been replaced with either the 24-70 f2.8 zoom, or the 35 mm f2 IS, and 70-200 mm f2.8, which although perhaps not quite as nice, are much more practical.

While this is the forum about weddings, the question doesn't ask that. But to me, favorite means always favorite, not what I am doing that day.

 

From the rangefinder days, my father had 35mm, 50mm, and 135mm LTM lenses for a Canon VI, which I (mostly) inherited.

 

When I bought my Nikon FM, I bought it with the AI 35/2.0, as the 35mm was the lens I was using most.

 

It has always been my favorite for indoors (with the Vivitar 283 flash, which covers a 35mm viewpoint), and outdoors for scenery.

 

Yes it doesn't get used much now, but if I could have only one focal length lens, that would be the one.

My personal favorite is Canon 85 1.4 L IS - it's new from Canon and is the best portrait lens, in my opinion.

The 50 f/1.4 was glued to my F5 for weddings. The orher F5 had the 85 f/1.4.

Although I carry most of my lenses when shooting an event, just in case -- I'd have to say my 'go-to' lens for events, and mostly everything else lately is my 24-70 f2.8 VR (Nikkor; although I secretly like the Tamron better :-) -- second go-to, always in my bag, is my Nikkor 20mm f2.8.

35L, 100L are my favorites.

Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 (latest model), stays on D750 #1 through the entire event.

Nikon 70-200mm f/4 stays on D750 #2 through the entire event.

 

I keep some primes ready for special stuff, but could not do without those two zooms. So not one, but two favorites.

Place holder for when I buy it, the Olympus 12-100 f/4 (24-200 FX/FF equivalent)

One lens convenience.