What are your favourite lenses?

Will Pratney

I'm still experimenting.... on Fujifilm X-Mount the one lens I knew I had to get (and am still extremely glad I got) was the Fujifilm XF50mm F2. Based on a lot of personal research, glowing reviews and falling in LOVE with the focal length (76mm FFFoVE*), I knew that for my needs it was a definite "must-have."
* Full Frame Field of View Equivalent
It's tiny, lightweight, robust, weather-resistant, super quiet and fast focusing, provides beautiful color rendition, and (for portraits important) NO BARREL DISTORTION! I was looking for something I could use for candids, everyday portraits and travel. This lens is great for what it does.

Here are some of the things that I look for when considering a new lens:
1. Focal length. Does it match or meet my focal length need(s)?
2. Color. Do the colors coming out of it match or come close to matching the color rendition I'm looking for?
3. Distortion. No noticeable or very little barrel, mustashe or pincushion distortion.
4. Bokeh. Do I find the bokeh pleasing enough in all lighting conditions and F-stops?
5. Sharpness. Can it resolve my 40mp sensor? Do the images look sharp enough for my needs?
6. Noisiness. Can it be used discreetly such as during a wedding ceremony without disturbing anyone? Would a ninja be willing to take it with them on a recon mission?
7. Size and weight. Does it need its own suitcase or can I fit it in my camera purse with at least one other lens?
8. Durability. If it's not a budget lens can I reasonably count on it still working in 2 years to come?
9. Price.

Some of the lenses I am looking to get next are:

Meyer Optik Goerlitz Lydith 30mm F3.5 V2
Viltrox 56mm F1.2 Pro
Fujinon XF90mm F2

Mike Canzoneri

for nikon full frame, my favorite lens was probably my 300mm f/4 PF.....very small, light and sharp. but now that I'm on the Z platform, I really want to get the 400 f/4.5 next to see how that one performs on my Z8.

for micro 4/3 it's the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 pro zoom.

for Sony full frame, probably the 90mm f/2.8 macro.

regarding 3rd party lenses, my favorite is the tamron 35mm f/2.8 (0.5x macro)....sharp, small, light, and a half macro all for about $200.

Andrew Bailey

I have a relatively small kit for my Zf. The first lens I bought for it was the 50mm f1.8 S, which people were widely complaining about, price-wise. They've come around. I'd recommend it, though it's not a character lens. It's sharp and quick and good in low light.

I bought my Voigtländer 50mm f/1.0 the next year. I call it "The Owl" because it sees in the dark. Rich character wide open up to 2.0 or so. By four you can slice bread with it, but I rarely stop down much, because the character/art shots are why I bought it.

I had a 24-120 f/4 S, but sold it because I prefer primes. If I own another zoom, it will probably be the new 24-70 II from Nikon. I love that it doesn't telescope, and that's my full range, really. Well maybe an 85 for portraits and street shots when I don't feel like being as visible to my subject.

Used the proceeds to pick up the Viltrox 35mm EVO, which I expected to be good, but didn't expect how good. I can use this professionally. It's a lot like my 50mm 1.8, punches well over its weight class.

Liked it so much I picked up the 26mm EVO with the rest of that f/4 sale. It's really good as an AF daylight lens. Its focus can get lost a bit in low light, and you can nearly forget about using manual focus. Its ring is thin and stubborn, in my experience. Too much trouble to use manually unless you like to stop and look at your lens (or risk accidentally unseating your hood).

Focusing tip with it and other 3rd-party lenses: zoom in, if you have that capacity, then focus while zoomed. I've found it does better as a rule. This is especially true with the 26mm EVO. I can get good, clean shots once it locks focus, but if I (on my Zf) my 100 to 400% mag and then focus, it's better. No idea why.

But using it as a point-and-shoot, in Aperture mode (or P) is its meat, and in that it does good work. I'll gvie you an example on Monday as my next Hunt. And the magnetic lens cap...I wish everyone did that. Superb.

Lastly, I'm thinking of picking up another Voigtländer, probably the 28mm APO, and an 85mm, possibly back to Viltrox. They've impressed me and I can't live without an aperture ring.

Ralph Berrett

Nikkor 17-35mm F2.8 AF-S is for large group shots, EP (environmental portrait) shots, and interior shots. 
Nikkor 28-70mm F2.8 AF-S  is good for sports, EP shots, group shots, and event shots.
Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 AF-S: candids, 3/4 portrait shots, and close-ups. These lenses can be bought for $350-400 used as a piece. Nikkor 300mm F2.8 AF-I: outdoor portraits, sports, events, airshows, and glamour SI style. Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 VR: daytime sports and airshows. I actually own all these lenses.
(1) Nikkor 28-70mm F2.8 AF-S
(2) Nikkor 17-35mm F2.8 AF-S
(3) Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 AF-S

Nisah Cheatham

I started with a hole host of primes, then moved to zooms, and now moved back to primes.
Pictured is my list of lenses used: (Sony E-mount, owned, sold, rented)
• 40mm f/2.5 - favorite and also my most used
• 28mm f/2.8 - right behind he 40mm in terms of used even considering that I sold it 6 years ago.
• 85mm f/1.8 - I used to own and use the 90mm f/2.8 macro, but once I realized that I almost never used it for macro work, I got the smaller and lighter and faster 85mm
• Tamron 70-180mm - my only zoom remaining. When it comes to stats, its my most used lens! I think its because I've had it the longest and when I was road tripping out west, it came in handy. Around Chicago, I occasionally take it just because I haven't taken it out in a while and, as you might expect, it stays in that 75-105mm part of the range. Though its fun to compose scenes from a distance like the second attached photo (@the full 180mm) of one of the Chicago Hot Tub boats in the sleet with a bank temp display showing 32° F. 😎

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Will Pratney](403c4019-f334-4e7b-8a59-eac48a4324bc) - I have used the Viltrox 75MM f1.2 and absolutely loved it. But I gave it up, as it was heavy to lug around.
I agree with the requirements you have laid out mostly. Two things that I would add to that:
1. Uniqueness - Does that lens have any unique qualities that make it stand out from other lenses? -- Like I have tried the 50mm f2, 35mm f2, and I think they are flawless lenses, but they are so flawless, that they don't have anything unique. That's why I exchanged them for the 56MM f1.2, which has something weird happening behind the glasses, which makes it unique! Added to this, my 16-55mm f2.8 is my most used lens, is absolutely flawless, which makes it useable in every scenario, and a good travel lens, but very bleh also! :P

2. Colour (yeah, I used British English spellings, even though I live in the States) - There are very few lenses where I like SOOC colours. Viltrox generally provides that (something very painterly with the lenses I have used). Zeiss lenses are also fantastic, whether it's the older CZJ versions, or modern Zeiss branded ones - they do seem to lean towards cooler colours, with high contrast. And recently I got introduced to Leica colours, and am loving it. One that I hate in terms of output are Sigma lenses. I won't buy Sigma, unless it's the only option.

For the Meyer Optik ones, I have been looking at the Biotar and Trioplan for a long time, but I cannot justify spending so much on those lenses, when they are manual focus, making it difficult for street photography, and will have very limited use cases for me. But I love them

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Andrew Bailey](8e50a75d-cd92-4ba1-970c-647b7c2df371) I always look at the Voigtlanders, but again, can't justify spending the money. All my lenses are used, and I acquire them when I get a good deal. But I have seen their outputs,and they are brilliant and with character!

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Mike Canzoneri](70c3b417-7591-4e81-82a0-eeecb8d78000) I love your macro photos, so I going off of those, the lenses seem fantastic!!! I was looking for the 12-40, but couldn't get any used one at a cheap enough price, so went for the Lumix instead. I am trying to not get into GAS!

Andrew Bailey

@[Sarbajit Chakraborty](185b0ac5-48af-471d-98e2-3c6a6602decc) The Owl finds the soul in a thing. It's my extravagance, like an elegant watch. The rest are workhorses, though the work they do is satisfying to me.

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Ralph Berrett](ed0d35cf-31b3-4406-ab3b-5087b32c2f89) They seem incredibly sharp! And lovely shots!!!

May I ask, would you consider changing any of these for a prime? Like instead of a 28-70mm zoom, change it for a 50mm prime, because you already have a 17-35mm? Or a 16mm prime instead of the 17-35mm? If not, why not?

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Andrew Bailey](8e50a75d-cd92-4ba1-970c-647b7c2df371) Your word describing the lens is very poetic! I love it. It makes me want something like a Voigtlander/Meyer Optik lens a lot more!

Dennis Corrick

@[Andrew Bailey](8e50a75d-cd92-4ba1-970c-647b7c2df371) Trying to get my brain around an F1.0 lens. Does it EMIT light? :-)

Ralph Berrett

@[Sarbajit Chakraborty](185b0ac5-48af-471d-98e2-3c6a6602decc) Well, this is going to date me a bit, but I'm never a fan of the 50mm. Back when I started, it was a kit lens. I did own a 50mm with my first camera, the Pentex K1000; it was also my last. Back in my mechanical camera days, I owned a 28mm, 35mm, 85mm, 180mm, and 300mm. When I went to autofocus, I got zooms. Realize, I was doing photojournalism. So I went from multiple, like Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now, to carrying two cameras and putting lenses in a photo vest. I did not need to drag a camera bag around. Zooms gave me flexibility. I do use prime lenses, and it was a part of the original Holy Trinity: the 300mm f/2.8 (see beach shot). Zooms give me greater composition options, less weight, and less gear to carry.

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Ralph Berrett](ed0d35cf-31b3-4406-ab3b-5087b32c2f89) I absolutely agree with you about zooms vs primes. I had two primes (35mm and 16mm) that were small, and I could carry with me everywhere. But when I went to Mexico, I realized that because I didn't know the place, I found myself constantly changing lense, to get what I want, and in doing so losing the moment I wanted to capture. I switched to 16-55, which, even though it's chunky, I don't miss the moment trying to change lenses. When I'm going to a known place (like Pike Place Market for me), then I carry primes, cause I know the place inside out. I also went for 2 cameras with 2 different setups (and one of them had to be a Micro Four-thirds to avoid carrying an elephant with me). But when I'm travelling to an unknown place, it'll almost always be my X-H2 with the 16-55 lens, cause that's the most versatile.

Andrew Bailey

@[Dennis Corrick](ad1b8b75-3005-4053-b8df-0b65abf1cfda) (ha) It's this crazy: If I shoot it in stronger light I have a very nice ND filter to keep it in check. In the afternoon or early hours, I don't need the help. At night, it doesn't need much more than a direction.

Three shots of a tin child’s horn in a darkened room. All are shot with a shutter speed of 1/250 and an ISO of 800.

The first shot is a 35mm Viltrox at 1.8
The second is a 50mm S Nikon at 1.8
The third is the Voigtländer 50mm at 1.0

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Andrew Bailey](8e50a75d-cd92-4ba1-970c-647b7c2df371) At f1.0, isn't the plane of focus paper thin? I had a f0.95 lens that I sold, cause that aperture was unusable for me!

Sarbajit Chakraborty

@[Nisah Cheatham](cf53a09d-1eb6-45e0-b529-06e3bf21aaf4) That is an impressive array of lenses there Nisah!!

I was wondering, given Chicago's harsh winters, do you care about Weather Resistance for your gear a lot? Is that a factor for your gear decisions?

Andrew Bailey

@[Sarbajit Chakraborty](185b0ac5-48af-471d-98e2-3c6a6602decc) It's thin, but usable if your subject is singular. Takes acclimation. Also, for more character-driven night shots, where the quality of the light is as important, it can't be beat, AND you can stop down to the more easily handled 1.2, or 1.4, 1.8, and even as high as f/2 and a lot of the special character of the lens is there. See: a quick look at comparing the night vision of that lens to the touted 50mm S f/1.8 and lately praised 35mm EVO 1.8 in my response to Dennis Corrick, in this thread. :L)