• Rank Your Lenses •

Rob Kircher · Apr 30, 2008

I'm not sure how useful this is either since we all shoot different things with different lenses but here's my short list

These two are my most often used lenses
70-200L f/2.8 IS
17-40L f/4

Specialty use
100-400L for sports and wildlife
50 f/1.8 for portrait and shallow DoF.

Lenses I wish I had that would probably make the above list
24-70L f/2.8
16-35L II f/2.8

Both of these would hit my list of tops primarily because of their speed.

--

Rob Kircher
My Stuff: http://www.rrkphotos.com
http://www.pbase.com/rkircher

Colin K. Work · May 1, 2008

hmmm - never had a sharpness issue with mine ... but, to get what I really wanted I switched to a combo of the new f4 70-200 and the 85mm 1.8. Your typo just made me think of how nice it would be to have my needs met by a single lens (though in reality it would be much too big).

Cheers,

Colin
--
Colin K. Work
[email protected]
http://www.ckwphoto.com

Dray · May 1, 2008

My top 5 favorites are:

1. 135 f/2 L
2. 85 f/1.8
3. 200 f/2.8 L
4. 70-200 f/2.8 L IS
5. 24-105 f/4 L IS

My 5 most used in order are:

1. 70-200 f/2.8 L IS
2. 24-105 f/4 L IS
3. 135 f/2 L
4. 100-400 L IS
5. 85 f/1.8

Honorable mention is my new EF-S 10-22, it's my latest addition and I did not realize there's such a learning curve on these wide lens. It may move into the top 5 soon.

My wish list includes the 24 f/1.4 L or 35 f/1.4 L

Danny

Ben_Egbert · May 1, 2008

Colin K. Work said:
hmmm - never had a sharpness issue with mine ... but, to get what I
really wanted I switched to a combo of the new f4 70-200 and the 85mm
1.8. Your typo just made me think of how nice it would be to have my
needs met by a single lens (though in reality it would be much too
big).

I never need f2.8 in this length. My eyesight and focus judgment are so poor I don't even attempt shallow DOF except for birds. Then I use the 500f4, which can nail shots wide open. My 400f5.6 can as well so all my other lenses look bad by comparison to these two lenses.

My new 35 f1.4 might do well, but I am positive that at f1.4 I would never get the focus right, and I don't do eyelashes so I never tried. What I do want in my lenses below 400 are sharp corner to corner at f8 thru about f13. No light fall off, and minimum distortion. The 35 is the only one I have that meets this.

I might like a 70 or 80mm prime in place of my 70-200. I almost never need the range between 100 and 500. Fact is, I am either doing landscapes between 17 and 100 or birds at 700 and up. The gap is almost never required.

Colin K. Work said:
Cheers,

Colin
--
Colin K. Work
[email protected]
http://www.ckwphoto.com

--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben

Rob Martin Bangkok · May 1, 2008

8. 14/2.8 (I pick it up now and then...)
7. 50/1.4 (Cannot remember using this at all)
5. 180/3.5 (For macros I love it..)
6. 100-400/4.5-5.6 (I am growing to love this as a lens.....)
=4. 16-35/2.8 (I have a decent copy, gets used a lot)
=4. 85/1.2 (amazing lens, same comment as 135/2)
=3. 24-70/2.8 (second main workhorse)
=3. 135/2 (it's so good I wonder why I don;t use it more)
2. 70-200/2.8 (Bread and butter)
=1. 500/4 (Wonder workhorse, used only on Safaris and now and then)
=1. 300/2.8 (wonder lens)

Lenses that were not rated, as they are the wifes!!
70-200/4
24-105/4
500/4 (her one)

She probably likes tham in that order. She is very slight of build and therefore the F4 lenses are to her taste. We swapped her 2.8 lenses out for these and now she's very happy!

Rob

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.1ds.com
http://www.pbase.com/lecter

Dave1234 · May 2, 2008

Yes, but Joe wouldn't be half the photographer he appears to be without help from his daughter's eyes.....LOL.....

Seriously Joe, your work is amazing AND your daughter has beautiful eyes....

More than a year ago you suggested that I get the 5D. I did, and I love it, and wish I had taken your advice a year ago.

joe mama · May 2, 2008

Dave1234 said:
Yes, but Joe wouldn't be half the photographer he appears to be
without help from his daughter's eyes.....LOL.....

What do you mean by "help"? It's entirely due to that! : )

Dave1234 said:
Seriously Joe, your work is amazing AND your daughter has beautiful
eyes....

Thanks! But you know it's just good genes. : )

Canon 5D + 50 / 1.2L @ f / 2.8, 1/80, ISO 400

http://www.pbase.com/joemama/image/84386956

Canon 20D + 135mm / 2L @ f / 2, 1/1250, ISO 100

http://www.pbase.com/joemama/image/49427511

http://www.pbase.com/joemama/image/76745231

Dave1234 said:
More than a year ago you suggested that I get the 5D. I did, and I
love it, and wish I had taken your advice a year ago.

It's hard to advise people what will work best for them. As the 5D is perfect for me, it's easy for me to advise people that take the same types of pics I do to get it. But it's a lot harder when their needs are a lot different from mine, and often I find myself recommending smaller sensor systems.

--
--joe

http://www.josephjamesphotography.com
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/

Hawkman · May 2, 2008

500/4L
400/5.6L
135L
28-135 (ugh, missing L range here ;-), but I mainly shoot wildlife )

--
Gene (aka hawkman) - Walk softly and carry a big lens

Please visit my wildlife galleries at:
http://www.pbase.com/gaocus
http://hawkman.smugmug.com/gallery/1414279

guitarist · May 2, 2008

Love your stuff...
had another visit...whew!

----

SOME DAY SOON..
I may get a longer, faster lens..
(will use on 1DmkIII (current)or possibly a 40D(future)

IF YOU HAVE A MOMENT (or maybe you have a page with a write-up)
may I ask ...

have you ever hand carried / shot that lens on an outing?...

I see the sidekick in your list...

what about the 400 f2.8...?
why the 500 f4 over that one...?

--------

sorry for the rather basic questions...
but you are a successful shooter and will have some insight for me

Thanks ...if you have time

TOM

Dave1234 · May 2, 2008

Well, don't apologize Joe. I do mostly portrait work and dance photography in low light. The 5D excels at both tasks. I couldn't be happier with the camera, and I don't care what improvements the 5D II will have.....at least for now....lol...

Just curious.....what occasion had you and your daughter dressed up in the fancy "threads?" Great picture.

joe mama · May 2, 2008

Dave1234 said:
Well, don't apologize Joe.

I thought I was bragging! : )

Dave1234 said:
I do mostly portrait work and dance photography in low light. The 5D excels
at both tasks.

It does indeed.

Dave1234 said:
I couldn't be happier with the camera, and I don't care what improvements
the 5D II will have.....at least for now....lol...

Well, here we disagree. While I love the 5D, there is a lot I could use in the 5DII (see my profile for specifics).

Dave1234 said:
Just curious.....what occasion had you and your daughter dressed up
in the fancy "threads?" Great picture.

I was in Japan in this "artsy" village and saw the studio. Just a little "hole in the wall" and no one was there. I wanted to go look but my wife chastized me:

"You know you won't think anyone's photos are as good as yours, so you're not going to do it."

"It doesn't hurt to look."

"Yes it does. We're all going to be waiting for you and you're not going to do it. Let's go!"

So, that was it. We left and did our sightseeing. But, on the way back, there's the studio again. Of course, I go look.

"Mo! Watashitachti wa sukareta desyo! Hayaku! Kaero!" (That's bitching in Japanese). Well, I grew some huevos on the spot and stood my ground. The photographer was this little old man, and we discussed prices and looked to see if there were any costumes that would even fit me.

"Seven won't pose, anyway..." my wife continued, "...so let's just go." But Seven was beaming. She saw the dresses and was in heaven.

"Dekiru?"
She nodded.
"Hontoni?"
"Dekiru!"

I had just one more question -- could I get a CD with the originals? YES!!!!

As it turned out, there was only one costume that fit me, so I didn't have to choose, and Seven was in love with the one dress, so there was no time wasted there, either. And yet, the shoot lasted about an hour!

Seven was a pro. Both my wife and I were shocked. She smiled on cue. When the photographer gave her direction, she executed on demand.

So here it is, tens of thousands of photos that I've taken and archived, and yet that single photo is worth more to me than all the rest combined, and I didn't even take it! Not only that, it was taken with flash and a 1.5x Fuji DSLR and a cheap zoom! : )

--
--joe

http://www.josephjamesphotography.com
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/

shaktipalooza · May 2, 2008

1. 70-200 f/2.8 IS L - Has done the job in spades too many times not to top the list

2. 85 f/1.2L II - Specialized but I can't help but reach for it whenever possible
3. 300 f/2.8 IS L - Three lenses in one (works GREAT with teleconverters)
4. 35 f/1.4L - Very sharp great color, contrast, etc.
5. 24-70 f/2.8 L - great lens, just tough competition pushing this to #5

6. 16-35 f/2.8 L - Another versatile, great lens, could be a little sharper in the corners
7. 90 f/2.8 tilt shift - great for fun effects
8. 135 f/2 L - I really should use this great lens more.

9. 50 f/1.8 - Errr, this sits on the shelf at my brothers house, don't really miss it.

Truth is, for me it's hard to rank these lenses. They're top of the line for their category and I bought each one of them for specific use without too much overlap.

Dray · May 2, 2008

You are one of the few talents that can make shots from your 28-135 look like they were taken with a L lens. Still more proof...it's not the equipment! Reminds me of golf, I have a set of $1200.00 graphite clubs and have a 15 handicap on a good day. One of my best friends still has his old metal clubs from 30 years ago and shoots a 3 handicap, although I do look better than him when playing! LOL

Danny

Dray · May 2, 2008

nada...

Matt_Anderson · May 2, 2008

Joe, you've got some Grande Huevos !
Great story!

I'm thinking of picking up the 1Ds.
I'm torn on the the D3 as well.
Honestly, what has me torn is Nikon's lack of a 85 1.2 and a 35 1.4
because of that, I may go the way of 1Ds.
But, Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 keeps me even.

Then again, Zeiss ZF with live view on the D3 is a great work around for manual focus and dreamy sharpness.

If you look at my photo's at zenfolio you'll see I shoot from landscape to people with studio strobes ....

Both camps provide a near perfect well rounded arsenal, but then again neither is perfect.
The only common denominator is full frame.
Bokeh/Blur/WA all need real-estate ...
Having formerly been a LF/MF shooter, I've been spoiled a bit.
How will the cards fall ?
My gut is saying two scenarios:

EOS MKIII 1Ds 24 or 35mm 1.4 + 85mm 1.2 + 135mm 2

or

D3 14-24 + 24-70 + ??? (given 70-200 current review) no AF-S at f/1.2 so the ZF Zeiss's I have will have to do, what to do ... just thinking out loud, it's late...

--

http://mattanderson.zenfolio.com/

joe mama · May 3, 2008

I mean, if I were an actor, what would he do? It was better to choose a path where my looks didn't cause other people to become jealous. : )

--
--joe

http://www.josephjamesphotography.com
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/

joe mama · May 3, 2008

Matt_Anderson said:
Joe, you've got some Grande Huevos!

It's sad, isn't it? Where the extent of my masculinity is exerted taking a classic pic with myself and daughter?

Matt_Anderson said:
Great story!

Glad you enjoyed!

Matt_Anderson said:
I'm thinking of picking up the 1Ds.
I'm torn on the the D3 as well.
Honestly, what has me torn is Nikon's lack of a 85 1.2 and a 35 1.4
because of that, I may go the way of 1Ds.
But, Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 keeps me even.
Then again, Zeiss ZF with live view on the D3 is a great work around
for manual focus and dreamy sharpness.

Well, I'd hold out to see what the 5DII, the new Sony FF DSLR, and rumored 24 MP Nikon FF DSRL all bring to the table, first. Sony has some really killer glass and it's rumored to have in-camera IS for their FF DSLR. In addition, they're supposed to be pumping out a bunch of great Zeiss lenses.

Matt_Anderson said:
If you look at my photo's at zenfolio you'll see I shoot from
landscape to people with studio strobes ....
Both camps provide a near perfect well rounded arsenal, but then
again neither is perfect.
The only common denominator is full frame.
Bokeh/Blur/WA all need real-estate ...
Having formerly been a LF/MF shooter, I've been spoiled a bit.
How will the cards fall ?
My gut is saying two scenarios:

EOS MKIII 1Ds 24 or 35mm 1.4 + 85mm 1.2 + 135mm 2

or

D3 14-24 + 24-70 + ??? (given 70-200 current review) no AF-S at f/1.2
so the ZF Zeiss's I have will have to do, what to do ... just
thinking out loud, it's late...

I think it's more prudent to wait it out a bit, 'cause you're not just getting a camera, you're choosing a system.

--
--joe

http://www.josephjamesphotography.com
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/

Hawkman · May 3, 2008

guitarist said:
Love your stuff...
had another visit...whew!

Thanks

guitarist said:
----

SOME DAY SOON..
I may get a longer, faster lens..
(will use on 1DmkIII (current)or possibly a 40D(future)

IF YOU HAVE A MOMENT (or maybe you have a page with a write-up)
may I ask ...

have you ever hand carried / shot that lens on an outing?...

I see the sidekick in your list...

I most often hand hold, but use the tripod whenever possible.

guitarist said:
what about the 400 f2.8...?

Too heavy for me. 400mm on a 1.6x crop body is ideal for me, but with a 1.3x the 500 fits my style best. I rarely shoot at f4, so the f2.8 doesn't buy me anything.

guitarist said:
why the 500 f4 over that one...?

focal length, weight. hand holdable.

Hope this helps!
Gene

guitarist said:
--------

sorry for the rather basic questions...
but you are a successful shooter and will have some insight for me

Thanks ...if you have time

TOM

--
Gene (aka hawkman) - Walk softly and carry a big lens

Please visit my wildlife galleries at:
http://www.pbase.com/gaocus
http://hawkman.smugmug.com/gallery/1414279

Ben_Egbert · May 3, 2008

joe mama said:
joe mama said:

Joe, you've got some Grande Huevos!

Click to expand...

It's sad, isn't it? Where the extent of my masculinity is exerted
taking a classic pic with myself and daughter?

So thats you eh Joe? Great threads, and very distinguished looking. Your daughter is beautiful.

I have beautiful grand daughters, but I let pros take their pictures, never any good at people pics. I even your ability to get those great images.

Ben

joe mama said:
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben

Tarn Tantikij · May 3, 2008

asking if people know what forum this is!

Don't you guys know that you can't talk about lenses here???

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