Lens lists - which are your favourite lenses?

For a bit of fun and to try and get the forums kick started - what are your lens highlights?

For me the Pentax 16-45mm is the best zoom I've used.

The Tamron 90mm is the most enjoyable fixed lens.

Contax 85mm Plannar was the most dreamlike...everything from the smell, to handling to quality. 

The first zoom I enjoyed using was Canon's 28-80mm USM MkI

First lens I owned: Olympus 135mm f/3.5 

Biggest disappointment: Soligor 400mm preset - my first long lens. 

Most expensive I've owned: 600mm f/4 Konica Minolta.

Poor quality...Tokina 17mm f/3.5 my one was bad at edges

 

 

 

Well, the best lens I've used is the 70-200mm VR f/2.8 Nikon, closely followed by the 120-300mm f/2.8 Sigma. The VR gives the nikon the edge. Unfortunately, I've never owned either of them!

As far as I can remember, the fixed primes on my old 645 were stonkers, but that from a poor memory. Of late, the best has been the f/1.2 85mm from Canon. (They can make lenses when they try)

The first zoom I enjoyed? Difficult, but probably my 170-500mm Sigma on a 1.7 crop. Never had that sort of reach in the old days!

The first lens I owned was stuck on the front of a box Brownie! there were two of them. (It was the later twin lens reflex model)

Biggest disapointment. The £4000 Olympus 90-250mm 4/3rds jobbie.

Most expensive.... Sigmonster, but worth it.

Poor quality.. Canon kit lens on a 300D is as bad as one of the 100-400L IS ones that I've tried!

And lastly, my favorite has got to be the 10-20mm from Sigma.

The Nikon 70-200VR is fantastic, but personnaly I prefer the 12-24DX. It's so sharp and contrasty... it's just a shame I can't afford one :(

The Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG is one of my favourite fixed lenses. It's wonderful, even wide open.

The first zoom I enjoyed was a Nikon 35-80 f/4-5.6D, it's a lot better than you might think.

First lens I owned was a Helios 50mm f/2 that was attached to a Russian Zenit camera. I still have it stowed away somewhere.

Biggest disappointment? Hmm probably an old Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 I was looking to buy second hand.

My most expensive lens is a Nikon 135mm f/2 DC. Worth everypenny though.

Poor quality... the 18-55 Canon EF-s lens is the worst I've used, but they do seem to vary from lens to lens.

Hi all!

this is my first post and thought it would be a good way to intorduce my self, though my lenses!

Regards,

Damian

Best Lens - I'm so in love with my Nikon 17-35 f2.8 it works so well on my new D200, and on my F6 its soo wide and sharp. It also wins first zoom I've ever loved, most expensive lens AND dreamlike lens... that included hard leather case is the bomb!

Fixed lens - I think the Nikon 50 f1.4 is pretty rad. But I also liked my Pentax 28 f2.8 for my ME Super....

First lens I owned was a Pentax 50 f1.7

Bigest disappointment - Pentax 135 f2.8

Poor quality - At first I thought the 18-70 Nikon was a tidy little lens on the D70. But I really dislike it on the D200, either that or my 17-35 has just spoiled me!

Greetings from Gord

Best Lens: 55 nikkor f2.8 Micro
Best Zoom: In spite of its unsavory reputation, no better people lens was ever made than the Nikkor 43-86 f3.5
Most used zoom: The venerable Vivitar 17-28mm f3.5-4.5 If you can get one, get it. It's an all time sleeper.
Best Normal: Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f2.8 twin lens. Unbelievably sharp and a very reliable shutter mechanism.
Best Tele: Nikkor 300mm f4.5 old style. This has been my go-to landscape tele for 30 years. Crisp images always.
Best wide: No contest. The Nikkor 35mm F 2.0
Best ultrawide: The 15mm Takumar f3.5 from my Pentax days. A better equivalent was never made by Nikkor, Zuiko or Canon.
Best Independent: There are three: The 90mm f2.5 Tamron, the 28mm f2.0 Soligor C/D and the above mentioned Vivitar 17-28mm f3.5-4.5





Best Independent: 90mm f2.5 Tamron macro, 28mm f2.0 Soligor
C/D, 17-28mm Vivitar f3.5-4.5 Cheers

MY FOUR FAVORITE LENSES:

I carry the first three all the time and use the fourth for specialty shooting.

Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X - absolutely wonderful wide angle lens with a constant aperture - sharp and contrasty -at a great price too!

Canon 24-70 f/2.8L - This is the mid-range zoom all others are measured against - awesome build and optics but, HEAVY!

Canon 70-200mm f/4L - Light, well built with superior optics. An all around wonderful lens that I might replace with its newer brother the 70-200mm f.4L IS. This will increase the hand-holding capability. I have been wishing for this lens for years and now it is almost here.

Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro - An all around superior macro lens that doubles as great portrait class because of its great bokeh.

Hai from Ton:

My favorite lenses are:

My 50mm f1.4 AF for Minolta, but I must admit after reading along in some places I might have opted for the 1.7.

My CZ 50mm f1.4 not to heavy and it makes a light point and shoot with my 167MT. I like the sharpness.

I also like my CZ 28 f2.8 to come along, not to big aswell so easy to take along. I think I prefer the bokeh of the 28mm over the 50mm.

My wishes for the future after I save a lot of money are:
For Minolta the good old 28-135 f4-4.5 to replace a 28-105 I do not really like.

From Zeiss replace the 135 with the 85mm f1.4 and a lot later and more money the 60mm or 100mm macro lens.

my best lens carl zeiss 50 mm 1,4 and 85 mm 1,4.