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Author Topic: What is your favorite lens?  (Read 11179 times)

NancyP

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #40 on: October 12, 2016, 02:05:25 pm »

A lot of the answer lies in the typical subjects and situations of individual photographers. The favorite lens is the one on your camera at the moment, assuming the lens is in working condition and is halfway decent.
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ErikKaffehr

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #41 on: October 12, 2016, 03:17:42 pm »

Hi,

As a general response to the thread I have some recent experience. I was shooting a very special tree, for me that is, in great autumn foliage. I knew that the outer parts of the image were critical for that shot. So I shot it with some different stuff. My Hasselblad/P45+ combo with a Sonnar 180/4 and my favourite Contax 35-135/3.3-4.5 zoom on the Sony A7rII. What I found was that the 180/4 was a bit to tight and the Contax 35-135/3.3-4.5 didn't really cut it near the edge.

So next time I picked up my around 30 years old Minolta 80-200/2.8G APO. That gave me the right crop and image quality matching the Sonnar 180/4. So, I guess that the 80-200/2.8 is doing a comeback from retirement.

The enclosed crops show a part close to the vertical edge at actual pixels. On the left the Hasselblad/P45+/Sonnar 180 combo, center the Contax 35-135/3.3-4.5 and right the Minolta 80-200/2.8 APO G.

Would I print this reasonable size, say A0, the differences would be visible at close view. But all would do fine. On the other hand, I realise that the old 80-200/2.8 still deserves a slot in my backpack.

Best regards
Erik

« Last Edit: October 12, 2016, 03:21:40 pm by ErikKaffehr »
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Rob C

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #42 on: October 13, 2016, 03:57:34 pm »

Regarding favourite lenses, mine are all Nikkors as it's all I now own, but they have always, from the 2/50mm that came on my then new F, had one helluva lousy flaw: their DOF scales are impossible to fathom out. Colours that don't match in place of stop numbers... How I envy the Leica version of doing it properly by using numbers to indicate stops and not daft colours. Small detail, but often a crucial aid denied me.

Rob
« Last Edit: October 15, 2016, 06:59:18 am by Rob C »
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Craig Lamson

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #43 on: October 13, 2016, 07:25:46 pm »

Granted my needs are special, but I recently added the Canon 11-24 to my kit.  It's a superb lens and it truly exceeded my expectations.
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Rob C

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #44 on: October 15, 2016, 07:08:25 am »

I have a feeling that the answers will probably always depend on whether we speak in terms of work or hobby.

What makes sense in a pro situation doesn't have to hold true where the option exists to wander out with a single body and fitted optic and fear no loss. Work, for me, often meant the entire range had to accompany me, but for fun alone, a concept which never came into play until post-retirement, I would never dream of burdening myself with lots of stuff. Indeed, it is the perfect turn-off for me. I like to be able to concentrate with a single point of view; at times, even that becomes too broad and might create doubts. Fortunately, I have learned to go with instinct every time. Come to think of it, that puts me in company with Mr Eggleston, not my greatest influence.

Rob C

jhemp

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #45 on: October 15, 2016, 07:53:54 pm »

The New Sony/Zeiss 50mm 1.4 FE.  Love shooting this lens wide open!

Chris_Brown

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Re: What is your favorite lens?
« Reply #46 on: October 15, 2016, 11:04:03 pm »

I have a feeling that the answers will probably always depend on whether we speak in terms of work or hobby.

+1

Work: 90mm TS-E
Play: 45mm TS-E (still holding out hope for an upgrade to this model)
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