What's the nicest lens you've used?

[Stranger]

Well, i am probably the most boring because the best i have used is either my Tamron 28-75 2.8 or the 50mm 1.8 for nikon..

This summer it will be a 105VR though when i put in the order

 

[Big Mike]

As far as all of those guys you see at big events, probably half of those are "company" lenses, and mostly pros who are able to write them off as business expense.

Bingo.

I've used the 70-200 F2.8 L IS and the 100-400 L IS. Both are pretty cool.

 

[Snyder]

nicest Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8
biggest 300mm f/2.8 with 2X teleconvertor

 

[renegademaster88]

Has to be the Canon 85mm LII f/1.2
Just a huge chunk of glass to stick in front of your camera.

It the Canon equivalent of the Nikon 105 that used to THE portraiture lens - i can't quite figure out why Canon dont have a 100-105 version though??

Unfortunately i had to rent it as its like £1000, oh well maybe next year.

 

[Socrates]

I went to a NASCAR race and saw about 300 photographers (didn't count, but there were a lot), 90% of them were shooting with Canon gear. Most of them had those HUGE EXOTIC L series lenses, gotta be 400 2.8 and bigger, going for thousands upon thousands a piece.

Just seems crazy...I mean, do THAT many people get to a point where those lenses actually make them that kind of money to afford them?

So, what's the most exotic lens you've used? And do you think the pictures you took with it could justify your use of it?

Exactly what is a "nice" lens? (Does it smile and hug you?)
What's an "exotic" lens? (Does it dance naked?)

 

[solrac8126]

EF 70-200 2.8

 

[Steph]

By far the most exotic lens I've used/own

I walked in with a box of stuff for trade and walked out with just this one lens... I was in complete disbelief of what I had just done. Love the unique images and it will take years before I can really leverage its abilities. I'm still learning it.

The "nicest" lens I have ever used... frankly is the nifty fifty... You can't deny the bang for the buck factor. I upgraded to the 50mm f1.4 later on.... which is also nice. My cousin now owns the 50mm f1.8 markI (metal mount) that I used to have.... I kinda miss it.

Is that a 50mm f/1.0? If that's the case, do you have any pictures taken with it wide-opened to show us?

 

[Iron Flatline]

usayit, it's the same lens for me - I know amongst some it's considered an over-hyped toy (LensBaby for rich people is the worst I've heard it called so far) but I love it.

Steph, here's some samples at wide open:

 

[Iron Flatline]

usayit, you can let her off the hook and tell her what it's called...;-)

 

[Helen B]

Here's another one:

 

[usayit]

usayit, you can let her off the hook and tell her what it's called...;-)

Hehehee... N O C T I L U X.

Most of my photos are still in rolls of developed negatives shot with the M6 Titanium pictured above... But a while back, I did experiment a little with the 50mm f1 attached to the Epson R-D1. Works pretty well (excuse me if yall seen this photo before):

Epson R-D1 w/ noctilux shot wide open.

 

[usayit]

btw.. Iron.. I like the phone booth guy... nice one.

 

[usayit]

Another one from my Epson R-D1 + Noctilux although I don't believe it was shot at wide open.

Yes... the camera+lens was around my neck at his birth... I actually have a photo of my son just moments out of the womb during the Cesarean before the umbilical cord was cut. It is by far my most amazing photo... but my wife would kill me if I posted it here.

The Nocti is heavy and slow focusing... so I still default to a more compact lens most of the time. Everytime I shoot with it.. it does bring a smile. People always seem to forget that it is still a versatile lens that doesn't always have to be shot wide open... portraits, landscapes, low-low-light, bright light (especially with ND filter). Again.. by far the most exotic lens in my collection. Well worth the price of admission which included the sale of some very nice Canon L glass... for me "worth" (OP said "justify") is measured by enjoyment I get out of the lens.. not the final print. I'm not fooling myself into believing that I'm such a great photographer that I "deserve" such a lens....

 

[Steph]

Usayit, Iron and Helen, thank you for the examples. Just out of curiosity, how easy/difficult is it to use this lens wide open? My guess is that it is quite hard to focus accurately, but then again I never had a look through the rangefinder of a Leica.



BTW Iron, I am a He not a She

 

[Iron Flatline]

Sorry mate, friend of mine called Stephanie is known around here as "Steph" - goes to show what happens when you assume...

Focusing is a matter of practice, but relatively managable - thank goodness for big Rangefinder peepholes. Certain subjects (like sugar-hyped kids at a birthday party) don't lend themselves well to this kind of photography...

It's perfect for long drawn-out conversations in a pub though - see Helen's shot, for instance.

Or here's one of my wife: