Tell me about your favorite lenses

[firelight]

Hi all, a little background on me for perspective: I've recently joined TPF because I wanted advice on which camera to get, and a source of criticism to help me get better. Growing up my dad taught me how to use 35mm slrs. My first camera was an Argus c3 rangefinder. After that, I used a Nikromat EL for several years. I stuck with film until very recently, and before my first jump into digital, I asked some people here. After some advice seeking, and a lot of review reading, I bought my first dslr, a Nikon d80. I'm quite happy with it, and I think some of the features of modern cameras make them a blast to work with (I've never used autofocus devices in the past, and I used a separate light meter for several years with the argus).

As a first lens, I picked up a Nikon 18-55 ED II because it was cheap, it covers a good range for many common situations, and everyone said the ed lens has better image quality and build quality than the standard kit lens. I'm happy with it for a general purpose walkaround lens (especially for the price!) but I look forward to adding to my collection of modern lenses. We have quite a few old Nikon lenses from long ago (no autofocus, no computer, strictly manual lenses) including 24mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4, 50mm 1.8 macro, 80-200mm, 500mm f8, and others. They are also quite fun, and useful for particular situations, but of course no cpu, no metering ect. I'm not opposed or unfamiliar with using a separate light meter, but it is cumbersome in some situations.

All that being said, I would like to know what your favorite lenses are. I know it's always situation, wildlife is different than sports or hummingbirds in the dark, but I can decide on the situation later. For now, I just want to hear what lens you really love. If you could only pick one in each category (see below), what would it be? I know that's a very broad topic, but I'm sure you have a favorite (or a few). There are two main categories I think I will be shopping in first:

1) Zoom lenses (anything in the 55-400mm ballpark, whatever you like). What do you use? what for? why do you love it?

2) ultrawide zooms or primes. I loved shooting with the 24 on a 35mm camera. I know everyone makes an ultrawide zoom, nikon, tamron, sigma, tokina, what do you use and why?

3) absolutely anything else! if you think it's a must have, or you couldn't live without yours, I would like to hear about it.

I know there are plenty of reviews online, and I've been reading a lot of them, but I just want to hear what you like. Respond to one category or all three (or other tangents you wish to bring up), I appreciate any opinions

Thanks!

 

[zamanakhan]

1)I have an 80-200 2.8 afs lens, I love it but it's my least used lens, I mostly only pull it out at the dog park or if I am at some sort of sporting event, I have used it for headshots in the past as well.
2) ultra wides are my fav, I currently have a 10-20 sigma it's a 4-5.6 but I treat it like an f8 lens, i love this lens, it stays on my camera 80% of the time, the other lens I love after it would be the Nikon 35 1.8, between the 10-20 and 35 1.8, I feel Ican pretty much shoot anything.
3) my other must haves would be my micro lens, as I love to shoot macro and for portrait work I find flashed are just as important as the lenses, i currently have 2 sb600s and an sb700, thinking about swapping the sb600s for a 910.

 

[sm4him]

I've not even had my DSLR for a year, and my budget hasn't allowed for the "best" lenses--I'm just trying to slowly move up the lens ladder from mediocre, to good and hopefully someday, to great.
My favorite lens, so far, falls into category 3--my 100mm Tokina macro lens. It rocks! I have a D5100, so I still have to manually focus it, but it is just tack sharp (or would be, if its user had *real* skills, lol) and a lot of fun to use.

All my other lenses are mostly just "better than nothing." I do have a 50mm f/1.8 and it's a very nice lens, but I don't use it nearly as much as my macro lens, or even my little 18-55 kit lens. I also have a 55-300 zoom--I love having it, and definitely want to keep that 300mm range, but one of these days, I definitely want to upgrade that lens.

 

[Kerbouchard]

My favorite lenses are actually both Sigma. My 120-300 2.8 is incredible and there is just something about 300 2.8 that is magical. On the opposite side of things, my 150 2.8 Macro is also something special.

Sigma gets a bad rep with a lot of their cheaper stuff, but these two are diamonds in the rough...Plus, Nikon doesn't make an equivalent.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

My fav. is my 70-200 VRII. Can't say enough about it. Sharp at any focal length/aperture, fast, warp speed focus, VRII allows slower shutter speeds indoors etc etc

Nikon hit it out of the ball park with this one

 

[jake337]

My bag consist of:

Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
Nikkor 50mm f1.8AF-D
Nikkor 85mm f1.4AF-D
Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro
Nikkor 180mm f2.8 AIS


I love them all when the are mounted!

 

[jake337]

My favorite lenses are actually both Sigma. My 120-300 2.8 is incredible and there is just something about 300 2.8 that is magical. On the opposite side of things, my 150 2.8 Macro is also something special.

Sigma gets a bad rep with a lot of their cheaper stuff, but these two are diamonds in the rough...Plus, Nikon doesn't make an equivalent.

I love 300mm at f2.8, to bad that tamron 300 f2.8 was a serious dog! Nikkor 300mm f2.8 ais here I come!

 

[480sparky]

My favorite lens is the one that can get the shot I want.

 

[CheezyCheeto]

Good thing you said to choose 3 lenses cuz thats how many I have =P

1) Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 2 ring: This is my favorite lens to use. This is a must have for me when shooting events or portraits. It really gives you the zoom to get in on the action and being able to step back a bit allows for great candids even though the lens is a bit on the chunky side.

2) Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Dx: This is my backup lens. I use this pretty much whenever there's no room for anything else. It has a bit of distortion on the wider end, which is why i try to shoot closer to the 16mm side but even at 11mm the distortion is pretty easily fixed in photoshop.

3) Nikon 50mm f/1.4g: This is my "lets shoot for fun" lens. 50mm on a full frame has a great field of view for a walk around lens.

 

[morganza]

My bag consist of:

Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
Nikkor 50mm f1.8AF-D
Nikkor 85mm f1.4AF-D
Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro
Nikkor 180mm f2.8 AIS


I love them all when the are mounted!

I like what I'm seeing in this list.

 

[CheezyCheeto]

My bag consist of:

Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
Nikkor 50mm f1.8AF-D
Nikkor 85mm f1.4AF-D
Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro
Nikkor 180mm f2.8 AIS


I love them all when the are mounted!

I like what I'm seeing in this list.

I noticed that too. I was like Ooo.. nice ^_^

 

[kundalini]

I like what I'm seeing in this list.

A picture or Two is better, don't you think?

 

[jake337]

My bag consist of:

Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
Nikkor 50mm f1.8AF-D
Nikkor 85mm f1.4AF-D
Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro
Nikkor 180mm f2.8 AIS


I love them all when the are mounted!

I like what I'm seeing in this list.

I noticed that too. I was like Ooo.. nice ^_^

I'd like to switch a few of them out! Maybe the 35 f1.8 for a 24mm f3.5 PC-E, the 50 f1.8 for a 50mm f1.2 ais and finally add a 300mm f2.8 ais to the list.

 

[jake337]

I like what I'm seeing in this list.

A picture or Two is better, don't you think?

Much better!!!!

 

[Dominantly]

That's such a hard question for me to answer.

I live close to a great rental shop, so I have access to pretty much any lens I want, and have gone through most of them a few times over.

There are lenses that are amazing at what they do (70-200mm f/2.8 VRII for example), then there are others that are just plain fun because of the persepctive (10.5mm fisheye).
I'm a bit of a wide junkie, so I get excited when I put on something like the 12-24, so I'd have to say that's probably my favorite.