What is your favourite camera lens

ByronKirk · May 3, 2011

Hey Guys
Im pretty new to this whole interchangeable lens idea, mainly because I could only afford a kit lens before .
Could anyone give me an idea of the best lenses out there for documented photography?
As all ways any help would be appreciated

Take a look at my work
www.byronkirk.com

usayit · May 3, 2011

What is "Documented Photography"?

Judging from the link it is journalistic photography or street photography but I'm not familiar with the terminology.

analog.universe · May 3, 2011

My favorite lens is my Zeiss Makro-Planar, but that's not what I would recommend for what you're asking..

From what I understand the 70-200mm 2.8 by both Canon and Nikon are staples of photojournalism however.

Stryker · May 3, 2011

I think what you are referring to is photo journalism or street photography. I would recommend a tele-zoom lens with a focal range of 70-200mm. Best for candid shots and sniping.

altitude604 · May 3, 2011

I really like my Mir 1V 37mm f/2.8 as it's almost a normal prime on a 1.6x Crop and it's really sharp overall.

Stradawhovious · May 3, 2011

My favorite (but not most practical) is my Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 AI. I looooove it. It would probably be next to useless for photojournalism though.

Also, it will be easier for you to put your link in a signature line than having to type it out every post. (It will also keep people form thinking you are just trolling for hits to your blog.

)

usayit · May 3, 2011

Ah... so its street/journalistic.

I can't say I have a "favorite". I personally like mild-wide and normal lenses for street photography. I like keeping my 24mm Elmarit on one body and 50mm Summilux on another. On Canon, I enjoyed the 24L, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.8.

I like the 24mm and 28mm focal lengths because they are wide-enough for that "story-telling" shot that pulls you in closer without the obvious wide angle characteristics (barrel distortion for one). If I could only have 1, it would be the 50mm of some sort.. Easy to pre-visualize.

btw... don't necessarily "need" an interchangeable lens camera for that kind of work (as you probably already know). Many journalists travel with good P&S too...

Derrel · May 3, 2011

I've shot photojournalistic and sports assignments off and on over parts of three different decades. There is no "best" tool for everybody,and what works for one person might not work for another person. Oddly, I recently saw a whole slew of journalistic pictures made by a world-famous photojournalist, mostly with a Leica and wide-angle lens focal lengths, and I found virtually every image to be tedious and boring...the short focal length lens made the backgrounds just fall away, and the repeated use of the same short (21mm) focal length lens on dozens of shots made for the most boring pictures...despite the web site's owner gushing over this guy's work, I found the stuff to be uninspiring, cliched, and visually stultifying. I saw MANY, much better images by "unknown" Reuters and other wire service shooters who were using d-slrs, and who had some different focal lengths that they actually USED. Moral of the story? Do not use the same focal length over and over and over because it is "supposed to be" the one to use. In the case of these middle Eastern protest pictures, the photographer using the Leica and ultra-wide was becoming involved in the scene by being right up close to those involved; I could see it in their eyes, the people were almost mugging for the camera, and if not mugging, they were certainly "aware" that the photographer was there, and was a high-end type shooter. Even poor people recognize that a Leica, film or digital, is not a commoner's camera..and when some guy is pointing one at your face from six feet away, you're 'effing up the scene by being IN it, and not "reporting" on what is actually happening.

In light of the above...I actually like PJ work that shows what is really happening, with the photographer outside of the interpersonal or close-public space of the participants. Something along the lines of an 85, 100,or 135mm telephoto gives a nice look at things, and keeps you out of the scene. By the same token, at times, you simply MUST be closer to your subjects, or not be able to get the shots, and for that I like a 17-35mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens on FF. A 300mm f/4 is a handy lens for longer-range work and some events,mainly where a speaker is at a podium or actors are on-stage.

gsgary · May 3, 2011

2 bodies, one with a 16-35F2.8L or 24-70F2.8L and the other with a 70-200F2.8L

usayit · May 3, 2011

Yes... Derrel has a point; rarely there is anything that is considered "best" for X,Y, or Z. Highly depended on the final look you are striving for.

then again.. the OP did ask for a personal preference rather than "what is best".

When I "think" of journalistic work, what I have in mind is along the lines of this fellow's work:

Ed Kashi

He shoots with Canon 5D (probably Mark II by now) with access to an entire Sigma line of lenses (sponsorship). My guess he shoots with something along the lines of a 24-70 zoom. One of the consistencies of his images is that the background IS a intricate part of the story he is telling..... up close and striving for personal connection. That maybe completely different from what the OP is striving for.

JustAnEngineer · May 4, 2011

My favorite lens is the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. It may not be what you need for your uses, though.

reedshots · May 4, 2011

.
My favorite is the one on my camera at the time, that being said it is most often my 24-70 F2.8 with the 17-40 and 70-200 not far from reach

jritz · May 4, 2011

24-70, 70-200 are both great choices as stated before, but really you need to feel out what works best for you. If you are really serious about buying a 2-3 thousand dollar lens you should rent them first, and dial in what works best for you and your style, theres no guide book that says if you shoot canon or nikon and shoot this style, than this is the lens for you, it just doesn't exist.