I've just added a sigma 10-20 lens to my burgeoning collection (photography is starting to get almost as expensive as mountain bikes...) if you could only use one lens what would it be?
Ah - trick question if you're not limiting it to primes
I'm liking my Sigma 18-200 quite a lot. Not exactly top grade glass, but I'm not exactly a top grade photographist.
The one I have: Nikkor 18-200mm VR 🙂
35mm f2 on a crop sensor
I've not yet got a prime lens to play with... might be next on the list...
Pretty happy with my 17-85mm EFS
I just got one of those lovely converters to stick my dad's old OM Zuiko f1.4 50mm prime on my EOS450D. That's my one lens (if I'm only allowed 1), and it seems to rule my collection...
Love my Sigma F1.8 18-55
Don't have a favourite lens... the 17-40L, 24-105L and 70-200L all remain in the bag all the time. Not quite staggered into Primes again on the Canon, but am toying with some of those Zeiss ones 🙂
Oh aye - and it is WAAAAY more expensive than mountain biking 😉
As RobS says: Nikon D3x and it's Canon EOS equivalent at £8-9000 for a body only. Eeeeeek!
I haven't even got as far as a DSLR yet. It'll be a D700 for me when I do, and that's scary expensive.
18-200 VR if i had to
at a push i could easily cope with my tokina 11-16 and the 18-200, both very good lenses and cover every sensible focal length on an apsc sensor
apart from 17mm before you start sfb
apart from 17mm before you start sfb
what do you take me for ? I didn't even [b]read [/b]that bit 🙂
Billybob, I have a 35mm F2 for sale is you're a Canon man....
hard choice. I mainly use a 24-70 F2.8 on a 40D but I always have my 12-24mm Sigma, 17-40mm F4 and 50mm F1.4 with me. Ive heard good things about the 18-200mm Canon, which comes fitted to the 50D.
18-200 VR nikkor, even tho I've never actually used it, because it seems to offer the most flexibility at the least trade off.
If I had to pick a prime then the 50mm f1.8 would do me, or possibly something just slightly longer (65mm?)
My current walk around lens is the 24-105 f/4 L IS
My next major purchase will be the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS to replace my f/4 non IS version.
Canon's IS technology rocks.
Nikon 17-55mm, f2.8 - hardly ever leaves the D300, whilst the Sigma 20-40mm, f2.8 is the weapon of choice for all my film cameras....
Failing that, and if I had to choose a prime, it'd be the 35mm, f2, bought for visual / environmental impact assessment duties (closest angle of view to the human eye on a crop camera). Or maybe the 24mm prime. Damn - there's no one lens really, is there?
Another vote for the Nikkor 17-55. When that leaves my camera it is usuallly replaced by the 85/1.4 - the ultimate portrait lens.
On my old Canon DLSR's: 17-40L for sharpness and build, on my old Leica M7 - 35mm f2 summicron for it's beauty, bokeh and build quality and on my current D300 - Sigma 17-35 EX HSM f2.8: amazing bang-for-buck (but I think you may have to get lucky to find a truly sharp example).
For a prime - it'd be the current 35mm f2 Nikon on a cropped sensor or the 50mm f1.4 on a full-size sensor. I think there's a new 35mm coming out that looks to offer really good value.
I have borrowed a friends 18-200 Nikon VR and it was pretty nice, but perhaps a bit bulky for use all the time. I find even my 18-135 non VR is a bit cumbersome at times.
If it HAD to be one lens though, it probably would be the 18-200VR.
But then I'd go to a motorsport venue to get some pics and find I wanted my 70-300 VR....
Sigma 24 - 70 F2.8. Only lens i really use now for both gig photography and ringing / boarding as well as general photography, sold pretty much everything else.
well not a 'one lense' but the cosina 100-400 I have for my sony alpha is a superb lens, its actually the reason i bought the sony as had an old minolta dynax slr b4
is that 100-400 on a crop sensor?
😯
I'm with SFB on this one - Nikon 18-200 VR
Used it sea kayaking a while back. Shooting one-handed from the boat (one a D80) in a swell and it was absolutely crystal clear on 98% of my shots. Superb lens, and not as hugely expensive as it could be.
I like my 18-135 kit lens as well.
is that 100-400 on a crop sensor?
are not lenses always marked with their actual focal lengths ?
Richpips, I love that 70-200mm non IS F4. One of the best telephoto lenses for the price Ive had a go on. How much would you be looking at when you get rid of it?
sfb: yes - but the idea of using a 400mm lense on a crop sensor just doesn't work in my brain, I struggle with my f4 300mm lens in all but the best light
My sigma 18-200mm os or canon 50mm f1.8 prime are my top lenses the sigma isnt a great lens but superzoom is handy and the 50mm prime is so sharp its mind blowing.
Canon g10 as back up and i think thats most thing covered
24 - 70 f2.8 L is on the camera more often than not. 17 - 40L and 70 - 200 f2.8 IS and 1.4 converter are in the bag ready for when needed 🙂
smurf
Nikon 50mm f1.4 on film and probably the same on digital - but maybe a similarly fast 35mm (if I didn't have the 50mm already)
Of course because your not limited to one, I also have
Sigma 10-20
Nikon 16-85 VR (chosen in preference to the 18-200 VR)
Nikon 70-300 VR
Plus a Sigma 17-35 that I'm thinking of offloading and a cheap and OK (but not good) Nikon 28-100 that really doesn't get used.
My Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS is my favourite, my 100-400L IS is a good lens, but the push pull zoom seems to cause sensor dust.
But the 50 1.8 for the money is great!
My main lens is a 17-85 IS f/4.0-5.6 (Canon) and it usually gives excellent results. I've borrowed a 24-105 IS L f/2.8 in the past which was also excellent but a tad on the weighty side!
Nikkor 17-55 f2.8 rarely off the D300, but I would like the 18-200vr for family snapshot stuff. Although what I really "need" is the 70-200 f2.8
i 'need' the 70-200 as well
i'll buy one when nikon bring out an 11-70 VR f2.8
For general purpose use an 18-200 is hard to beat.
excellent but a [b]tad[/b] on the weighty side!
Oi! Don't steal Ben's special word!
Nikkor 18-200mm VR on my D300 and it does the job 🙂
18-200VR on my D300 here too, for paying clients as well.
My 80-200 f2.8 was wicked but so hard to keep still, whilst I really miss the f2.8 aperture (sold it for the VR) the VR bit of the 18-200 is excellent and allows me to take more low light stuff hand held. Plus as I never take it off, the sensor will ultimately get less dust on it.
Not he best for ultimate quality but certainly not far off the mark with a bit of jiggery pokery in Photo shop to remove the distortion.
An excellent compromise IMO. Certainly one lens that could rule them all.
my new 35mm f1.8 nikon which is flippin amazing for catching my kids indoors 😀
and the 18-200 if i can ever afford it 😉
Cartier Bresson seemed to manage pretty well on a 50mm prime but I guess he wasn't as good as us. don't have a DSLR but I do have a nice 28-70 f2.8 sigma for the FM2 though I haven't used it in years. Prime lens I'd go for a 35mm on a 35mm camera or a full sensor DSLR.
Cartier Bresson seemed to manage pretty well on a 50mm prime but I guess he wasn't as good as us.
I think we can take the reverse case that the better the photographer, the more they can overcome the limitations of the equipment 🙂 I recall once seeing Jo Cornish forced to use a mobile instead of his 8" plate camera. He still mounted it on a tripod :o)
sfb I don't think many people realise just what a difference a tripod can make. Can't beat a Gitzo and a cable release. Oh and a mirror lock.
sfb I don't think many people realise just what a difference a tripod can make
yeah, it turns a quick shot into an epic 🙁
Wouldn't say it was one lens for all, but certainly do get a nice pic from my 50mm f1.7
I only have one lens for my Canon 18-55mm but I'd love to try the 10-20mm suggested. Had a wide-angle on an old pentax slr and loved it.
Maybe the 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens looks awesome but a tad expensive.
Ill second one_happy_hippy's comment. I just use my Sigma 24-70 2.8 only downside is that its massive and heavy.
Has anyone got a zoom lens 50-200/300 they want to sell to fit a sony a200? I am after a low aperture.
😀 Thanks
I am after a low aperture
do you mean a small number ? = big diameter lens
You mean a large aperture, as in large hole to let light through, so a low F number. Sigma were doing their standard 70-300mm to fit the Sigma for £160 before Xmas in Jessops, look on Ebay and Warehouse Express for good prices though.