What is your favorite lens? Which would you keep if you could only keep one?

So your house is on fire. Flames, smoke, little explosions and sparks as lightbulbs burst. It's just like a movie.


You have 30 seconds to get out before the whole thing collapses. You've got your wife, the kids, and the dog and you're heading for the door as smoke pours out and flaming beams fall behind you.


Luckily, you keep your camera kit right next to the door (or window, or whatever otherconveniently placed escape route you are heading for). Thank God! You can save the camera equipment! You pick up the camera bag, sling it on your shoulder, then realize...


Oh no! The bag is empty! You left it all your precious gear sitting out on the kitchen table last night (should have listened to the wife and tidied up before bed)!


Time is ticking, you have only seconds to decide and get out. You can't grab the whole kit, you only have one hand free (because of the kids and dogs and such piled in the other).


Which lens do you grab? Which lens can't you live without for the 3+ months it takes the insurance company to finally get that check out to you?


You only get one, better decide quick!


(and hopefully it's a wide angle, that way you can get some sweet shots of the flaming house while waiting for the fire department[:P]).

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 <span style="color: #ff0000; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"]L<span style="color: #000000; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"] USM <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 8pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"]it's usualy on the camera anyway and it cost a lot more than my <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II. I'd get a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS with the insurance money. [:P]

Here is the real story just happened to me, 2 months ago somebody broke into my house robbed everything they can including my Xsi with my favorite 85mm1.8 on it and some of my other L-lenses,pointshoot camera and camcorder. when my wife called me, the first thing I asked her was "is my camera still there?" she answered me with two words "shut up!" . well I should ask if her stuff is still there first. anyway, the good news was that they(maybe only he or she) didn't take my 7D and the 300mm2.8, I guess it's just too heavy or they didn't know the value of it.


the insurance company paid everything they should pay even I lost some of the receipts.so it wasn't too bad. hope those things won't happen again! and I think safely store your expensive gears is always a headache.sorry if it's off the subject.

No question - the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. I really enjoy my 100-400mm (for birds), love my 10-22mm (for landscapes and fun closeups), and my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II it just an amazing lens!, but the most important shots, to me, are ones of my family - and the 17-55mm is the most useful for those, and it's an all-around excellent lens.

Well since everything else is being replaced in 3 months, I'll grab the 24-70. I wouldn't say it is my favorite though.

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

No question - the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. I really enjoy my 100-400mm (for birds), love my 10-22mm (for landscapes and fun closeups), and my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II it just an amazing lens!, but the most important shots, to me, are ones of my family - and the 17-55mm is the most useful for those, and it's an all-around excellent lens.
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I'd have to agree. The 17-55 is too useful to surrender to the flames.

With all due respect, you're like my fiance. :) We had to catch a really early flight one time, and I said we have to leave the house by 4:30. At 4:22, we're almost ready, and she asks if she can take a few minutes to make the bed. I grumble, and she makes the bed. Turns out we missed the parking shuttle by a few seconds, had to wait 15 minutes for the next one, and almost missed our flights. She was happy that we left on time (by definition, we did), but I had to convince her that it's better to leave as soon as we're ready, as the timetable only has so much wiggle room.


What would I grab? I'd walk out with the empty bag. It's all replaceable, but lives aren't. If it was all in front of me, I'd grab the 1D3 camera, throw the strap over my neck, and grab the 16-35.

My favorite lens is my 500 f/4L IS of course, but I wouldn't grab it if the house is burning down. Instead I'd grab my portable drives. Gears are replacable by insurance coverage, images made over the years aren't replacable :)

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Originally Posted by Sinh Nhut Nguyen

Instead I'd grab my portable drives. Gears are replacable by insurance coverage, images made over the years aren't replacable :)

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Which is exactly those images made over the years should be kept on two sets of portable drives (or other media) - at least - with one set stored somewhere other than your house!!

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Originally Posted by Sinh Nhut Nguyen

My favorite lens is my 500 f/4L IS of course, but I wouldn't grab it if the house is burning down. Instead I'd grab my portable drives. Gears are replacable by insurance coverage, images made over the years aren't replacable :)
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Ditto!!!

I seem to remember 3 threads with the exact same topic. None the less opinions may change every 3 months even though mine still hasn't:


24-70





although.... the 12oz 14-1200 f/0.95 4 stop IS USM would be my imaginary favorite

yeah I got one in a safe deposit box[:D], but I want to post some images when I check in the motel you know?

Definately my 24-70mm f/2.8L. It's on my camera 97% of the time now I've switched to full frame.

If there was a fire I would get my most expensive lens, which isn't the same as my favorite, and neither of these is the one I would keep if I could have only one.


And if you count telescopes as lenses, the answer is different yet again (and if you count reflecting telescopes as well as refracting telescopes, the choice would be harder still...)


I guess I really don't know. I sure hope there isn't a fire.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]J Jphoto : I guess the burglar tough that because the 7d was bigger than the xsi it was an old and non powerfull version ofakodac ;)


Sorry to hear you where robbed. I often care about my gear. I still wonder if I should tell my insurance that I have a worthy camera gear in my home. (But really I only have a broken (no more AF) canon sd1200si point and shoot and I hang in this forum so I look big).





(got the joke? there is no Manual Focus on the sd1200si)

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Originally Posted by elz

no Manual Focus on the sd1200si

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just focus by moving your feet of course.. what distance is it stuck on?