Three "L" lenses I always carry...

[Chuck Lee]

I've got a 5D and 40D. Three lenses always in the bag are:


1) 17-35 f2.8L (My favorite lens at this time.) Went on a field trip with my son's 3rd grade class today and this was the only lens I used.


2) 28-70 f2.8L (Good general purpose, candid portrait lens)


3) 70-200 f2.8L (Exceptional IQ and AF, Studio Portrait, Wedding, Sports, Wildlife, Air Show, etc. etc.)


I also carry a EF 100 f2.8 Macro and EF 50 1.4. The AW200 Slingshot's a good size bag. Still debating whether to add a 100-400 L IS or wait a bit to see if there will be a newer offering in this range.


I always carry at least one flash (Quantarray 9550 or Vivitar 285HV) with Cactus V2s wireless for the Vivitar, a Demb diffuser, gels, cloth, spare AA's, 77mm polarizer, release chord, zip lock bag, mem card reader, and extra 2G Sandisk II CF cards.


I use a duffle for all of the extra location shoot stuff, but everyday my Slingshot goes with me whether I'm planning on taking photos or not. Most of the time I take just the 5D and 5 lenses and strobe. Sometimes, I'll for go the strobe and tote the 40D along too. Use it with the 70-200 and the 5D with the other lenses. Did that this past weekend at the church picnic.

[Keith B]

I shoot full frame (5D2), so the three lenses I always have with me are:


1. 24mm f/1.4 II. I just love shooting wide angle. When I had the 24-105 and 24-70 on my camera, I almost always used them at 24mm. For me, the option to use thin DOF and ultra wide angle at the same time allows for some very interesting photographs. But even when I'm stopped down, such as f/2.8, I really appreciate the much higher quality of this 24mm over the zooms.

Have you at least tried out the 16-35 II? Not as sharp or as fast as a prime but a versatile dream if you like wides. I love being able to go from mild-wide 35 to über-wide 16.

[Daniel Browning]

Have you at least tried out the 16-35 II? Not as sharp or as fast as a prime but a versatile dream if you like wides. I love being able to go from mild-wide 35 to über-wide 16.

I've only played around with it a few times. I find that it's very difficult to get good compositions wider than 24mm. There's just too much background.

[Keith B]

For personal stuff the wide end is usually just for fun. I get to shoot normal and then throw in a exaggerated angle just for something different.


It actually works really well for me for my paid gig. I shoot a lot of restaurants. 16 will let me get the whole place or I can use it to exaggerate lines to give give a place a larger appearance. Then I can zip in to 35 get real close to dishes of food, pull in some background. I usually bracket 2.8, 5.6 and 8.0 on the food to give the designer the choice of DOF.


Occasionally I get to shoot some fashion stuff. I love to get low and exaggerate leg length, emphasize shoes and such. Then I have the 24, 35 etc to give a normal perspective too.


Oh and building exteriors are fun at 16 too. Just rambling cause I love this lens.

[Colin]

The only lens I almost always carry is the 24-105 f/4,followed most likely by the 70-200 f/2.8 IS. Third would be a toss up between the 16-35 f/2.8 and the 180mm f/3.5 Macro.


The last outing I used the first two exclusively. The time before that, the last two exclusively...


I kind of failed not narrowing down to three, didn't i? Oh well....

[Mark Elberson]

Still debating whether to add a 100-400 L IS or wait a bit to see if there will be a newer offering in this range.
<p style="CLEAR: both"]

<p style="CLEAR: both"]Rumors about a 100-400 L II have been around for a long time. I got mine back in January and at the point canonrumors.com had the new model coming out in February. Obviously it never came out but regardless, owners of the current 100-400 L love it so if you're thinking about it I would pull the trigger! Just think of all of the shots you'll miss waiting for the next release

<p style="CLEAR: both"]

I also carry a EF 100 f2.8 Macro and EF 50 1.4

Me too I use the <span id="btAsinTitle"]Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG which carries a ton of gear and quite comfortably too!

[George Slusher]

"Always" is a long, long time. [:^)] What I carry depends upon what I'll be doing. Here's what's in my car most of the time, though. I can swap out various lenses depending upon the task.

1. Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6
   
2. Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
   
3. Canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS
   
4. Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS
5. Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro
6. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

Usually, the 17-85mm will be on my 30D in a Think Tank Speed Racer, along with the Sigma 10-20mm, 100mm Macro, and 100-400mm, plus a Canon 1.4x teleconverter (fits the 70-200mm f/4 and 100-400mm). That's my "standard" daytime nature set. If I'm carrying the Speed Racer through the woods &amp; fields, I use the 17-85mm because the (superior) 17-55mm f/2.8 would leave too big a gap versus the 100-400mm. If I'm working out of my car, I use the 17-55mm and/or 70-200mm f/4 (sharper than the 100-400, as well as a LOT lighter!) for flowers, plants, landscapes, etc., but birds almost require the 100-400mm. If I were to be walking around downtown (which I don't, yet), I'd probably have the 17-55mm on the camera and the 70-200mm f/4 along.


I often take photos at equestrian events. Again, what I carry depends upon the situation. Outdoors, in good light, I carry the 17-85mm and either the 70-200mm f/4 or the 100-400mm, depending upon how far away the subjects will be. (A dressage show or jumping in a ring does OK with the 70-200mm f/4; wide-open, spread out courses may require the 100-400mm.) Usually, I also have a camcorder (Canon Optura 50) in the bag (Think Tank Change Up). The 17-85mm is to avoid the gap in focal length and to not have to change lenses so frequently. A Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L or 24-105mm f/4L might be even better, in that regard, as I seldom use a focal length shorter than 35-40mm, but I haven't invested in either of thoses. (The 17-85mm was a fairly early purchase as an upgrade to the 18-55mm (non-IS) kit lens.)


Indoor horse shows, like other indoor sports, can be a real challenge. (Horse arenas seem to be less-well-lit than, say, pro basketball arenas.) I have to pull out the faster lenses, plus the camcorder and 580EX flash:

1. Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
2. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
3. One or more fast prime(s), depending upon the situation (e.g., how far away the horses will be):

• 35mm f/2
• 50mm f/1.8
• 85mm f/1.8
• 100mm f/2

Other situations may demand different set-ups. (E.g., the few times I shoot indoors with groups of people, I'll usually have the 17-55mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses.)

[Benjamin]

If the 16-35L, 24-105L and 70-200/2.8L are the three lenses you always carry along with your body, then you do carry a lot! (more like a 6kg backpack overall?) I only carry this much (quite a bit more than this actually) when I'm simply moving all my gear from one place to the other, i.g. going back home for my 4 months summer vacation. Otherwise, this is all I carry 95% of the time:


1V-HS + 16-35/2.8L II, 85/1.8


or


50D + 24-70/2.8L


This way I can just bring a Lowepro Nova 180 with me or a ThinkTank Speed Racer, I only bring my 70-200L when I need a telescope[]

[TheRoff]

Ok, in my bag most of the time:


5DMk2 and 30D


70-200mm f/2.8L IS - Hard to carry around all the time, but I love the reach


24-105 f/4 - This one lives on the 5DMk2


EF-S 10-22mm - This one lives on the 30D and I love it.


Larry

[piiooo]

Here's what I carry with my 50D:


1) EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS


2) EF-S 10-22 f/4-5.6


3) EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS


All of the above have a 77mm filter thread which makes my life a lot easier.


4) 50 f/1.4


I carry a lens hood for each lens as well.