Your Top 3 Lens?

[Fast Glass]

Minolta 600mm f/6.3, Minolta 100mm f/4 macro, Minolta 50mm f/1.7 all converted to EF Mount. Have 13 lens all together and too many acc to list!

[George Slusher]

My "top 3" would depend upon what I'm doing. A week ago, I shot about 1200 photos at a 4-H Fair horse show. Most were indoors in an arena that's not well-lit. (White balance is a problem, as well, as the big fluorescent lights vary in color.) I carried a 30D and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, 17-55mm f/2.8 IS, and at least two fast primes--35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.8 (l'd like the f/1.4, but haven't bought one, yet), 85mm f/1.8 (the f/1.2 would be useless, as it is apparently slow to focus), 100mm f/2. AFTER the Fair, I got a Sigma 30mm f/1.4, but haven't tried it out in that situation. The f/2.8 lenses are fast enough for more-or-less static shots--horses lined up, for example, or doing showmanship (handled from the ground), but action requires the faster lenses. My primary camera, though, was a Canon Optura 50 camcorder. (Camcorders often are better in low-light situations than DSLRs because they use multiple pixels on the sensor for each pixel in the image.) The riders do a "pattern" of several elements, like haunch turns, circles, lead changes at canter/lope, etc. For educational purposes/feedback to the riders, a video is much more useful than stills, but the kids do like a still of them jumping. To be able to do both, I mounted the 30D & 85mm f/1.8 on a Feisol tripod, locked it onto a jump with a good framing/angle, set the drive to "high" and triggered off several shots with a remote release as the horse approached and jumped the fence, all while I was shooting video at the same time. The results weren't perfect--I could have used a 135mm f/2 or 200mm f/2, as the jump was all the way across the arena--but they were acceptable with cropping.


If I'm doing nature photography, my usual gear is a 100-400mm L IS and 17-85mm IS plus Canon 1.4x extender. I may carry a Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro and/or Sigma 10-20mm, the latter especially if I'm interested in shooting "up close and personal." Instead of the Macro lens, I sometimes carry a Canon 77mm 500D close-up lens + 67mm-77mm step-up ring.


For outdoor horse shows, it's usually the 17-85mm IS and 70-200mm f/4L IS. Yes, I have both the f/2.8L IS and f/4L IS. I bought the f/4L IS long before I got the f/2.8L IS. It's a lot lighter and easier to use than the f/2.8L IS behemoth. If the show includes wide-open spaces, I will use the 100-400mm. I've sometimes used the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS instead of the 17-85mm IS. It is better quality, but I have to switch lenses more often.

[dmckinny]

A very easy question for me to answer, I only have three lenses!


18-55 non-IS Kit


50 1.8


70-200 f4 non-IS





David

[jeffersonposter]

70-200 f/4 IS


200 f/2.8


300 f/4 IS


JeffersonPoster

[icanon]

Probably my favorite lens is the 24-70 f/2.8 it's a great all around lens.


My other favorite is the 70-200 IS f.2.8


Just bought last weekend a new 17-40 f/4.0 but can't say anything yet as I haven't had a chance to use it.


But I have a feeling it will be in second place.


I have others but the first two I mentioned I use a lot.

[SupraSonic]

1.EF 135mm F2 L


2.EF 17-40mm F4 L


3.EF 50mm USM

[waving_odd]

1. TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II


2. EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM


3. EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM





I own #2 and #3 but I haven't had #1 yet. Instead, I have EF 17-40mm f/4L USM.


But I am extremely impressed with the nearly-zero CA and sharpness of TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II so that I am going to get it as soon as B&H has it (once they had it a couple of times the past week, the stock was gone in SECONDS!!!)


PS: I am not impressed with that TS-E 24mm f/3.5L (Mk 1) at all due to the serious CA, etc...

[mpphoto12]

in my opinion...


1. 70-200 2.8 is


2.300 2.8 Is


3. 27-70 2.8

[GAButler]

I only have two


85 1.2L II


70-200 2.8L IS


My next will be:


24 1.4L II

[Colin500]

Interesting question, I can't answer because I got my first (D)SLR a week ago, and only have two lenses, but I'll look at the answers to see what combinations other people use...


I'd just wish for every answer to state whether it's for a full-frame, or a 1.6 / 1.3, in order to see e.g. whether the people with nothing below 24mm are all on full-frame, or just don't need a wide angle.