Best of the best lens

[kiwi]

Money being no object, what do you think is the very best lens for your brand camera for you ? And why ?

[jjphoto]

I use Canon bodies so I can use a vast range of lenses such as Zeiss, Leica R, Olympus, Contax Zeiss, Mamiya M645, Hasselblad etc etc lenses. The list is very very long. There is no such thing as a single best lens as it depends entirely on your purpose and personal taste as lens rendering is subjective. Some love Zeiss for 3D, I don't, so my taste will differ to others tastes but this doesn't make a lens any better or worse. Sharpness isn't everything to me but some people demand absolute sharpness in the corners (I don't even look in the corners). I like smooth Bokeh, but funky/harsh bokeh can add to an image too. There are so many factors and reasons to like or dislike a lens.

I'm very fond of the leica R 180/2.0 (for excellent min focusing distance of 1.5m, sharpness wide open, fast and accurate focusing (manual) and smoothness of Bokeh) and Leica R 28/2.8 (current, not the older versions, for it's amazing sharpness across the frame) which I use on Canon bodies. The R 28/2.8 might be the best of it's kind aside from the likes of the Leica M 28/2.8 ASPH but that can't be used on Canon bodies anyway.

The Canon 24-70 Zoom is a great lens and is certainly my 'go-to' lens for work.

JJ

[jim]

Nikon 50 f1.8. Fast enough for nearly anything, ultra sharp, low distortion, very light.

Focal length maybe not ideal for everything, but still very useful.

[Kym]

What am I shooting?

General. then one of the limited pancake primes maybe 35mm f/2.8 DA Limited
Birds, Pentax 600/4 FA* special order
Macro, Sigma 105 or Tamron 90 f/2.8 (also for Portraits)
Landscapes, Sigma 10-20
and a Nifty 50 (50/1.7)

[ving]

mp-e65mm :(

600/4 af-s

hmm... that new 85/1.4 af-s sounds sweet too...

[MattC]

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/contents-frame/8baac109cb80bddfc12571e100393a1b
I am sure I could find an adapter on ebay.

[Xebadir]

Im going to take the allrounder option.
50 F1.8D. Sometimes the simplest things in life are oft the best.

[Kym]

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/contents-frame/8baac109cb80bddfc12571e100393a1b
I am sure I could find an adapter on ebay.

Yeah, just make sure it's one without the flange :Doh: :efelant: :lol:

I could afford the lens (in my dreams) but how do I explain the tripod to Nel?

[wattsgallery]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/116642-USA/Canon_2527A001_Super_Telephoto_1200mm_f_5_6L.html

[Xenedis]

Money being no object, what do you think is the very best lens for your brand camera for you ? And why ?

There is no best lens.

My 300/2.8 is pretty bloody hopeless at wide shots, and my 16-35/2.8 is quite useless for tightly-framed images of subjects a considerable distance away.

My lenses have different applications, so they are all the best lenses for the purposes for which I use them.

I've covered it here:

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showpost.php?p=651506&postcount=6

[jim]

...my 16-35/2.8 is quite useless for tightly-framed images of subjects a considerable distance away.

Crop!

[kiwi]

Ok, just to clarify, the ONE best lens, it obviously has to first be the best for it's purpose

For the record, not that I have one, but nikon 200 f/2 is my choice

[mikew09]

Canon 7-200 L f2.8 IS USM - This is a very good fit for my 50D. I do a lot of shooting requiring some medium reach, fast an useful in low light - horse events. Is also ausleful lens for portrait work.

But at over 3 grand, who can afford one?

[gje38752]

I can only say what is best for me, after a lot of investigation I settled on a Cannon 15/85. a good walk around lens, wide enough for most circumstances, likewise for the length. Produces good quality results on my 50D

[knumbnutz]

Nikon 24-70 2.8 a great lens with all the right properties, sharp, fast and good bokeh.
If i could only choose one, this would be it.
Cheers Neil

[mrDooba]

Canon 800mm f/5.6
One can never have too many millimeters when chasing birds.

[RaoulIsidro]

Money being no object, what do you think is the very best lens for your brand camera for you ? And why ?

For my Canon: 24-70mm f2.8 because it feels so right for modelling assingments and everything else.
For my Nikon: 135mm f2 DC (defocus control) because only Nikon can do this.

[Cage]

No brainer for me.

Pentax 600/4 FA* special order (do they still make them Kym?)

Then I could look those far away little birdies in the eye.

Kevin

[BLWNHR]

Money being no object, what do you think is the very best lens for your brand camera for you ? And why ?

Well I can afford (and own) lenses which cover from 10mm to 200mm. The next step is a lens to cover up to around 400mm. A 400 2.8 would be grand, but I do prefer the flexibility of a zoom. So my 'best of the best' lens would be a 200-400 f/4. This is considerably out of my price range at present, but maybe one day I'll have one.

Is that what you were meaning Kiwi?

[kiwi]

Indeed

[Colourised]

my 30mm 1.4 is currently the best lens ive had!

even though the lens is known for having focusing issues, luckily mine was one of the really good copies so its performs really well :D

[Voe]

Holga optical lens 50mm f/8 would be my choice. I like it because it's very light and it's made by Holga (in Germany).

http://www.petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2010/06/holga1.jpg

[hoffy]

Sony 85mm F1.4 Zeiss?

Horses for courses I am sure, but that would be no 1. on my lust list of lenses I probably don't need but would have if I had the spare cash

[TOM]

For most of what I do, then the 1.4/35mm Summilux-M Asph. But it's not my favourite lens.

[JM Tran]

My EYES

end of story:)

[Fabz]

Ever since I bought the canon 17-55 f2.8 is usm, it has hardly come off my trusty 7d.
If I had to choose one lens, that would be the one. The low light performance and the wide angle makes it the perfect indoor lens for me.

[michelle hutchinson]

I love the Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR II

It is just so beautiful! It took a lot of saving to afford it but it is sweet! Heavy but that isn't a problem! Bokeh is beautiful! Love it!

[twister]

For APS-C canon cameras as a general walk-around, I dont think it would go much better than the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8IS...it's pricey, but when I gave it a try, the thing can focus insanely fast, and image quality was tack sharp...

[jdreamer]

I have to say it's 85mm f/1.8. Just love it so much yet it's not too expensive. :D

[bigdazzler]

Sony 85mm F1.4 Zeiss?



+1 :th3:

Ive got it, and it is on my camera I reckon 80% of the time.