What is your favourite / most used lens??

J

johncook

Senior Member
Thought it might be interesting to see what lens we all like the best / use the most.

I love my 50mm prime, it's always in the camera bag & takes great shots.

I used a cheap 28-80 for about 9 months & love that because it's light, small and sharp but have just bought a 24-85 which again is pretty cheap but quick to focus, silent, and sharp and slightly more versatile and I like this a lot too as my walk around lens.

I've got an 18-200 vr which is a good lens but tend not to use it for a couple of reasons. It's pretty big & heavy. The other reason is I don't often need the reach beyond 80-85 mm.

So which lens or lenses do you guys use 90% of the time???

Im sure there is a more expensive lens covering the ranges I use often, I'm not sure how much better IQ it would give me but I'm open to any suggestions..
 
M

Mikeydigs

Senior Member
I have a 18-55 vr (kit lens) that I use alot , its a cheap , light and easy to cary around , I also use my 70-200 vr 2.8 all the time , this lens is great, but it is big and some what heavy. my camera is D7000
 
S

skooter1

Senior Member
Nikon DX 18-200mm. I have a D5100. I love this lens cause it can take good close-ups but still catch action pretty far out there. The best of both worlds!
 
franpoli

franpoli

Senior Member
I like wide shots so my most used lens is the Tamron 11-18 mm. My favorite lens is the Samyang 85 mm manual focus because it's more challenging to use.
 
bluenoser

bluenoser

Banned
The 2 lenses I use 90% of the time are my 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 VRII. (I have to say that I still love my 18-105VR!)

If I had to choose just 1 lens? (tough one). I'd say the 70-200 for it's overall performance but not as much fun to lug around. :)
 
M

miknoypinoy

Senior Member
I'm with James except that if I had to choose one, I'd choose the 24-70 2.8mm. my absolute favorite. great walk around lens, fast , sharp, and fairly compact.


I'm not afraid . . . YOU WILL BE. . . YOU WILL BE. . .
 
W

westmill

Banned
Oh my... this is a tuffy lol
mmmm my most used lens is prob the 18-70mm. Its fairly fast compaired to most being an F3.5-4.5
It focusses very very quickly and accurately, it has a degree of weather proofing and performs as high if not higher than the 17-55 F2.8
at the acorrding aprature ranges and its silent. In terms of resolution, the lattest generation of so called kit lenses are truly superb.
So good in fact, that the only reason to buy the true pro stuff is if you need faster glass or better build quality.
I also have a tamron 17-50 F2.8. This too gives superb results but has its flaws, but only at the wide 17mm setting.
I have a number of primes too, but the truth is, I rarley use them anymore. Zooms have come a long way over the years.
I have a fondness for the old 70-210 F4-5.6 D lens. Its fairly fast focussing, well built and gives wonderful bokeh and colour rendition.
You can get mint examples very very cheaply on Ebay etc too lol. Highly recomended !
The old 24-85mm is a fantastic and seemingly forgoton lens. Far superior to the later F4 version which is now discontnued.
Nikon did the right thing in keeping the older version. Its a great lens that seems to often get over looked.
The best lens Ive owned for DX is the 16-85mm though. Its simply great at all focal lenghs.
 
Eduard

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Nikkor 17-55 hands down. I look at the images I've taken in Lightroom and I'm guessing more than 70% are made with that lens.
 
F

fotojack

Senior Member
When I worked at the motorcycle race track, my favourite lens to use was the 55-300 VR. For portraits, my favourite is the 20-105 AF. For general all purpose walk around, I wouldn't be without my 18-105. I just love this lens! As soon as I win the lottery, there will be a LOT of 2.8 lenses in my arsenal! :) Oh...and a D300 if I can ever find a good used one. :)
 
S

Sambr

Senior Member
You must mean the 28-105AF - Just curious if you won the Lottery why not buy a "new D- whatever it might be" instead of a used D300?
 
F

fotojack

Senior Member
salvatore said:
You must mean the 28-105AF - Just curious if you won the Lottery why not buy a "new D- whatever it might be" instead of a used D300?
Click to expand...

ooops! You're right, Sam. I meant the 28-105. Thanks for catching that.

I've heard nothing but horror stories about the D7000, I'm not crazy about the D800, don't need the features of the D4. I just like that D300. It does everything I want a camera to do. I don't need video or any other bells and whistles that the newer models come with. Besides......the batteries from my D200 will work in it, too! :) lol
 
B

Bukitimah

Senior Member
I was very happy with my Nikkon AFS 18-105 VR kit lens till I trade it for a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 non VR. This Tamron becomes my 'daily' lens since it provides the normal range I need.

However, my other 2 lenses are equally important. If the 18-105 is f2.8, that would be the ideal walkabout lens.
 
G

Geoffc

Senior Member
For general use I like the 18-200. It produces good results and provides a wide capability. It's all I need for trips.

For shots that always look great (technically) I like my 70-200vrii and Tokina 11-16. Sooo sharp and great colour.

Now I saw this today. I wonder if the IQ will match the 18-200 and 70-300vr lenses? Might be a killer lens, or rubbish at everything!!

http://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/p...zoom/af-s-dx-nikkor-18-300mm-f-3-5-5-6g-ed-vr
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
If I only had 2 lenses that I could keep, it would be the 16-35 f4 VR and the 24-120 F4 VR. With this and the D700, I could cover a lot of ground. I think these two have special qualities that remind me of my old Leica lenses… The results speak for themselves.
But the 24-70 2.8 is also one pretty pretty nice piece of glass and it is "sharp" very sharp.
 
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