If You Could Have One 1 Lens...

[beckstoy]

Alright everybody, here's the hard question. Someone's gonna ask it!

You can only pick 1 lens for the rest of your life from today's current lineup. What do you do?


Take some time and think about your answer for

1. A Crop Sensor camera

2. A Full-Frame camera

Also, let us know what you normally shoot (weddings, landscapes, macro, etc.)


I'll start it off:

(I shoot Weddings and Events, primarily)

1. EF-S 17-55mm f2.8

2. EF 70-200mm f2.8 II (amazing lens)

 

[Deleted member 91053]

I have a selection of Canon lenses that I use on 1.3 crop and FF. If I was forced to choose just one then it would have to be my 800 F5.6 L IS. I know this is a VERY specialized lens but it is the one I use most so it would have to stay. Of course if I could trade it for a 600 F4 Mk2................

 

[Jim Saunders]

My 24-70 II.

Jim

 

[wayno]

My 24-70 II.

Jim

Agree. Versatility and excellent optics.

 

[jdramirez]

I hate this question.

I did use a 50mm f 1.8 exclusively for a while...

I like, but don't love my 24-105. Well it is more than like, but it is my goto lens when I'm not sure what I'll be shooting.

I guess I'd also go 24-70 mkii as well, but I've never used it... so I'm relying on other people's opinion.

Fine... I'd opt for a 8 mm fisheye...

 

[crasher8]

FF

ef 50 1.2

 

[verysimplejason]

Crop, 28mm F1.8
FF, 40mm F2.8

Why? I want a lens I can take anywhere light enough and small enough for me to enjoy other things in life. If I can have another lens beside that, I'll take the 70-300 L for both.

 

[tnargs]

Maybe the recent Canon 35mm f2 IS -- for FF and standard sensors.

 

[RGF]

FF

For wildlife, 200-400, followed by 600 and then 70-200

For macro, 180

For lens scape, harder call, probably 24-70

 

[pj1974]

I don't really see the point of having a DSLR if you could only have one lens... so this thread is very much hypothetical for me, as I use different lenses for different purposes.

However I'll share my thoughts below, pretending a 'only allowed 1 lens' scenario were reality. (My main photography interest is landscape.... but I take lots of types of photos - so an 'all round' lens fits the bill best for me).

- APS-C (crop sensored DSLR): Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM would be the second 'all round' preference).

I would really miss the reach of my Canon EF 70-300mm L f/4-5.6 IS USM for wildlife, etc. as well my UWA landscape shots (with eg my Sigma AF 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM on my APS-C)

- FF (Full Frame DSLR) Canon EF 24-105mm L f/4 IS USM (with the Canon EF 24-70mm L f/2.8 USM and the Canon EF 24-70mm L f/4 USM IS [semi-macro] as my alternate preferences on FF for 'all round' lenses).

Again I would miss my true macro shots - or a bright prime for shallow depth of field.

Other options for a 'one-only' lens on FF would be the Canon EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS USM vII, or the Canon EF 28-300mm L f/3.5-5.6 IS USM - but these are large, heavy lenses to lug around all the time.

Regards....

Paul

 

[daveheinzel]

One camera and one lens forever: Canon EOS 3 (film) and Zeiss 50mm 1.4. Ilford HP5. No hesitation.

 

[Zv]

Crop - ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. Very versatile lens though I would like a longer reach. The 10-22mm was also a great lens on crop but limits me to WA focal lengths.

FF - that's tough. I could get away with just the 24-105L but that seems like a boring answer. I think the 135L would be my choice. Sure I'd miss out on landcapes but I'm more of a portraits and wedding guy these days. Then again I could also live with just a 24mm f/1.4 and be quite happy!

 

[julescar]

24-70 II F2.8L without any doubt over all my primes...

 

[Andy_Hodapp]

For my 5D MKii, if we are talking about lenses we own, then the Sigma 105mm F/2.8 EX DG Macro.

You can use it for landscape

You can use it for portraits

You can use it as a telephoto

You can use it in low light

You can use it for macro (duh)

You can use it for product photography

You can use it for movies

Nature


I've thought about it a lot and a good 100-105mm macro lens is on of the most versatile lenses you can have in your kit even though it is only designed to do one job. The are very sharp, a great focal length, cheap, I got mine for $300, light weight, and have great focusing rings.

Edit
All of the photos above were taken with my Sigma 105mm, also here is an album of some of my favorite shots I've taken with the lens, http://www.flickr.com/photos/66627224@N02/sets/72157633893629528/

 

[adhocphotographer]

Hmmm... out of the lenses I own/have owned

1) 17-55 f/2.8 IS
2) 24-105 f/4L

but i guess if i had a gun to my head and had to choose one, i would probably get the 28-300L for FF.

 

[pwp]

One lens? That's easy, the 24-70 f/2.8II.

-PW

 

[PKinDenmark]

Though I hate the idea of having to be limited to just one lens, I will vote as follows:
Crop: EF-S Canon 15-85
FF: Canon EF 24-105
Both of these have been my trusted pick-one-for-this-thip lenses, as they cover a very useful range and perform well (if not brilliantly).
Pretty boring, I know. My favourite lens is by far the Canon 70-200 f/4.0 IS, but that would not do it alone.

PS: I have no experience with the much praised 24-70 f/2.8 II, so I did not consider that for this poll.

 

[mfumbesi]

One camera and one lens forever: Canon EOS 3 (film) and Zeiss 50mm 1.4. Ilford HP5. No hesitation.

As I was reading OP, I thought about my EF 50mm F1.4. It is currently permanantly attached to my 7D.
It is not an L lens but, I love it. If I had to choose one-body-one-lens system.
I'll probably take the 5D3 and the EF 50mm F1.4.

 

[Deleted member 42026]

The lens is an easier choice. Zeiss distagon 2/35 ZE.

Body: 1ds mark iii I think.

 

[jux58]

hi

i've just bought canon 100D to complete my 5DII
it's just a miracle, because of the weight

if i had to keep just a kit, i would choose my 100D with a voigtlander skopar 20 mm

manual focus, to think about the result before taking the picture (and save space on the hard disk)