Three Canon Lens Masters Pick Their Favourite Lenses

[Canon Rumors Guy]

<a href="https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3376563810/we-asked-3-canon-lens-masters-to-name-their-first-and-favorite-designs">DPReview</a> asked three Canon lens masters at the Utsunomiya lens factory to name their favourite lens designs (as well as their first). One of the responses may surprise you.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Masato Okada: Deputy Chief Executive of Image Communication Products and Operation

</strong><em>Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM – “For me I’d have to say the 11-24mm F4L USM, because when launched, it allowed the widest angle possible on a full frame with no distortion.”</em></li>
<li><strong>Kenichi Izuki: Plant Manager</strong>

<em>Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM – “My favorite, which I truly remember because it was so hard to design, was the original Canon 70-200 F2.8 L USM non-IS.”</em></li>
<li><strong>Shingo Hayakawa: Deputy Chief Executive of Image Communication and Products Operations</strong>

<em>Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II – “… if I were to narrow it down, my choice would be a lens that came out in 2012: the Canon 24-70mm F2.8L II USM.”</em></li>
</ul>
<p>I’m not a lens engineer/designer, but I to have my favourite Canon lenses based on design, usability and performance. For me, my absolute favourite Canon lens is the EF 200mm f/2L IS USM.</p>
<p>What’s your favourite Canon lens?</p>
<span id="pty_trigger"></span>

 

[keithcooper]

TS-E17

TS-E 17 f4L

Was speaking to someone at the Nikon stand at the Photography Show in Birmingham (UK) whilst I was there to do a series of talks about making big prints, and they asked why I picked Canon - pointed to the lens.

This from when Nikon forgot to send any invites to their talks...

An hour before the show opens is a great time to get round and check things out

Canon stand in the distance

 

[gm_coates]

Bang for buck the EF 50mm f/1.4 is great fun.
Highly recommended

 

[romanr74]

I concur with Masato: The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L (my copy being without IS though...)

 

[josephandrews222]

Favorite (not the best, the favorite) lens?

EOS M 11-22mm IS; hands down!

Second on my list: the 100-400mm II

 

[Maximilian]

I am not able to reduce it to just one lens. If so I wouldn't have bought into a ILC system
Give me two and I'd say 24-105L and 100-400L II with the same importance (on FF).

 

[Canon Rumors Guy]

I concur with Masato: The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L (my copy being without IS though...)

ha! woops

 

[FTb-n]

EF 70-200 f2.8L USM IS Mark II.

 

[privatebydesign]

The 11-24 is my most used lens for professional work, it has speeded up my shoot times considerably. Having said that the IQ possible from the TS-E17 really is unmatched and if time were not a factor would still be my primary tool. Both are lens design benchmarks without equal and anybody involved in their design should be rightly proud of their achievements.

However, for my personal use I am more than happy with a much more modest lens, the 35 f2 IS, if I didn't have to earn money with my photography and could only have one lens it would be the 35 f2 IS, to my mind the design is a perfect compromise and I am so pleased they went for f2 rather than matched the other small IS primes at 2.8.

 

[Corydoras]

My absolute favourite Canon lens is the 70-200 IS Mark II. On 5Ds it is just an incredibly sharp and contrasty straight from f/2.8 and there are hardly any CAs in the images it produces. It´s hard to find anything to complain on that lens. Except that the corners are a touch softer than the center @ f/2.8 :

 

[neuroanatomist]

For me, it's a tie between the 600mm f/4L IS II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L.

 

[H. Jones]

That's a tough one, but I think it might be the 24-70 f/2.8L II. It's my most-used lens when working and it makes my favorite images. That said, I really would love to get my hands on a 35mm f/1.4L II, because I could really see myself enjoying that as well.

 

[StudentOfLight]

For me currently it has to be the EF 35mm f/1.4L II. Close runners up of will be the 135L and the TS-E 24L II.

The next lens on my wishlist is the 300mm f/2.8L IS II. I've thought long and hard about getting a 200mm f/2 L IS, but I think the 300mm will suit my needs better.

 

[wsmith96]

My favorite and most used lens is the 70-200 2.8 Mk. II.

 

[johnhenry]

As much as I use my 24-104 I, I find the lens I count on most to deliver is my 200mm f/1.8

 

[takesome1]

As my mom always said when asked, all of my children are my favorites.

 

[Sabaki]

My favourite lens is the Canon 100mm f/2.8 IS L macro

 

[Mancubus]

<p>I’m not a lens engineer/designer, but I to have my favourite Canon lenses based on design, usability and performance. For me, my absolute favourite Canon lens is the EF 200mm f/2L IS USM.</p>
<p>What’s your favourite Canon lens?</p>

Usability? The 200mm f/2 is:
- too long for a walk around
- too short for birding and most wildlife
- Weights a ton
- too big for most camera bags

In fact, this is one of the least versatile lens I know of. A 35mm or a wide zoom is a usable lens, a fixed 200mm is not

 

[epsiloneri]

Oh... I started to think about this and couldn't stop, so here's a list of lenses (for Canon) I've used, ranked according to how much I like them:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Canon EF 70-200/2.8L USM IS II
[*]Sigma 20/1.4 DG HSM A
[*]Canon EF 200/1.8L USM
[*]Canon EF 15/2.8 Fisheye
[*]Canon EF 100-400/4.0-5.6L II
[*]Canon EF 100/2.8L USM
[*]Canon EF-S 10-22/3.5-4.5 USM
[*]Canon EF 24-70/2.8L II
[*]Canon EF 400/2.8L IS USM
[*]Canon EF 100/2.8 USM macro
[*]Canon EF 85/1.2L II USM
[*]Canon EF-S 17-55/2.8 USM IS
[*]Canon TS-E 17/4.0L
[*]Canon EF 135/2.0L
[*]Samyang XP 14/2.4
[*]Canon EF 85/1.8 USM
[*]Canon EF 24-105/4.0L USM IS
[*]Canon EF 70-200/2.8L USM IS
[*]Canon EF 300/2.8L USM
[*]Canon EF 100/2.0 USM
[*]Canon EF 300/4.0L IS
[*]Canon MP-E 65/2.8
[*]Canon TS-E 90/2.8
[*]Sigma 50/1.4 DG HSM A
[*]Sigma EX 50/1.4 HSM
[*]Sigma 35/1.4 DG HSM A
[*]Samyang 24/T1.5
[*]Sigma EX 50-500/4.0-6.3 APO HSM
[*]Canon EF 14/2.8L II
[*]Sigma EX 24/1.8 EX Macro
[*]Canon TS-E 45/2.8
[*]Canon EF 24/1.4L II
[/list]
...so yes, as for many others, the Canon EF 70-200/2.8L USM IS II is my favourite lens all categories.

 

[epsiloneri]

Usability? The 200mm f/2 is:
- too long for a walk around
- too short for birding and most wildlife
- Weights a ton
- too big for most camera bags

I agree, but the question was not about the most versatile or useful lens, or even the "best" lens, it was about your favourite lens, and that is a personal choice. The 200/2 certainly has the drawbacks you mention, but is also a wonderful portrait (and astro) lens.