your goto everyday lens and why?

[DanielW]

Lots of expensive answers here... :-[

Don't let these put you off... my first answer used rather simple combo and by no means they have to be L's! Any general purpose zoom plus one standard lens is a good deal for me. The second post with a listing was simply a joke to follow up on "analogies" post someone started.

The best lens is the one you have mounted and ready to go...not some pie-in-the-sky object that you have to fork out big bucks for.
Cheers!

Thanks, Ray2021!
You know, even though I wish there were a few Ls in my bag (will get there eventually), I still have a long way to go before it is my lenses, not myself, what is keeping me from taking better pics.
I appreciate your concern!

 

[Area256]

Depends on the day...

Normally it's the 40mm pancake, just because it so wonderfully small, and I like the focal length for random snapshots.

My next most used is the 100mm L macro. I use it any time I think I'll be shooting people. I'd love to have the 135mm or an 85mm for that, but the macro is still very good - and I can shoot macro when I feel like it.

After that is the 24-105mm, that normally comes with me if I think I'll shoot landscape, or just have really no idea what I'll be shooting, but I want to do something serious.

 

[birtembuk]

85L. Of course not the most versatile lens, but it does magic. The anti-mundane tool.

 

[mjbehnke]

The lens I use the most is my EF-S 15-85 on my 60D. It has such a nice focal range and since I only own two lenses, my other is the 70-200 F4L IS. I do a lot of Senior Photo shooting and the two lenses are just fantastic. New Problem is that I've gotten into bird shooting and now I will have to get a bigger lens. Darn!

Matthew

 

[Daniel Flather]

200mm f/2.0 you can't beat magic

+1

+2

 

[DCM1024]

Lots of expensive answers here... :-[

Don't let these put you off... my first answer used rather simple combo and by no means they have to be L's! Any general purpose zoom plus one standard lens is a good deal for me. The second post with a listing was simply a joke to follow up on "analogies" post someone started.

The best lens is the one you have mounted and ready to go...not some pie-in-the-sky object that you have to fork out big bucks for.
Cheers!

Thanks, Ray2021!
You know, even though I wish there were a few Ls in my bag (will get there eventually), I still have a long way to go before it is my lenses, not myself, what is keeping me from taking better pics.
I appreciate your concern!

In January 2012, all I had was the t2i plus kit lenses 18-55 ii and 55-250. Nothing at all impressive in my bag, though I loved the t2i. Regardless of gear limitations, there were many paying clients who loved my photos (which is strictly a 2nd gig for me). Income from photography added a 7d, 5d2 & 5d3 in 2012. So far in 2013 I've added a 100mm macro L is and I have a 135 f2 arriving tomorrow. Still evaluating other lenses to add. Who would have thought I would have been able to do enough gigs to upgrade my kit that drastically in one year? My point, I suppose, is not to worry about what you don't have but to make the best of what you do. Remember, I got all this income based upon people hiring me from the photos they saw from the entry-level kit. Best of luck, Debbie

 

[DanielW]

My point, I suppose, is not to worry about what you don't have but to make the best of what you do.

That's a great way of thinking, thanks!
But now you got me curious... Can I see some of those photos?

 

[RGF]

24-105 is my walk around lens. If I want to shot nature then I'll bring my 70-300 L lens


24-105 is a great city lens, a bit of everything -wide to portrait

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

24-70 II and 70-300 L

because

 

[bseitz234]

Walkaround, usually 85 1.8. I like the smaller size compared to my 17-55, which also suffers from a bit of zoom creep if I walk around with it hanging from my neck. By far the majority of my shots have been taken with my 70-200, but that's usually more a case of "I'm going to a sporting event, I'm bringing my camera", and less spontaneous.

 

[aroo]

Lately, no kidding, 400mm 5.6 on a 6D. I'm surrounded by wildlife refuges

 

[rpt]

Lately, no kidding, 400mm 5.6 on a 6D. I'm surrounded by wildlife refuges

Wow! Pictures are in order!

In fact there are days like I said that my 100-400L sits on my camera. It did on my 300D and does on the 5D III too.

 

[stochasticmotions]

My 100-400 is on my 1D IV about 90 percent of the time, but I also do mostly nature (especially owls) photography. A 24-70 (Tamron now, used to be canon) stays on my 5D II unless I am doing macro work.

 

[dirtcastle]

I honestly don't think I have a single everyday "goto" lens, for the simple reason that I could wind up shooting so many different things.

For now, the closest I've got is the 16-35L or the 50 f/1.4. But both of these leave me wanting more. Much more.

When Canon's 35L and 50L get updated... one of these two will probably become my EDC. Although maybe the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 will work too.

As TrumpetPower expressed, I just don't find that any single lens does a good job of covering the variety of my shots. I definitely favor primes, but Canon's 35L/50L/85L primes all have weaknesses, imo. I tried the 35L and was disappointed. The 50L sounds a bit unreliable. I've got an 85L, but it's too precious/heavy/slow for an everyday carry. The 24L and the 135L are stellar, but not in my EDC focal range.

 

[samhodde]

Picked up a 24-105L f/4 as an every day carry today based off everybody's recommendations here, been building up a set of primes recently for video work and on my latest event shoot ran into a lot of trouble

Realized I can't manual focus as fast as I thought I could :-\

 

[chris_w_digits]

Since I shoot bands and people in indoor venues, often not well lit, the 70-200 f/2.8L (the non-IS version) is what I shoot most pictures with. People tend to react positively to "head and guitar" shots and to facial close-ups and the 70-200 range on a full-frame (5D Mark III) works extremely well, since I can get the shots without having to be so close, so people's facial expressions are usually natural. Many people don't like having a camera so close to them. When I used a crop (T2i), I used the Sigma 85mm f1.4 for my "head and guitar" and general photos of people and the Canon 135mm f/2L for facial close-ups. When I switched to full-frame, the seldom-used 70-200 f/2.8L became my most versatile lens.


Lens collection:
Canon: 28mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.4, 100mm f/2.8 L IS macro, 135 f/2L, 200mm f/2.8L, 70-200mm f/2.8L (non-IS)
Sigma: 85mm f/1.4

 

[verysimplejason]

I'm still using APS-C and my most used lenses are my 28mm F1.8 (most used among the most used), 50mm F1.8 and the 100mm macro USM F2.8. I'll be acquiring either the samyang 14mm or tamron 19-35mm soon maybe after I upgrade to 6D. I'm also thinking of the 70-300L and the 50mm F1.4 later. I'll leave my 500D + 50mm F1.8 + 18-55 and 55-250 with my loving wife.

 

[Radiating]

I love to shoot wide, wait scratch that, Ultra Wide. It seems that my everyday walk around goto lens is the 17-40. it gives me the ultra wide I like when needed and it also covers the 24, 28, and 35mm focal lengths. Granted, it's only f4 but I have been using it on a 6d and have had no complaints. Maybe one day i'll upgrade to the 16-35.

What's your goto everyday lens?

Anthony
My 365 iPhone Project.
http://onedumbphoto.com

My go to lens would be the 24-70mm f/2.8 II.

Why?

Because it has the last chromatic aberration of any lens you can get. It has almost no LoCa or LaCA, and is super sharp if you get a good copy which means that out of camera jpg's will be perfect. No other zoom lens ever made can claim that level of sharpness wide open at a fast aperture while being fully APO (not the half baked APO Sigma does) and having no lateral CA. Not the 16-35mm, nor 70-200mm.

 

[danski0224]

16-35 II

 

[wsmith96]

My everyday lens is the 17-55 2.8. I love this lens and it's never let me down.