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If you could only use one lens for the rest of your life what would it be?


kye
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What lens would you choose to use for the rest of your life?

What is your favourite lens?

What is the lens you would most like to own?

With the announcement of various new lens mounts what lenses would tempt you to change systems?

I'm increasingly realising that it's the lens that makes the magic rather than the codec or colour science, and my desire for shallower DoF than my XC10 can provide means I'll be changing systems.  What are the lenses I should be lusting after, and then trying to find a camera body for?

If you want to make a recommendation, I do home, event and travel videos for fun, so the results don't have to be saleable, but the lens should be relatively well-rounded.  Zooms are ok if they are magical.

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Canon 17 f4 L TS-E.

I use it for landscapes, walk around at night, live music stills and video- even for (gasp) architecture and buildings/real estate.      It makes a decent 2x zoom (Jpegs and video) as well though you currently need a Sony for that.

It is my all time favourite lens.

While I am without camera, it is too good to not be used so I have loaned it to a relative who shoots real estate for a property developer with an A7sii.

 

As for another I would like (but alas will be unlikely to ever get), that would currently be the Canon 200 f2.

 

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4 hours ago, kye said:

I'm increasingly realising that it's the lens that makes the magic rather than the codec or colour science, and my desire for shallower DoF than my XC10 can provide means I'll be changing systems.  What are the lenses I should be lusting after, and then trying to find a camera body for?

Lens is so important but it's not binary, it is never one aspect alone. Codec and colour science still vitally important.

4 hours ago, kye said:

If you want to make a recommendation, I do home, event and travel videos for fun, so the results don't have to be saleable, but the lens should be relatively well-rounded.  Zooms are ok if they are magical.

85mm F1.2L Canon FD is magical on medium format. Not so much on crop sensor. So it depends on the combination of format and lens, not just the lens alone.

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8 hours ago, kye said:

What lens would you choose to use for the rest of your life?

What is your favourite lens?

What is the lens you would most like to own?

With the announcement of various new lens mounts what lenses would tempt you to change systems? 

1)  Voigtlander 40mm f2. Light, wonderful rendering, and it's the focal length I see in.
2) The same.
3) Nikon 105mm 1.4
4) Not anymore, I've realized I like to shoot Nikon, so that's what I'm going to stick with for photography at least. Video cameras will vary.

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I could be happy with a fast 35 or 40 f/1.4 forever...

Favorite lens is probably the FE 50/1.4 (too soon to say this one definitively) or VC 40/1.2 though I really liked the ZM Sonnar 50/1.5...

I have the lenses I want to own, but am curious about the Leica Noctilux or 50 APO but I would never spend that much on a lens...

None of the announced lenses would tempt me away from Sony. At this point the native FE mount lineup is the most appealing with a wide diversity of quality glass in the focal lengths I care about from Sony, Sony/Zeiss, Zeiss and Voigtlander and ability to adapt all kinds of great glass.

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Interesting topic. I guess if I was forced to use only one lens, the pragmatic answer would be the Canon 24-70mm f/4. With the IS, it’s just so damn versatile.

Currently I love my 28mm 1.8, it just oozes character. I usually prefer a little longer of a lens, but in a pinch you can get some decent shallow depth and good separation.

I’ve decided to invest in EF lenses. I don’t own many but I’ll also only buy lenses now that I can have the mount changed to EF.

If I were to buy a camera with a different mount, I would probably go M4/3 so I could use c-mounts and some inexpensive native glass. I love what I am seeing from 7artisans, so one or two of those could be an option. I guess I could also see myself getting another Nikon camera in the future, so maybe a 35mm 1.8 would be a fun little lens... I do love my Minolta 35mm 1.8.

I also will only buy lenses that I can afford to replace. If I buy smart and hold out for good deals, then if I need extra cash or if I lose or break one, I won’t be too disappointed.

I also don’t think I’ll waste any money on fly by wire lenses anymore, unless they can be bought for really cheap. When you compare the fly by wire lenses to crafted mechanical lenses like the Contax Zeiss or Minolta MDs or Leica Rs or Voigts... I just don’t think the plastic crap is worth it.

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14 hours ago, kye said:

What lens would you choose to use for the rest of your life?

What is your favourite lens?

What is the lens you would most like to own?

With the announcement of various new lens mounts what lenses would tempt you to change systems?

I'm increasingly realising that it's the lens that makes the magic rather than the codec or colour science, and my desire for shallower DoF than my XC10 can provide means I'll be changing systems.  What are the lenses I should be lusting after, and then trying to find a camera body for?

If you want to make a recommendation, I do home, event and travel videos for fun, so the results don't have to be saleable, but the lens should be relatively well-rounded.  Zooms are ok if they are magical.

For my use and on a practical standpoint, 24-105 f/4. Not a dream lens, not the best but it covers many things.

I really love my Sigma 35mm f/1.4

Canon TS 17mm

Not a lens in particular, so far I have the feeling that Canon and Nikon are mostly showing of with huge and impractical lenses (good luck to focus with a 50mm 0.95 lens). I'm not so impressed so far. The l-mount alliance should bring more choice, faster and cheaper.

9 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Lens is so important but it's not binary, it is never one aspect alone. Codec and colour science still vitally important.


Yeah, lens is just one important part of the mix. It's like asking what is more important, my arms or my legs, my right lung or my left kidney.... The is not just about one single part but the full system. So I think that the L alliance should bring more variety but we can't have it all. DFD sucks for video, PDAF is great but canon video is a turd, Fuji has wonderful cameras and lenses but skips full frame.
 

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17 hours ago, kye said:

What lens would you choose to use for the rest of your life?


That would be unnaturally cruel. 
I might just give up on cameras and go play with my one hundred mics instead ?

17 hours ago, Jimmy said:

I haven't tried it yet, but you have to imagine the new Canon 28-70mm F2 will be a hell of a versatile lens if they drop an EF version. Heavy and expensive, but damn... That covers so many shots.

An EF version will never happen. 

 

17 hours ago, kye said:

With the announcement of various new lens mounts what lenses would tempt you to change systems?


Nothing. 

So many many many lenses are available across many mounts, all mounts have great choices. We're spoiled for choices. 

 

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