Lens Your three favorite lenses of all time

mnhoj

gee aahrr
Location
Los Angeles
Name
John
I think this will be fun.
I'll have to really think. At least one lens of mine comes down to an emotional connection. Like the Nikon 105 F2 DC. At the time my kids were young and the lens produced a nice blend of sharpness and OOF rendering. But honestly it's all about the content. It touched me then and now. The D700 probably had a lot to do with it too. So that's one of em' for me.

I figured there are quite a few here with some great lens stories. Love to hear them.
 
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Tough Question... I'll have to limit to 5cm F1.5 Sonnar formula lenses for now.

1936 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm F1.5 with fully coated optics, from a test batch of lenses. All surfaces are hard-coated.

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Wide-Open on the M9,



Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.5,

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Nikkor5cmF15_Sonnar by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Mine is from the same batch as David Douglas Duncan's lens, within ~15 of his. 300 or so made in Leica mount.
This is the lens that DDD used for "This is War". I bought a 1st Edition copy to go with the lens. Below- lenses posed with a US Camera article about DDD.

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Nikkor5cmF15_135_F4 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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And- this 5cm F1.5 Carl Zeiss Sonnar is 90 years old, and from the first batch of 100 lenses made. It is a pre-production run.

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1932_Sonnar by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

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I went through my gear history and picked 7 lenses that feel they could get into the top three the most.

It's perfectly valid to ask for all-time favorites but it's very hard for me to consider a lens that I've sold-- to be in the running.

It's difficult to define the places #2 and #3 but I think I have my #1 locked down:

Cosina Voigtländer 50mm f/3.5 Heliar VM

I never was a fifty mm guy much before Leica M. I got my rangefinder and shot a 35mm Summicron exclusively with it for 6 months. The frameline preview lever gave me an occasional taste what a 50mm could capture for me. In June 2019 I decided to go for brand new Cosina lenses, 50mm Heliar being one of them.

I was immediately hooked.

It's a lens that offers medium format level focus transition qualities and its relatively slow aperture doesn't show in pics. The optical formula is marvelous and it is the one lens that doesn't really need an aperture ring but has one anyway. Among the thousands of pictures, I can probably count the narrowed-aperture shots I've purposefully taken with the fingers of my two hands.

This is such a lens that makes me constantly consider a newer Leica M body with better high-ISO performance so that I could use this lens also in the dark of winter.


#2 (probably) is:

Panasonic 35-100 f/4-5.6 Power OIS

Micro 4/3rds has many killer lenses among its ilk but the Panasonic kit lens duo is the most killerest of them all. At 113 grams, what other 70-200mm eq zoom you can stuff in your jacket pocket and be your merry way?

It's a solid, sensible budget lens that perhaps suffers from poor, unimaginative bokeh but its sharpness and speed and ergonomics more than offset this one subjective, aesthetic misgiving. It's also perfectly usable wide open!

I originally bought one when I didn't rightly know if a 70-200 works for me. I did appreciate the range in theory, very handy. But all of the lenses are so big. Getting this lens based on its specs was the obvious thing to do since it didn't weigh anything and could be carried in my bag, just-in-case.




#3, and this is a tough one...

Panasonic 12-32 f/3.5-5.6 Power OIS?

I have a collection of deeply moving lenses that perhaps deserve the spot more than this $70 kit zoom lens. Some Nikkor 135mm perhaps? But that wouldn't be correct. The reason I love my 135mm Nikkor-Q so much is probably more about the FL than the lens itself. (It's very likely a combination of the FL and the fact that I have a beautiful FX DSLR camera behind it.)

Leica 35mm Summicron V deserves this spot also; it was huge news when I got it and still is the king of 35 mm FL. I've skipped cheap F/S ads of Nikkor 35/2 AF-D lenses because that lens can't possibly touch Summicron and the associated Leica look. Because we are talking about GOAT lenses here, the fact that I've largely moved from 35 to 50mm FOV shouldn't be a factor here.

So, why do I place a 12-32 zoom lens with modest optical qualities over an icon of photography?

It's probably because it makes so much damn sense. That the execution of the lens is great, that its compromises (as one is bound to make them) are decent ones. I seriously dislike standard zooms, but see the value of using one on an occasion. And if there's a pants-pocketable zoom lens, it's this.
 
"Favorite" -- most interesting? Most fun to use? Most versatile? Could be lenses in each category.

I had a Fujinon 35mm 1.7 (I think) that was a PITA to focus, so I sold it, and regretted it every minute. It made some of the most interesting bokeh. Here are some sample images, the second of which is a print on my wall

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20101011-20101011-EA110028 by W T, on Flickr

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20100801-20100801-E8010440 by W T, on Flickr

The Panasonic 20mm 1.7 is just so wonderful. Small, useful, good results. slow AF, but great output. If I ever leave m43, I would want an equivalent in whatever system I move to.

I love having a super zoom. really enjoy my Panasonic 100-300. It's a bit of a beast, but a lot of fun.

Runners up: OM 50mm 2.0 macro and SuperTak 50mm 1.4

So, I picked 3 fun lenses.
 
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"Favorite" -- most interesting? Most fun to use? Most versatile? Could be lenses in each category.

I thought that most here would have quite the difficult time. We may not have a lot of members here, but the members here have a lot.
Elaborating with more in each would be very welcome by me.

And the best lens that I thought I would like. Bet that could generate some content. ( :
 
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I’ll keep it short and sweet (and list more than 3) -

1st - Olympus 12-100mm f4 Pro - simply the best zoom lens I’ve ever used. Zero faults, and outrageously versatile.

2nd - Canon 100mm macro RF f2.8 L - this lens is best described as “delicious”. It never ceases to amaze me.

3rd - Nikkor 58mm f1.4 G - I just love this lens!

Honorable Mention #1 - Leica 28mm Summilux f1.7 - sure, it’s permanently attached to the front my my Leica Q, but it’s a real beauty, and in my favorite focal length.

Honorable Mention #2 - Panasonic Leica 15mm f1.7 - sharp as a tack, great as a walk around or for astro. Can’t beat it.

Dream list Lens - Canon RF 85mm f1.2 L - I’ve used this lens extensively, and it would easily rank #1 on my list, but as I don’t own it, I’ve “left it off”. Chances are I’ll actually buy the 50mm version of this lens however, as it’s both more affordable, and since I already own 100mm, I need more of a focal length difference to justify the price.
 
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Oh, my.

3) Leica Summitar 50/2. Stopped down, it's virtually indistinguishable from the Summicron but wide open it has some of the funkiest bokeh out there. Always loved it and shouldn't have sold it & the IIIf I used it on. I really need to get another one.

2) Zeiss Tessar 50/3.5 collapsible. The eagle eye. Sharp in the center going buttery smooth in the corners. This was a Contax mount lens on a Kiev 4. Again, shouldn't have sold it that pair.

1) Canon 50/1.4. Just heavenly. This was the finest of its kind in the 50's - blows the Summilux away as far as I'm concerned and unlike other high-speed lenses at the time, it is actually good wide open.

Honorable mention: Nikkor 50/2 in LTM. Because every photographer needs to have a Sonnar in their bag. Now that mirrorless makes them easier to use, I hope the design will make a comeback in normal lenses.
 
Cosina Voigtländer 50mm f/3.5 Heliar VM

#2 (probably) is:

Panasonic 35-100 f/4-5.6 Power OIS

#3, and this is a tough one...

Panasonic 12-32 f/3.5-5.6 Power OIS?
Dont know the Cosina, but I agree on the Lumix Kit pair, its a duo that boxes well above their class.

I wont rate my choice in 1-3, but lump them together.

For my third choice, it is somewhat of a toss-up between the PL 15mm and the Tessar 40mm f/3.5 on my Rollei 35.
Both are true rendering masters.
 
Oh, my.

3) Leica Summitar 50/2. Stopped down, it's virtually indistinguishable from the Summicron but wide open it has some of the funkiest bokeh out there. Always loved it and shouldn't have sold it & the IIIf I used it on. I really need to get another one.

2) Zeiss Tessar 50/3.5 collapsible. The eagle eye. Sharp in the center going buttery smooth in the corners. This was a Contax mount lens on a Kiev 4. Again, shouldn't have sold it that pair.

1) Canon 50/1.4. Just heavenly. This was the finest of its kind in the 50's - blows the Summilux away as far as I'm concerned and unlike other high-speed lenses at the time, it is actually good wide open.

Honorable mention: Nikkor 50/2 in LTM. Because every photographer needs to have a Sonnar in their bag. Now that mirrorless makes them easier to use, I hope the design will make a comeback in normal lenses.
I have those lenses...
I bought a CZJ Tessar 5cm F3.5 collapsible, first batch of lenses made for the Contax I. The "Big Brother" 5cm F2.8 is just as good stopped down to F3.5, but "gets a bum rap" from using wide-open. A case where the faster lens sells for less. The CZJ 5cm F3.5 in Contax mount is expensive, but in Exakta mount is well under $100. I converted a pair of them picked up for $50 total for use on Contax and Nikon S-mount.
 
I thought I liked using my Nikon 18-200 lens since it was the lens I bought with my D80. Then I started spending time on sites that talked about sharpness in corners and things like that and I realized it was OK, but not GREAT. I loved it for the ability to walk up to a car (something I shoot a lot of, or used to) and shoot just about any part of the car from very close up and get it.
Now days I use my Sony 24-105 lens for that.
For this thread's ranking I'd say my #1 is an old Nikkor 24mm. Super tack sharp when properly focused, not much distortion when used at 'normal' distances. It doesn't 'look' like a wide angle lens shot most times.
#2 Minolta 58mm 1.4, really enjoy how this lens 'works'.
#3 Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm 2.8 - great macro and nice for everyday carry too.

Is that confusing enough for you all?
 
#1 is easy - Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 (Sony). Manual focus, but very versatile for landscapes to portraits. It has a certain je ne sais quoi in rendering that I just love. I have the 65mm and 110mm APO Lanthar's as well, and enjoy all three.

#2 Sigma 100-400mm f5-6.3 - I do not use it super often but it does a great job when I do.

#3 Minolta 45mm f2 - because you always remember your first. This was a kit lens on my first 'serious' camera many years ago, a Minolta XG-M. I still have both lens and body, and have used the lens on Sony bodies. It actually still does quite well, but I will admit sentimentality may be lending bias to that perception.
 
I still have the first lens I got with my Nikon FE, a Series E 50mm. Super lens, small, light as a feather and sharp as a tack. I don't use it much if at all on my Sony's mainly cause I know what I'll get out of it. Great sharp pics, if I focus it correctly. In my old age I guess I just don't like straining the eyes to focus as much as I used to so I rely on the auto focus lenses. Lazy huh?
 
Mine are easy, and are in no particular order. I like them all for their own reasons.

The Minolta MC 58/1.2. Renders beautifully, fantastic bokeh (from someone who usually doesn't give a hoot) and it doesn't hurt that it has some sentimental value.

The Panasonic-Leica 50-200. What an amazing lens. Small, light, sharp, details just popped out of it. I always wished the 100-400 was as good. The 50-200 was my pry-it-from-my-cold-dead-hands lens for M-4/3.

And last but not least, the Sony 200-600. Amazing, stupid sharp from end to end, smooth as silk. It's the smoothest zoom I've ever felt. As large as it is, it handles much smaller. If you like long, it's a must-have for the format.
 
I thought I liked using my Nikon 18-200 lens since it was the lens I bought with my D80. Then I started spending time on sites that talked about sharpness in corners and things like that and I realized it was OK, but not GREAT. I loved it for the ability to walk up to a car (something I shoot a lot of, or used to) and shoot just about any part of the car from very close up and get it.
Now days I use my Sony 24-105 lens for that.
For this thread's ranking I'd say my #1 is an old Nikkor 24mm. Super tack sharp when properly focused, not much distortion when used at 'normal' distances. It doesn't 'look' like a wide angle lens shot most times.
#2 Minolta 58mm 1.4, really enjoy how this lens 'works'.
#3 Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm 2.8 - great macro and nice for everyday carry too.

Is that confusing enough for you all?
The Nikkor Micro 55mm almost made my list as well. Amazing how sharp that thing is, but still has a lovely smooth image.
 
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Mine are easy, and are in no particular order. I like them all for their own reasons.

The Minolta MC 58/1.2. Renders beautifully, fantastic bokeh (from someone who usually doesn't give a hoot) and it doesn't hurt that it has some sentimental value.

The Panasonic-Leica 50-200. What an amazing lens. Small, light, sharp, details just popped out of it. I always wished the 100-400 was as good. The 50-200 was my pry-it-from-my-cold-dead-hands lens for M-4/3.

And last but not least, the Sony 200-600. Amazing, stupid sharp from end to end, smooth as silk. It's the smoothest zoom I've ever felt. As large as it is, it handles much smaller. If you like long, it's a must-have for the format.
Maybe I should try that 50-200...
 
I'll play by the rules, but I COULD give a top three for each system I ever owned. :)

In no particular order than what came to my head - one from each of my major systems

1. Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 - such a great all arounder - great for FF and APS-C.
2. Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R - my first and still my favorite Fuji X-mount lens. I've had three versions of it. The rendering and character of this lens is just special to me.
3. Olympus 12-100mm f/4 Pro OIS - I don't know of any "super zoom" that is this good on any system - bar none. YEs, it is only f/4 - but it is sharp, fast, a 24-200 field of view that just does not disappoint in IQ or auto focus speed.

SO - I LIED! :)

Now to not play by the rules:

Nikon
1. Z 24-120mm f/4
2. Z 50mm f/1.8 S
3. F 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E AF-P

Fujifilm
1. XF 35mm f/1.4 R
2. XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR
3. XF 90mm f/2

Micro Four Thirds
1. Olympus 12-100mm f/4 Pro OIS
2. Olympus 75mm f/1.8
3. Panasonic 12-32mm f/3.5 - 5.6 OIS
 
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