Do you have a favourite lens? If so, what is it and why?

[Tronhard]

I have a lot of lenses, stretching back to the early 1990's.  The quality of the images they take vary, as one might expect, somewhat by prices and technological development.  That said, I have a couple of lenses that I love the images from:
Canon EF 28-300L,  a monster lens: and until the RF 24-240, Canon's only super-zoom lens.  It has a wonderful tonal quality to it and it behaves amazingly well on both FF and APS-C bodies.

Canon EOS 400D, EF 28-300L@97mm, f/8, 1/500sec, ISO-800

EF 70-200L f/2.8 (and 4.0) MkII IS USM: both with really nice tonal qualities that are especially effective for portraits - which I rarely do, but since I don't shoot people very often (in the nicest way), I do, on occasion get to photograph an animal.

Canon EOS 5DsR, EF70-200L@182mm, f/8, 1/80sec, ISO-200.

So, what are your favourite optics and why?

[rs-eos]

The EF 50mm f/1.2 L.  After my first DSLR (Rebel T4i with the EF-S 18-135mm lens), I found that by far (~90%) of my favorite images were all around 50mm (equivalent on full frame).  I also very much liked very shallow depth of field images.   Thus, when I moved to my first full frame DSLR, I picked up the 50mm f/1.2 and that was my only lens for around two years.

The second lens I picked up was the EF 135mm f/2 L which I also very much enjoy.  This combo is all I need to create the images I enjoy creating.  I also recently started doing panoramas with the 135mm, but with 9 images (3 x 3).  This roughly gives the 50mm field of view, yet without the distortion; especially if doing headshot closeups.

Finally, the 50mm now has a second purpose. Via the 0.71x RF mount adapter, I'm really enjoying using the 50mm on my C70.

[Tronhard]

That's awesome Ricky!   What really comes to me is how our favourite lenses (and also sensor sizes) are very much a function of the subjects that we love to shoot.  You shoot in a very different style to me - my subjects are normally wildlife that is often at distance, and because I am mobile and often self-supporting for days, I tend to go to zooms.

One of the cool things about photography is that it is so diverse, and I love that... 

[Tronhard]

Is there any tonal characteristic of this or another lens that you really like.   For example, and rather surprisingly, the Canon EF-S 15-85mm has a certain tonal quality that I love in the way it renders light - for example in this early morning shot of Victoria Harbour on Vancouver Island in the fall.

Canon EOS 60D, EF-S 15-85@76mm, f/8, 1/160sec, ISO-200

[Waddizzle]

I love the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM.

[Tronhard]

What is special for you with these lenses?

[Waddizzle]

Forum won’t let me post images again.  

I like to shoot landscapes with the 70-200mm.  The tripod foot allows me to roll the camera to portrait mode and capture near perfect panoramic shots.  The detail it captures is breathtaking.

I like the 35mm because of the IS.  It is perfect for shooting indoors in natural light.  I think this lens is a real sleeper.  Many reviews rate it above the L series 35mm when it comes to image quality.

[Wandalynn]

My workhorse lenses are the EF 100-400 L ii and the RF 100mm L macro. The Canon lenses that I have the most fun with are my EF 8-15mm f/4 L fisheye and EF 24 f/1.4 L ii because both lend themselves to creativity, while my workhorse lenses are more for documentary purposes. I'm using these on an R and an R5. I used to own an EF-S 15-85mm (like you mentioned), and I think it's an outstanding lens and one often overlooked. I sold mine when I sold my last APS-C camera. Another quality lens that I think is overlooked is the EF 20mm f/2.8 USM, released in 1992 and I think only recently discontinued.

[AtticusLake]

Of course, as you say, it totally depends on what you're doing.

I've been shooting landscapes, in video, on the C70, which is a Super 35 camera. The absolute workhorse for me has been the RF 15-35mm f/2.8. I have other lenses, including the excellent 50mm f/1.2, but the 15-35 just seems to work for almost everything I do.

Of course sometimes a longer lens comes in handy; I have the RF 70-200 f/4.0 for that.  I have to say I use it a lot less than I thought I would.  Still, sometimes definitely good to have.

Lately I have got the RF 24-70mm f/2.8, and it's turning out to be super useful too. I guess I avoided the 24-70 because it's such a cliché, but of course that's for good reasons... 😉

Still, on the Super35 sensor particularly, the 15-35 is really great for getting the wide angles.  Still I rarely use it wider than 20mm, even then.  The overwhelming majority of my Highland Beauty project, which I've been doing for the last year plus, was shot on that lens.

https://moonblink.info/MudLake/beauty

And then sometimes the phone is the only option. I was up in the mountains getting my nice camera and lenses out of the bag, when a group of reindeer just casually walked by, and the phone was in my hand...

Happy shooting, whatever you shoot.

[Tronhard]

Atticus, these are lovely images.  Thank you for sharing!

For the kinds of images: I shoot - wildlife, I tend to use long lenses, but while I have the absolutely gorgeous 70-200 MkII IS USM 2.8 and 4.0 versions, they are just too short.