5 Favorite/"Best" Lenses

After a few days thoughts on this:
24-120vr Nikkor (it does it all)
85 f/1.8 Nikkor (it takes killer portraits)
21 f/2 Zuiko (it does stuff no other lens can do)
35 f/1.7 Ultron (it's my only lens for my Leica)
and my very favorite lens ever, my grunge-photo special, the infamous, earliest model, AI'd, 43-86 f/3.5 Nikkor (I like it because nobody else does.)
 
Krosya said:
Why some people list more than 5, why some list Medium Format lenses - is beyond me. 😕 :bang:
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that I also like the Arsenal 80mm f/2.8. Almost as sharp as the Mir 65mm f/3.5. 🙂
Medium format FSU lenses can be used on so many cameras - digital and film.
 
That's easy:

German Summilux 75/1.4, Summicron 35/2 v3, Summilux 50/1.4 v2 E43, M-Hexanon 90/2.8, Canon 28/2.8 ltm.
 
oh, for SLRs:

105/2.5 PC, 28/2.8 non AI, 43-86 first version zoom, 80-200 fixed 4.5 zoom, 34/1.9 Vivitar branded M42, Chinon 50/1.9.
 
RIght now, I'd' say:

1. 35 pre-asph summilux
2. 21/3.4 SA
3. 35 UC Hexanon
4. 50 Summicron (rigid)
5. 50 pre-asph Summilux (I do not have one right now, and will probably end up selling one of my 35s to get one. I agonize over which one)
 
This week my top 6 lenses are:

wide: Canon 35mm 1.5 LTM, Canon 19mm 3.5 FL
normal: Zeiss Jena Sonnar 5cm 1.5 LTM, Canon 5cm 1.5 LTM
tele: Nikkor 105mm 2.5 LTM, Canon 85mm 1.2 L FD

I use different lenses as time changes. There isn't much not to like in the above lenses.
Other favorites include Summicron V1 35mm, Summicron V1 50mm, Summicron 90mm
 
1. 45/1.8 on the Fujica Compact Deluxe. It's a standard 6/4 double gauss that's soft wide open - but 2.8-4 this lens can be magic. One of those ones - like the Leica Summar, that won't win any lens tests but just renders beautiful images. Bitingly sharp 5.6-8.

2. 38/1.8 Konica Auto S3. Lives up to its reputation. Best "wide open" shooter I've ever used. Shoot wide open at 1.8, no worries.

3. Jupiter 9 M42 portrait lens. Wouldn't traded it for any other portrait lens. Love everything about it, including the delimiter ring. Permanently converted this to a K-mount and have a camera body pretty much devoted to it.

4. 50mm/F1.4 Super Tak. This is the 7/5 one with the radioactive element, not the super multi-coated one. Great 50 but don't use it all that much (see "3"). Had to leave it in the sun for a month to de-yellow.

5. 80mm/3.5 on the Iskra MF folder. As gorgeous a MF lens as I've ever owned. But it's on a folder so it's more compact - easier to carry around and I, therefore, use it more.
 
1 M-Hexanon 50mm f1.2
2 M-Hexanon 28mm f2.8
3 M-Hexanon 90mm f2.0
4 Kyoei 35mm f3.5
5 Summar 50mm f.20 (1937)

Like others said, my list will be different next week, although some M-Hexanons are always in it. And, the 50mm f1.2 never is out of my fav's list!

There's also M-Hexes 50mm and 90mm, a Komura 28mm f3.5 and (hopefully soon) a UC-Hex 35mm f2.0 on my shelf, and a prewar FED 50mm f2.0 (2nd one in the mail 🙂 ). It's a permanent German/Japanese/Russian roulette at my fav's list!😀
 
This is a tough one. Off the top of my head:

- Zeiss 50mm/1.5 C-Sonnar (m-mount)
- Leica Noctilux
- Contax Zeiss 85mm/1.4 N-Mount
- Nikon 45mm/2.8 P F-Mount
- Nikkor 105mm/2.5 LTM

Those are my "favs of the day" 🙂

Kent
 
My 5 lenses with a touch of magic...

Zeiss Jena Sonnar T* 2/50 in Contax mount (the peoples 1.5/50, but it renders just beautiful).

+ don't laugh: Jupiter J8 2/53 - the Zeiss might be a hair sharper, but still a miracle worker.

Leitz Summar 2/50 with a scratched front element, not sharp, but hey...

The 1.7/40 Revuenon on my Revue SE - similar to the Minolta 7II I've heard, shockingly sharp for such a wobbly camera. Really nice lens with a crap camera permanently attached to it... (sic!)

Nikkor Ai 2.5/105 in F mount, sometimes too sharp, the girls are shocked when not underaged.

Last but not least another Sonnar: 2.8/180 in Pentacon mount (MF), huge and sublime.

Cheers, Michael
 
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It's really not all that easy to pick. But out of the lenses that I have... my 5 favorites (which don't necessarily make them the BEST, just the ones i LIKE the best right now) are: (in no particular order)
Pentax FA 43mm f/1.9
Leica 5cm summicron collapsible
Leica 9cm elmar collapsible
Contax G 35mm f/2
Contax G 21mm f/2.8

(the G 45mm f/2 is next on the list probably. It switches places w/ the G 35 on my lineup all the time)

-Brian
 
For me, these are magic lenses (in no particular order):

1) 75mm Summilux
2) 50mm Dr Summicron (foolishly sold it)
3) 35mm Summicron IV
4) 21mm Super Angulon (recently re-bought one after foolishly selling
5) 85mm Canon f/1.8 LTM (sold it for the 75mm Summilux)
 
1. Konica 50/2 M-Hexanon for its magic on Reala
2. Voigtlander CV25/4 Snapshot Skopar for its sharpness and vividness
3. Nikon 35-70/2.8 AFD for its sharpness and sheer AF-speed
4. Nikon 28-70/3.5 AFD because it doesn't ghost or flare. Never ever at all..
5. FED 50/3.5 collapsible for no other reason than that it looks ever so slick on a black Bessa-T
 
Summicron 35 8 elements version
Carl Zeiss T* 28 / 2.8 from contax Tix
Jupiter 3 50 / 1.5 - Sonnar clone
Summicron 35 4th pre-asph version
Summilux 50 / 1.4 ASPH version
 
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