Forest_rain
Well-known
What's your favorite lens, RF or SLR, and why? I'm curious what other people think mine's my Minolta 50mm 1.8 because it gives great portraits with shallow depth of field.
Probably doesn't compare to the Leica and Zeiss lenses you guys have all got though ;p
Probably doesn't compare to the Leica and Zeiss lenses you guys have all got though ;p
B-9
Devin Bro
Tough,
Cheap and easy as well as keeping it super simple.
Canon EF 50/1.8 MkI
No need to be something fancy - practical works!
Cheap and easy as well as keeping it super simple.
Canon EF 50/1.8 MkI
No need to be something fancy - practical works!
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Summarit-m 35 f2.5 on RF, Canon 50L EF on DSLR.
madNbad
Well-known
50 2.0 Nikkor H. I haven't owned the RF version but have had a lot of the SLR variants. Sharp, plentiful snd cheap.
jmonat7
-
RF is leica summicron 40mm f2 because it is compact and is a very versatile length.
SLR is Contax Zeiss 28mm f2.8 because I see the world in 28mm and love the organic rendering.
SLR is Contax Zeiss 28mm f2.8 because I see the world in 28mm and love the organic rendering.
CMur12
Veteran
In 135 format, my favorite focal length is 85mm, which is my "normal." My favorite lens is an 85mm f1.7 MD Rokkor.
My next most used/favorite lens is a 28mm f2.8 MC Rokkor, and I do the vast majority of my shooting in 135 with these two lenses (though I have Minolta/Rokkor primes in every focal length from 28mm to 200mm).
In a totally different paradigm, when I shoot with a compact, fixed-lens RF, I'm very happy with the 40mm focal length. It just seems perfect for this type of camera, but I never look for this focal length when shooting SLRs.
- Murray
My next most used/favorite lens is a 28mm f2.8 MC Rokkor, and I do the vast majority of my shooting in 135 with these two lenses (though I have Minolta/Rokkor primes in every focal length from 28mm to 200mm).
In a totally different paradigm, when I shoot with a compact, fixed-lens RF, I'm very happy with the 40mm focal length. It just seems perfect for this type of camera, but I never look for this focal length when shooting SLRs.
- Murray
Forest_rain
Well-known
I agree with the 40mm compact lens. This lens is really compact and the smaller cameras are easy to maneuver, and less conspicuous so easier to get in closer to subjects.
I have a 135mm manual focus lens, I'm not a fan of it, it seems really hard to get the correct focus. Maybe I'll try the 85mm focal length sometime.
CMur12
Veteran
The 135mm focal length is perfect for head-and-shoulders portraits, as it puts the photographer about 5 ft from the subject.
I once assisted a wedding photographer and he told me, as a rule of thumb, to stay at least 5 ft away from the subject, to avoid perspective distortion. (One can, indeed, work around this, but it is still a good rule of thumb.)
I don't often shoot portraits, but I have 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm lenses for this purpose. For environmental portraits, I'll use shorter focal lengths (50mm and shorter).
- Murray
I once assisted a wedding photographer and he told me, as a rule of thumb, to stay at least 5 ft away from the subject, to avoid perspective distortion. (One can, indeed, work around this, but it is still a good rule of thumb.)
I don't often shoot portraits, but I have 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm lenses for this purpose. For environmental portraits, I'll use shorter focal lengths (50mm and shorter).
- Murray
konicaman
konicaman
For film it is the Hexanon 40/1.8 pancake AR mount - very sharp, very affordable and with good colour rendition.
For digital it is the Fuji 18-55; I used only primes for some 30 years but decided to give the 18-55 a chance since it came with the camera - and I was in for a pleasant surprise!
For digital it is the Fuji 18-55; I used only primes for some 30 years but decided to give the 18-55 a chance since it came with the camera - and I was in for a pleasant surprise!
Brian Atherton
Well-known
My favourite lenses are those slightly wider than standard (35-40mm on 35mm film) standard (75-80mm) on 120 film. On my X-Pro3 it is Fuji’s 23mm f1.4.
For pure character on film my all-time favourite type is a f3.5 Tessar, followed closely by a f2.8 Planar (medium format). Wide open they are just sublime.
For pure character on film my all-time favourite type is a f3.5 Tessar, followed closely by a f2.8 Planar (medium format). Wide open they are just sublime.
petronius
Veteran
Konica Hexanon AR 40mm/1,8
majid
Fazal Majid
RF: Leica 50mm f/2 Apo-Summicron ASPH
SLR: Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF
SLR: Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF
AlexBG
Well-known
Rangefinder - Jupiter 8
SLR - Well adapted to A7 - Canon FD 50mm 1.4.
SLR - Well adapted to A7 - Canon FD 50mm 1.4.
gavinlg
Veteran
RF: Pretty much any good 35 - at the moment it's a voigtlander ultron 35mm f2.
SLR: Either the Canon EF 50L, or the Takumar 105mm f2.4 for 6x7.
SLR: Either the Canon EF 50L, or the Takumar 105mm f2.4 for 6x7.
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
At the moment, either my 28mm f/3.5 S-M-C Takumar or my 35mm f/2.0 AI-S Nikkor. I love the build quality of the Takumar lenses and especially the easy-to-read DOF scale and hyperfocal distance markings on the wide angle Asahi Pentax lenses.
For me, the Fujifilm 35mm F2. It's small, good, WR, and fast.
ruby.monkey
Veteran
Screw-mount VC 50mm f/1.5 Nokton. It goes on my Sony A7Sii, on my M-E Typ 220, on my X-Pro2, on my Panny G9, on... well, on anything that'll take it. Handles well now that I've added a focussing ring (and close-focus adapter for the Sony) and renders beautifully.
peterm1
Veteran
Hard to say which is my favorite. It changes over time. But one of my most consistent favourites is the Olympus 75mm f1.8 in micro four thirds mount. Really exceptional.
Sample:
Faces of Bali 4 by Life in Shadows, on Flickr
Sample:
Faces of Bali 4 by Life in Shadows, on Flickr
Dogman
Veteran
Can't pick one. I'm mostly a B&W shooter so I mainly look at how lenses produce grey tones. If I had to rate the favorites, I'll start with my #1 and go from there.
Right now #1 is the Nikon 85mm ƒ1.4D. I'm not a bokeh nut but I love the way this lens renders tones and the softness to the OOF areas. Nothing else produces images that look like this lens.
I'm also learning to re-love the Fuji 23mm ƒ1.4 and 35mm ƒ1.4 lenses. I've been using the Fujicrons for the last couple of years but started back to using the older, faster versions recently and I now appreciate their rendering of tones. Still love those Fujicrons, however, based on size, build and sharpness.
The Fuji 50mm ƒ2 (another of the Fcrons). Maybe the sharpest lens I've ever owned, including several Leica lenses from years past. Scary resolution, especially when using X-Transformer Raw converter with the files.
Finally, the Nikon mount Tamron SP 45mm ƒ1.8 VC. I love the slightly wider normal focal length, the stabilizer, the build quality and, most of all, the incredible tonality and sharpness. It's a little too big and heavy but I'm amazed with it when I decide to carry it.
Right now #1 is the Nikon 85mm ƒ1.4D. I'm not a bokeh nut but I love the way this lens renders tones and the softness to the OOF areas. Nothing else produces images that look like this lens.
I'm also learning to re-love the Fuji 23mm ƒ1.4 and 35mm ƒ1.4 lenses. I've been using the Fujicrons for the last couple of years but started back to using the older, faster versions recently and I now appreciate their rendering of tones. Still love those Fujicrons, however, based on size, build and sharpness.
The Fuji 50mm ƒ2 (another of the Fcrons). Maybe the sharpest lens I've ever owned, including several Leica lenses from years past. Scary resolution, especially when using X-Transformer Raw converter with the files.
Finally, the Nikon mount Tamron SP 45mm ƒ1.8 VC. I love the slightly wider normal focal length, the stabilizer, the build quality and, most of all, the incredible tonality and sharpness. It's a little too big and heavy but I'm amazed with it when I decide to carry it.
Anthony Harvey
Well-known
RF Summaron 35/3.5 M fit. Perfect on all counts: sharpness, distortion, tonal subtlety, rendition of mid-greys, only occasional flare without a lens hood and rarely with one. I know when the shot is taken what the image will look like in print; utterly reliable.
SLR SMC Pentax-M 40/2.8 I have a particularly good sample, as sharp, distortion-free, etc etc - when looking at prints - as my Summaron (and Summicron v4 50/2, my second choice for RF).
SLR SMC Pentax-M 40/2.8 I have a particularly good sample, as sharp, distortion-free, etc etc - when looking at prints - as my Summaron (and Summicron v4 50/2, my second choice for RF).