what goes into deciding which is a favourite lens?

just to clarify...i'm not asking for any choice here, not looking for 'the' favourite but 'a' favourite.
really just trying to get a feel for what we look at...
when i get a new lens it often times becomes a favourite...i bought the 56 years ago thinking about portraits but loved it on the street...no saying how a lens might surprise us.
 
I don't know that I have a favorite lens, but I do have a favorite focal length. It's the one that frames the area that contains the essence of what I saw that made me want to take the picture. Foe me, that is usually 35mm. That probably explains why I have five 35mm Leica lenses, and a sixth on the way. To my eye, it is the "natural vision" angle of view. And the 35mm equivalent field of the X100 makes it an often-used camera.

Edit: And it didn't occur to me to mention that I do prefer a small lens to a larger one; not only on my Leicas, but even with my Nikon SLRs and DSLRs. I may reach for the smaller of two lenses whether it is the "better" one or not.

Edit 2: It has to look good on the camera. (How many want the Elmar-M just for its looks?)
 
For me it almost always comes down to ergonomics not some esoteric image quality consideration. Modern lenses are all good enough for something, but they don't all work equally well.

For instance, my 50/1.1 Nokton, with it's slippery, relatively-toothless focus ring, got no time on the camera at all until I fitted it with a TAAB (http://www.lenstab.com/) focusing ring; now it's #1 on my M4. My other favorite is a collapsible Summicron, because I can wear it and the camera under a jacket in bad weather or on a belt clip. I have a 28/2 Nikon lens for my FG, but though I like the focal length and speed a lot, the 24/2.8 is MUCH easier to focus, for some reason, so it's the one I use more.

My mind seems to automatically move over to the focal length I have on the camera to find photos appropriate for what the camera is wearing, so that's not really a big issue for me. Often I will take an odd FL lens to force my head into a different mode so things don't always look so much the same.
 
For a long time the 50 C Sonnar Zeiss, lighter and more compact than my previous favorite, the E43 Summilux. The thin plane of focus at 1.5 is not always easy to use but some shots are magic. Even at f5.6 the dreaminess is still there.

The 35 Summicron v4 is so compact and gives a lovely creamy tonality on film.

The Zeiss 21 4.5 is so straight.

I could go on.
 
mdarnton said:
For me it almost always comes down to ergonomics not some esoteric image quality consideration. Modern lenses are all good enough for something, but they don't all work equally well.
Click to expand...

Basically this.

I don't have a favourite lens. In general I like small sized lenses since I almost always want compactness, especially for RF and small SLRs.

Sharpness is not a problem for most lenses we can get our hands on today.

And bokeh. There was a quiz post on this forum showing different bokeh from different RF lenses a coupe of months ago. I failed to identify any of them bokeh-wise. So I guess bokeh doesn't bother me, so it goes with sharpness.
 
For me, the factor that decides what lens I get is the focal length.
Then I look for sharpness, character etc among lenses of the same FL.
Thereafter comes the ergonomics.
 
I look for a combination of sharpness and character. Currently enjoying an M42 Pancolar and got a Super Ikonta III with 3.5 Tessar being CLA'd currently, bought based on results I've seen of the lens (and because I love folders).

I know in terms of M42 mount, the Asahi Takumars are considered the sharpest but for me, they lack character. I always found Pentax lenses to be too clinical. The Pancolar is lovely, great colours and feel. Garbage wide open, but I can live with that.

photo7555.jpg
 
My favorite lens a LTM 85mm f/2.0. used on either my Canon P or Olympus 4/3. Love the colors from the Oly and B/W from the Canon. The Color Skopar 21mm f/4.0 is gaining ground.


David
 
For me it is the sharpness of all types of photos I've taken with it.
I like it so much I went out and bought another copy of it.
And on my budget, that is saying a lot.
 
After several years I have discovered that I must enjoy using a lens for it to become a 'favorite'. If I do not like using one then it is culled. Leaving me with a set of lenses...all of them favorites!
 
I tend to go with what will give me the shot I envisioned. If it isn't a 50mm, then I, as apparently Joe does, see wide, 28mm to 18mm. I have found I often like 24mm as well. I just never could see the reasoning behind 35mm.
 
I have had a few favs over the years, currently trying out a CV Nokton 1.5 ltm, but all in all my all time fave is the Fuji 35/1.4 that lives on my x pro, why.........the images it produces, as simple as that
 
for me, I researched the hell out of lenses that are known to produce what I want in terms of imaging. Preparing that way has given me a set of lenses which work well together. I do have some specialty lenses which I use for low light or just purely for something different, but for the most part I have a 35 and 50 in my bag at all times. All my leica glass performs well enough that the "favorite" has more to do with its ergonomics. That said, my Summaron 2.8 and Cron rigid are nearly always in my bag. I have been playing with a 1934 Sonnar uncoated 50 1.5 but I've yet to shoot enough film through it to call it a favorite just yet. I DO really like what I'm getting though.
 
My 50mm C Sonnar fits the parameters ... I love the way it renders and the focus shift keeps you on your game. It's been my favourite lens for several years now.
 
nukecoke said:
Basically this......
So I guess bokeh doesn't bother me, .....
Click to expand...

Bokeh bothers me as I can't figure out how to pronounce it correctly.......:D

For me it's a combination of things. Oddly it's different for every camera body. On the S2 it's internal mount 50mms. On a Bessa L it's the 25/4 Snap-Shot. On my F2 it's the Nikkor 28/2.8 AIs. On a Nikkormat it's a Nikkor 85/1.8.

As mentioned before most every lens I've purchased is sharp-enough for me. The lens needs to feel right on the camera. I'm a big proponent of flare resistance and lack of distortion. While I like my Nikkor 24/2.8 it reshaped heads into footballs when I wasn't looking (and some times even when I was).

For me it's a combination of the camera and lens that makes it my favorite.

B2 (;->
 
oftheherd said:
If it isn't a 50mm, then I... see wide, 28mm to 18mm. I have found I often like 24mm as well. I just never could see the reasoning behind 35mm.
Click to expand...

+1

Normal is my default. When I need wider, I go wiiider....
To me, real wide angles don't start 'til you get to 28mm.
 
I tend to develop favorites defined by usage, meaning for instance/example a 28 Cron on my Monochrom. Pretty much I eventually figure out the lens that best suits a particular body because eventually it becomes like creating a fixed lens camera because lenses become seldom changed.

Here are some examples of my current fixed lens cameras:

28 Cron/Monochrom
58/1.2 Noct-Nikkor AIS/F3P
35/1.8 Nikkor LTM/ Wetzlar M6
50 Rigid/Hammertone M4 repaint
50 Lux-SL/Leica SL
50 Lux-R "E60"/SL2-MOT
21/3.4 SEM/ MD-2
75/2.8 AL/ Pentax 67 II with AE prism
53/4.5 Zeiss Biogon/Linhof Tech V prototype
100/2.8 Zeiss Planar/Linhof Tech IV

Anyways call me a lazy slacker. I don't like changing lenses. LOL. No need to really change a lens once it is optimized and mated with the appropriate body.

I tend to cull down the lenses that are surplus, or I hunt down a new body to build yet another camera to keep a lens. Makes no sense to me to have a lens as a shelf queen, and all my rigged cameras get cycled and used.

Cal
 
back alley said:
Bokeh bothers me as I can't figure out how to pronounce it correctly....

i pronounce it...bow k...
Click to expand...

Joe,

As a minority and person of color I take great pride in butchering language.

I pronounce it Bow-Key.

My gal went to Catholic school. I never really learned proper enuciation, spelling, and I really annoy my gal with words I create, invent, my slang, and my otherwise improper use of language.

Whenever she corrects me I tell her she is not only being rude, but also oppressive. As a person of color and as a minority, I explain that it is my duty as well as my right to butcher language. I am advancing culture I tell her and also am expressing myself. Slang is not developed by the mainstream.

BTW she still corrects me.

Cal
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom