Your must-have Canon EF lenses

B-9

B-9

Devin Bro
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Jul 9, 2009
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I am bored.

Share with me your must have EF lenses and why!

I only have one right now and its the typical 50/1.8 MKI.

Help me satisfy my gas without actually buying anything!

1Cam1Lens1Year at the moment so no extra spending planned!

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Nifty Fifty, is cheap, its fast, its typical, and can I say cheap twice?
That's why it is my must have EF lens and it does a wonderful job.

I think I might have sprung for something more but I could not justify the 1.4 when looking at image comparisons online.
My MKI Nifty is shedding its rubber like no other but so far very solid with some bump and grind-age over the months.

No photos from me. Gonna keep it lite. ;)
Feel free to drop a dope photo you took with your sweet lens tho!
 
One of my favorite finds when I worked at a dealer and got first pick on trade ins before we sent it to KEH was an Elan 7n and 28-105USM II. Loved that camera, and one of the better kit zooms I’ve used. Light but solidly built, had a focus scale window so it looked pro, fast focusing. Great walkabout lens to go with a 50. Optically, it was blandly average, but better than your typical f/5.6 kit.

Wish I hadn’t lent that setup to my ex, but also wonder what I was thinking passing over a Mamiya M645J for it and an A-1 (which is another story entirely)
 
35L 1.4 v1. I like it’s size and build quality as well as the bokeh over the v2 despite the v2s sharpness increase. Then again I’m not a sharpness guy. My best canon shots are with this lens and I’ve not been tempted to upgrade it. The AF is very good as well

135 f2L. Probably my favorite portrait lens next to my old SMC Takumar 85 1.8. Sharp and bokeh is incredible.

Runner up would be the 50 1.2, but for some reason the 35L has always been my workhorse.
 
Only three. A 50/1.8, 85/1.8 and the pancake 40/2.8. Hands down favorite is the 40/2.8, though the 85/1.8 is a fine portrait lens.

Jim B.
 
The 70-300mm f4-5.6 II IS Nano lens.

In order to sell myself on getting back into a DSLR system, I had to swear off buying L glass. For my casual use, I could not justify the expense. And, I wanted a black lens. At some point, I'd had the original 70-300mm IS lens, and found it too soft at the long end.

This latest version is fantastic. Decent and light build -- no, you don't want to abuse it. Sharp wide open. Sharp at the long end. FAST focusing. Good handling. Zoom ring is in the correct location.
 
A couple from 35L

A couple from 35L

Here are a couple from the 35L. I would bet you could find them for 6-700 nowadays.

First on Film
64-21-Edit.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
57-19-Edit.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr

Next couple on a 6D v1
20170721-IMG_2204.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
20170721-IMG_2232-Edit.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
20170721-IMG_2187.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
IMG_7289-Edit.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
IMG_3928-Edit.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
20160927-IMG_0839-Edit.jpg by Chris Coppola, on Flickr
 
Sweet! The 35L is a lens worth lusting over.

Maybe someday. 6-700 is approx. 6-7 times what my EOS 1 and 50/1.8 kit cost lol.

I'm hoping to run into a second body cheap sometime down the road.
 
35 f/1.4L : all around great lens for one-lens trips, not my favorite FL

85 f/1.2L : super lens for portraits, a bit heavy with 72mm filters ; )

100 f/2.8 Macro : this is the one lens I would keep if I could only have one, fast accurate focus, good for walking around and macro (hand held or live view on a tripod).

70-200 f/4L : good compromise tele, light weight, use it with the 1.4x

What's missing is a 50 and a wide... at the price point, nothing rings the bell IMHO
 
I actually bought 2 EF lenses recently

EF 135mm f2 L - my favourite lens, sold it couple of years ago and missed it. fantastic lens for portrait and love the 135mm focal length

EF 100mm f2.8 Macro (non-IS non-L) - got this for cheap and will be used mostly for DSLR scanning film negatives.

other lenses that I wouldn't mind getting again down the road..
EF 100mm f2 (they call this poor mans 135L)
EF 70-200 f4L non-IS (cheap inexpensive 70-200)
Sigma 50mm 1.4 (not too many people liked this but I found it great for portrait.
 
40mm f2.8 pancake lens is one of the sweeter normal lenses available cheaply I’ve used. Incredibly neutral, rounded, pleasant rendering in a package that’s the thickness of a matchbox.
 
I have the older 35mm f2 non IS with the arc form motor. It is a little noisy and the out of focus areas can be a bit harsh sometimes, but it gives great images with nice sharpness. I also have the 85mm 1.8 and it is a bargain.

The biggest gripe I have with EF lenses is that there are too many filter thread sizes...52, 58, 72, etc... kind of a pain compared to some other systems.
 
When I was a freelance photojournalist my three-lens kit was:

16-35mm f/2.8 L
135mm f/2 L
300mm f/2.8 L

With a 50mm f/1.4 in the bag for good measure.
 
The EF 40/2.8 STM is wonderful. A bargain, too.
I also like the 100/2.8 macro - it doubles as a portrait lens.
 
EF lenses I've used in the past: the 1.4/50 and the 2.8/24-70. I've recently unearthed the 35mm Canon EOS 5 and will use it with the 1.4/50.
 
Big fan of the 24-70 f2.8L second version, and the 35mm f1.4L first version. Both rendered sublimely. Regret selling the 35mm.

Best,
-Tim
 
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