Your Top 3 Lenses of All Time (with Pictures Please!)

[Dogman]

Only 3? Can't do it. I've used too many different systems with many different lenses in each for the past 40+ years. How 'bout picking some favorites from each system?

Nikon--Manual focus 24mm f/2.8 and 180mm f/2.8 on F and F2 bodies. I used them more than any others, wearing out one sample of each. Not the sharpest Nikkors ever made but they were lenses with excellent character and function.

Canon--70-200mm f/2.8 and 400mm f/5.6. These Canon long lenses were spectacular. I would still use them except I no longer use long lenses enough to justify keeping them. Plus both are so heavy I could no longer handle them well due to my arthritis.

Leica--I don't know versions and variations from diddly but the Leica lenses I used the most on M4-P and M6 bodies were 50mm and 35mm Summicrons. They were jewels.

Fuji--My current system with so many great lenses I'm in heaven! Still I have to go with the 50 and 35 equivalents. Both the f/2 and f/1.4 models of the 35mm and 23mm are superb--I use the smaller f/2 models on XPro bodies, the f/1.4 models on XT bodies. To these I must add the 14mm f/2.8, certainly one of the finest lenses I've ever used although not one I use a lot.

And one more to round it up--the 18.3mm f/2.8 lens on the Ricoh GRII. I'm constantly amazed at the way this lens can render a subject.

 

[Pete B]

Don't forget to post sample images taken with your nominated lens as per initial post
Pete

 

[ruby.monkey]

Surprisingly easy question to answer, considering how much glass I've managed to accumulate over the years.

Leica 50mm f/2 M-mount rigid Summicron:

M3_50Cron_RolleiOrtho25_Scan-110701-0004 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4 Nokton:

M3_40_Ortho25_EI50_Scan-110616-0003 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R:

XT1S1391 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

[JB-Dancer]

There are many good lenses, but there are 3 that gave me special feeling over the years:
The original 1950’s Voigtlander Ultron 2.0 50mm.
The Rokkor 2.0 40mm for Minolta cle (and leica m of course)
And last but not least the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5 50mm for the Contax rangefinders, mentioned here before as the zm sonnar, which seems to be exactly the same lens.
Pictures are imho useless as a 1200x800 pixel jpeg from a scan can never show the real qualities of those lenses let alone give you the same feeling.
Regards,
Frank

I once owned a Voigtlander Vito III (1955) which has this lens in a Synchro-Compur XM shutter.This lens is certainly something special even after 60-70 years.

 

[Kent]

• 7artisans 1.1/50
• Leica Summicron-M 2.0/90

I wouldn't be able to reduce that list to three only.
Perhaps if I was allowed to list 3 per system (Nikon F, Leica M, Sony FE, Fuji X, Canon FD, etc.)

Well...I just start. 😉

These are lists with objectively not the best lenses ever, but with lenses that are very special to me, either because of their amazing character or because of their price-performance-value or for some other reason. And I need 4 sometimes, there is no way I could leave out one of those. (Please, forgive me that I cannot show a photo taken with each of those lenses, or this posting would be annoyingly long.)

Nikon F:

• Nikon Ai 1.4/35
• Nikon S.C 1.2/55
• Meyer Optik Primoplan 1.9/75 (new)
• Nikon Ai 2.5/105

Leica M:

• Voigtländer 5.6/10
• 7artisans 1.1/50
• Leica Summicron 2.0/50 (IV)
• Leica Summicron 2.0/90

Sony FE:

• Sony FE 2.0/28
• Samyang 2.8/35
• LensBaby Twist 2.5/60

Fuji X:

• Fujinon 1.4/35
• Fujnon 18-55
• Zhongyi LensTurbo for Nikon lenses 😉

Canon FD:

• 2.8/24
• SSC 1.4/50
• 1.8/85
• 2.5/135

M42:

• Meyer Optik Primagon 4.5/35
• Meyer Optik Primoplan 1.9/58 (old)
• Jupiter-9 2.0/85

Nikon1:

• 1Nikkor 10-30
• Schneider-Kreuznach Xenoplan 1.7/17
• Cosmicar/Pentax 1.4/25
• Risespray 1.6/35

EXA:

• Meyer Lydith 3.5/30
• Steinheil Auto-D-Quinaron 2.8/35
• Pentacon 2.8/100

Altix:

• Meyer Primagon 4.5/35
• Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50
• Meyer Telefogar 3.5/90

Pentax PK:

• Pentax AF 28-90
• Vivitar 1.0/28
• Pentax-A 1.4/50

Olympus µ4/3:

• Panasonic Lumix G-Vario 3.5-5.6/12-32 Asph.
• Sigma EX 2.8/30 DN
• Nikonos Nikkor 2.5/35

Braun Paxette:

• ENNA München Braun-Lithagon SLK 3.5/35
• ISCO Braun-Tele-Ultralit SLK 3.5/135

Canon EOS:

• Sigma EX 17-36
• Canon EF 24-85
• Tamron 2.8/90 Macro

Minolta:

• Rokkor 2.0/45
• Rokkor PF 1.4/58

Leica M39:

• Jupiter-12 2.8/35
• Leitz Summitar 2.0/5cm
• Voigtländer 2.5/75
• Leitz Hektor 4.5/135

...

If I was forced... really down to three?

I guess it would be:

• 7artisans 1.1/50
• Leica Summicron-M 2.0/90
• and probably the Fujinon 1.4/35 (although I do not shoot with my Fuij that often any more...)

But it really hurts to leave out at least 5 or 6 of the others...

 

[Brian Legge]

I'm with you on the Vito III Ultron. It and the Olympus 35SP are the fixed lens 35mm glass that really stood out to me.

 

[pepeguitarra]

Leica Summicron 35/2 V1:

Photographers Meet at Oahu Mountains by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr

Zeiss Sonar C 50/1.5 ZM:

Buque Escuela by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr


La bolera vacia by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr




Canon LTM 50/1.2:

M9-CanonLTM50mmf1.2-El Bar-1 by Palenquero Photography, on Flickr

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I have to give honorable mention to my old SMC K 50mm f/1.4.

The lens I bought with my Pentax ME Super and took everywhere until I stupidly switched systems to Contax. I had that excellent lens for about a decade until hype got the best of me.

Here's the list of 35mm format lenses I consider my top three:
Leica Dual Range Summicron 50mm f/2

Leica Super Angulon 21mm f/3.4

Nikon 3.5cm f/1.8 (Nikon mount)

I didn't have it longer than a year due to financial reasons but it was a fantastic lens.

For medium format, it really comes down to one lens that stands above pretty much everything I've owned.
Mamiya 50mm f/4 G for the M6

I really liked the Bronica S2a and ECTL. I had that system for quite a while and the 50mm f/3.5 Nikkor was great.

I have other sentimental lenses that I have really loved shooting. Sometimes I associate the lens with a period in my life, which certainly affects the selection of a great lens.
Like the Nikon 180mm f/2.8 ED
Taken in Baltimore the night that we (the USA) declared we were going to invade Iraq in 2003. Where it all began.

The funny thing is that these lenses are all favorites of mine but I've not really done many paid shoots with them.

Phil Forrest

 

[Jdsegra]

I've enjoyed the posts! Keep it going 🙂

One of the things I enjoyed about trying to narrow my favorite lenses down to just three is that I had to really think about what I valued in a lens and what it would take to be a "top three" lens for me..

There are plenty of spectacular lenses, but to make the cut, I need 35mm, good enough optics, and light weight.

I've also discovered that I need a Kodak Medalist....

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I've also discovered that I need a Kodak Medalist....

Not quite lightweight. 😉

I can boil it down to two lenses on two cameras though. The 50mm Mamiya f/4 on my Mamiya 6 and the DR Summicron on my Leica M4.

Phil Forrest

 

[Jdsegra]

Not quite lightweight. 😉

True! But, but if there's a top 3, that means there's got to be a field....