If you could pick one lens.......

[Firemedic478]

Hi Everybody,

Being a newbie to photography, and having just received a new Digital Rebel I am curious as to what everyones opinion might be......

If you could pick one lens, for general purpose shooting (i.e. kids at play, things around the house, outdoor shots, etc) what would you pick?

I realize that this may be hard for people to answer as everyone has many different styles and there are a gazillion different lenses, but if you had to give everything up and keep only one lens, what would it be? Thanks in advance.

Ken

[walterick]

The 50mm 1.8. It's sharp, light, fast, and highly adaptable to landscapes to portraits. Indispensable in my opinion. And cheap!

I think the 50mm turns into a 75mm on a DSLR. So you might want to look into a 35mm f2 which is twice as much $$ but gives a wider point of view and - in my opinion - on your DSLR would be more useable.

My opinion!
Rick

[Firemedic478]

Wow Walterick, that was super fast. Thanks for replying....it's funny that you chose that lens (50mm 1.8) as I was just looking at the exact thing today while at Ritz. Seems like a great lens and for under $100 sounds like you can't beat it. Thanks again.....

Keep 'em coming folks.

[MJS]

I'd love a micro 105/2.8, but the nod would have to go to my 80-200 /2.8

[adina]

The 50mm 1.8. It's sharp, light, fast, and highly adaptable to landscapes to portraits. Indispensable in my opinion. And cheap!

I think the 50mm turns into a 75mm on a DSLR. So you might want to look into a 35mm f2 which is twice as much $$ but gives a wider point of view and - in my opinion - on your DSLR would be more useable.

My opinion!
Rick

I second the 50mm!

That lens is on my camera probably 99% of the time. And I paid l around $65 for it. Using on the 20d, which is also digital, no problems with it being closer to 75 mm

adina

[Firemedic478]

Thanks MJS and Adina for the replies.....

Adina, at Ritz in the Mall near where I live I believe they wanted ~$90.00 for the 50mm 1.8(Haven't even started looking on line at them, but I wanted to get an idea of what it would be). I am really starting to think this will be my next purchase......

Thanks again for the replies so far.......

[adina]

Ack!

Don't buy it at Ritz!!

There is a link from this site to b&h (where I got mine) and a few other stores that carry it for cheaper. Go to the shopping link at the top of the page

[Axle]

I would have to pick the 50mm 1.8 as well, it's the lens I use the most on my SRT-102.

[Liz]

if you had to give everything up and keep only one lens, what would it be?

I would pick the Canon 17-40mm/f4L
It's my most favorite lens.

50mm gets the next vote


Liz

[Lionheart]

First choice: 50mm f1.8 because I can do a lot with this and it's cheap (sort of)
The original mark I goes for 150-200 dollars on ebay, the mark II is about 70 everywhere. It is also the very first lens I owned on my EOS cameras, and I learned photography for a year plus with just this lens 16 years ago.
Second choice: 70-200 f2.8L USM IS because it is absolutely my favorite lens
Third choice:135 f2-Razor sharp, fast becoming my medium tele lense right behind the 70-200

[carney2]

If I were stuck with one, and only one, lens, it would not be a prime such as the 50mm f/1.8 that has been discussed here. I would get a reasonably priced zoom with coverage from moderate wide angle (35mm or so in 35 equivalent) to 100mm+. Hey, you asked.

[SmartWombat]

At the moment, it would be the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Closely followed by the EF-S 10-22 f3.5-4.5 USM

I want the 28-300/3.5-5.6 EF-L IS USM but a second body is cheaper !!
I think for action in the F1 pit lane I will eventually break down and buy this.
The speed things happen and the time it takes to pick up a second body, let alone to swap lenses, makes a wide zoom range (even an insane one like this!) attractive.

[Photo-John]

Today, it would be my Canon 20mm f/2.8. It's not quite as wide as I'd like for the 10D, but it's a perfect all-purpose lens for the 1D. And if I had to have only one, that would be the one. I can do a lot more with a wide-angle lens than a telephoto, and I love the quality of the 20mm. The optics are great, it's fast, and it's got a little style.

[Firemedic478]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far, this has been very interesting for me. I love to see the different opinions, and what each person would pick. Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to reply so far. Keep 'em coming.......

Ken

[bkdonnelly]

I'm just a beginner, so my preference isn't based in years of working with a variety of lenses. But I'm a big fan of my Canon 70-200 F4 L series lens. It's just about perfect for everything I shoot, and it always does a good job making me look better than I am as a photographer.

Maybe someday a 2.8....

[Outdoorsman]

I had this same choice in front of me last spring. I was retiring my old 28-70 f/3.5-4.5 and nothing was really floating my boat. The 50mm lenses looked super but I wanted more coverage. I wanted a USM-type with a non-rotating lens front. There were no zooms in this range that I liked and I was ready to just sigh and keep the old lens until it quit working altogether. The Sigma 28-70 looked okay but I wasn't so sure on the build quality or the AF drive. Then I came across the Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 USM. I cheked out like a bazillion reviews. Some people love it, some hate it. But the people who loved it did so for all the reasons I wanted them to. So I bought it for $200 or so from B&H. And I'm glad I did. There is some distortion and it's not the fastest lens, but it does just fine for pretty much everything general purpose. I've taken landscapes and portraits and closeup sports action and all kinds of stuff. It's a great walkaround lens and it's not too large. I do not like the moving lens front when zooming but I love the USM (and FTM), internal focusing and the hood. I think it should come with the hood, but oh well. I think this lens would go great with the Canon 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 USM. I do plan to pick up that lens this year (eventually...).
Good luck!