Favorite lenses?

Just curious as to what everyones favorite lens's are, I generally favor the wide angles, but I'm starting to get a little bored with them and I'm looking to expand my vision beyond them.

Just figured I could maybe get some peoples thoughts on the matter.

Thanks,
Jeremy

Foster Grant.

Todd I've got to admit I was a bit confused at first, but yeah maybe a pair or two would improve my photos.

Well, I gave up buying high dollar ones since I kept sitting on them. The cheapest ones I can find that fit my misshaped head are my favorites.

Seriously, as with all things, it depends. I find myself using a 70-200 f/2.8 a lot lately. Sometimes with a 1.4 teleconverter - mostly to allow more magnification.

Other times, it's a 24mm that does the trick.

If I were forced to choose one (non-zoom) lens, I guess it would have to be a 50mm. But life would suck.

On the other hand, it would force me to adapt to the situation. But that's another thread.

Air Optix. And since I only need to wear one, I only have to purchase a dozen.

The three L lenses I own: 17-40, 24-105, and 70-200 f/2.8 IS (coupled with the 1.4 TC).

I seem to have gone through a lot of lenses in the last 3 years, selling almost all of them for various reasons. But here are the ones I really liked using:
Canon 17-40 -- yeah, the corners suck up til f/8, but for the money I can't replace it on FF
Canon 135L -- an almost perfect lens, save for the fact it doesn't zoom. Regretted selling it big time. Its AMAZING for subject isolation.
Canon 70-200 f/4L IS -- The best landscape lens I've had in this focal length, period. Better than...
Canon 70-220 f/4 -- which I have had 2 of, its about 95% as good as the above for half price.
Contax VS 35-70 -- legendary Zeiss 3D and great mid range zoom, plus MACRO
Minolta Rokkor 1.2/58 -- I can't explain how awazing this lens renders a portrait. It was too hard for me to focus though. Wish I still had it...
OM Zuiko 1.4/50mm -- An excellent, fast standard lens the is sharp wide open and cost me $70.
Contax Planar 1.7/50mm -- was my favorite 50 for landcapes, bokeh was harsh for people, so I sold it.
Those were my favorites of the many I've owned lately....though it changes with every new lens

The lens I have used most in the past is my Canon 17-40, seems like its on the camera 70% of the time. Recently I have been using the Nikon 14-24 (with adapter) and have been very pleased with the results. For a multi-purpose lens when I can't carry multiple lenses I really like the Canon 24-105.

My two favorites right now are:

Canon 17-40L. I shoot the 40D so I don't have the corner issues the FF guys have.

Canon 70-200L f4 IS. I recently traded a 100-400L IS for this lens. I really liked the 100-400 but I LOVE the 70-200! I use it sometimes with a 1.4X and it's also great when I use it with a 12mm extension tube.

I've also got the POS 28-135 IS lens that came in the kit with the 40D. It's adequate but not great and I'm going to replace it pretty soon with a 24-105L.

If money were no object and I could add lenses I'd choose:

Any and all of the TSE lenses.

500mm L f4.5 for Yellowstone and the Bosque.

Sadly, money is ALWAYS an object.

Fujinon 125-NW

Nikkor 300/9M

Both are small, light and sharp.

Funny, it's just like food or music, changes weekly for me. I get nutty about my new Canon 100mm IS Macro even for short tele work and walking around, then I want to inhale the whole neighborhood so on goes the 16-35mm for a week or two, but then I get the yen for the 70-200mm and I chew on that for a while. This, of course, is superseeded by having to mount a specific lens for a need.

Then I get in a run 'n gun video mood (have the 5D2) and on goes the 50mm 1.4, and bay-beee, I can have a blast with that (it's the easiest to manage hand-held). We may yawn at the 50 for stills, but jump into 1080p 24 FPS and that thing comes alive.

My most useful lens is the one I never want to mount: 24-70/2.8. Blah. If we had to choose one lens to cover ourselves it'd be that range on a full frame... but it just doesn't get wide enough or close enough when you need to satisfy that itch.

After owning and renting a ton of lenses over the past couple years I have to say I am happy with what I own now.
I have a 17-35mm 2.8, 60mm 2.8 macro, and a 70-200mm 2.8VRII. My 70-200 is absolutely amazing and the rest are solid performers.
The 14-24mm is probably the best lens I have ever used. However it didn't get used that often.
The 24mm PC (tilt shift) is amazing and probably the next lens in my bag unless I can get a 200-400mm f4.

Jeremy, I have the 17-40mm I use for the broad landscapes. I thought it was a piece of crap until I started using live view to focus and using hyper focal distances. Sometimes it's still a disappointment because distant detail can go to mush, but I think the sensor has something to do with that to. Part of my problem is coming from the 4x5 crowd, so my expectations are pretty high. I would recommend the Canon 70-200mm f4L IS. I have this one and I think its one of Canons best. If you can't afford this one you can get the 70-200mm without IS that's cheaper. I mount mine on a tripod most of the time anyway. Other than that I would buy the cheap plasticky 50mm that Canon has. Just be careful with it. Its a great little lens and light which I like.

My favorite two lenses are
Nikon 14-24 2.8
Nikon 200-400 f4

Thanks for all the replies, I've been using the 16-35 primarily lately, I'll have to look into some of the mid ranges suggested. I plan on purchasing the 24 tilt next summer, along with something else.

Thanks again for all the info, appreciate it.

Aside from the usual suspects (17-40, 24-105, 70-300), I own the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens and the Sigma 15mm f2.8 fisheye lens. They don't get used that often, but I'm real glad to have them on those occasions when I do. You can almost not afford to own the 50mm lens at just $85. Sharp and fast!

Geez, didn't realize how cheap that 50mm was, I'll have to order one up tonight.

I have gone through many of the lenses listed here but my current regular camera choices are the 24-105mm L, 24mm TSE, 45mm TSE and 90mm TSE. Oh and without a doubt the coolest device I have worked with in a long time a Nodal Ninja 5L with RD16 rotator with which I can make images that rival my drum scanned 4x5's (I know those are blasphemous words to me to actually say).

RichieV

Rich, say it ain't so! (Actually I've seen Rich's Nodal Ninja in operation and some prints from his stitches and they are unbelievable!) Pray that I'm not the guy who finds your bag next time Rich. It might come back a lot lighter.

Jeremy, my needs are much different than many others since I mostly photograph wildlife instead of landscape. I do have the Canon 17-40 though when I need to go wide. I also have the 70-200 f/2.8 and used to own the f/4 both with IS. I have to honestly say, the 70-200 f/4 with IS was sharper through and through than the f//2.8 and MUCH lighter. For macro, I own the 100mm macro and recently upgraded to the IS version...totally worht the upgrade to go handheld when trying to photograph moving insects. For the serious wildlife stuff, I use a 500mm f/4 and 300mm f/2.8. both are terrific lenses, but the 300mm f/2.8 is the sharpest lens I have personally ever used. It is ridiculously sharp and fast.