Choosing lenses is like choosing an outfit. It affects your look + your style….of photography. Just like some women like to wear dresses + skirts and others prefer slacks + jeans, there’s also endless variety in lens selection. I was actually amazed one day when I downloaded the Nikon app. I had NO idea that there were SO many Nikkor lenses. And I’m sure the same goes for Canon and other brands.
My 1st Lenses: There are a ton of lenses out there and as I was saying in a recent post where I was selling my fisheye lens, over time, my lens selection has changed. I started with an 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 and realized when I began shooting weddings that I need a lens with a fixed aperture and one with the ability to let in much more light than I was able to with that lens. My next lens was the Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8. Honestly, it was an excellent lens. And with the price tag of approximately $1500 I couldn’t have beat it’s ability to shoot almost anything with it. It was an extremely versatile lens.
My Next Purchase: Later, I purchased my 70-200 (Seen far right below) which I obviously still have and still use…A LOT. It stays on my camera for the majority of wedding ceremonies when I am unable to get super close to the bride and groom and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to use it for engagement sessions when I’m trying to capture the emotion between a couple.
Welcome to the World of Primes: Somewhere along the way, however, I had the chance to shoot a Canon body with prime lenses and I was BLOWN away by the sharpness. I was SOLD. Not too long after, I bought my D700 body (seen far left below) and my 50mm f/1.4 prime. WOW! I can still remember when it shipped in. I opened the box and screamed…out loud. I was SO happy!!! I had worked SO hard for that camera and was ready to say goodbye to using my D200 + 17-55 combo as my primary set. It couldn’t even hold a candle to the D700’s capabilities. I attached the 50mm to the body and held it up to my eye, changed the settings, and clicked. It was an image of Chaos; I still have the picture of him….wide-eyed and thinking, “My mom is crazy.” lol…
UNBELIEVEABLE: But I could not believe A.] How much light was being let in with the combination of a better body and a prime lens B.] The Sharpness C.] The speed of my Shutter
This led to my new addiction of purchasing prime lenses. From there, I bought my 24mm f/2.8, my fisheye (which I just sold), and my 60mm Macro lens. I am currently saving for an 85mm f/1.4 and I cannot wait to have it in my hands. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Anyway, I was packing my bags earlier for Addie + Justin’s wedding tomorrow and I thought of how I came to love the lenses that I currently use for weddings. Although I am still looking forward to acquiring more lenses in the future, I am happy where I am now fully exploring the capability of my lenses.
There’s something SO pretty about camera gear. It’s sad…but I really think Nikon makes such a beautiful product. I know a lot of people ask this question in the photography world, so I’d like to pose it to you. If you are a photographer reading this blog, what’s YOUR favorite lens? Mine is my 50mm f/1.4. 🙂
Live Simply, Love Freely,
Catherine
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I love love love my Canon 70-200 L4 !!! I don’t just use it for weddings.. i love using it .. for just about everything… well except those wide angle or macro shots 🙂
out of the ones I currently use my favorite is probably the 70-200…however the best lens I’ve ever owned was Canon’s 200mm 1.8…..the possibilities with that bad boy were insane!
Hands down…….we shoot Canon…..my absolute favorite lens of all time is the 85mm f/1.2………yikes…..the bokeh is like butta and the sharpness is that of a Ginsu Knife!!! Love!!!!
I have to say that my Leica 50mm 1.4 is my favorite as well. But my 24mm 1.4 is gaining traction towards that #1 spot quickly. For me, I love the sharpness of the 50 coupled with the creamy background.
I have the nikkor 50 1.4 G and I love it with a passion, even over the 85 D. Something about that G with the built in motor makes a difference.
I love this post! Seems to me that we have similar taste 🙂 I want the 85mm and the new 35mm! Plus a new camera body, boy I hope to find a money tree!
Favorite at the moment: that beautiful 70-200mm as pictured. Currently still learning how to use 24-70, so it’s my walk-around lens, and I love it. 50mm 1.4 for those really low-light shots. Saving up for a 85mm 1.4 as well!