The Lens Game

[DrJon]

It's Friday, it's late, so let's see if this will catch on here...

The lens game works as follows...

You have all your lenses taken away from you for the next three years (don't worry, you get them back then)...

You can choose ANY five lenses to use for those three years, but that's it, you can't beg, borrow, steal, rent or even buy any others, you have to use those for everything, from party pics for Facebook to Lions in the wild...
(No, you don't have to pay for them, but you can't sell them either, they must be returned, um, or else :-)

BUT you can have as many bodies as you like. Fancy that Nikon (sorry, didn't I mention, you can have any brand you wish... sorry forum) 12-24 and a D3x to put it on, no problem - counts as one lens (you should specify bodies as well).

Fixed-lens cameras also count as one lens - so if you want a pocket camera, bye bye to another lens...

Anyone want to try? (Kinda discriminates against the pros... but who said life was fair...)

[colin C]

Re: The Lens Game

He, he.

My first thought was: "You touch my lenses - you die - slowly and horribly!"

My second thought was: This is pointless - I have the lenses I need and would just choose the same ones.

My third thought was: Ooops - I have slightly more than five lenses!

Final thought is: I'll have a go at this, but if I'm going to be restricted to five lenses, I'm not going to make any spur of the moment decisions. This needs a little more thought.

Colin

[DrJon]

Re: The Lens Game

There's a good reason I didn't post my list... I'm still working on it... partly your fault for (probably) talking me into having the 500 f4 on it...
It is supposed to be a bit of fun, but it can also be interesting to see which lenses people really rate as important. (I'm pretty sure the 14mm will be on my list, although I might just pick the 10-22.)

[briansquibb]

Re: The Lens Game

On the fly:

135 f2
200f2
24-105 f4
17-40f4
1.4extender

7d
5d II

Going for this combination multiplies the number of lens to the equivalent of 16

Brian

[MX5]

Re: The Lens Game

If I was given 10 mins to make the list ... it would be:

TS-E 17mm f4 L
24 f1.4 L Mark II
24-105 f4 L
135 f2 L (or 100 f2.8 L Macro) *** need to think about that ... ermmmm the 135.
400 f4 DO

But if I had time to think ... I guess it would be much the same

1D Mark IV, 5D and 7D

[Muscat]

Re: The Lens Game

My list is somewhat different to the above

17-40 F4 L
24-105 F4 L
100-400 L
100 F2.8 IS L Macro

A 5D and 7D body as Brian said to give more potential with the lenses and the 5th would be a slip in the pocket point and shoot possibly the PowerShot SX210 IS

[DrJon]

Re: The Lens Game

I suppose I should have a go now (all Canon unless stated)...

* 14mm f2.8 II (I just don't think I could stand 3 years without it)
* 24-105mm IS f4 L (interestingly popular so far)
* 100mm f2.8 IS L macro (50.1-49.9% vs. the 70-200 2.8 II)
* 300mm f2.8 - sorry Colin, but I'm still not convinced the 500 f4 isn't too much for me... very close though (but 2.8 is handy)
(Size comparison pics here: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx )
7D, 5DmkII and 550D bodies (the latter just as it's lightweight)
* Panasonic 14-140mm HD (this is their 28-280 equiv lens that will auto-focus during video recording, not that I shoot much video, but once every few years...), as a walk-around/holiday lens on a GF1 body with the Electronic viewfinder for when I don't want to carry anything heavier. Really really close call against just the 550D body and something compact to put on it. A GH1 body too, as it has a better sensor, 1080 video and I might use it sometime.

Rather curiously I have all of these (except I have the non-L non-IS 100/2.8 macro) so perhaps I'm buying the right lenses for me. (I don't have all the bodies, no 7D or 550D.) It is a bit depressing I'm not all that tempted by the "new toys" bug, but pictures have to be taken and I need the right lenses for me. In 2 hours I might want the 500/f4 tho...

Just missed the cut and I don't own:
* 135mm f/2.0 L - not enough max magnification to replace the macro. Oh dear, quite fancying one of these again, this thread could get expensive... (and I bought the 70-200 2.8 IS II instead of buying one of these, amongst a bunch of other reasons) - update, looked at the 70-200 II MTF results and am over it now...
* 17-55mm f/2.8 IS (EFS) - instead of the 24-105 f4 IS, and a very interesting choice (as I don't have to buy the 7D to put it on, unlike real life where I'll stick with the 24-105, plus 24 is handy)

Ones I think I'll miss:
* Panasonic 20/1.7 (40 equiv) for the GF1 to make it more-or-less pocketable
* 70-200 2.8 IS II

Plus the "I want one but its not sensible":
* 200 f2

John

[colin C]

Re: The Lens Game

After much thought:

17mm TSE f4 L
50mm f1.2 L
70 - 200mm f2.8 L IS MKII
300 f2.8 L IS
500mm f4 L IS

I have dropped a few zooms and a macro and opted for the 17mm TSE and the 50mm 1.2. At the medium to wide end, my legs can be the zoom.

I have upgraded my 70 - 200mm to the MKII version.

Can't do without the 300mm and the 500mm as they are my "standard lenses", one on each body. I did consider the 400mm f2.8 and the 600mm f4, but they are too heavy to hanhold. I also discounted the 800mm, as all the other lenses fulfill a need. I can cover the macro with the 300mm, as Stan has very adequately shown.

I am treating converters and extension tubes as accessories, so they would still be in my bag.

Colin

[DrJon]

Re: The Lens Game

Interesting - I did debate dropping the 100 and using the 300 for macro, but I'm more used to using the 100 so went for that (I have used the 300 for macro on a couple of occasions, but not at really high magnifications, just a bit more than normal).

Also the second TSE17. Is this for straightening stuff up, moving the plane of focus about (for outdoors or product shots) or a combination? (I have played with TSEs on a couple of occasions, but always felt they weren't useful enough for me to justify the cost.)

I had in mind extensions=yes and converters=lenses, but I didn't say it so I'll let that slide...

As I said - this is interesting, thanks to all who are participating

John

[MX5]

Re: The Lens Game

Yes the TS-E's do that, as the Canon site says "These special lenses with their tilt and shift movements further expand photographic possibilities. Tilt movements allow you to obtain a wide depth of field even at the maximum aperture and still keep the entire subject in focus. Shift movements correct the trapezoidal effect seen in pictures taken of tall objects such as buildings, so that the subject does not look distorted." i.e. they can control perspective.

I'd love the time to play with one ... http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/prod...4_l/index.aspx ...

[DrJon]

Re: The Lens Game

Colin - I couldn't find anything about 300mm macro photography by Stan - I'm still new here so don't even know if it's on the forum? I did get distracted into writing a long reply to someone's macro question though...
John

[colin C]

Re: The Lens Game

Hello John

Look at some of his butterfly shots - all taken on his 300mm f4.

Colin

[DrJon]

Re: The Lens Game

Ah, but where? (It is late, so I might be being dense...)

[colin C]

Re: The Lens Game

Hello John

Look under nature photography> Small Creatures.

Here's a link to one of my favourites of Stan's work.

http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?3131-Marbled-White-and-Small-Skipper

Colin

[DrJon]

Re: The Lens Game

Thanks, I'd tried a search and looked in the Album section but gave up after that...
You're right about the pic!
BTW I'm writing about macro stuff here: http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/sh...r-macros/page2 and had mentioned the 55-250 he used here http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/sh...ary&highlight= - do you (or Stan, if he reads this) know if he used anything to help with the magnification (I saw he used the 1.4x with the 300, I've done that, but it wouldn't work with the 55-250)?
John