Let's Talk - Camera Lenses

by Dotti

What's on your camera today?

It’s not uncommon, in fact it’s a pretty sure bet, that when a group of photographers gets together the conversation is going to turn to camera gear at one point or another. So, why don’t we chat about lenses today?

Do you have a go-to lens, a favorite lens? Or are you like me in that the season of the year dictates the lens most likely to be on your camera?

When I’m out and about for an afternoon or full day of shooting, the lens most likely to be on my camera is my Tamron 18-270 mm F/3.5-6.3 because I like wide option in focal lengths. It’s often hard to predict what you may find to shoot, so I like to be prepared.

This is also the lens most likely to be on my camera when the weather is warmer. In fact, wonder of wonders, it’s the best lens in my current arsenal for shooting butterflies.

Another photo taken with the 18-270. To get these photos, I pretty much have to go all the way to 270 mm focal length or the critters get skittish, still the background isn't bad at F/6.3.

There are drawbacks to this lens, though. It’s not great for indoor shots unless it’s a very well-lit space. Since it’s not a fixed aperture, it’s not always possible to get the creamy, bokeh-filled background that most of us prefer. And, truth to tell, since this lens is made for cropped-sensor cameras, it’s the major obstacle standing between me and a full frame camera.

When I need a faster lens, I have several options. One is the Tamron 28-75 mm F/2.8 which I used for my daisy picture. I got this before the Tamron 24-70 mm came out and if I’d known it was coming, I would have waited. But anyhow – I do like this camera indoors and for the past month, I’ve actually had it on my camera constantly. Since I seldom use it, I decided I was short-changing it and needed to become a bit friendlier with it. I must say, I have rather liked getting reacquainted with it. For one thing, with its fixed aperture of 2.8, it does produce nice backgrounds.

I also have two pancake lenses, a Canon 24 mm F/2.8 and a Canon 40 mm F/2.8. I do wish these were more versatile because they’re so lightweight, making them delightful to carry on your camera. Again, with a fixed 2.8 aperture, they’re fast enough to shoot in low light and to produce lovely backgrounds. But usually when you’re out for a serious photo walk or all-day excursion, it’s just not possible to zoom with your feet adequately enough to make this an effective all-day lens. They are good inside, though, and are a great option when I want to take a wider shot, usually for still life 

photography, than what I can get with what might just be my favorite lens: my Canon 50 mm F/1.4. The above photo and the one below show the difference between these two lenses on the same subject, although at different times. Both lenses were wide open.

I absolutely love this lens! It’s fast, it produces beautiful backgrounds, it’s lightweight. What’s not to like? The only drawback to it is that it is not a macro lens. This brings us to the next lens which we’ll discuss today: the Canon 50 mm F/2.5 compact macro.

This lens is one of the first that I bought for my camera several years ago and it has quite a few photos to its credit. Like the 50 mm F/1.4, it is lightweight, which for me is a prime consideration. And speaking of ‘prime’, while I love the versatility of my two zoom lenses, I really love my prime lenses. Photos are sharper with a prime lens, in my humble opinion, so I’m a big fan. 

And finally, the last lens that I want to talk about today is the Canon 85 mm F/1.8. This is one sweet little lens but I do find that it has some restrictions. It’s definitely not what you want on your camera if you want a close-up of flowers but as a portrait lens, I love it. Just the other day, my husband asked me to do and head and shoulders shot of him to have in his files for those occasions when he’s asked for a photo for one thing or another. Well, I couldn’t run quickly enough to retrieve my 85 mm from the shelf. Here is his ‘official’ publicity photo. Someday this will be in our local paper, or in somebody’s banquet program or some other such thing that he finds himself roped into. (And he'd die if he knew I used him as an example in today's blog. This is one of the original Mr. No Social Media guys, so, shhh! Don't tell him. I also offered to soften his wrinkles but he declined, saying he'd earned every one of them.)

True confession time: even with all these lenses, I’m seriously considering getting a Canon 100 mm macro. The weight of this lens is what’s holding me back because I really do like to travel light. When I’m out on an all-day adventure, it’s likely I’ll only have two lenses with me, the one on my camera and a second one for when the other lens just won’t work. In fact, I traveled for three weeks in Europe with only two lenses, my Tamron 18-270 and my 50 mm 1.4.  So the heft of the 100 mm macro has been the big drawback for me.

Now it’s your turn to answer my questions. What’s your favorite and/or go-to lens? And for those of you who have the Canon 100 mm macro, what are the pros and cons? I look forward to your input on our comments page.