Lens Lust... what's yours?

JohnR · « **Reply #20 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 12:12 pm »

Here's my lust list (all Nikon) in order of decreasing cost:

* 14-24mm f/2.8. The lens that can do no wrong. Motivated by general difficulty with wide angle on DX format, reluctance to buy DX-only lenses, and spotty performance of older generation wide lenses. In theory, the last wide angle I would ever buy. But then I wonder how much use I would get of it.

* 85mm tilt/shift macro. I bought one and sent it back because it had been modified. It's still on the list...!

* 105mm f/2 DC. Ultimate portrait lens? Probably. Hard to justify though since I have 85/1.4 and 105/2.5 (AIS) already.

* 10.5mm fisheye. I never wanted a fish-eye. But the thought here is, if you want to go wide, why not go wide. With the de-fishing software, it looks pretty interesting/useful. DX only though.

* 50mm f/1.2 AI-s. Can still be bought new. Why? I dunno, it's unique. And not all that expensive, relatively speaking...

In terms of cost, the 16-85 fits in just under the 105/2 DC. More versatile, but is it just a throwaway?

Geez it would be a great travel lens though... If only it was just a bit faster...

Thebiker · « **Reply #21 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 01:46 pm »

Quote

On my trip to Mexico I took only "the Beautiful Lens" - the Nikon 18-200 AF, VR, etc. It's nice never changing and having zoom power for any kind of shot. Plus the VR is of course great.

jqp, is this lens still available? I was just on the Nikon USA website and could not find it

It surely sounds like a lens that I wouldn't mind acquiring, depending on price and the quality of the images. Since you describe it as "the Beautiful Lens", I assume you are pleased with image quality.

Thanks,
Walt

Grumpy_Git · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 07:55 pm »

For those of you D E S P E R A T E for Nikon lenses check out Grays of Westminster. If anyone can find a lense they can.

If you go to the website and do the "Tour", in the second hand room you can see the 8mm fisheye i crave. A 20cm+ diameter piece of glass......

Nick.

nathanm · « **Reply #23 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 08:28 pm »

Oh yeah, I've always wanted the obnoxiously large 6mm Nikon fisheye ever since I was a wee lad. I mean, there's no real sense it in, you can get more or less the same effect with much cheaper glass or screw-on adapters, (or a door peephole) but damn, it still would be cool to have. Now my wideangle lust has "matured" into a more rectinilear looming-ness rather the bulgy look.

IronLion · « **Reply #24 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 08:40 pm »

A tricked out Letus Extreme so that I could put my Canon L series glass and any other still photo lenses I can think of onto my Sony PMW-EX1 (videocamera). I've seen a lot of videos shot with still lenses on the EX1 and they look great, it would be very cool to use my still lenses for my video work.

http://downloads.letusdirect.com/video/

Parnelli777 · « **Reply #25 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 11:08 pm »

It'd have to be this Nikkor that was released for the '84 Olympics. If one can find one, probably well over $10,000. 17 lbs. of Heavenly Bokeh:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/telephotos/300mmedif20/index.htm

drphoto · « **Reply #26 on:** 4 Jun 2008, 11:35 pm »

A Canon 45mm tilt shift w/ an integral tripod mount on the lens itself. Since they don't make it, I'm looking into have a machinist make one. Then I could shift the camera rather than the lens.

jqp · « **Reply #27 on:** 5 Jun 2008, 03:12 am »

Quote from: Thebiker on 4 Jun 2008, 01:46 pm

Quote
On my trip to Mexico I took only "the Beautiful Lens" - the Nikon 18-200 AF, VR, etc. It's nice never changing and having zoom power for any kind of shot. Plus the VR is of course great.

jqp, is this lens still available? I was just on the Nikon USA website and could not find it

It surely sounds like a lens that I wouldn't mind acquiring, depending on price and the quality of the images. Since you describe it as "the Beautiful Lens", I assume you are pleased with image quality.

Thanks,
Walt

I got mine from Amazon after waiting for them to get back in stock

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BY52NU/kenrockwellcom

Yes very happy with it and the D40. The D40 is small for such a nice DSLR and great for travel. It makes the 18-200 bearable, to leave on the camera at all times (the lens is smaller than you would think also). When I have more time I will post some shots.

Levi · « **Reply #28 on:** 5 Jun 2008, 03:56 am »

Grays of Westminster is expensive. For example, used 17-55mm is $1,300 while it is new here at BHPhoto $1,200. I don't think they can beat US pricing as most of their stock comes from US

Good selections though.

Quote from: Grumpy_Git on 4 Jun 2008, 07:55 pm

For those of you D E S P E R A T E for Nikon lenses check out Grays of Westminster. If anyone can find a lense they can.

If you go to the website and do the "Tour", in the second hand room you can see the 8mm fisheye i crave. A 20cm+ diameter piece of glass......

Nick.

Grumpy_Git · « **Reply #29 on:** 5 Jun 2008, 10:38 am »

I actually think most of their stock comes direct from Japan.

Nick.

Tubes 4 Ever · « **Reply #30 on:** 21 Jun 2008, 01:57 am »

LEICA NOCTILUX-M 50mm f1.2

Imperial · « **Reply #31 on:** 22 Jun 2008, 10:13 am »

A Canon L series lens I guess!

Imperial

lazydays · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 Jun 2008, 04:58 am »

by the end of the week I'll have a Nikon 85mm 1.8:1 and a 35mm 2.0:1 lenses to add to my stash of Nikon lenses (about seven right now) to go along with the New Fuji S5pro I'm buying. Now the real problem is that my bag's not big enough anymore. Sometime in the fall I'm going to buy a Tokina fisheye, and maybe something like a 200mm lense with macro.
gary

SET Man · « **Reply #33 on:** 11 Jul 2008, 03:58 am »

Hey!

Here's something for Leica M series fan....

http://www.popphoto.com/photonews/5397/leica-to-sell-last-100-noctilux-m-50mm-f1-lenses.html

The last 100 Noctilux-M 50mm f1 lenses!

Take care,
Buddy

JohnR · « **Reply #34 on:** 11 Jul 2008, 10:20 am »

Hey, I'll take two! I had no idea rangefinder lenses that fast were made...

Anyway I forgot about this thread. I bought nothing, and took two cameras and two lenses on my trip - the little Bessa L w/ 25mm lens, and the D40 with the AFS 60mm micro. (Love that lens, great for portraits too.)

And I took zero photographs

The training I was supposed to deliver the second week got cancelled, so I ended up spending just one week shuttling back and forward between the hotel and the office (which is out in the burbs) and then had to fly right back home. Bleah.

Anyway, so I've almost decided that my next lens purchase will most likely be the 105/2 DC. After that the 16mm fisheye. I'm thinking forward to the D700 here, and I've decided that I won't really use ultrawide much, but if I did it would be for things like the interior of concert halls and so the fisheye (and post processing) will be the thing there. I will probably keep the 85/1.4 AIS glued onto an F3 for portrait shots with film, just because I've been so pleased with the results I get with that combo. And I think I might actually just be happy with all that

brj · « **Reply #35 on:** 12 Jul 2008, 12:22 am »

Quote from: JohnR

* 14-24mm f/2.8. The lens that can do no wrong. Motivated by general difficulty with wide angle on DX format, reluctance to buy DX-only lenses, and spotty performance of older generation wide lenses. In theory, the last wide angle I would ever buy. But then I wonder how much use I would get of it.

I think this lens would top my list as well. I don't really want to carry a 2nd lens when I'm out hiking, but this one might be worth it to try and capture the landscapes that I currently fail to adequately capture. Then again, for less than half the price of this lens, I can get the tripod, ball-head, L-bracket and panoramic mount that I've been wanting, which is probably the better solution anyway. Still... this thread isn't about reality, is it?

JohnR · « **Reply #36 on:** 12 Jul 2008, 01:36 pm »

Heh, I'm not sure!

The added weight of the 14-24 in your pack might be a drawback though

RooX · « **Reply #37 on:** 14 Jul 2008, 10:55 pm »

havent posted in a while.. but here is my choice 'o' the moment.

the Canon 50mm f0.95 in M bayonet mount.

Crappy resolution, horrible flare, poor performance at all apertures, ghosting... on and on there are negatives to this lens...

but i still want it.

(even with my summilux 1.4 that hardly ever leaves my body.)

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/s/data/50-85/s_50_095.html

JohnR · « **Reply #38 on:** 15 Jul 2008, 12:43 pm »

Quote from: RooX on 14 Jul 2008, 10:55 pm

Crappy resolution, horrible flare, poor performance at all apertures, ghosting... on and on there are negatives to this lens...

Heh, how could anybody resist! (Is it really that bad?)

Robert57 · « **Reply #39 on:** 15 Jul 2008, 01:26 pm »

This Voigtlander 40 mm "pancake" lens looks like a high-quality normal lens alternative to the long and bulky zoom lenses when I want to travel light. Mounted to a Nikon D40 or D60, I am hoping I might have a truly portable walk-around kit (equiv, to a 60 mm lens in 35mm), with much better IQ than a point and shoot. Pentax and Olympus also have thin pancake normal lenses for light portability. The Olympus e-420 with its new pancake lens is really small and light, but I don't like the tiny 4/3 sensor, and lack of image stabilization.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZNQUBU?smid=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&tag=dealtime-ce-feed-20&linkCode=asn