Camera Labs

Imagine that you could only have one PRIME lens to shoot with, for all purposes, for the rest of your life. If you needed to choose, which one would it be?

I'd personally want something like the 85mm, it's arguably my favorite.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

FX equivalent 35mm, so I chose 24mm

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

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I shoot full-frame so I chose 28mm though I'd really hate to be limited to just one prime lens. Maybe the poll and thread titles should be edited to make it clear that you mean "full-frame field of view"? I assume that is so because 20mm is probably an unrealistic cut-off in the poll options for cropped sensors.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

I always like more reach - that's why I bought my Powershot SX-10 IS and that's why my next lens is going to be a 100-400mm - probably adding a 2x converter for some situations.
Means 300mm+

Still I like tro be able to shoot almost every focal length. After the 100-400mm I'm going to get the Sigma 12-24mm.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

Favourite prime at the moment is 35mm, I do change my mind quite a lot though and Nikon just brought out a new 50mm so I'll probably be trading my old 50mm F/1.8 in.

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"I'm playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order" - Eric Morecambe
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D7000 and too many lenses.

Trying to shoot birds/wildlife, my favourite has to be 300mm+ BUT, if I could only have 1 lens it'd probably be a 50mm.

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Nikon D700 & D7100 bodies + Nikkor 300mm F2.8 VR11, 1.7TC, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

Whichever one is on my camera at the time. I get used to one then stick on another one and immediately have a new favourite.
So I will pick all of the above.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

I was limited in my first steps in the photo realm to a normal lens, 50mm on a 35mm film, so I know how it feels. I would choose a slightly wider now 35 mm or so.

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Radu
Canon PowerShot S100
Canon 50D , SIGMA 10-20 f3.5 ,Canon EF 24-105 L IS USM, Canon EF 100/2.8 macro Canon EF 50/1.4 ,Canon EF 85 f1.8,Canon EF-S17-85 4-5.6 Old Tamron 28-300 inherited from my Canon Rebel G film camera
Canon580EXII
http://www.errre.net

Clearly not many portrait photographers amongst us

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

I've always loved 85mm on DX...but I sold it. Doh.

If I pick the lens I use most, it would be the 10mm F/2.8 fisheye.

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I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

In 35mm format terms, I think I'd have to go for 35mm. Having said that, I don't actually use that on a SLR! It is based on the Panasonic 20mm on E-P1 for 40mm effective. Slightly wider would be better than slightly narrower in this case.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

85mm.

hands down. works for everything. I don't care if you gotta step 50ft away to get a wide. it's undistorted and bokehlicious.

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Changed to full-frame focal length, that's what I mean from the beginning, sorry if it brought some confusion.

THanks for your replies, some very interesting results!

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Well, one way to look at it, is that a 50mm become 80-ish on a cropped- frame Canon, and is a true 50mm on full- frame. The poll said one Lens, not one camera.

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

I have voted for 300+ but in terms of everyday use I think I'd go for a 100mm lens on a full frame body.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466