Ralph Conway wrote:
After 31 Years of photography I was never so happy with a new lens I purchased like I felt with the 70-200 4.0 L IS USM. Amazing!
I would like to hear your favorite lens purchase. Please, try to keep it down to just one (if possible). Tell me what is your favorite one and why.
Concerning me:
The 70-200 was my first L. I wanted to buy the non IS version. But my dealer gave me the IS for a test. After it was a must. And I presented it myself for christmas (2006). It was razorscharp about the whole range wide opened (4.0) and the IS was a saver even in lowest light (1/15th sec at 200mm). The weight was great and stil is compared to the 2.8.
That is certainly quite an amazing lens. I like the 70-300L a touch more though since I get to 300mm without the need for a TC and with a bit better quality than the f/4 IS + TC delivers (over the 7-200 range the f/4 IS is a bit more perfect though overall).
The best/sharpest/most perfect Canon brand lens has to be my 300 2.8 IS though since it does pretty well for sharpness corner to corner wide open on even a 5D2, still shows sharpness improvements over upscaling even with a 2x on it on a high desnity 7D, has very little lateral CA and essentially no longitudinal CA even wide open and beautiful bokeh.
The 24 1.4 II does very well though and who knows if it doesn't even have better peak center sharpness. It has more CA and isn't as sharp corner to corner at f/2.8 (not that one would expect a wide angle to be).
The 135 is hardly a slouch either. It certainly has LoCA near wide open but it has great bokeh, superb saturation and rich colors and very little lateral CA and it doesn't have to be stopped down much to be sharp corner to corner even on a 5D2.
EF 300/2.8L IS. The majority of my best work has been with this lens, followed by the EF 100/2.8L macro IS. However, in terms of "challenge vs. reward," the winner would be the EF 85/1.2L II--easily the most difficult and demanding lens to use in my collection, but also one of the most gratifying when I get the shot.
I loved the 50L but the DOF was a steep learning curve. I wanted a wider FL for indoors but the 24L didn't do it for me bokeh wise. The 35L has great bokeh and reminds me of the 50L but just easier to use.
The 90mm TS-E. Image quality comparable to the Zeiss 100 MP. But with tilt and shift. Spectacular bokeh. And absolutely sharp in the corners at f/5.6. And much less money than the Zeiss 100. The 90 TS-E seems to deliver more image quality and versatility per dollar than anything else in the Canon line-up.
I would have to say my 70-200 F4 IS without a doubt! Absolutely tack sharp, clear, shows a very high level of fine detail and focuses that fast it rips your sock off. As an all rounder it is probably followed by my 24-105. Yes, people say it is the 5D2 kit lens, but it still does a very fine job of most things. I read somebody said it does most things very well, but excels in none, but the fact it does most things so well also makes it one of the standouts on a 5D2.
I'm gonna change the gears here a bit, and go 17-55 f/2.8 IS. I won't say it's been my "most used", "most preferred", I've owned the 80-200 f/2.8L Magic Drainpipe (1st favorite ever, though I no longer own it), and now the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II "White Pipe" (Current favorite)...
