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While the Photo.net forums are a great place to discuss equipment choices, sometimes people just want to cut to the chase and see a lit of the top gear. The equipment on this page all comes highly recommended by Photo.net’s editors, admins, writers, moderators and gear testers. While no “best of the best” list can cover every single deserving body, lens, or accessory, we think this list is a pretty good start for anyone.
Don’t agree with these suggestions? Think we left something out? Please make a comment at the bottom of the page with your suggest of “recommended” lenses. Give a paragraph or two of reasons why and help your fellow photographers choose their gear*.
*Please note that any specific product suggestions made by users may have links to our shopping partners added adjacent to that comment. No changes will be made to the comment other than that.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, (compare prices) (review). Need something light, fast and inexpensive? This the lens that fills the bill for Canon users. If the focal length appeals to you – normal on a full frame body and like a mild telephoto on a crop body – then buy this lens, it won’t break the bank and it’s easy to carry. On the downside, the focusing system is one of the oldest in Canon lenses, running a bit slow and occasionally hunting, but the wide aperture ameliorates this to some extent. While it isn’t the most robust, mostly plastic including the mount, it’s not expensive. It performs well at apertures above f2.0, not significantly different than the more expensive EF50mm f1.4 and can’t be criticized for its optical performance in the mid-range of the aperture scale. One downside is that the hood doesn’t attach well and easily pops off.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM, (compare prices) (review). This is a terrific tele zoom if you don’t need or can’t afford the f2.8 version. Its optical performance is just as good at comparable apertures. Unless you’re shooting sports at night or indoors, or working as a professional PJ, this is going to be just as useful as the f2.8 version but smaller and less heavy in weight, and a lot less heavy on the pocket. If you’re shooting on a tripod, the lack of the wider f2.8 aperture won’t matter at all, but you won’t be taking advantage of the IS capability, which is equivalent to a couple of stops of aperture. One thing to consider is the cost of the tripod collar, over $100, and if you are going to be primarily shooting on a tripod and you want f2.8, the 70-200 f/2.8L without the IS will be similar in price. But that won’t be nearly as good when you’re handholding and shooting in anything less than maximum sunlight. Focusing is super-fast, with Canon’s best technology, so it’s perfect for sports and birding.
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX, (compare prices). The 35mm/f1.8 DX AF-S VR is designed to be an affordable standard lens for the DX format (APS-C). At f1.8, it is quite fast and is a good companion to those f5.6 kit zoom such as the 18-55, 18-105, and 16-85 for indoor photography. Sharpness is good and the construction quality is fine. The main drawback is that it has a moderate amount of chromatic aberration (color fringing). Other than that, this lens is a major bargain for the money.
Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC for Canon, (compare prices) (review). The Tamron 70-300mm/f4-5.6 Di VC lens is an affordable tele zoom with excellent optics that is just below the quality of high-end 300mm prime lenses in side-by-side comparisons. The vibration compensation (VC) feature is similar to Canon IS and Nikon VR, giving the user about 3 stops of stabilization, which comes in handy for a telephoto. Lens construction quality is decent. This lens is priced for consumers and represents excellent value for the money. The Tamron 70-300 Di VC has a built-in AF motor and can cover the full traditional 35mm-film frame (24×36mm, FX format in Nikon terminology). It is available in Canon EF, Nikon F, and Sony Alpha mounts. Since Sony DSLRs have in-body image stabilization, the Sony-mount version does not have VC.
Pentax 15mm f/4.0 DA ED AL Limited, (compare prices). In a world where most SLR kits come with nondescript mediocre “consumer” zoom lenses and where a “high quality” lens is held to to be a g/2.8 “pro” zoom, it’s nice to see something different. Unsurprisingly, Pentax is the one supplying that something with the 15mm f/4 Limited lens (and to be fair, with all the Limited lenses). Sharp, compact and well finished with it’s all metal construction, the 15mm Limited is a joy to use. Giving the same approximate angle of view as a 24mm lens when it is used on the Pentax APS-C DSLRs that it is designed for, it truly is a lens that cannot be recommended highly enough.
Sony 35 f/1.8 DT SAM, (compare prices). An excellent lens that serves as a fast “standard” field of view when used with an APS-C sized sensor camera. Inexpensive, fast, light, inexpensive, and compact. Did we mention it’s inexpensive and a great value for the quality that it produces? This lens is as sharp as a tack. There is no reason for Sony shooters to not have a lens like this in their bag. Even pro shooters should consider it an easy to carry backup-insurance for a breakdown of one of their zoom lenses.
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM, (compare prices). There are some lenses that can be recommended, hands down, without reservation as a “must have”. The Canon 70-200/2.8 is one of those lenses. Go to any celebrity circus, sporting event, press conference or kids piano recital, and this is almost guaranteed to be hanging off the shoulder or in the bag of the pro photographers in attendance. It is, quite simple, a great lens. The USM focusing noise is quiet enough for church, the IS helps keep things steady out at the telephoto ends, particularly when handholding, and the 70-200 range allows easy 3/4 shots as well as tight headshots at reasonable working distances. In addition, the lens becomes an effective 105-300/2.8 on any of Canon’s APS-C camera bodies. Have you priced a 300/2.8 these days? Ouch! This is a much better way to get that reach and speed for most people.
Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM, (compare prices) (review). So you say you need a little more length, but you still need something you can carry without renting a packmule every time you go for a hike. Then the Canon 30mm f/4 L IS USM is for you. Famously sharp (even wide open), lighter than the 70-200/2.8 and almost $3000 less than the 300/2.8, the 300/4 has been a favorite of Canon photographers for years. The USM provides fast focusing, no small feat when you are talking about big lens elements, and the IS allows the lens to be hand held. Perhaps most impressively of all, this is one of those rare lens that doesn’t lose anything when used on a full frame sensor body, as it’s corner sharpness is quite impressive.
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S, (compare prices). The Nikon 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR ii is the latest installment in a long series of constant f2.8, either 70 or 80-200mm AF zooms. The current version is superbly built and is sharp from end to end. We have tested it on the latest Nikon D7000 with 16MP on a DX sensor, which has the highest resolution among all current Nikon DSLRs and challenges a lot of mediocre lenses, and the 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR ii is extremely sharp wide open at 200mm, f2.8 on the D7000. The vibration reduction capability is also improved from the earlier version 1 such that it can typically provide 4 instead of 3 stops of improvement.
Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR, (compare prices). The new Nikon 24-120mm/f4 AF-S VR is a photojournalist and event photography lens that provides a convenient 5x zoom with a constant f4 maximum aperture. The wide zoom range makes in convenient at parties to cover several individuals as well as some head shots. It has a moderate amount of distortion on both ends, but that should not be a concern for people photography. F4 is somewhat a compromise under dim light, but the alternative would be the 24-70mm/f2.8 that is a lot heavier, more expensive, a shorter zoom range and without VR. With modern full-frame DSLR’s excellent high-ISO capability, this lens is a very good choice.
'High end' lenses as listed above, are all effective enough but (i) can easily be discovered in any of a multitude of websites, advertisements, catalogs, reviews, etc.and (ii) all are mainstream items marketed by mainstream camera makers. There is a clear bias toward zoom lenses - heavyweight, complex, expensive lenses which cost a fortune and deliver the maker's 'look', often characterised as flat and uninteresting. Interestingly, non-photographers also readily 'see the difference'.
Again, nothing wrong with the listed lenses - however readers can be informed of what many aficionados consider to be true high end lenses - such people include several who have written in photo.net about their experiences, and almost all of 'us' have moved on from 'cookie cutter' lenses like those promoted here in the quest for spectacular lens and image performance, often at an affordable price. If you are passionate about photography and wish to make great images, these are the kind of lenses that deliver the goods every time. And with APS-C sensor resolution and pixel densities increasing fast, the best lenses are going to be needed to get the best from the new gen sensors.
The best lenses also require much less post-processing than the Canikon variety because the lens makers have designed in the major parameters already - only finetuning of brightness and contrast is generally needed.
Without further ado, and bearing in mind the target audience of APS-C/FF DSLRs, for your consideration dear reader, the following can be fitted very easily to Canikon/Sony DSLRs with mount changes and high quality adapters:
Zeiss 21mm f2.8 Distagon, either in ZF (Nikon) or ZE (Canon) or Contax mount - the undisputed champion of its focal length, and the single lens credited with the rise of the Alt lens movement. Few users can remain dispassionate when opening the high impact RAW files shot with this one.
Leica E55 Elmarit-R 28mm f2.8 - the finest all-of-field performer in the popular 28mm focal length, an almost perfect lens with tremendous colour fidelity and high resolution out to the corners of full frame. A better value for money contender is the Zeiss Contax 28mm f2.8 Distagon, for its huge centre resolution, ultra contrast and three dimensionality.
Contax 35mm f1.4 - the predecessor of the latest Zeiss ZE 35mm f1.4 is a better option for most users, lighter and with a unique focus fade and appealing color palette; the street shooter's favourite. Wider spectrum contenders include the latest ZE/ZF 35mm f2 - a great allrounder.
Zeiss ZE/ZF 50mm f2 Makro-Planar - an almost perfect prime lens, wonderful bokeh, fabulous performance across the aperture and focal distance spectrums. Worthy contender: Leica 60mm f2.8 Makro Elmarit-R.
Samyang 85mm f1.4 ASPH IF - the new entry that showed how to make a cost-effective, super sharp portrait lens with 'to die for' bokeh. Fine slower 85mm lenses include the Contax 85mm f2.8 and Sony's newly released 85mm f2.8.
Leica APO Summicron-R 90mm f2 Asph - Legendary performance, well integrated contrast and famous Leica color palette. The pre-Asph version (E55) is more affordable and (merely) extremely good.
Leica 100mm f2.8 APO Elmarit-R - probably the finest lens of its type made - ultra resolution and subtlety, creamy bokeh. Worthy contender: Zeiss ZE 100mm f2 Makro-Planar - currently available, one of the top three ZE/ZF lenses made.
Sony ZA 135mm f1.8 - the finest lens in this focal length, a near perfect lens for longer distance portraiture.
Leica 180mm f3.4 APO Telyt R, Minolta 200mm f2.8 APO, Mamiya 200mm f2.8 APO - three standouts in this popular focal length, all offer near perfect APO performance with extreme resolution.
Leica 280mm f4 APO Telyt-R - the finest generally available telephoto lens - a lens so good it now sells for several thousand dollars more than a decade ago.
Zooms
Zeiss Contax 35-70mm f3.4 - a lyrical combination of low weight (475 grams), very high micro-contrast (fine detail rendition) through the full zoom range, three dimensionality, and low distortion. Much beloved by tripod shooters of landscapes.
Zeiss Contax 100-300mm f4.5-f5.6 - the best Contax zoom, and one of the sharpest zoom lenses made, this lens features three low ultra-low dispersion glass for near APO performance, as good wide open as at f8.
And a web reference for looking up alterative and OEM lenses available for DSLR users, with recent prices and listings of all these and many, many more true high end lenses:
http://www.jcolwell.ca/photography/lens$db/Lens$db-v16.pdf
