ICEINSPACE
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04-01-2009, 12:45 AM
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Star Struck
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canberra
Posts: 2,797
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What is the Best Camera Lens Available?
As the title says what is the best Camera lens available?
Macro, Widefield, Telephoto, Super Telephoto, Super Super Telephoto. Doesn't matter.
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04-01-2009, 01:05 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Wynnum West, Brisbane.
Posts: 4,161
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I'm convinced it's the cheapest you can get your hands on ..
The Niftey Fifety.
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04-01-2009, 01:28 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hahndorf, South Australia
Posts: 4,262
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Biased but, Canon 70-200mm f4L really has got to represent the best value for money lens out there!
Doug
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04-01-2009, 03:34 AM
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Widefield wuss
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,823
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Best available... Well thats a real broad question as its really horses for courses, you ask a studio photographer and he'll point you towards a 50mm F/1.2L / 85mm F/1.2L or the top nikon equivalent, Perhaps Zeiss optics or Hassleblad..
For me... Canon 300 F/2.8L... Theres just nothing like it for sharpness that I've had my hands on... Its like cutting jelly with a scalpel...
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04-01-2009, 03:36 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Gateshead
Posts: 2,205
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Canon EF 200mm f2 L USM would be superb but out of my price range.
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04-01-2009, 03:39 AM
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Widefield wuss
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,823
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Ian... You're living in the past my friend... Canon EF 200mm F/1.8L USM steps on the 200 F/2L
See WASP (Wide Angle Sky Patrol) - Google/Wiki has the answers...
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04-01-2009, 08:54 AM
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amateur
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Mt Waverley, VIC
Posts: 6,943
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Guys..
The question is completely wrongly put..
It should be: "What lens is good enough for the particular purpose"?
I think the first part of Tandum's (Robin's) answer to that question is pretty correct.
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04-01-2009, 12:09 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 25,787
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Matty do you mean to buy for yourself, are you looking for recommendations for purchase or are you asking in general terms which is the best lens?
Also, if in general terms, then are you talking about Canon specifically or generally any camera lens company?
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04-01-2009, 01:58 PM
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Star Struck
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canberra
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RB
Matty do you mean to buy for yourself, are you looking for recommendations for purchase or are you asking in general terms which is the best lens?
Also, if in general terms, then are you talking about Canon specifically or generally any camera lens company?
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I should've been more specific when I started this thread.
I was really asking what is the best lens in general but to also gain some insight of what you gurus believe to be the best lens available for any type of activity. Doesn't matter what brand of lens it is, Don't really mind but maybe as long as it is compatible with a Canon DSLR.
I'm just a bit curious that is all.
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04-01-2009, 02:04 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: E.P. S.A.
Posts: 4,963
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I spend some time reading the different reviews on the Canon lenses and was recently surprised to read that the L series lens doesn't always out perform the standard lens at all F ratios. I was comparing a standard Canon 50mm f1.4 lens to a 50mm f1.2L .
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04-01-2009, 08:54 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Gateshead
Posts: 2,205
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexN
Ian... You're living in the past my friend... Canon EF 200mm F/1.8L USM steps on the 200 F/2L
See WASP (Wide Angle Sky Patrol) - Google/Wiki has the answers...
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I'm aware of WASP (a batteriy of 8x 200mm f/1.8L lenses) . Good enough for them , good enough for me .
Often see EF 200mm f/1.8L USMs for sale on Ebay , usually about 5000 USD or there about secondhand .... too pricey for me. Similar for the more modern EF f/2L IS USMs .
Their EF 300mm f/2.8 L USM and EF 400mm f/2.8 L USM would be nice too , but way out of my budget.
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05-01-2009, 09:20 PM
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Widefield wuss
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,823
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my 300 2.8L is *THE* best thing I own....
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05-01-2009, 09:40 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 81
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The Canon 400 2.8 is simply the best lens they make..Fastest focus awesome background and you can chuck all the converters at it you want
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05-01-2009, 10:30 PM
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Widefield wuss
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Caboolture, Australia
Posts: 6,823
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Virgs, According to 90% of reviews, the 300 2.8L is sharper... That being said.. I dont have a 400 F/2.8 to compare myself... so i guess I dont know from first hand experience... I know the 300 2.8 is painfully sharp compared to the 500 F/4L.. the 500 almost always requires a little bit of sharpening in processing to get perfect, the 300 2.8.... I sometimes apply a gaussin blur, as its easier than a "Beware of sharp edges" sign..
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05-01-2009, 11:45 PM
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IIS Member #671
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Canberra
Posts: 11,159
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Rocket Boy's 85mm f/1.2L would have to be up there...
Lester, I've tested my 50mm f/1.2L and it is sharp, sharp, sharp. Much, much sharper than my 50mm f/1.4
I think sometimes it's the luck of the draw. I've been reading a few forums where people have had to buy-return-buy-return-buy-return a particular lens before they got a "good" one.
Regards,
Humayun
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06-01-2009, 07:47 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: E.P. S.A.
Posts: 4,963
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Octane
Rocket Boy's 85mm f/1.2L would have to be up there...
Lester, I've tested my 50mm f/1.2L and it is sharp, sharp, sharp. Much, much sharper than my 50mm f/1.4
I think sometimes it's the luck of the draw. I've been reading a few forums where people have had to buy-return-buy-return-buy-return a particular lens before they got a "good" one.
Regards,
Humayun
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Thanks for your info on what I saw on a review Humayun. I guess it goes to show that a review shouldn't be taken as always the total truth, but just a guide. The best is to see and try yourself.
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06-01-2009, 02:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Launceston Tasmania
Posts: 9,019
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The best lens for a given situation isn't always the best optically, today I took some shots at a protest rally with my 24-105L lens. In my bag was the much inferior 18-200 IS, which, in hindsight I should have used, giving me the extra reach and wider angles I needed. A friend of mine reported much the same in Africa while on a safari tour, while his companions fumbled with constant lens changes (and got dust in their cameras), he got the shots that they missed.
Last edited by acropolite; 07-01-2009 at 08:03 AM.
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06-01-2009, 05:22 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 81
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I have found the 400 to be the sharpest and quickest to focus out of 300, 500 , 600 and 800 and whilst I do not own all of these lenses I have been fortunate enough to put them all through their paces extensively on a range of bodies - 1DMK111, 5DMK11 and 50D The 400 has the best MTF out of all
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06-01-2009, 09:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Warrnambool
Posts: 12,453
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As said the best lens available is the one that suits your purpose perfectly, and that is about it.
Leon
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