whats the best lense brand

[TJD]

just wondering what the best lens brand for terrestrial photogaphy is:help:

[Kal]

Depends on what brand your camera is. You aren't going to throw a canon lens onto a nikon camera for example. There may be adapters but you will lose functionality.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Leica probably have the best lenses. They're also the most expensive by a long margin. Cannon & Nikon have the largest ranges and are pretty much neck and neck in terms of quality. Some lenses within each range are better than others so its worth checking the reviews depending on what sort of photography you want to do. If you haven't already invested in an SLR, see which brand you prefer in terms of handling. While I shoot Canon, I prefer Nikon's ergonomics. Also, Nikons are "backward compatible" meaning that a modern DSLR body will take lenses made before AF & digital, which are much cheaper.
The Sony's have a good reputation as well but their range of lenses is limited.

[dpastern]

Contax/Zeiss make some very sharp lenses. They give Leica a good run for their money. The best of Canon and Nikon are very close to Leica's lenses as well, and far cheaper/better value imho. Leica is vastly over priced, for those that have more money than brains imho. Photography is about talent, not a gear pi$$ing contest.

Can you tell us what style/genre of photography interests you? What camera do you use? What do you want to do?

Dave

[leon]

It all boils down to how many dollars you can afford really, and what you intend to do with your lens.

Leon

[TJD]

im not planing to buy anything i dont have an slr i was just wondering what a good brand of lense was

[Paul Haese]

Everything is body related and mount related. Nikon and Canon make exceptional lenses now, but the cost is related to the ability of the lens. Good lenses can cost many thousands of dollars. Leica are good, but many will not fit certain bodies of camera's. I am a Nikkor fiend but I have friends who take great shots with Canon gear too.

Like anything in photography, glass quality makes the shot. Talent of the photographer helps but good glass makes everything so much easier.

[AlexN]

Having owned high end Nikkor and Canon L lenses, I will say I like them both equally for different reasons.. I find the canons are almost always faster to focus.. (excepting the 70-200 F/2.8 ED IF Nikkor which outperforms the 70-200 F/2.8L IS) I find the nikkors give a better quality image for the most part (excepting the 300mm F/2.8, where I find the Canon variant to be absolutely fantastic in every respect)

Horses for courses, different strokes for different folks.. The two "most common" brands for consumer/pro-sumer digital photography are pretty much on par...

Then you look at the likes of Leica, Comtax/Zeiss and Hassleblad where the quality level seems to rise somewhat... Hassleblad photographic equipment in my opinion is second to none... I've had the opportuninty to use one for a day, and it was the most amazing piece of equipment I think I've ever held.. (the price tag is almost as amazing as the gear! :eek: )

For 99.95% of uses, Canon or Nikon will suffice though

[TJD]

what does carl zeiss vario-sonnar t lense mean

[Waxing_Gibbous]

:lol:No idea. Always been too embarassed to ask. They have some seriously silly names. Something to do with the design of the lens I think.
That sort of arkana seems to appeal to people that like to classify things (whoops-that's me)!

[TJD]

agreed:thumbsup: the names must come from a childs storey book:P

[dannat]

vario sonnar is a type of lens (like canon L series) - i think it means infinitely variable focal length - but i don't see how it works

[bojan]

Carl Zeiss was the MOST FAMOUS optical company in Europe (Germany, East (Jena) and West (Oberkochen).. now it is only western.. and it is not so famous any more, obviously)

Vario-sonnar is design, see here:
http://www.pbase.com/kkawakami/image/61106437

and here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_lens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeiss
etc...