Most popular dSLR lenses

Nikon f/1.8 50mm lens

(Credit: Nikon USA)

Well, at least according to the Digital Photography School readership. These guys polled their readers and put together a list of the most popular Canon, Nikon, and third-party lenses. Scientific? Nah. But you could do worse than using their list as a guide for accessorizing your dSLR.

Oddly, the Nikon f/1.8 50mm lens tops the list. It's an inexpensive, predigital lens, but not exactly a general-purpose option that would attract large numbers of users. This probably says more about the site's readership than lens popularity overall.

But now I'm curious. Talk back and tell me which lenses you can't live without.

Digital Photography School, via digg

[unsavory]

For Nikon cameras, you can't beat...

For Nikon cameras, you just can't beat the ultimate 2 lens combo.

The 17-55 DX and the 70-200 VR.

The 35mm f/2 is also a favorite of mine that I would use much more if I didn't own the 17-55. On a digital body, it is the perfect walk-around focal length.

And for those ultra cool and wide shots I turn to the 10.5 DX fisheye, a truly fantastic Nikon lens.

[LceeL]

Canon 1.8 EF lens

Canon have a 50mm, f1.8 as well. It's an EF lens (for EOS cameras) that's made of plastic - or at least the lens body is - the lens itself is is multicoated glass that's sharper than any of the zooms. Given a price that's usually less than $100, this little piece of glass is a MUST HAVE. It's fast, yes, but with a digital camera the real qualifier for a lens isn't speed, it's the quality of the image produced with that lens. In this case, the images are sharp and the contrast is good and, at the 35mm film camera equivalent of a 90mm lens, the perfect lens for portrait as well as casual shooting.

[jallgood2000]

My favorites.

I must admit that the lenses I use tend to be more capable of lowlight application (work at a night club).
My favorite lens to-date is the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC MACRO. It?s ability to maintain the 2.8 aperture, and reasonable zoom capabilities makes it my first choice. The lens has good response time and when compared the pricier Nikon equivalent, you get more bang for your buck. My second favorite is a toss up between my Nikon 35mm F2 (better is close quarters that the 50mm) or the Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX. Really comparing a zoom to a fixed doesn?t make much sense though.

[jallgood2000]

My favorites.

I must admit that the lenses I use tend to be more capable of lowlight application (work at a night club).
My favorite lens to-date is the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC MACRO. It?s ability to maintain the 2.8 aperture, and reasonable zoom capabilities makes it my first choice. The lens has good response time and when compared the pricier Nikon equivalent, you get more bang for your buck. My second favorite is a toss up between my Nikon 35mm F2 (better is close quarters that the 50mm) or the Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX. Really comparing a zoom to a fixed doesn?t make much sense though.

[lpisme]

Canon 50mm f1.8 II

This lens doesn't leave my 350d often. I love it. Very sharp, very fast. And only $100. I call it "my baby"

[tvpnyc]

is this lens compatible with nikon d80s and d90s?

[d_m77]

70-200 VR and 200-400 VR

Nikon VR lenses - fax

[lbrice]

70-200MM F/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR ZOOM-NIKKOR

To die for. Had it since April and can't put it down.

[vodkacola]

you doosh doosh

you are wondering why 50 prime is so popular? obviously you know zilch about photography. idiote

[bleech]

Hmmmmmm, suspicios not to know a 50 prime

And you [the author of the thread] are suppose to be a gadget freak? Tsk, Tsk. Not a good start. Funnily enough, not the most popular names produce the best lenses.

Here goes my must:
SMC Pentax DA 31mm Limited
Cosina Voigtländer SL Macro Apo Lanthar 125 KPR
smc-Pentax FA* 28/70 mm / 2,8 AL PZ
SMC FA 75mm F/2.8 645N Autofocus


I don´t own all of them [actually, nowadays just the Limited,and the FA for 645 medium format camera with adapter], but those up there have proved to be unbeatable for resolution and bokeh.

Funny: If I need to get closer, I preferr not to use the zoom. I just get closer.
: )

[bleech]

I just forgot about a MUST for Pentax and others

It is the outrageous FA 50-1.7. As cheap as 50 USD. Can´t beat it´s resolution.

Another quirky lens from Asahi was the fun to use 35-39 standard zoom. A flexible 35, they called it.

[Dr. Nicolas Rao]

Speaking of Predigital lenses!

Yes! All of us have some of our predigital lenses that we love for many reasons and some may be just the fact that we know them so well. I for one love my good old 105 Macro Nikkor 2.8,
my 85/2 and my budget but delightful Tokina 100-300/4 IF SD. This is a very well built lens if a little heavy.
Not having the budget to splurge of a new set of lenses for the digital dSlr. These lenses have continued to give me pleasure. I do not know perhaps the newly corrected chromatic quaities of the the Digital lenses would beat them, but as I said, there is the budget and the sentiment at having had and used these lenses to the utmost satisfaction.

[Spider1980]

fovorite must haves

My 105 - 2.5 never leaves the bag, and is the one that is on the camers the most. After that it's a toss-up between the 28 - 2.0 and the 35 - 2.0, both of which also never leave the bag