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Now, on to the main topic.

We have been asked quite a few times which lenses we use the most and why are they our most used lenses. The answers aren’t that difficult, so if this post can help any aspiring, enthusiast or established photographer then it will serve its purpose.

We have an extensive set of lenses ranging from primes to mid range zooms to telephoto.  These include the  Sony 50mm/f1.4 prime, Carl Zeiss 85mm/f1.4 prime, Carl Zeiss 135mm/ f1.8 prime,  Carl Zeiss 16-35mm/f.28 wide zoom, Carl Zeiss 24-70mm/f2.8 zoom and Sony 70-200mm/ f2.8 G lens.  We used to own some Sigma and Tamron lenses but decided to give our clients the best available. The third party lenses were good, and most clients probably would not notice the difference in many situations, but we did notice the differences. Most notably were the qualities when using the lenses wide open.  On our A700 bodies, center and corner sharpness are amazing with all of the lenses, even wide open on all of the Zeiss and G lenses. On the A900 bodies there is a pleasant light fall off wide open in the extreme corners.  These traits are apparent whether you shoot Canon, Nikon or Sony full frame.

For most wedding work we have noticed that we are each sticking with the 24-70mm on one body and the 70-200mm on the other. (We usually tote two cameras each at the same time. What a workout!)  The other lenses, because they lack the flexibility of the zooms, tend to be used only for extreme cases and creativity. If you haven’t had a chance to use a Carl Zeiss lens you owe it to yourself to try one or two. I didn’t think they would be as good as they are. The G lenses are also very serious lenses and one interesting fact I discovered a while back was that Minolta made some lenses and rangefinders for Leica.  Again, don’t just take my word for it, try them for yourselves.

With the new advancements in technology and materials, high quality zooms are truly giving primes a run for their money in overall image quality. Plus, they have the bonus of versatility.

For portraiture the same two lenses appear to still be our most used. Again, they are that sharp and colorful.  Not saying anything that isn’t widely known, but the 70-200mm is fantastic at separating the subject from the background.  This is where a good performing lens at f/2.8 is essential.  Wide open softness isn’t really a factor on our crop sensor cameras, so they still get more use than the A900′s do.  A quick hint for portraits when shooting wide open is to focus on the nearest eye to have it pin point sharp. This adds a very pleasing look to portraits.  Because we also work at schools, we get loads of practice shooting portraits and it allows us to practice differences made with subtle changes.

For large family shots and groups we prefer the 16-35mm and 24-70mm lenses.  They are wide enough to capture everyone with tremendous detail.  We don’t really take fish eye type photographs, and we haven’t gone any wider than 16mm, which definitely is more than wide enough for large assignments.

For sports, it is really a go for the  70-200mm lenses and thanks to supersonic motors, we can always keep up with all of the action.  This brings up another point about lenses and what you’ll be using them for. If you must have the shot you may want to consider all supersonic motor lenses. This is also another factor that usually keeps us from using the primes. Yes, they focus very quickly, but are noisier than the zooms and do not lock on to focus as quickly as do the SSM lenses.  This could become somewhat intrusive during ceremonies and events where the atmosphere is very silent.

If I had to settle for one lens it would be the 70-200mm G lens. I know some would not agree, but optically it is equivalent to the Carl Zeiss lenses and I prefer to have the freedom of distance between myself and the subject.  It provides a level of usability that is all around.   No matter what brand of camera you use these are what we personally use the most and it may very well help you choose among lenses also.   Even with one lens you can cover many focal lengths by moving toward or away from your subject, just keep in mind that the aspect will change as you move.

We’d love to hear from you on your favorite and/or most used lenses and why.

Keep shooting and sharing,

Perfect Silhouette Photography

P.S. We will begin to routinely post topics on tips, creative features of photography and getting the most out of your camera for those that may need help but do not know where to get answers.