What’s your top five lenses

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On my Nikons - D850, Z8, Z6ii:
1. Z600mm 6.3 pf - successor to my 500mm pf
2. F500mm 5.6 pf (now mostly retired with move from D850 to Z mount)
3. Z70-200mm 2.8 - IMO Nikons best lens, great for landscapes and grandkids sports/action, handles 1.4 and 2.0 extenders with minimal/negligible loss of sharpness
4. Z24-120mm f4 - my most versatile Nikon lens, mostly used for landscapes
5. Z20mm 1.8 - least used but the go to lens for wide landscapes and astro - great lens, very underrated

Honorable mention, my Z24-70mm 2.8 - fantastic lens, at one time among my most used but now mostly stays home in favor of the 24-120.

On my OM1:
1. 150-400mm 4.5 TC pro
2. 25mm 1.2 pro
3. 12-100mm f4 pro
4. 45mm 1.8 - my newest lens, very light to round out my travel kit.

On our trips abroad or cruises, my M43 kit gets the nod for weight, versatility. The 25mm 1.2 (50mm ffe) especially is a fantastic street photography and night photography lens.
 
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Most used:
1. Nikon 24-120 G mostlyon a D850
2. Tokina 100mm macro
3. Tamron 150-600 G2 Mostly on a D500
4. Irix 11mm Blackstone
5. Nikon 300 f4 D
No.5 is just a guess, I have several Nikon "D" lenses that i use fairly often.
I am right now seriously considering buying a Nikon 600mm f4
PS;
I use a D500,and D850. Haven't yet seen the need to go mirrorless.
 
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MotoPixel said:
Yeah, I understand...once I got past #4 it's a tough call...start to get to the point of specialty lenses...faster or wider for a specific need. Kind of a toss up between the F-mount lenses I really don't feel the need to replace, along with the 20, I have an 85 f1.8, 105 f2.8 Macro, 300 f2.8 VRII and an Irix 11mm f4 that is fun in the right situations.
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I really like my Irix 11mm,
 
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sh1209 said:
Asking this question to hear what your top five lenses are in order of most use.
1-Sony 100-400GM
2-Sony 90mm macro
3-Sony 600GM
4-Sony 70-200GMii
5-Sony 24-70GMii
My top pick, the Sony 100–400 is a lens I cannot imagine not having. It is just so versatile for so many things and absolutely razor sharp. It definitely gets the most used by far of any of my lenses. Not only is it great for still images, it is great for video as well.
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Here’s what I use the most and for what…
Z 600 PF - wildlife
Z 24-120 - landscape and all around family photography
Z 100-400 - mostly grandkid sports and fill in when 600pf is too long
Z 20 1.8 - haven’t had it long enough to find it’s place yet
Z 1.4 TC - ok but I prefer not to use it except in extreme situations for IQ reasons

I do this for my own enjoyment so I can’t justify the 400 or 600 TC’s but looking at lots of different options for future GAS! Love the Z system and the lenses!
 
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Jadiehl said:
Here’s what I use the most and for what…
Z 600 PF - wildlife
Z 24-120 - landscape and all around family photography
Z 100-400 - mostly grandkid sports and fill in when 600pf is too long
Z 20 1.8 - haven’t had it long enough to find it’s place yet
Z 1.4 TC - ok but I prefer not to use it except in extreme situations for IQ reasons

I do this for my own enjoyment so I can’t justify the 400 or 600 TC’s but looking at lots of different options for future GAS! Love the Z system and the lenses!
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The 201.8 is a great lens. I use it for landscape, forest shots and for wildflowers for a neat perspective. I have a 14.20,35,50 and 90mm macro prime and my least favorite is the 35mm focal length. I will most likely sell it soon because I always grab the 20.
 
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600pF,
105 MC,
Z 70-200,
100-400.

Note that the Z 105 MC may be the sharpest, cleanest close-up glass out there. Handheld, Z8,
Bumblebee on Oregano Our Yard 7-26-2024.jpg
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Honey Bee Up Our Yard 7-26-2024.jpg
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1/2500, f 4, ISO 1100, EC +.3.
 
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My usage can vary depending on what kind of trips I'm taking. In the last few years I've taken quite a few trips that favor landscape shots. Just last month I shot black bears, but they were close so the 100-400 was used most of the time, the 800 was too long. So according to LR, here are my top five in terms of volume (only includes photos I've kept). This also includes only presently owned lenses.

Nikon 800 f6.3
Nikon 24-70 f4
Nikon 100-400
Sigma 180mm macro
Nikon 400 f2.8 f mount
 
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MarkB said:
My usage can vary depending on what kind of trips I'm taking. In the last few years I've taken quite a few trips that favor landscape shots. Just last month I shot black bears, but they were close so the 100-400 was used most of the time, the 800 was too long. So according to LR, here are my top five in terms of volume (only includes photos I've kept). This also includes only presently owned lenses.

Nikon 800 f6.3
Nikon 24-70 f4
Nikon 100-400
Sigma 180mm macro
Nikon 400 f2.8 f mount
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I’ve heard good things about the 800 6.3, that seems to be a really good lens
 
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MMoretti said:
I shoot these lenses on my D850 and/or Z8:

Zeiss 25/2 ZF.2 Distagon
Nikon 120-300/2.8
Voigtlander 21/1.4
Voigtlander 125/2.5 APO macro
Nikon 600/6.3

No matter where I’m headed, I’ll pack at least three of those.

Currently looking for a (used) Z 85/1.2 which will bump the Zeiss off the list on arrival.
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Just returned from a multi-week trip to Mauritius and Istanbul. I had with me my Z8 and the last three lenses on my earlier favorites list (above), and a new 24-70/2.8 S which ended up being the only one I really shot with, with the exception of a few shots with the 600/6.3, mainly just to play with it. I’ve also since acquired the 85/1.2 S, so here’s my updated favorites list, in random order:

Nikkor Z 24-70/2.8 S
Nikon 120-300/2.8
Voigtlander 21/1.4
Nikkor Z 85/1.2 S
Nikon 600/6.3

Next on my shopping list, the 100-400 to pair with the 600 PF for wildlife adventures.
 
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mathjak107 said:
z 600mm pf f6.3
z 70-200mm f2.8

z 105mm macro

z 28-400mm for travel where i want one lens , other wise 24-70 f4 z

z 35mm f1.8 s
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my wife shoots too .

she uses the nikon z 28-400mm and the 180-600mm plus also a 105 macro .

we are looking into the. 100-400mm for her since at 400mm the 180-600 is f8 .

for travel the 180-600 is great but for the bronx zoo she needs something faster

let me tell you , when you need two of everything the amount of money we spend is insane .

we just spent 20k updating our cameras and lenses .

we had no adult supervision. ha ha
 
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hef19898 said:
You ever heard of sharing lenses? 🫣
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ever hear of divorce. ha ha .

we tried that early on .

we almost divorced each other as one wanted the lens while another was using it

we figured two of most things is a lot cheaper than divorce or defence in a murder trial .

we tried to get different things like i got the 70-200 f2.8 recently so she is thinking of the 100-400. but in the end it still involves two expensive lenses .

i got the z8 and she got the z6iii

i got the 600mm pf f6.3 and she the 180-600.

we got two of the 28-400 , two of the 105 macro
 
sh1209 said:
I agree with a 100–400. That is one of the most phenomenal zoom lenses I have ever bought. There is not much you can’t do with that lens.
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I used the 100-400 GM for several years and within its limits it's a great lens: excellent image quality, great MFD, but I wasn't satisfied with the image quality with the 1.4x TC. Another 100-400 GM user locally has had the same experience. As my walk-around wildlife lens the 1.4x TC performance left me wanting something better and even on the loose setting the zoom ring was painful for arthritic hands to use. I traded it for the 300 GM which with the two TCs has met or exceeded all of my desires as a walk-around wildlife lens. I'll be watching for a 100-400 GM II that fixes these problems (plus a DMF switch!).
 
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