What's your "go to" lens or focal length?

Horatio

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 13, 2020
Messages
962
Location
South Carolina
Format
Multi Format
Does it depend on the subject? Optics? The camera? Whether one is traveling?

I'm still trying to figure mine out. (It was 50mm for a long time, because I could only afford one lens!) I have more zooms than primes.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,905
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
35mm for 135 film - my Zuiko 35mm f/2 actually
For 645, it is my 55mm f/2.8 Mamiya Sekor N
For 6x7, it was my 65mm Mamiya Sekor C.
You can probably see a trend .
 

Bronson Dugnutt

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
982
Location
USA
Format
Traditional
The widest and fastest with the closest focus that will cover 35mm. 35mm f/2 AF-D or 28mm f/2.8 AI-S in my case depending on subject matter.

Edit: Actually I shoot my 35mm f/1.4 a lot, but since its non-AI, I only mount it on my nikkormat and 1 system bodies. It'll eventually see use on a Z body after I catch that leprechaun.
 
Last edited:

faberryman

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Messages
6,048
Location
Wherever
Format
Multi Format
I’d be hard pressed to say. If I could only take one lens with me, I’d opt for a wide to normal zoom.
 

PonySoldier1887

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Messages
68
Location
Yatesville, GA USA
Format
4x5 Format
135mm f5.6 Fujinon W on Wista 45SP. I prefer the older, single-coated lenses for their palette and this version covers 5x7 so I have plenty of coverage in a lens which folds in the camera. Previously I used the 165mm f6.8 Angulon because of the smooth "creamy" tonality and when I stumbled upon the Fujinon because I couldn't find a 135mm WF Ektar I quickly found that the shorter focal length worked great (for me). Sorry I missed the 35mm caveat here. On 35mm my choice is a 28mm f2.8 Nikkor AI-S for the wider angle.
Joel
 
Last edited:

BradS

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
8,120
Location
Soulsbyville, California
Format
35mm
@Horatio What do you mean by, "go to"? Most used? default? Favorite? Something else?
 

gone

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
5,504
Location
gone
Format
Medium Format
An 85-90 lens w/ great bokeh wide open, excellent close up ability that's close to micro, sharp as a tack wide open, and fits my Nikon cameras. I've been shooting this focal length for decades, and so far have only found 2 lenses that meet that criteria. The Leica R 90 Summicron and the Leica R Elmarit w/ adapters. The 85 1.8 FD Canon is close. Not sure about the minimum close up distance, but that's a moot point since it will not go on a Nikon.
 

BradS

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
8,120
Location
Soulsbyville, California
Format
35mm
it just depends.
I do not have a favorite focal length but the focal length I use depends upon the situation, subject matter, and environment.
Walking around in an urban environment, most used focal length is 24 or 28mm.
In a rural environment or in nature, 50mm
for people pictures...50mm, 105mm and 135mm
I guess this is why they make interchangeable lens cameras...one has freedom to choose what ever best suits the needs, desires of the photographer and situation.
 

Auer

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2020
Messages
928
Location
sixfourfive
Format
Hybrid
Focal lenth is less important to me, but I do like compact zooms in the 24-135 range for 35mm.

Also have really learned to like a SMC Pentax-FA 645 45-85mm I have on a Pentax 645N
 

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format
For most formats, I prefer something slightly longer than normal, ie something in the 70-85mm range. I can still include environment with it if I want, or I can get tight and make a decent portrait and blow out the background with shallow depth-of-field. If I'm doing some kind of documentary project, or travel, then something in the medium-wide to normal range. I've done some of my best work with an 80mm on my Rolleiflex, the 38mm wide on the Lomo LCA-120, and the 90mm on the Lomo Belair X-6/12.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,293
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
I'd generally consider a "normal" lens, at or a little longer than the frame diagonal, my "go to" focal length. On 35mm full frame, 50 mm is my choice if I have a choice (several of my 35mm rangefinders have shorter lenses, from 40-45 mm, but they're not interchangeable). On my M42 bodies, Nikkormat(s), and Kiev 4, 50 mm is the lens that's there unless I have a specific need for something else (can't back up enough or need to control perspective). On larger film, the same goes -- on my RB67 the 90mm is the one that lives on the body, while on my 4x5s, by preference, it's 150 mm.
 

Saganich

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 21, 2004
Messages
1,271
Location
Brooklyn
Format
35mm RF
Summicron 35 v4 and Summicron 50 DR 95% of the time.
 

Pioneer

Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
3,879
Location
Elko, Nevada
Format
Multi Format
Typically my favorite, or go to, is whatever happens to be normal for the format. For a 35mm camera that is typically a 50mm lens.

However I have been shooting exclusively with a little 35mm lens for the past month and intend to continue using it until I either figure out what it is good for, or get so disgusted with my results I toss it out a window at 75mph.

Right now I am still on the disgusted side of the scale but I know that it is very hard to overcome 40 years of habit so I intend to give it more time.
 

Paul Howell

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
9,682
Location
Scottsdale Az
Format
Multi Format
For travel 35 to 70 F4 Minolta A mount.
For landscapes 50mm 1.4, Sigma, Minolta A, Konica AR, Pentax M42
For indoor sports 200 2.8 Minolta A
For outdoor sports 400 F4 Minolta A
Wildlife 70 to 300 4.5 to 5.6 Minolta A
 

narsuitus

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2004
Messages
1,813
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
For my film cameras that have an interchangeable lens feature, these are my "go to" lenses:

Nikon 35mm SLR
35mm f/1.4 Nikkor prime
or
28-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor zoom

Leica 35mm rangefinder
35mm f/1.4 Zeiss Distagon

Contax 35mm rangefinder
45mm f/2 Zeiss Planar

Pentax 35mm SLR
50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar (8-element)

RB67 medium format SLR
90mm f/3.8 Mamiya-Sekor

4x5 inch monorail view camera
135mm f/5.6 Fujinon

My "go to" lenses are the lenses I select when I am shooting general subjects with only one-camera and one-lens. My "go to" lenses allow me to capture about 40% of the images I need to capture.
 

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
6,816
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm
I use my 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor AF-S (first version without VR) just because I have it. I do use the 50mm f/1.4 often too.
 

cullah

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
55
75 voightlander /f1.8 for my leica. very sweet lens. very sharp, too
 

Disconnekt

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
517
Location
Inland Empire, CA
Format
Multi Format
Tamron 28-75mm for my Pentax ZX-L. As much as I liked shooting primes, there was times where I needed something a bit wider than 35mm and a bit longer than 55mm.

Still have a 35mm & 50mm for my Sears TLS for when feel like sticking with one focal length.
 

Wallendo

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
1,409
Location
North Carolina
Format
35mm
I usually shoot a 50mm f1.4 lens, although I try to keep a wider lens 24mm, 28mm or 35mm and an 85mm lens available.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…