What lens(s) do you carry

[benm]

500mm reflex?!!! You just made me drool all over my keyboard.



Pops

I've seen used 500mm reflex lenses for US$59 or so. If you really want to drool (from B&H website):

[Andy]

What lens is easy; Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro. Usually I find it harder to choose which flash to take...ringflash, twin-flash or regular flasguns. They all have their uses.

Most of my photo trips I leave with with the lens and flash already mounted, camera on, flash on and memory card formatted. Bags just get in the road and my macro lens hardly comes off anyway. My MP-E is on it's 4th body without buying new lenses! Since the last body upgrade I've tried treating myself to other nice lenses to wean myself off the MP-E a bit but it's not really working.

[DrJeans]

When I walk in the woods I take a backpack. In a backpack placed Canon 5D MII, 300 f/4L, 100 f/2.8L IS Macro, 16-35 f/2.8L II, 580EX II, ST-E2, photo filters and battery.

In the city take the bag, one or two lenses. My choice is Canon 5D + 135 f/2.0L or 5D + 50 f/1.2L. In practice, it is enough.

[Faldrax]

It all depends on where I am going, and what I expect to shoot.
This can range from a small bag with just the A700 + CZ 16-80 through the medium bag which adds the 70-300G, 100 f2.8 Macro, 50 f.17 & Flash, or the backpack which adds the backup A200, Sigma 400 and tripod (for when I'm specifically out to take photos).

[CNelson]

Like others, I try to keep my backpac camera bag close with add'l lenses but if I have to chose just one I usually take the 24-105.

Chuck

[PopsPhotos]

Ben, you are CRUEL!

Pops

[Bobby Canon]

1Ds3 body: 24-70 f2.8L: 70-200 f2.8L IS: 300 f2.8L IS: 2x extender: 580 EXII flash: carbon fibre monopod. as well as all the other bits and bobs.

[William W]

When you are just going out to do other than a specific photo jaunt, what lenses do you prefer for getting that unplanned "AH-HAH?"

Well I am kind of wanting either everything available – or just bare bones.

The “bare bones” is divided into four categories:

Super-dooper lazy - Nokia N95
Super lazy -Canon P5 IS Powershot
Lazy - 20D or 30D with 16 to 35L
Want to do a bit of work for the shot - 5D with either 50/1.4 or 35L

But you might be interested in my theory and that I do have I have a go everywhere "Short DSLR Kit":

2 Bodies: (usually) 20D plus 5D
3 Primes: (usually) 24L; 50/1.4; 135L
2 Zooms: 16 to 35L; 70 to 200L
2 Extenders: x1.4mkII; x2.0MkII
1 Flash: 580EX
1 Monopod
2 CP Filters
1 Light meter

Various do-dads: penknife - White & Black marker pens, pencils, highlighter and biro – large strong plastic bags - paddle pop sticks - white cardboard - GAF tape – tape measure – torch – ID / passes – notepad – cable ties – spare batteries – spare cards – cleaning gear – white balance disc – strong twine – post-it notes (bright colours) – cash – mobile phone – spirit level – 4gb stick – spare car key – quick release shoes and mounts - mini bean bags - lg Black Velvet Cloth – water bottle (on side karabiner) & Electrolyte Sachets . . . and a few other items.

All this stuff, fits into a backpack:



A few extra gms and I carry a laptop in the zip at the back and download on the way home.

***

But my point in posting, adressing the question, is about Dual Format Theory

If you add up this comparatively light weight and fully system redundant kit, you see I get an equivalent FoV (Full Frame 135 Format):

Zoom coverage – 16 to 56 @ F/2.8, then 70 to 320 @ F/2.8 (small gap: 57mm to 69mm)
And also: 98 to 448 @ F/4
And also: 140 to 640 @ F/5.6

Primes: 24F/1.4; 38F/1.4; 50F/1.4; 80F/1.4; 135F/2; 216F/2; 189F/2.8; 270F/4; 302F/2.8; 432F/4

Which is a lot of lens speed and a lot of FL to cover alot of gigs.

IMO the most powerful (Canon) prosumer Dual Format "Short Kit", is the lens kit described with a 5DMkII and 7D, swap the 5DMkII for a 1 Series and that is an extremely powerful "do anything" bag of toys.

***

So what I am getting at is, often the feeling about growing one’s gear is to just get more lenses on one hand and to “upgrade to full frame” or “upgrade to the newest generation camera” on the other hand.

But just arguing on value for money and "Photo Power" - I think two cameras (say a refurbished 40D and a refurbished 5D) and two zooms (e.g. a new 17 to 40F/4L and new 70 to 200F/4L IS) and two budget Primes the 50F/1.8 and 35F/2 (or the 35/2 and the 85/1.8) makes for a powerful “do a lot of stuff kit”.

An F/4 zoom kit biased to IS and at the loss of 7mm at the wide and very nice overlap would be those two bodies and the 24-105F/4L IS and the 70 to 200F4L IS and two low cost Primes.

And all these kits have a lot of System Redundancy – you can kill any ONE of the four elements stone dead and still come home with some good images, from just about any shoot.


WW

[hoffstriker]

My walk-around kit (everything I own...lol) consists of a Manfrotto Mono-Pod, Canon 20d (bought used), Canon 28-135 (bought used), and a Canon 22-55 (received free when buying 28-135), I guess my kit is a tad bit less than Williams' ...... I do have a brand new messenger bag to put it in though, once the dividers from B & H arrive.......

[Steaphany]

I keep all my lenses in a single case and my collection consists of:

A Sigma 28mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro
An Orion 1250mm f/13.9 ( 90mm Ø ) Maksutov Cassegrain
A Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro Zoom
A Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical Macro Zoom
A Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Macro Zoom
A DIY 53mm f/176 Pin Hole

[William W]

An Orion 1250mm f/13.9 ( 90mm Ø ) Maksutov Cassegrain

Hence, your "Location" details are as described.

I liked that - made me smile . . .

Good area for star gazing - hey - but maybe 98 28 33W, is a bit better spot to set that Orion and still close enough to the Kitchen for hot coffee on the cold nights

WW