If you had to choose one lens only to work with...

Arkady said:
HCB gave it up and turned to painting...he produced next to nothing of note for the last 30 years of his life.
His early work was seminal and deserves the credit for that.
I see him with Lumix to be honest, maybe a GF-1.

Capa used Contax because they were marginally cheaper (I think $137 as opposed to $190-ish for the Leica III in New York in the late-1930's - best I can work out given the gold prices against the Reichmark back then, that equates to about $2,000 against $3,000-ish in today's money, so a pretty significant saving if you're buying three).
The Contax was widely regarded as the superior camera, but was technically more complicated and for that reason, journalists tended to opt for the Leica as it was less likely to malfunction in adverse conditions.
Leica also had a bigger range of lenses, but again the Zeiss lenses used on the Contax were considered to be better.

Just like today, many factors no doubt governed camera purchases for Pros: cost and reliability amongst them.
Given film quality of the day, I would imagine that reliability would be a higher priority, since self-help would have been the order of the day in the event of a malfunction.

Capa also carried a Rollie TLR with an 80mm lens for his portraits in the field...

Given his trends back then, and although it pains me to say this, I'd put money on him using a Canon DSLR system today.
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as you say - he was a cheapskate. so I would easily see Capa using 2x d90 + 24-70mm and 70-200mm.
 
Picking from my bag at the moment, it would be my 24-70 f/2.8 (Sigma).

I would like to upgrade it to the Nikon at some point, so that would be the one in my dreams.

Of course, the ultimate would be a 12-400 f/2.8 but that needs to be designed and built before I (and probably some oethers) can have it.
 
Nod said:
Picking from my bag at the moment, it would be my 24-70 f/2.8 (Sigma).

I would like to upgrade it to the Nikon at some point, so that would be the one in my dreams.

Of course, the ultimate would be a 12-400 f/2.8 but that needs to be designed and built before I (and probably some oethers) can have it.
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...and weighing less than 500 grammes please...
 
Canon EF 10-1000 f/1.0 LLL IS USM Macro Aspherical UD
 
For work, probably the 70-200mm f/2.8, although I'd be seriously tempted by a 24-70mm f/2.8 instead.
 
If I can have a zoom I'd go for a 24-70mm f2.8 or crop factor equivalent but if I was restricted to one prime it would be a fast 42mm ish or crop factor equivalent.
 
Fought choice between the 50 1.4, 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 ......

I guess it'd be the 24-70 2.8 as that's what I use most.
 
Cant beat the nifty fifty, cant zoom but theres always the computer afterwards :)
 
I'd like to say the Nikon 24-70/2.8, as it is the best lens I own, but there are some places I wouldn't take it. So, the Nikon 16-85/3.5-5.6VR would have to be my choice, compromising image quality slightly for convenience, and adding a bit more wide-angle capability.
 
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CT said:
Well it's always going to be different strokes for different folks. I'd say the 500mm f4 if I had to choose one, but sometimes it's just too long, so there's really no lens that covers it all for me.
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Sigma 300-800 for me. Not always as sharp as the primes, but that flexibility......:)
 
This is tough but I'm down to two. Nikon 28-70 f2.8 or 50mm F1.8.

(I need to buy into a 35mm sometime as that's a great focal length to have but not sure which to go for. The f2's reckoned to be excellent, I think. Want.)
 
zoom said:
This is tough but I'm down to two. Nikon 28-70 f2.8 or 50mm F1.8.

(I need to buy into a 35mm sometime as that's a great focal length to have but not sure which to go for. The f2's reckoned to be excellent, I think. Want.)
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it is...

think - want - buy...
 
EF 24-105mm f4 L, simples.
 
it's got to be my beloved Canon 35-350mm L-Series which has just come back from repair. 17 years old in design but still giving me the flexablity that i'm used to. Having just spend 4 weekends at 4 different airshows using a 100-400mm i gotta say i still love my 35-350. :)

Steve of Stevipedia.co.uk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevipedia
 
It would have to be either the 24-70 or 70-200 ....











<<< Or possibly this one..
 
andyroo1986 said:
Mine has just been delivered :D
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Sweet, I'm sure you're going to love it. It's a special feeling attaching that to the camera and it seems to create this unbreakable bond with it's owner too! :)
 
Big on my wishlist is the 24-70 and if I could have any lens that would be it.

Out of the lenses I got now - it is the 50mm 1.8 that is on my camera 80% of the time but occasionally just miss a little bit more flexibility with range.
 
TinaC said:
Hmmm, currently my fav lens is my siggy 18-200 so I guess it would be that.

I would imagine we will all choose different lenses based on our differring equipment, needs and experience. I doubt we will arrive at any sort of a concensus.
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:agree: An excellent lens. It rarely comes off the camera.
 
Nikon 70-200 vr (a VR 2 would probably be nice)

Easily my most used lens and the one I'd be totally lost without.
 
Another for the 70-200L 2.8 IS. Lives on my camera 99% of the time.
 
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