Today, after seeing Sean and Skorj's very luminous lenses, I thought I definitely need to drool a bit on my desk.
So I ask you: What's your favorite lens?
I'm talking about something you actually own and use. Not something exotic you can only find in a catalog.
To start things off, I decided to present you my favorite.
It's not a lens I use everyday but it's the only lens that is guaranteed to get me out of a rut when I'm stuck and my usual 28-70 is not enough.
I'm talking about my Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5
You read right: 17mm!
Over 100 degrees of view. But the great thing about this one is it isn't a fisheye. The lens has absolutely no barrel distortion. Very well corrected. Comes with built-in filters that you select using a special ring. Focus is silky smooth.
It does have a few drawbacks. First, the lens does not take any filters or sun shade. There isn't even a thread on the lens to fit one on. This makes the special lens cap hard to keep on as it tends to slip. And with the very bulbous lens, you simply can't fit any other lens cap on the market. This also makes it prone to lens flare. And since the angle of vision is so great, it tends to play tricks on the meter causing the camera to underexpose...
But still, it's a charm to use.
The lens was given to me years ago by my mom's cousin who didn't use it... it's only after he realized how much it's worth!
Anyways, here are a few pictures taken with it last month at a local golf course. The street light was taken by guesstimating the focus and using the self timer (camera flat on its back on a concrete pillar)... look 'ma, no hands
And of course, a picture of the lens. I want to see drool on those keyboards
[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]
