She's the Lens he sees the Future with. (just my holiday dose of sappiness.) My current favorite lense is the Sigma 35 f1.2 Art. Just got it for shooting artwork. And anything else I can.
@@randolphcroft4212 That lens is a beast, I heard. Sigma's Art seris is just so top-tier. I don't have any big lens to show since I'm an hobbyist. But I'm pretty proud to own a Tokina AT-X 10-20mm f/2.8. It really broadens my photography world.
A lot of photography reviews of kit on UA-cam I am not blown away by the quality of the photos they present as examples, but your photos are always just simply beautiful and do blow me away!
A very appropriate ending to the video, a very heart felt thank you for that. My lenses that I seem to love to use the most: Voigtlander 10mm E-mount Fuji XF 8-16 Fuji XF 14 (for infrared) Lensbaby 56 Velvet (which also happens to be one of the few close-up/macro lenses that can be used for infrared) Voigtlander Nokton 58 SL II (F-mount so I get to enjoy using it on my Fuji and Sony cameras) Fuji XF 80 macro Fuji XF 90
Here's my list of affordable lenses that I enjoy: Canon 100mm f/2 USM Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 USM II Samyang 45mm f/1.8 Sigma 16/30/56mm f/1.4 (I've only tested them without owning these three) Sony 35mm f/1.8 (I've only tested this without owning it) Sony 55mm f/1.8 Sony 85mm f/1.8 (I've only tested this without owning it) Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 (I've only tested this without owning it) Tamron 90mm f/2.8 VC (if you don't mind its short focal length)
First thing you need to do is define "affordable". I should note I got my Sigma 18-35mm for $400. That seemed "affordable for such a great/useful lens.
Christopher Frost is the best lens reviewer on the planet. I wish he would make generalizations like this every three months. If I am going to buy a lens, I look to Christopher Frost and Ken Rockwell. Then you get an honest, fair, correct review. It is of inestimable value. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Here's an unusual one: the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM. It came as a kit lens for the OG EOS M, and it was ridiculously sharp, fast f2 aperture, super compact pancake lens. It was the lens (and camera) where I started my photography journey, and the relatively unusual fixed focal length helped me to understand the value of simply using your feet as the best zoom "lens."
The one lens I love the most and probably never sell is an old beat up Super-Takumar 105/2.8 from late 60s. It has just the loveliest rendering i've ever seen - creamy buttery bokeh with plenty of sharpness while not being too long to completely detach me from my subject. Combined with my Pentax Spotmatic it's my favorite setup for portraits.
I bought a Canon RP so that I could buy the 35 f1.8 IS macro (I’m a Sony shooter). Coupled with the RP it’s such a versatile and lightweight do-everything combination - especially for travel. Really fun to use!
Since I bought a Canon AE-1 in 1980 , I have owned in excess of 200 lenses and the one I most fell in love with was the Canon FD 24-35mm f3.5L , just the right size and incredibly sharp and contrasty , knocked the spots off of the Canon FD 24mm f2 , 24mm f2.8 and even the 24mm f1.4L ( Impressive for hand held night shots at f1.4 though ) , yes , give me my 24-35 and another fav , the Canon FD 85mm f1.8 ( preferred this to the 1.2L version by the way ) and I would have a very happy days shooting .
the lens I really Fell in Love with ist the Sigma 17-50 2.8. I payed around 300€ for it and it serves me great for some years now. A real bang for your buck! The other one I would recommend if you are working with Canon is the 55-250 IS STM. It is a real joy to work with both those lenses and they are real budget friendly and good for getting into fotography.
Christopher, you are a truly wholesome guy and a blessing to the UA-cam and photography community, as well as our society as a whole. Your content has always been top notch, to the point and overall enjoyable. Keep up the good work! Greetings from the Netherlands.
Thank you Chris! What a great milestone reviewing 277 lenses! You have always sent a subtle but solid message in your reviews. Let those that have ears hear and let those that have eyes see.
Dear Chris, I own 2 of your favorite lenses: The Samyang XP 85mm 1.2 (I use it with an adapter), and the Samyang 18mm 2.8. I think I would have added the Sony 90 2.8 macro lens to your list. Finally may I suggest a lens for your review: Samyang XP 35mm 1.2. Thank you for all your outstanding work and ... Merry Christmas.
The samyang 12mm f2 is a wonderful lens at a great price. I use it on the Fuji for a wide range of photography. Astro, landscapes, indoor. It has very good close focus too. It’s sharp, versatile, and affordable.
Christopher, never commented to you before, but wanted to let you know I've watched your lens reviews hundreds of times and you are my go-to lens reviewer, par excellance. Thank you so much for all you do. I appreciate your standard regimen, that allows comparisons between lenses and across time. I too am fascinated with lenses, but I think you exceed me in that regard! With appreciation, Bill Hahn Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Nothing more beautiful than a pregnant wife who loves and is loved in return except maybe a little baby joining in! ❤️ All my best wishes to the three of you!
Fujifilm XF-90mm F2 is my current favorite! It's one of the sharpest, fastest, and most colorful lenses I've seen that isn't a cinema lens or a pro zoom! And i'm really keen on trying out the XF16mm F1.4!
Great Summary of good lenses. You not only provide good reviews but also know how to tell an excellent story. I have been watching your reviews for the last few years. Before I buy a lens I search your videos for a review.
I always watch your videos twice, usually the first time at night when I find your voice so calm and soothing it sends me off to sleep. I then watch them again for the content. Keep up the good work, thank you.
When I first started out in photography, my favorite lens was a little Tokina 35mm F2.8 macro. It could do everything I ever wanted.....and helped me to learn more about photography. These days, I there is one lens I love above all my others: Canon 50mm TS-E L Tilt Shift Lens. A bit heavy, a bit slow, manual focus....but I just love it.
Surprised that Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 is not on this list, cause it's not easy to see an ultra-wide angle lens with 14mm and posibility of filters... Light, small and even not so expensie. I think this lens would make many arquitecture photographers go to Nikon Z
You are my go to guy for dependable lens critiques. Thanks for your precise videos. I like seeing your very lovely wife in the videos too! God bless you you both!
Samyang XP 85mm 1.2 Canon Mount combined with the Techart-Pro Autofocus Adapter for Sony Mirrorless cameras is a beautiful combo. You can pre-focus a little and then let the AF adapted nail it in.
My favourite lense is for sure the Canon EF 100mm 2.8 macro, that thing is amazing. And I also love, as everyone else does, the nifty fifty. Thanks for the great vid.
The yongnuo 50mm f1.8, its an astonoshing lens for reverse macro, and its bokeh is amzing, the nifty fifty by yognuo is my absolute favorite lens ive owned.
At 18, I was about to buy into a 35mm SLR camera system. That was consequential back in the day. A friend of the family, Lamar Philpot, was a pro photographer, and I was shadowing him one day. We stopped at a camera store for some supplies, and he spotted a lens in the 'used' display case, a Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 AI-S, on sale for under $300. I don't think I had completely made up my mind about what way to jump, but I had expressed an interest in photojournalism. "If you are going to join a newspaper team,", he said, "you can't go wrong with having Nikon gear. They will take you seriously, and they may even have lenses to use for assignments. And you are going to need a good wide-angle lens day in and day out. This is a good lens for that at a good price." So I walked out of the store the proud owner of a lens that it would take me several more months of saving to afford the camera to mount it on. But he was absolutely right about all of that. That was the lens that was on the F2 by default all the time. That focal length is in many ways my default notion of how the world looks, and at times I surprise my wife in that I will take a photo at arm's length with decent composition using it, especially for candid event photography, simply because I am just that familiar with it and the camera. Yes, I still have that very lens 43 years later, and, yes, it still gets used. I have to admit that the 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z performs very well plus has autofocus, but if I am using my D600, I'm often pairing my old 24mm f/2.8 lens with it.
A lot of those nifty fifties deliver great results. Before I switched to Sony I had a modern Nikon 50 1.4 that was absolutely flawless - it delivered great results for stills and video.
Also surprised you didn't include the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L. It's freakin' bananas! That one replaces a whole bag of primes and is better image quality than many of them.
I began with Canon EOS 600D, and after few years I changed to EOS 70D for faster AF only to find myself no longer want to carry all those lenses and camera anymore. Eventually, I bought a FUJIFILM X-Pro1, which looks nice and lightweight, but has barely usable AF(compare to my other cameras), ironically made me love photography again and became my favorite camera.
My favourite lens has got to be the H. Zuiko 24mm F2.8. Smallest 24mm of its time, it renders colours like Leica lenses (at 1/10 of the cost) and using it on aps-c and m43 I've produced some of my best shots on the streets or in nature. Even the out of focus shots look great!
Canon 135mm f2.0 L is my favorite by far. Rather unique focal range but it always surprised me with great images and loved the build quality and handling. Would love to try the Sigma 105mm f1,4 sometime.
I think Canon's budget lenses are a very good reason they're still doing so well. Sony and Fuji would do well to pay attention to how competitive Canon is at every price point.
This. I've adapted it to my RP. I bought the sigma art 35 1.4 and I like it less. Somehow worse image quality in practice due to difficulty autofocusing accurately at far distance and also a less flat field than the 40mm makes for it being poor for landscape despite how good the optics are otherwise. I might consider the RF 35mm 1.8 though, at some point.
My favorite lens that made me want to photograph and video forever was the Asahi Pentax 50mm f/1.4 M42 mount lens. I adapted it on a Canon 5D Mark II with Magic Lantern installed and enjoyed every minute of using that lens. It was not the sharpest wide open, and it had the limitation of manual focus, but it was such a joy to use with focus peaking.
Fun fact, some versions of that lens have throrium glass and are actually radioactive; that's why the glass turns yellow or orange over time. You need not to worry about it as the radioactivity is way too weak to do any harm unless you decide to eat your lens.
Agree, the little RF 35 1.8 Macro is utterly brilliant (small, macro, control ring, IS) it's quite good value to be honest. Thanks for giving it a red ring
A while ago I bought the Canon 50mm 1.4 and little bit later I got the 10-18mm. Both of the times I went to your UA-cam to watch your test. You are a person I trust ☺️
The only lens i've had a hard time putting down was, ironically, one of the heaviest. The Fujinon 80mm f2.8 Macro and its brother the 100-400 from the same manufacturer. Both are stellar lenses with outstanding autofocus and buildquality. I even went so far as to buy a Fuji Xh-1 to be able to handle both lenses in a comfortable way!
Jóži Kolník I loved my Sigma 18-35 f/3.5 so much I gave it away to my nephew along with my entire collection of vintage lenses which worked with a new Sony camera.
I'm still in love with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 I look for almost any excuse to use! I've even used it inside history and art museums, as well as nature.
I'm so happy you enjoyed the Sigma 105mm f1.4 Art...It's my go to lens for model photography and it's just simply magic in so many situations. I shot a model at a simple bus stop no less, and yet it made the images truly special. The buses in the background became these lovely abstractions and mixes of color and shapes. Other reviewers have said it's as close to a Nikon 200mm f2 as one could get and at a fraction of the price. I'll have to check out your review of it because surprisingly it doesn't appear on DXO Mark, which I fail to see why since it's performance is amazing. I hope you'll be able to get one someday, whether by selling other lenses or by some good fortune because it truly is special.
it took me 10 months to get around to watching this video. I really appreciate your videos, my wife even says I don't mind when you watch his videos his voice is so relaxing :). Even ended up buying both the 85mm RF samyang and sigma 150-600 c based on your review.
The Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS is pretty much my go to lens. I know it’s old school, but it is optically magnificent. As long as you don’t mind manual focus it can hold its own against any modern lens. Nikon still makes this lens and it costs roughly $600 USD new. I picked my used 30+ year old copy up for only $130 in excellent condition.
Loved this, some of your recommendations are now on my list to buy. To answer your question at the end, one lens that I absolutely fell in love with is the Mitakon EF-M 35mm f/0.95. Obviously I bought it for the aperture but after taking thousands of photos with it I just love the overall feel and quality of the image. It's not perfect but it's what's usually on my Canon Mirrorless.
I've lived in Cardiff most of my life and had a static caravan down Aberporth. I'd be amazed if I hadn't bumped into you. Great vids. I love the Samsung 50mm and 12mm on my Fujifilm xt10.
''Have you ever owned or had a lens that made you fall in photograpgy again? '' - Yes Chris, and that would be the 24mm f/1.4 GM by Sony. Same what you said about the 14-24 Sigma applies in my book to the 24 mil. It had everything i ever asked for. Try it too
@@christopherfrost I promise to you, that you won't regret it. I get excited every time i can use it :) Even the way it looks, its beatutiful and the handling - like a sign and a promise of the image quality... Shots from that GM i don't even color grade... Btw i miss on your list the 35mm Sigma f/1.2 .. .
My favourite lens would be the canon EF 100mm IS Macro. The pictures, especially colours, look soo much butter with this lens compared to the others I know.
I used that canon 35mm for some wedding photography two weeks ago. It is on my list to add to my bag! I think I would be a great addition for both photos and video!
For the last Question, I have an old legacy lens. The Minolta MD 50mm F/3.5 macro, it's a stunning performer when it comes to 1:2 and 1:1 macro photography, it's super light weight and capable of bringing even Snowflakes to life. It's still under 100 bucks on the used market for a really good copy and it has a focus ring to fall in love with. Yes it has its flaws, it was constructed and calculated for macro work so for landscape distances it's not really sharp but it's just... It's my favorite macro lens and most of my favorite pictures were shot with it :)
Perfect review, short and crisp! I owned a Sigma 18 - 35 f/1.8 which I had in my Canon 700D for year. Though it is quite heavy, it is build like a tank and the image Quality is indeed perfect! If you've ever wanted a lense that can all you need from an 18-35mm lense, the this is the Ultimate lense to pick!!!
i love the Fuji 35 1.4 and the Canon RF 35. also love the Canon 100 F2. i’ve owned pretty much most lenses too. all the Canon Ls, all the Fuji’s. except i haven’t tried the fuji 18-55.. i really want to
Yes I did and still do. I'm not an indoor photographer, a difficult skill to master in my eyes. So, unable to name any lens appropriate for that genre of photography. I am an enthusiast nature and wildlife photographer. The one lens I fell in love with and do not find any comparison to is Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM. I bought it 2.5 years ago and never found any telephoto lens that can challenge this amazing glass. I use it regularly with 1.4x and 2x extenders as well without any noticeable quality drop. My bodies are 5DII, 1DIV and 7D. It shines on all of those. I wish to retain it so long as I enjoy and practice the hobby of wildlife photography. Would like to add a good Canon MILC body to my arsenal a couple of years later. I'm sure this lens will shine on that body too via a native adaptor. Thank you for the video, thoroughly enjoyed it.
My dad has a 70-200mm f2.8 L and damn, it's so good that at times I doubt photography is a skill. Obviously I'm not 100% serious but that lens just seems to make every single picture gorgeous, it's magic. I have a 100D and it really proves that the lens is so much more important than the body.
The Tokina 100mm macro. Though only manual focusing on my camera, it does have autofocus on camera bodies with a screwdrivemotor. Incredible sharpness and contrast, doubles a amazing portrait lens, and the kicker: it’s only $400 !
I really loved my Sigma 16mm f/1.4 when I owned it. I took not only some great astro shots with it, but it was also great for walk-around, shots of kids running around, indoor close-quarters gatherings, etc. Thing was so sharp, you didn't have to worry about it being "too wide". Just take the picture anyway, and you can crop the hell out of it. You'll run out of pixels before it gets soft. I sold it back when I was planning on getting rid of my Sony, but I ended up keeping the Sony so I could have a small camera that also adapted easily to vintage glass. Might have to buy it again...
Wow...what a list.. i must say.. ur review on laowa 9mm for apsc blew me away.. and i got it.. but now looking to upgrade to a a7iii.. the sigma 14-24 just seems a must. Will be the most expensive lens i ever have purchased. Keep up the great work! God bless
My Tamron 70-200 f 2.8 Do VC USD G2 is a superb piece of kit which when I pick up I simply can not out down. It produces stunning images and quite frankly I'm surprised it didn't make this list.
In my short experience of 5 years, i find my Nikon z 50mm f1.8 to be the best lens i ever used. I also love Fuji 18-55 f2.8, they r bundling it as KITlens.😀
Great list!My favorite lenses are Canon 35 1.4 II and Canon 85 1.4 IS.I own and love Sigma 14-24 2.8 as well but mine is EF version and is much more heavy and bulky than FE and I tend to leave it home more often.
First of all congratulations to you and your stunning wife. Another wonderful video. My current combination is an EM5 ii with a Minolta Rokkor 58mm 1.4. The combination has really prodded my creativity and enjoyment of photography.
Thank you for the video, Chris. I have been following all your videos every since I found you last year. After watching your review of the Sigma 14-24 DG DN and now this video, this lens will be my birthday gift next week. Keep up the great work! 😃
Lovely video's as always. But before some people think that expensive, super sharp lenses are the key to good photography they need to know that its all about location and composition. You need to have a vision :) Some of the best photo's I know are shot with lenses that are not crossing the €1000 line.
Some of my lenses barely cross the 100 GBP line. I just don’t have that sort of money. In fact my complete M4/3 equipment only just crosses the 1000 GBP line. So what about doing the same sort of film about the lenses that most of us can afford.
I'm a little shocked how much I love and use my Sony 16-55mm F/2.8 G lens (APS-C). My other 4 lens and 1 other camera collects dusts now thanks to the 16-55mm!
On your review from a previous video, I recently acquired the Sigma 14-24mm 2.8 Art lens for Sony E mount. I’m new to wide angle shooting and enjoying the my new experience with a lens that delivers without concern for settings. Thanks for the review.
Erik Farkaš I absolutely love the Fuji XF 18mm f2. Strong field curvature and some astigmatism gives it a lovely 3-dimensional rendering. One of my all-time favorites!
I love my 18-55mm Fujifilm. Another that has the same jewel like size and quality for me is the Olympus 12-40mm 2.8 for MFT, incredibly close focusing right through the zoom range as well.
Watched almost all your videos, after 6 months I discovered your channel, I decided to go for the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 alongside my already bought Canon 80D, marvellous lens
We all know you fell for your wife the most, Chris. She's in this whole video
My favourite comment of 2019 right there :-)
She's the Lens he sees the Future with. (just my holiday dose of sappiness.)
My current favorite lense is the Sigma 35 f1.2 Art. Just got it for shooting artwork. And anything else I can.
@@christopherfrost Holy cow! What an honour for me! Thank you, Chris! xD
@@randolphcroft4212 That lens is a beast, I heard. Sigma's Art seris is just so top-tier.
I don't have any big lens to show since I'm an hobbyist. But I'm pretty proud to own a Tokina AT-X 10-20mm f/2.8. It really broadens my photography world.
This backpack is on Cyber monday deal now, Very well made and durable,stylish,fashionable,www.amazon.com/dp/B07STN5CYH
Sir, your documentaryproof voice and your tecnical non-thedious reviews just got me. Very well done!
A lot of photography reviews of kit on UA-cam I am not blown away by the quality of the photos they present as examples, but your photos are always just simply beautiful and do blow me away!
A very appropriate ending to the video, a very heart felt thank you for that.
My lenses that I seem to love to use the most:
Voigtlander 10mm E-mount
Fuji XF 8-16
Fuji XF 14 (for infrared)
Lensbaby 56 Velvet (which also happens to be one of the few close-up/macro lenses that can be used for infrared)
Voigtlander Nokton 58 SL II (F-mount so I get to enjoy using it on my Fuji and Sony cameras)
Fuji XF 80 macro
Fuji XF 90
I think we need another list with affordable lenses 😉
Here's my list of affordable lenses that I enjoy:
Canon 100mm f/2 USM
Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 USM II
Samyang 45mm f/1.8
Sigma 16/30/56mm f/1.4 (I've only tested them without owning these three)
Sony 35mm f/1.8 (I've only tested this without owning it)
Sony 55mm f/1.8
Sony 85mm f/1.8 (I've only tested this without owning it)
Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 (I've only tested this without owning it)
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 VC (if you don't mind its short focal length)
If it's any consolation, most of these lenses are unaffordable to me, too ;-)
@@christopherfrost let's make a list of 1. Affordable primes 2. Affordable zooms 3. Unaffordable primes and zooms.
First thing you need to do is define "affordable". I should note I got my Sigma 18-35mm for $400. That seemed "affordable for such a great/useful lens.
@@laurencebernstein1233 £500? £1000?
The Canon 35mm f1.4 L II is the single lense that makes me melt every time I see a picture captured with it.
Christopher Frost is the best lens reviewer on the planet. I wish he would make generalizations like this every three months. If I am going to buy a lens, I look to Christopher Frost and Ken Rockwell. Then you get an honest, fair, correct review. It is of inestimable value. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Here's an unusual one: the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM. It came as a kit lens for the OG EOS M, and it was ridiculously sharp, fast f2 aperture, super compact pancake lens. It was the lens (and camera) where I started my photography journey, and the relatively unusual fixed focal length helped me to understand the value of simply using your feet as the best zoom "lens."
I still think it looks like a beady little whale eye, but the charm comes from its characterful output and its tininess.
The one lens I love the most and probably never sell is an old beat up Super-Takumar 105/2.8 from late 60s. It has just the loveliest rendering i've ever seen - creamy buttery bokeh with plenty of sharpness while not being too long to completely detach me from my subject. Combined with my Pentax Spotmatic it's my favorite setup for portraits.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R is my dream lens. Used it for about 4 years and it still makes me smile,
Wow! 277 reviews of camera lenses from various brands you are the most consistent and simply unbeatable! Keep it up Chris!
I bought a Canon RP so that I could buy the 35 f1.8 IS macro (I’m a Sony shooter).
Coupled with the RP it’s such a versatile and lightweight do-everything combination - especially for travel. Really fun to use!
Im planning to do the same...
You are the best reviewer which I ever saw on youtube. I'm very happy that I found your channel 4 years ago. Thank you for the great job.
Since I bought a Canon AE-1 in 1980 , I have owned in excess of 200 lenses and the one I most fell in love with was the Canon FD 24-35mm f3.5L , just the right size and incredibly sharp and contrasty , knocked the spots off of the Canon FD 24mm f2 , 24mm f2.8 and even the 24mm f1.4L ( Impressive for hand held night shots at f1.4 though ) , yes , give me my 24-35 and another fav , the Canon FD 85mm f1.8 ( preferred this to the 1.2L version by the way ) and I would have a very happy days shooting .
the lens I really Fell in Love with ist the Sigma 17-50 2.8. I payed around 300€ for it and it serves me great for some years now. A real bang for your buck! The other one I would recommend if you are working with Canon is the 55-250 IS STM. It is a real joy to work with both those lenses and they are real budget friendly and good for getting into fotography.
"Photography isn't the most important thing in life"
AMEN
2nd most important? 😃
@@sexysilversurfer nah, eating, sleeping, spending time with family, friends. Photography is not even in the top 10 I guess 😁
Whut
That last sentence saved me $1400
What do you mean?
Christopher, you are a truly wholesome guy and a blessing to the UA-cam and photography community, as well as our society as a whole. Your content has always been top notch, to the point and overall enjoyable. Keep up the good work!
Greetings from the Netherlands.
Thank you Chris! What a great milestone reviewing 277 lenses! You have always sent a subtle but solid message in your reviews. Let those that have ears hear and let those that have eyes see.
Dear Chris,
I own 2 of your favorite lenses: The Samyang XP 85mm 1.2 (I use it with an adapter), and the Samyang 18mm 2.8. I think I would have added the Sony 90 2.8 macro lens to your list.
Finally may I suggest a lens for your review: Samyang XP 35mm 1.2. Thank you for all your outstanding work and ... Merry Christmas.
Sigma art 18-35mm f1.8 EF; Laowa 12mm f2.8; Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8; Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2; Laowa 15mm Macro and Canon 100mm Macro.
I fkn love my 100mm. Didn't know that Zeiss makes camera glass, only know them for gunsights.
Your wife is stunning Chris, very photogenic 👍🏻
The samyang 12mm f2 is a wonderful lens at a great price. I use it on the Fuji for a wide range of photography. Astro, landscapes, indoor. It has very good close focus too. It’s sharp, versatile, and affordable.
Christopher, never commented to you before, but wanted to let you know I've watched your lens reviews hundreds of times and you are my go-to lens reviewer, par excellance. Thank you so much for all you do. I appreciate your standard regimen, that allows comparisons between lenses and across time. I too am fascinated with lenses, but I think you exceed me in that regard! With appreciation, Bill Hahn Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Nothing more beautiful than a pregnant wife who loves and is loved in return except maybe a little baby joining in! ❤️ All my best wishes to the three of you!
Bought the Sigma 18-35 a year ago after watching your review. Totally worth it.
Fujifilm XF-90mm F2 is my current favorite! It's one of the sharpest, fastest, and most colorful lenses I've seen that isn't a cinema lens or a pro zoom! And i'm really keen on trying out the XF16mm F1.4!
Great Summary of good lenses. You not only provide good reviews but also know how to tell an excellent story. I have been watching your reviews for the last few years. Before I buy a lens I search your videos for a review.
I always watch your videos twice, usually the first time at night when I find your voice so calm and soothing it sends me off to sleep. I then watch them again for the content. Keep up the good work, thank you.
When I first started out in photography, my favorite lens was a little Tokina 35mm F2.8 macro. It could do everything I ever wanted.....and helped me to learn more about photography. These days, I there is one lens I love above all my others: Canon 50mm TS-E L Tilt Shift Lens. A bit heavy, a bit slow, manual focus....but I just love it.
I have 2 from this list, both of Canon RF lenses ❤️
@Quincy Wesley no, no one cares
That 35mm is a joy for me, but the L models are, appart from the 24-105 f4, out of price for me.
Surprised that Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 is not on this list, cause it's not easy to see an ultra-wide angle lens with 14mm and posibility of filters... Light, small and even not so expensie. I think this lens would make many arquitecture photographers go to Nikon Z
My favorite lenses of all time: Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2x Macro, Canon 135mm f/2, Samyang 135mm f/2, Samyang 35mm f/1.4.
You are my go to guy for dependable lens critiques. Thanks for your precise videos. I like seeing your very lovely wife in the videos too! God bless you you both!
Samyang XP 85mm 1.2 Canon Mount combined with the Techart-Pro Autofocus Adapter for Sony Mirrorless cameras is a beautiful combo. You can pre-focus a little and then let the AF adapted nail it in.
My favourite lense is for sure the Canon EF 100mm 2.8 macro, that thing is amazing. And I also love, as everyone else does, the nifty fifty. Thanks for the great vid.
Thank you for all your work. I follow you for about 5 years. You are my guide on the lenses market. Thank you and God Bless :)
The yongnuo 50mm f1.8, its an astonoshing lens for reverse macro, and its bokeh is amzing, the nifty fifty by yognuo is my absolute favorite lens ive owned.
At 18, I was about to buy into a 35mm SLR camera system. That was consequential back in the day. A friend of the family, Lamar Philpot, was a pro photographer, and I was shadowing him one day. We stopped at a camera store for some supplies, and he spotted a lens in the 'used' display case, a Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 AI-S, on sale for under $300. I don't think I had completely made up my mind about what way to jump, but I had expressed an interest in photojournalism. "If you are going to join a newspaper team,", he said, "you can't go wrong with having Nikon gear. They will take you seriously, and they may even have lenses to use for assignments. And you are going to need a good wide-angle lens day in and day out. This is a good lens for that at a good price." So I walked out of the store the proud owner of a lens that it would take me several more months of saving to afford the camera to mount it on. But he was absolutely right about all of that. That was the lens that was on the F2 by default all the time. That focal length is in many ways my default notion of how the world looks, and at times I surprise my wife in that I will take a photo at arm's length with decent composition using it, especially for candid event photography, simply because I am just that familiar with it and the camera. Yes, I still have that very lens 43 years later, and, yes, it still gets used. I have to admit that the 24-70mm f/4 Nikkor Z performs very well plus has autofocus, but if I am using my D600, I'm often pairing my old 24mm f/2.8 lens with it.
Definitely agree with the Canon RF 50 1.2, just an amazing lens!
A lot of those nifty fifties deliver great results. Before I switched to Sony I had a modern Nikon 50 1.4 that was absolutely flawless - it delivered great results for stills and video.
Also surprised you didn't include the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L. It's freakin' bananas! That one replaces a whole bag of primes and is better image quality than many of them.
It is incredible but the aches and pains involved in carrying that beast around with me all day made me think again hehe
I began with Canon EOS 600D, and after few years I changed to EOS 70D for faster AF only to find myself no longer want to carry all those lenses and camera anymore. Eventually, I bought a FUJIFILM X-Pro1, which looks nice and lightweight, but has barely usable AF(compare to my other cameras), ironically made me love photography again and became my favorite camera.
My favourite lens has got to be the H. Zuiko 24mm F2.8. Smallest 24mm of its time, it renders colours like Leica lenses (at 1/10 of the cost) and using it on aps-c and m43 I've produced some of my best shots on the streets or in nature. Even the out of focus shots look great!
Canon 135mm f2.0 L is my favorite by far. Rather unique focal range but it always surprised me with great images and loved the build quality and handling. Would love to try the Sigma 105mm f1,4 sometime.
Canon 40mm f2.8, so much fun, so cheap, such good image quality, love it
I think Canon's budget lenses are a very good reason they're still doing so well. Sony and Fuji would do well to pay attention to how competitive Canon is at every price point.
Also the Canon 27 mm f/2.8 EFS which does the same job for DSLRs with APSC sensors.
This. I've adapted it to my RP. I bought the sigma art 35 1.4 and I like it less. Somehow worse image quality in practice due to difficulty autofocusing accurately at far distance and also a less flat field than the 40mm makes for it being poor for landscape despite how good the optics are otherwise. I might consider the RF 35mm 1.8 though, at some point.
My favorite lens that made me want to photograph and video forever was the Asahi Pentax 50mm f/1.4 M42 mount lens. I adapted it on a Canon 5D Mark II with Magic Lantern installed and enjoyed every minute of using that lens. It was not the sharpest wide open, and it had the limitation of manual focus, but it was such a joy to use with focus peaking.
Fun fact, some versions of that lens have throrium glass and are actually radioactive; that's why the glass turns yellow or orange over time. You need not to worry about it as the radioactivity is way too weak to do any harm unless you decide to eat your lens.
Agree, the little RF 35 1.8 Macro is utterly brilliant (small, macro, control ring, IS) it's quite good value to be honest. Thanks for giving it a red ring
I’m a nikon user but I used to have a sony with the sigma art 18-35mm. I can vouch for Chris. That lens was really nice 👍
A while ago I bought the Canon 50mm 1.4 and little bit later I got the 10-18mm. Both of the times I went to your UA-cam to watch your test.
You are a person I trust ☺️
Thanks for making a video of a reasonable length rather than the 35mins some people drone on for.
Urgh, I hate those long videos - I don't even bother with them. TL;DR etc.
I love the tamron 17-35 f2.8-f4 very light weight and compact great for travel
The only lens i've had a hard time putting down was, ironically, one of the heaviest. The Fujinon 80mm f2.8 Macro and its brother the 100-400 from the same manufacturer. Both are stellar lenses with outstanding autofocus and buildquality. I even went so far as to buy a Fuji Xh-1 to be able to handle both lenses in a comfortable way!
A great comparative view & selection.....thanks a lot, Christopher
let's make a crowd funding to buy Christopher a Sigma 105mm f1.4
hi thank you so much for the reviews .i like your honesty . you helped me a lot picking lenses
Yes. Sigma 18-35 got me into photography again
Jóži Kolník I loved my Sigma 18-35 f/3.5 so much I gave it away to my nephew along with my entire collection of vintage lenses which worked with a new Sony camera.
I'm still in love with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 I look for almost any excuse to use! I've even used it inside history and art museums, as well as nature.
I'm so happy you enjoyed the Sigma 105mm f1.4 Art...It's my go to lens for model photography and it's just simply magic in so many situations. I shot a model at a simple bus stop no less, and yet it made the images truly special. The buses in the background became these lovely abstractions and mixes of color and shapes. Other reviewers have said it's as close to a Nikon 200mm f2 as one could get and at a fraction of the price. I'll have to check out your review of it because surprisingly it doesn't appear on DXO Mark, which I fail to see why since it's performance is amazing. I hope you'll be able to get one someday, whether by selling other lenses or by some good fortune because it truly is special.
i misread the title, & thought you'd fallen for 101 lenses! :-D
Me, too!
Haha the only person I know that has that many lenses, well actually 3 times that many lenses is Ken Wheeler, angry photographer.
it took me 10 months to get around to watching this video. I really appreciate your videos, my wife even says I don't mind when you watch his videos his voice is so relaxing :). Even ended up buying both the 85mm RF samyang and sigma 150-600 c based on your review.
The Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS is pretty much my go to lens. I know it’s old school, but it is optically magnificent. As long as you don’t mind manual focus it can hold its own against any modern lens. Nikon still makes this lens and it costs roughly $600 USD new. I picked my used 30+ year old copy up for only $130 in excellent condition.
Great lens! I use one on my Fuji X-T1 and love the look.
Nice Collection!
I have the fuji 18-55mm and sigma 18-35mm, and they are really good!
( I never thought I could love an 18-55 lens)
277?! Whaaaat? Mad respect, Christopher!
1. Fuji XF 18-55 F2.8-F4 OIS
2. Samyang XP 18-35mm F1.8
3. Samyang XP 85mm F1.2
4. Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art.
5. Venus Optics Laowa 10-18mm F4.5-F5.6
6. Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L
7. Canon RF 35 F1.8 IS STM (Macro)
8. Samyang 18mm F2.8 FE
9. Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG Art
10. Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G
I knew the Fuji 18-55 would make this list :) One of my favorite lenses, too. Another one for me would be the Canon 85mm f1.8
Loved this, some of your recommendations are now on my list to buy. To answer your question at the end, one lens that I absolutely fell in love with is the Mitakon EF-M 35mm f/0.95. Obviously I bought it for the aperture but after taking thousands of photos with it I just love the overall feel and quality of the image. It's not perfect but it's what's usually on my Canon Mirrorless.
Lovely photos Chris, it's easy to tell how these lenses made your favorites list.
I've lived in Cardiff most of my life and had a static caravan down Aberporth. I'd be amazed if I hadn't bumped into you. Great vids. I love the Samsung 50mm and 12mm on my Fujifilm xt10.
''Have you ever owned or had a lens that made you fall in photograpgy again? '' - Yes Chris, and that would be the 24mm f/1.4 GM by Sony. Same what you said about the 14-24 Sigma applies in my book to the 24 mil. It had everything i ever asked for. Try it too
I can't wait to test that Sony lens :-)
@@christopherfrost I promise to you, that you won't regret it. I get excited every time i can use it :) Even the way it looks, its beatutiful and the handling - like a sign and a promise of the image quality... Shots from that GM i don't even color grade...
Btw i miss on your list the 35mm Sigma f/1.2 .. .
My favourite lens would be the canon EF 100mm IS Macro. The pictures, especially colours, look soo much butter with this lens compared to the others I know.
I used that canon 35mm for some wedding photography two weeks ago. It is on my list to add to my bag! I think I would be a great addition for both photos and video!
For the last Question, I have an old legacy lens. The Minolta MD 50mm F/3.5 macro, it's a stunning performer when it comes to 1:2 and 1:1 macro photography, it's super light weight and capable of bringing even Snowflakes to life. It's still under 100 bucks on the used market for a really good copy and it has a focus ring to fall in love with. Yes it has its flaws, it was constructed and calculated for macro work so for landscape distances it's not really sharp but it's just... It's my favorite macro lens and most of my favorite pictures were shot with it :)
Perfect review, short and crisp! I owned a Sigma 18 - 35 f/1.8 which I had in my Canon 700D for year. Though it is quite heavy, it is build like a tank and the image Quality is indeed perfect! If you've ever wanted a lense that can all you need from an 18-35mm lense, the this is the Ultimate lense to pick!!!
i love the Fuji 35 1.4 and the Canon RF 35. also love the Canon 100 F2. i’ve owned pretty much most lenses too. all the Canon Ls, all the Fuji’s. except i haven’t tried the fuji 18-55.. i really want to
Yes I did and still do. I'm not an indoor photographer, a difficult skill to master in my eyes. So, unable to name any lens appropriate for that genre of photography.
I am an enthusiast nature and wildlife photographer. The one lens I fell in love with and do not find any comparison to is Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM. I bought it 2.5 years ago and never found any telephoto lens that can challenge this amazing glass. I use it regularly with 1.4x and 2x extenders as well without any noticeable quality drop. My bodies are 5DII, 1DIV and 7D. It shines on all of those. I wish to retain it so long as I enjoy and practice the hobby of wildlife photography. Would like to add a good Canon MILC body to my arsenal a couple of years later. I'm sure this lens will shine on that body too via a native adaptor.
Thank you for the video, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Love my Samyang 24mm f/3.5 Tilt-Shift Lens. Very special but a lot of fun to shoot with.
My dad has a 70-200mm f2.8 L and damn, it's so good that at times I doubt photography is a skill. Obviously I'm not 100% serious but that lens just seems to make every single picture gorgeous, it's magic. I have a 100D and it really proves that the lens is so much more important than the body.
I love the Canon 100mm L Macro lens, it’s incredibly sharp and breath taking when doing portraits 😍
You are right! I've used this lens too! It's awesome such a great gocal length.
The Tokina 100mm macro. Though only manual focusing on my camera, it does have autofocus on camera bodies with a screwdrivemotor. Incredible sharpness and contrast, doubles a amazing portrait lens, and the kicker: it’s only $400 !
I really loved my Sigma 16mm f/1.4 when I owned it. I took not only some great astro shots with it, but it was also great for walk-around, shots of kids running around, indoor close-quarters gatherings, etc. Thing was so sharp, you didn't have to worry about it being "too wide". Just take the picture anyway, and you can crop the hell out of it. You'll run out of pixels before it gets soft. I sold it back when I was planning on getting rid of my Sony, but I ended up keeping the Sony so I could have a small camera that also adapted easily to vintage glass. Might have to buy it again...
Wow...what a list.. i must say.. ur review on laowa 9mm for apsc blew me away.. and i got it.. but now looking to upgrade to a a7iii.. the sigma 14-24 just seems a must. Will be the most expensive lens i ever have purchased. Keep up the great work! God bless
My Tamron 70-200 f 2.8 Do VC USD G2 is a superb piece of kit which when I pick up I simply can not out down. It produces stunning images and quite frankly I'm surprised it didn't make this list.
What's the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 equivalent for Fuji? - My favourite lens at the moment is the Viltrox 23mm F1.4
My favorite, Sigma DC 17-50 f/2.8 OS HSM. Just lovely.
In my short experience of 5 years, i find my Nikon z 50mm f1.8 to be the best lens i ever used. I also love Fuji 18-55 f2.8, they r bundling it as KITlens.😀
Great list!My favorite lenses are Canon 35 1.4 II and Canon 85 1.4 IS.I own and love Sigma 14-24 2.8 as well but mine is EF version and is much more heavy and bulky than FE and I tend to leave it home more often.
I love seeing all my local spots in your videos, thanks for your hard work Chris.
First of all congratulations to you and your stunning wife. Another wonderful video. My current combination is an EM5 ii with a Minolta Rokkor 58mm 1.4. The combination has really prodded my creativity and enjoyment of photography.
Yes, without a doubt the Canon RF24-105 on the RP, simply awesome!!!!
Thank you for the video, Chris. I have been following all your videos every since I found you last year. After watching your review of the Sigma 14-24 DG DN and now this video, this lens will be my birthday gift next week. Keep up the great work! 😃
Now I want to have a look at that Sigma 14-24!
Good list just before the Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas Season!!!
Lovely video's as always. But before some people think that expensive, super sharp lenses are the key to good photography they need to know that its all about location and composition. You need to have a vision :) Some of the best photo's I know are shot with lenses that are not crossing the €1000 line.
Some of my lenses barely cross the 100 GBP line. I just don’t have that sort of money. In fact my complete M4/3 equipment only just crosses the 1000 GBP line. So what about doing the same sort of film about the lenses that most of us can afford.
absolutly love my Sony 90mm macro
I'm a little shocked how much I love and use my Sony 16-55mm F/2.8 G lens (APS-C). My other 4 lens and 1 other camera collects dusts now thanks to the 16-55mm!
The ones that I seem to love the most are Sony 35 1.8 and 85 1.8 fe.
Same here. Together with the Zeiss 55 1.8 Sonnar.
I am totally in love with my Sigma 135mm f1.8 Art lens. Supremely good optics!
On your review from a previous video, I recently acquired the Sigma 14-24mm 2.8 Art lens for Sony E mount. I’m new to wide angle shooting and enjoying the my new experience with a lens that delivers without concern for settings. Thanks for the review.
Fuji FX 18mm f/2 prime made me fall in love with photography, paired with my xt30 its just great, its pretty much always on the camera. :)
Erik Farkaš I absolutely love the Fuji XF 18mm f2. Strong field curvature and some astigmatism gives it a lovely 3-dimensional rendering. One of my all-time favorites!
I love my 18-55mm Fujifilm. Another that has the same jewel like size and quality for me is the Olympus 12-40mm 2.8 for MFT, incredibly close focusing right through the zoom range as well.
Watched almost all your videos, after 6 months I discovered your channel, I decided to go for the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 alongside my already bought Canon 80D, marvellous lens