What special purpose lens do you use, and why? (Page 2): I used to do something similar with a 500/5.6 Kilfitt catadioptric. Sure was a pain carrying that table! :lol:...

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

hochspeyer wrote:

Currently, a macro. Back in my film days, Pan-X with a 250mm Minolta catadiaoptric lens. Which was interesting, as the film was ASA-32, and the lens was a fixed f5.6 (I also shot Kodachrome ASA-64 with the same lens). I must've looked truly weird walking about with a tabletop tripod attached to the camera around my neck.

I used to do something similar with a 500/5.6 Kilfitt catadioptric. Sure was a pain carrying that table! :lol:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

RWR wrote:

A wide-range zoom is practical as a general walk-around lens, but what do you use for those special situations? For example, I carry a macro lens in my tackle box - close-focusing cause I can′t catch big fish, floating elements cause I can′t swim.

RWR, I used to have the same exact problem you have and too wanted the biggest macro I could find.
Then, I found out from a couple of little girls taking selfies, that if you hold even the tiniest shaker, WAY out in front you, it would look like a monster keeper.
So I longer needed a macro.
But it won't float!! :lol:
SS

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

RWR wrote:

A wide-range zoom is practical as a general walk-around lens, but what do you use for those special situations? For example, I carry a macro lens in my tackle box - close-focusing cause I can′t catch big fish, floating elements cause I can′t swim.

Macro - because it makes little things big.
500mm - because it makes far things closer.
F/1.4 because it makes dark things brighter.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

SharpShooter wrote:

RWR, I used to have the same exact problem you have and too wanted the biggest macro I could find.
Then, I found out from a couple of little girls taking selfies, that if you hold even the tiniest shaker, WAY out in front you, it would look like a monster keeper.
So I longer needed a macro.
But it won't float!! :lol:
SS

Ha Ha! I'd have to do some tall thinking to top that one, SS :lol:

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

lighthouse wrote:

Macro - because it makes little things big.
500mm - because it makes far things closer.
F/1.4 because it makes dark things brighter.

Light, you've sure got all bases covered! :lol:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

RWR wrote:

Ha Ha! I'd have to do some tall thinking to top that one, SS :lol:

RWR, if your talking fish, I mean talking about fish, not fish that talk, it's ALL about TALL!
As for lenses I'm gonna go with, " the lens I have with me"!
RWR, now, how's THAT for a wimpy cop-out!! :lol:
SS

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

SharpShooter wrote:

RWR, if your talking fish, I mean talking about fish, not fish that talk, it's ALL about TALL!
As for lenses I'm gonna go with, " the lens I have with me"!
RWR, now, how's THAT for a wimpy cop-out!! :lol:
SS

Well, you haven't said the C word, and I'm not about to say the N word, so looks like we're BOTH wimpy cop-outs! :lol: And on that note I must sign out for tonight. :)

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

I also love infrared.

jerryc41 wrote:

I like the fisheye and macro. I also like shooting with my IR body. It's nice getting away from standard images.

Budnjax Loc: NE Florida

I like my Canon 8-15mm fish eye zoom.....gives a neat perspective to lots of images....can also be corrected to work as a rectilinear len.....

Richard K Loc: Toronto Canada

DavidPine wrote:

Mine are special because I love them. I had mine professionally focus calibrated yesterday which I highly recommend. My 105G (0), 24-70 (0) and my 70-200 (-4). My 70-200 seems to be my favorite.

Was it expensive if you don't mind me asking $

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

RWR wrote:

Light, you've sure got all bases covered! :lol:

I should have fully expanded.
As well as
Macro - because it makes little things big.
500mm - because it makes far things closer.
F/1.4 because it makes dark things brighter.
there is
24mm tilt/shift for architecture, trees, low light foreground to background focus, tinytown etc,
14mm for foreground impact & galaxies
& 135mm Soft Focus for bokeh

I love specialty lenses, semi exotics and primes.
Other people can have the "Holy Trinity".

OutdoorNH Loc: Atlanta, GA

I don't have one yet, but shots I've seen from a tilt-shift lens are interesting to me.

markgoldberg Loc: Annapolis, MD

Three Nikkor lenses I consider special purpose:(1) 10.5mm DX Fisheye, 85mm f1.4G for portraits, and 60mm f2.8 Micro.

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

That was bad, very bad!:):) You should be carrying a fisheye lens for that!!! :):)
Erv

RWR wrote:

A wide-range zoom is practical as a general walk-around lens, but what do you use for those special situations? For example, I carry a macro lens in my tackle box - close-focusing cause I can′t catch big fish, floating elements cause I can′t swim.

Preachdude Loc: Geneva, OH

RWR wrote:

A wide-range zoom is practical as a general walk-around lens, but what do you use for those special situations? For example, I carry a macro lens in my tackle box - close-focusing cause I can′t catch big fish, floating elements cause I can′t swim.

The most useful for me has been a macro lens -- which I have used for portraits as well as for close-up pictures. I've never been satisfied with the results I've gotten with fisheye lenses. One further type is worth mentioning -- the tilt/shift lens. I do landscape photography more than anything else, and in places like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, a shift lens can be very useful. It takes practice and skill to use one effectively. Since good ones are so expensive, I would recommend you try renting one for experimentation from an outfit like lensrentals.com. While it is true we can do perspective correction in Photoshop, I find that too much is lost in the re-sampling process to give me results I really like. The Canon 17mm f/4 is truly fine. The Nikon 45mm f/2.8 is also fine. Schneider's 50mm f/2.8 is the expensive option for Sony users, but Samyang/Bower/Rokinon makes less expensive tilt/shift lenses in a variety of mounts. Keep in mind that in all cases, aperture and focusing are manual