Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

You are quite right about the Zeiss glass. They are heavy and you give up the flexibility of a zoom, but these are very small prices to pay for sharpness, color rendition, contrast and bokeh. I make extensive use of the 18 and 135, the 100 Makro for close ups. I am thinking of adding the 50 for an upcoming trip to Hawaii.

Tet68survivor Loc: Pomfret Center CT

I only have two lenses, one I use all the time, it is my Tamron 16-300 f3.5-6.3 and my Samyang 800mm mirror for astrophotography! At the present that's all I need, I have to learn everything I can about these two, camera settings, etc. But that's the fun part. For shots in a hurry it getting the D5200 ready, I use my P600 which has a ton more lens, but less manual control. I'm good for now, but see gadgets in my photographic future!

Dbl00buk Loc: Orlando

I rarely trade lenses for others, but recently with input help from fellow hoggers, I am in the process. I need a substitute for my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRII for long trips. Due to a back health issue, and the weight factor of the 2.8 beast, I found that I really didn't want to compromise the sterling performance of that lens with a superzoom or a 70-300, so I'm seriously looking into the more favorable Nikon 70-200 f4 for it's lighter weight and excellent IQ. To get to the point, physical limitations are the reason for my acquiring another lens.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I own and use the 24-70 2.8 AF Zeiss A mount for my Sony A99. And for my Nikon I have several manual focus Zeiss lenses that are outstanding. I wish Zeiss would make AF for my Nikon.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

You have a Nikon D850? I thought they weren't released yet. Congratulations. Please give us a full rundown on good/bad etc.

Dennis

Coyote9269 Loc: USA

I think a few things play a large role in this.
(1) When some of the equipment was purchased the person bought either what they could afford or what they were talked into. I have witnessed sales people push items on new camera buyers and out right lie about what the lens is and what it does.
(2) People wake up one day and decide I love birds or what ever and need a lens for this. Than come to find out they hate shooting that subject or it's too heavy etc.
(3) They never learned how to use what they currently own.
Every so often I take one of my primes out and force myself to just at that fixed focal length. Does that make me better or worse than anyone else? No but it does force me learn or remember how to frame and compose. I do try to sell the lens I no longer need or have duplicates of.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

I think people buy lenses so they can get the results they want from the camera they have. Whether or not they make the right choices is another question! GAS attacks result in impulsive purchases, which can turn out to be great or result in buyer's regret.

I have 2 cameras [Nikon D7000 and D810] and 3 lenses [Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 and 24-70mm f/28, and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens]. I sold my first lenses [DX] and bought better ones [all FX] over the past 5 years. For the most part, my objective is to have all the most used focal lengths covered with the fastest glass I can afford. All were pre-owned or refurbished. There are several other lenses on my wish list, but no GAS attacks allowed! I do understand the desire to acquire the next best greatest lens, and if I did not have other priorities I would probably have more lenses.

As for what to take along, I usually bring both cameras and the Nikon lenses. If I am going to be away several days and believe there might be subjects for the Sigma macro lens, it can come too.

Charlie157 Loc: San Diego, CA

Regarding the photo of Ansel Adems. What kind of photo shoot was he packing for ? I noticed he included lights. When he hikes in for a shoot what does he take. I can imagine carrying in film can be a problem. Does he take extra lenses for his 8x10?.

RRS Loc: Not sure

Well it's a nine hour drive to Yellowstone and I do take about 90% of what I own with me and that's for starters 4 bodies , 7 lenses and 3 extenders. Extra batteries and chargers, spotting scopes, three tripods among other things. Minimum time per trip is 8 days and max is 3 weeks. With all that "stuff" I still have room for 3 grandchildren and their camera gear too. If I get much more I'll have to pull a trailer but so far so good. Always more room on the Fall trips because the kids are back in school and with all the winter clothing, yes in the Fall in Yellowstone, We still don't have much extra room.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

I have about 100 lenses, from old double anastigmats made before the 20th century to cine lenses to special Nikkor industrial lenses with 0% distortion made for creating integrated circuits via photolithography to apochromatic enlarging lenses to old military lenses to vintage SLR lenses to lenses removed from cheap old Japanese rangefinder lenses to projection lenses to special macro lenses to just about anything I can find a way to mount on the camera. Each has a unique character and inspires me to shoot in a different way. Rare vintage glass is also an excellent investment, and a hell of a lot more fun and creative than money sitting in a mutual fund.

truckster Loc: Tampa Bay Area

Before I found UHH I bought the 18-300 thinking one lens to cover it all. Now I find out my "all" is a little over 28 and under 150 most times. I would have been better served getting a 18-105 or a 18-140 kit lens. I wanted a portrait lens so I bought the 85mm and Nikon was good enough to throw in a 35mm. That 35 is the lens I now use the most. My "walk about" lens. My kit lenses are the 18-55 and the 55-200. I rarely use the 18-55 since getting the 35 and I haven't touched but once the 55-200 since getting the Zoom.

Sweetie and I booked a cruise, leaving in a little over 30 days. I'll pack that 35mm and probably the 18-300, a flash unit and chargers ... maybe the 18-55 kit lens. The 35 will be on the camera the most.

RRS Loc: Not sure

Gee, you sound like my kind of guy, I'd have to drink several, no many beers to be able to do the testing that you have done but I'm also sure that you are right. Always works better with a lens but I did one time try shooting without film and I bet you know how that test came out. First roll in a" Hassey" shooting my daughters wedding, I'll never live that one down.

Salo Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

"You can't eat just one potato chip." Similar psychology goes for camera lenses.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The perspective of a new photographer is incomplete. Sometimes, you just have to buy and use a lens to get a feel for what it can do, and what you can do with it. Once you have used a couple of wide angles, a normal, and a couple of telephoto lenses, you know what to do with them, and when. Same with zoom lenses... you have to try them at all ranges to understand how to use them. I grew up with primes, but since 2002, I've preferred zooms for most work.

Mac, you have essentially the same lens set for your Df that I had on my FTn and F3, years ago. I had earlier versions of those — my 50 was f/1.4, and my 105 was f/2.5, but otherwise, those, a 55mm Micro Nikkor (macro) lens, and a 135mm f/2.8 were my primes. My most used lenses were the 35, 55, and 105. I traded my 50mm for a 24mm when I got the macro lens. That 55 was a fine normal lens.

Now that I'm using Micro 4/3, I'm using the Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm f/2.8 and 35-100mm f/2.8 pro zooms, and a 30mm f/2.8 Panasonic Lumix macro lens. These are equivalent to the fields of view of 24-70, 70-200, and 60mm lenses on full frame. At some point, I may add some Leica primes, and the Leica 100-400mm, but my twins are just headed to college this Fall, so... wait time.

The best thing about M4/3 is that it is so light and so small, I can pack it all, and then some.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Add a 135mm Tele and you have a really great traditional set of prime lenses. Actually good thinking and choices on your part.

Taking your Title question as written, the smart-ass answer could be so "I can use my DSLR camera." But after I started to read your posting I could see what you meant and I can assume everyone did.

I think possibly why many people ask questions after the the purchase is

1) They bought a kit lens or two based on the recommendations of a sales person or because they got a "good" package deal.

2) From reading, conversation or recommendation they thought a particular lens would be useful for them.

But in both and possible other cases they found that the lens was less useful for them than they had thought. And so now they are asking what it's best use might be or should they sell it and buy a different lens.

Personally I've usually bought a lens to do a specific job for me or at least I thought it might do that job for me. Occasionally it is only really useful for one shoot (bad purchase since I'm a hobbyist photographer). Other times I've found a lens very useful for something other than what is was purchased for initially. A case there in point is my "film" 100mm Macro lens, I found it doubles well as a long "portrait" lens. Much better say than my 135mm short telephoto. That one is not good for portraits for either film, FF, or APS-C cameras, it is too long for my tastes. Also recently I bought a rather old lens that I believe in either only single coated or uncoated so I might try it on my Converted IR camera. My thinking was since the coating absorb some IR and UV, a less coated lens might give better exposure to those extremes. I'm not sure it helped much for UV since none of my cameras have the proper filtering for that other than a bit of "leakage". But for IR it may help as the IR images I get with the old Takumar 35mm lens differe from the similar ones taken with Super-Multicoated 35mm Takumar lens. Not really sure which is better as setting a custom WB for IR is guess work and variable at best. But the images do differ. So that lens is likely for one use, no point using it for "normal" shooting.

I've been doing photography seriously and at one time as a job since 1978 and have used many formats at school, at work and for pleasure, 35mm SLR, 6x6cm, 6x7cm, 4x5", 8x10", Digital P&S, and DSLR. And I pretty much know what any lens can theoretically do for me. Also I've ended up with used lenses because I had to buy them to get another lens or camera or other equipment I really wanted. Also since I shoot both Digitally and sometimes 35mm Film I need or use different focal lengths for APS-C vs Film. And someday I hope to buy a FF camera. Also I have both as film cameras Pentax bayonet and screw mount cameras. So I have at least three overlapping sets of lenses. And I really just like camera lenses so I'm easily tempted by a good price on a vintage lens. I'm am sure you will get some interesting answers to this posted question.