Most Popular DSLR Lenses
A couple of weeks ago I asked readers what their favorite DSLR lenses are.
The responses were quite overwhelming with 170 comments left and just under 60 lenses mentioned.
Today I waded through all of the comments left and identified the most popular DSLR lenses mentioned. I’ve arranged them in three categories - Canon (89 votes cast), Nikon (68 votes mentioned) and Other (13 votes). These are the categories because Canon and Nikon lenses were mentioned by most comment leavers where as there was a much smaller representation of all other brands.
Lenses are arranged in order of popularity.
Canon DSLR Lenses
1. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
2. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens (equal 2nd)
3. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens (equal 2nd)
4. Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Medium Telephoto Lens (equal 2nd)
5. Canon EF 85mm f1.2L Lens
6. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens
7. Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L Lens
8. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
9. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
10. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
Nikon DSLR Lenses
1. Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens
2. Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
3. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
4. Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
5. Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
6. Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
7. Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
8. Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens
9. Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens
10. Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens
Other DSLR Lenses
note - Tamron and Sigma lenses come with a variety of mounts, ie most will come in Canon, Nikon and Pentax (etc) versions
1. Tamron Autofocus 28-75mm f2.8 XR Di LD Lens
2. Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Lens
3. Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens
4. Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens
5. Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC IF Macro Lens
6. Tamron AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens
Note: The most popular three DSLR lenses mentioned were the Nikon 50mm f/1.8, the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 and the Canon 24-105mm f/4.
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July 5th, 2007 at 1:00 am
I agree.
As a matter of fact I own:
Canon 18-55 EFS II
Canon 50mm F1.8
Sigma 70-300 APO DG MACRO
What to buy next? :)
July 5th, 2007 at 1:25 am
Why is the 18-200 VR 2nd and 6th?
July 5th, 2007 at 1:35 am
I am interested in knowing peoples opinion on the Nikon 50mm f1.8 vs the Nikon 50mm f1.4
This article indicates that the f1.8 is more popular…is that becuase it is a better lens or because more people have that lens due to its less expensive price tag. I have been looking at buying one or the other, and I am not sure which to get. Any one help me on this?
Thanks,
PMatt
July 5th, 2007 at 2:08 am
Interesting that the 70-200mm f4 was more popular than the f2.8 .
July 5th, 2007 at 2:48 am
Great poll and nice to see the results..
July 5th, 2007 at 3:06 am
The Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens is my next lens for my Nikon.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Wow, I own the top 2 Nikon lenses.
I also want No. 3 on the list. The one that’s missing is the 17-55mm DX, which is also on my wish list.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:30 am
The nikon 50mm 1.8 is my only lens…it is very popular here in Brazil. In my opinion the 85mm 1.8 is more popular than the f1.4 version.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Yeah, there are two 18-200 VR’s.
July 5th, 2007 at 4:51 am
Hmm, I thought the Canon 18-135 IS might feature in the list, especially given its now been around for a few years.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:31 am
oops, doing to things at once. I meant the Canon 28-135 IS (not 18)
July 5th, 2007 at 5:50 am
Why isn’t there an equivalent of the Nikon 18-200 for the Canon Platform? Talk about one lens to rule my case…as in the perfect walkabout. I too have the Canon 28-135. It is a nice lens for the price. However, it isn’t quite as wide as I would like, given the crop factor of my EOS DR XT.
July 5th, 2007 at 9:52 am
steven -oops, copied and pasted that wrongly. I’ve fixed it. #6 should have been the 18-70mm.
July 5th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Most popular? Hm, the Canon 24-105mm f/4 is a fairly expensive lens (over $1k) ….. I find it hard to believe that it’d be on the list of most popular lenses.
July 5th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
I am a huge fan of the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens, what a great lens. Thanks for the list.
July 5th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Sinergy, Have you ever tried the 24-105 f4 or the 24-70 2.8
they are first and second for one reason! the quality of the lenses… they are incredible
and for the 70-200 f4 .. its more like in the list cause it’s less expensive for the non professional photographer! and lighter to carry!
i got the 70-200 f2.8 the 24-70 f2.8 and won’t ever exchage for the f.4 lenses!!!
July 6th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Sinergy,
*Most* of the people who buy sub-$1000 cameras don’t ever buy additional lenses. Those who do, get a basic telephoto like the 24-100mm f/4.
For professional and serious hobbyist photographers, though, lenses are an investment. With camera bodies costing $1500-7000 for their camera, a $1500 lens is not an unreasonable sum, and the lens will last a lot longer than the camera.
My 70-200mm f/2.8L USM IS, a $1600 lens when I bought it, is my workhorse outside the studio, and it is on its third camera body now.
To all: everyone with a Canon DSLR should own the 50mm f/1.8. Runs about $70 IIRC, and it’s an incredibly sharp low-light lens for the price.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:51 am
The question was: “What is Your Favorite DSLR Lens?”. And then the author turnes this into “Most Popular DSLR Lenses”. It’s not really the same.
The most popular Canon lens is (I don’t doubt it) the Rebel kitlens.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Very interesting, for an amateur going into the DSLR world, going with the flow is probably right given the budget range (24-105 IS was too expensive for me). I have Canon 17-40 f/4 and cannot be happier.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Man, I need to get a DSLR :) Having lens envy!
July 6th, 2007 at 1:25 am
PMATT:
Go for the sigma 30mm f/1.4. It’s by far a nicer lens than the 1.8 and it provides you with a little more versatile angle for indoor work.
July 6th, 2007 at 1:31 am
It would be nice to know lens popularity based on sale numbers.
Some time ago I created the web page that lists all nikon and canon lenses (no 3rd party though) by categories.
http://yessnoo.com/Topic.php?topicid=19&order=4
It is amazing how many lenses nikon and canon are producing. Unfortunately my budget allows a very limited set :)
July 6th, 2007 at 2:05 am
I actually think the Sigma 24-135 is most popular with the Pentax crowd. And to be a little honest I am surprised Pentax Lenses weren’t mentioned. It kind of feels like things were done half-assed as Pentax defiantly gives at least Canon competition.
July 6th, 2007 at 3:27 am
>
The difference in order is definitely price related. I use the Nikon 50mm 1.8 because it’s a very good lens for very cheap.
From what I’ve read, the 1.4 doesn’t just get you more light but focuses a bit faster and some people say is sharper. If that’s worth an extra $300+ to you, go for it but I love my 1.8.
If you’re shooting DSLR and are thinking about spending $400 for a good standard prime, think about the Sigma 30mm 1.4. With Nikon’s 1.5 focal length multiplier, it’ll have the same effective focal length as a 50mm (45mm actually) on a standard SLR.
July 6th, 2007 at 4:29 am
What about the Tamron AF17-50mm F/2.8 for the Canon platform? The lens has won the 2006/2007 EISA best consumer lens award and is wildly popular on the DPReview forums. I just purchased one for my 350D, it is an amazing lens!
July 6th, 2007 at 5:02 am
My goal is to purchase a Canon 70-200L f/2.8 but I do have the 24-105 and the 50 f1.8, great lenses and no complaints.
July 6th, 2007 at 5:30 am
I see that the f/4L 70-200mm is more popular than the f/2.8L IS. Someone commented on this. I’m saving up for the f/2.8L myself, and I can tell you that the f/4 is more popular because the f/2.8L is EXPENSIVE! The f/4 comes it at around $984 (B&H prices), vs. $1600 for the f/2.8L IS. I’ve used both and the f/2.8L IS is great because you can use tele extenders and *still* keep autofocus active.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:21 am
This is not representative.
July 6th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Canon 24 1.4L for teh win. Actually, the big whites don’t even make your list, nothing tops a 200 1.8 or 300 2.8
July 6th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I have been researching in the internet as to what lens I should purchased for my Nikon D80 which already got the 18-135mm lens included. Purchasing the right lens can be confusing. The list shared above has help me go for Nikkor lenses - 50mm 1.8 and maybe if I can afford it the 18-200mm VR lens.
July 6th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Please help me i need your opinion i’m a beginner in photography i have canon 400d and i want to buy a lens which i can use in wedding or event, can you give me a suggestion which lens should i buy, thank you in advance…please send it to my email jaegdani@yahoo.com
July 6th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Hello guys,
I am a student, and because I am, you can imagine I don’t have much money ! Though I already own a 20D with a 50mm 1.8 lens (three years of money saving…:-)).
My problem being that I want to cover a pretty large range of focal lengths, and right now I am stuck at 50mm.
I would like to start with a wide-angle lens (I am going to Ireland in August, in the wild…), any lens you could advise me ? (Cheap being the key word here :-) )
Thank you !
July 6th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
aww everyone forgot a couple of key canon lenses there. the 17-85mm IS (good replacement lens for the stock lens) and the 135mm f2 L (super bad arse L lens for portraits and the like).
and Krimo — look into sigma lenses for wide angle if you want an inexpensive (and good) wide angle. they have a 10-20 and I remember a 12-20 something but its older and you have to use a slim filter on a ring that kinda slides off and on…i don’t like it but if you don’t use a lot of filters then it’s fine. also had a slot in the back on the inside of the lens for a gel filter but putting something there would of course not be circular. though again you could get a slim circular polarizer lol but one of those might be close to the cost of the lens at this point. but yea, check out sigma. their lenses feel good (at least all of the ex series)
July 7th, 2007 at 12:15 am
@jefry: wedding photography is NOT for beginners. You won’t do the bride or groom any favors by showing up with no wedding experience, a single consumer-grade DSLR, and one lens.
Weddings *require* a backup camera, fast lenses, adequate flash, and most importantly, experience shooting weddings. You *will* ruin their wedding photos with anything less.
I know from experience, a family member ruined mine because I was too damned cheap to hire someone. This was way before I started doing photography myself, but it certainly made me hold off on weddings until I was sure I had the experience and equipment to pull it off.
If you want experience, get a 50mm f/1.8 and ask around your area for wedding photographers who might be willing to have you assist.
@krimo: The Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 is a versatile, inexpensive lens that is reasonably sharp and fast. 28mm isn’t very wide after the 1.6x crop factor, but the lens is a great “walk-around” lens that will work in a variety of situations. My trips to Paris recently, it was on about 70% of the time (landscapes and shooting some models). My next step is to move to the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM to get more sharpness and a slightly wider angle, but the Tamron has been a great lens for the money.
July 7th, 2007 at 12:45 am
@jefry: Richard is right on the money. Add some large memory cards even if you don’t shoot RAW and at least a couple of batteries to the list. Get a flash with a good recycle time and a diffuser helps a great deal. I recently purchased the Tamron AF17-50mm F/2.8 just so I could shoot a wedding and was extremely happy with the results. The pictures were sharp through-out and lens was versatile enough for a variety of shots. Good luck to you!
July 7th, 2007 at 5:41 am
to prefer the make is different since top-notchers will make good lenses(canon, nikon & OTHERs), but my choice remains 24mm, 28-105, 70-200 & 300mm, which i feel completes the need of general purpose photography, be it a pro or amateur.
July 7th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Wow, I own 4 most popular Canon lenses out of 10 (Ef 50/1.8, Ef 50/1.4, Ef-s 10-20 and Ef 17-40L/4). I own even a good copy of Ef 28-135 IS which I think very useful in many cases. I wish I could afford the 24-105L or the new 70-200L/4 IS (I own the older non IS version though, which I am very satisfied with). You want always more and better.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Thank you all for yor responses.
I will look at the prices right now and see if I can purchase any of these two by the end of the summer.
July 10th, 2007 at 2:24 am
I’d like to mention the SONY 18-200mm Autofocus Lens. I use it on an A-100. Outstanding coverage, acceptable specs.
July 10th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I went with the Nikon platform because of everything I read about the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S VR lense.
So, anticipating getting either a used D80 or D70, I bought both it and the #1 lens on the list, the 50mm f/1.8D AF.
In the end, I chose to buy a new D40.
Woops - the 50mm prime is an AF lens, not AF-S. It has no built-in autofocus - so it does not autofocus on the D40, which relies on the in-lens autofocus of AF-S lenses.
Not a big deal - as it will be easy to sell, should I stick with the D40. I am just sad that I can’t use it.
Just something to be mindful about.
July 11th, 2007 at 4:08 am
No mention of the Nikon’s 70-300 VR? I own this lens and it’s fantastic. It’s sharp, produces great color, and the VR is amazing. I highly recommend it.
I’ve tagged my photos by what lens I used, you can check out my 70-300VR shots here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93249840@N00/tags/70300vr/
July 22nd, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Dear Sir,
I am having Nokon d40.
I want zoom lens.
Which one is best suited to my camera ?
Pls Help
Thanks
Aravindna R
September 19th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
For my HDR work at http://www.hdrjapan.com I use the Canon 24L 1.4 mostly. It’s a sweet lens.
October 25th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I hope it would have been better if it has been categorized per budget. or at least sorted by price. As it’s not easy to get them unless you have lots of money.
November 17th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
hey i’ve been looking around this site and i’ve noticed that you say 50mm and f/4 lenses are good for all around general purpose use, but can you tell me a a few SPECIFIC models for CANON dslr cameras? preferable not TOO expensive.
thank you!
(or anyone can give me a suggestion, thanksss)