Weekly Poll: Lens types (or focal lengths)

[Nicole]

This week I thought I'd see which kind of lenses you find yourself using most frequently. A lot of people have multiple lenses and other people who use the zooms on their Point & Shoots can answer too since those lenses go through a range of focal lengths.

For this poll, we'll group lenses into 3 categories: Wide-Angles, Normal, Telephoto. From wikipedia:

• Wide Angles: Anything from 7mm to about 35mm. This includes super-wide angles and fisheye lenses.
• Normal: This is usually around 35mm-55mm (going a little extra on this one to include the far end of many kit lenses which end at 55). Depending on the size of your sensor, the "normal field of view" may be a smaller or larger focal length.
• Telephoto: This is about 55 and longer (well, it has to be given the numbers, otherwise some lenses may end up in a black hole of non-inclusion). This includes everything from short telephotos to the really long super zooms (1200mm lens anyone? ).

Macro lenses haven't been included in the poll as a specific answer because even if you do use a macro lens frequently, you don't have to use it at the closest focal distance. Do tell us though if most of your shots are taken as macros (and of course, which length lens you're using for it).

For Windows users it's incredibly easy to find out what focal length most of your shots come from with ExposurePlot (Freeware). I've yet to find a Mac or Linux version, so if you know of something similar, feel free to post it.

One great thing about this is that the same scene can come out totally different ways based on the lens that you're using. It's totally a creative decision. There's no reason why you can't take a portrait using a super wide angle lens or a landscape using a telephoto.

So, which set of focal lengths do you find yourself using most often?

[porterd2nz]

My lens mix allows me to cover the range from 18-300mm, but the quality of the glass is only good, not great. I usually like to leave the 75-300mm on the camera even though I am usually taking photos of landscapes and buildings.

I tend to take landscapes as multi-image panaramas as I like the extra print size options that this gives me.

I don't take a lot of shots at the wider end of the range.

[WooD]

Its a toss up for me, but here lately I've been shooting long. My widest lens is a 24mm. I'm thinking my next purchase will be the Tokina Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124AF Pro DX Autofocus Lens.

I've heard nothing but great stuff about this lens. People I've talked to said its every bit as sharp as the same lens by Nikon, and its around half the price.

[Karen514]

I have my 50mm/1.4 lens on my camera 90% of the time. It's by far the best lens I own, and I prefer not to use flash so the wide aperture lets me take photos indoors.

[dognutmom]

Since I got my 50mm 1.8, it's been on my camera most of the time for general shots.

I also have a 300mm that I love, but only use it for birds and, right now, rugby; it's not a walk around lens.

The lens that came with my camera, a 28-135mm is fine, but not nearly as fast as my 50mm. I might use it more now that the weather is getting nicer and I don't have to stay inside ... it will give me more width and also some reach depending on what I am taking pictures of.

[Ewie]

I have zoom lenses that cover everything from 11mm to 300mm (400mm with the 2x TC) plus 20mm, 50mm and 85mm fixed lenses and I use them all.

For "walk around" I use either my 18-200 super zoom, or my latest new toy, a CZ16-80, depending on the circumstances.

[GEli]

I'm currently on a wide angle kick. Most everything I've done in the past few weeks has been between 18-24mm. I actually did what I believe to be my best portraits yet at 18mm with the lense an inch or two away from the subject's faces. Now if only I could find $600 laying on the street so I can go buy the Sigma 10-20mm...

[f_bat]

I usually use a 70-300mm, 'cause I mostly take sport photos even at far distances. I've got also an 35-70 that I use for landscapes.

To see the focal length used for a photo on linux you could use f-spot, opening the metadata browser (default CTRL+I).

[prrs4me]

I use my 17-55 a lot so it doesn't really fall in to any of the catagories above.

[Nicole]

Yeah, but do you use one end of it a lot more than the other? Like more shots are taken towards the 55 end or the 18 end? That's why that tool for windows which actually graphs focal lengths is pretty cool