photography questions answered

Aug 11, 2010

I often get notes from readers about cameras and lenses. Most of the questions are because they are looking to buy — or because they want to know what lens I used when taking a specific photo. I thought I would take a couple of minutes to share my favorites.

Cameras and Lenses — I love my Canon cameras, BUT…I love them because of the awesome prime lenses. Nikon cameras might be better right now, but I couldn’t stand to part with my gorgeous Canon lenses:

  • The lens I use most often is the 50: 1.2. The detail is incredible. Yes, it’s pricey, and for the casual photographer, it probably won’t get much consideration.
  • A fabulous wide angle lens, the 35 1.4 is again pricey, but you still have time to talk to Santa. It’s awesome for landscapes, large family photos and more.
  • If you’re looking for a macro lens, the 100 2.8L is perfect for small details, and even long shots. This is on my camera about 30% of the time.

One more thing…
I read a post on a photography blog (sorry, I can’t remember which one), about what to buy if you’re looking for a good point and shoot camera. The Panasonic DMC-LX3 was the camera listed as “best”, has a price tag of under $400 bucks, and it’s rocking a Leica 24mm lens. (Whether you’re a hobbyist or a pro, you should know Leica.) I’m thinking about grabbing one of these myself so I still have a good camera that will take awesome (even wide angle) photos without lugging around a 5 lb camera and lens all the time.

And of course, no post is complete without a photo — and Libby & Gracie wanted to pop in and say “hi” since they’ve not made an appearance here in a very long time.