[toni-a]

I have tried to go back to photography and invested in a lot of gear, however I was not satisfied, almost no keepers, however things changed when I bought Canon 15-85, that's not my best lens, however since I got it, I find myself producing more and more keepers, most of the keepers (more than 90%) are made with this lens !!!

I am asked for prints almost on daily basis, did I drink a magic potion or is the lens ?

I don't know, what I know, is that I started enjoying photography again, and I have my camera on me almost all the time 😊

[wim]

Hi toni-a,

 

If you'd ask me, it is an indication that you need to buy more of the better class(es) of lenses .

 

Actually, I have always found that when I get a lens of which I like the way it renders, I shoot more (and get similar questions).

 

The difference between 15-85 and other standard zoom lenses is that it actually has 3 aspherical elements, which I think are placed in such a way that they actually improve areas in bands going away from the center, so that the entire field of view is more or less similarly sharp, over the entire area. That is what appears to happen anyway when you look at photographs taken with it in more detail.

 

If that is something you connect with, apart from the 24-135 FF equivalent reach and relatively compact size, it may well trigger, indeed a revival of interest, and enjoyment .

 

Kind regards, Wim

[Rainer]

Hi Toni,

 

I had a similar effect when using the 17-85 (rather than a collection

of Uwa + Std + Tele). I believe (at least for me) most of the effect was

that I stopped worrying about which is the "right" lens to use (because

I found the 17-85 to be universal enough so that I didn't bother to take

the other lenses with me quite often) and concentrated on how I could

bring what I saw onto a picture. Thereby I had more time on "thinking"

and used less time on "lens-ponderung".

 

Just my 2 cts ... Rainer

[toni-a]

Hi Toni,

 

I had a similar effect when using the 17-85 (rather than a collection

of Uwa + Std + Tele). I believe (at least for me) most of the effect was

that I stopped worrying about which is the "right" lens to use (because

I found the 17-85 to be universal enough so that I didn't bother to take

the other lenses with me quite often) and concentrated on how I could

bring what I saw onto a picture. Thereby I had more time on "thinking"

and used less time on "lens-ponderung".

 

Just my 2 cts ... Rainer

 

Thanks Rainier that explains everything, I am now carrying my gear with me, most of the time, however  I have no explanation why 24-105 plus 5D wasn't the same 

[toni-a]

Hi toni-a,

 

If you'd ask me, it is an indication that you need to buy more of the better class(es) of lenses .

 

Actually, I have always found that when I get a lens of which I like the way it renders, I shoot more (and get similar questions).

 

The difference between 15-85 and other standard zoom lenses is that it actually has 3 aspherical elements, which I think are placed in such a way that they actually improve areas in bands going away from the center, so that the entire field of view is more or less similarly sharp, over the entire area. That is what appears to happen anyway when you look at photographs taken with it in more detail.

 

If that is something you connect with, apart from the 24-135 FF equivalent reach and relatively compact size, it may well trigger, indeed a revival of interest, and enjoyment .

 

Kind regards, Wim

Well I was already well equipped and was considering returning this lens, IMHO it doesn't outperform the already excellent 17-55f2.8 IS and all logic was: send this lens back enough hoarding lenses...

with 10-18, 17-55, 18-55, 24-105, 70-300, plus 8, 28, 50 and 100 mm primes  getting this lens seemed as pointless move..

[wim]

Thanks Rainier that explains everything, I am now carrying my gear with me, most of the time, however  I have no explanation why 24-105 plus 5D wasn't the same 

 

I used to own the 24-105L too, and was never pleased with it indoors. Outdoors it was ok, but even there no more than that .

 

Kind regards, Wim

[wim]

Well I was already well equipped and was considering returning this lens, IMHO it doesn't outperform the already excellent 17-55f2.8 IS and all logic was: send this lens back enough hoarding lenses...

with 10-18, 17-55, 18-55, 24-105, 70-300, plus 8, 28, 50 and 100 mm primes  getting this lens seemed as pointless move..

 



 

Well equipped and what you really like are two different things. At one stage I owned 23 Canon EF/EF-S and 3rd party lenses.

That was when I still shot APS-C. Moving to 40D and 5D and only keeping what I really liked to shoot with, in my case mostly specific primes, plus going full frame fully only a year or so later, made that I actually shoot more with my dslr - when I get a chance. Since then I have only acquired or replaced lenses I really liek and shoot with, with only one exception, but that is too cheap and small to worry about.

 

Over the last 4 years I have shot a lot less due to change of work and company, but I am picking things up again, although mostly thanks to my new system set (MFT), where I am still setting up a range of lenses I really like - camera bodies are just fine as they are now. The FF system I use now really only for specific photo shoots, it is just too big and heavy for the travelling for work I do on a weekly basis. 10 or so lenses and two bodies for MFT weigh well less than 1 FF body and 4 or 5 FF lenses . I did replace my G10, the camera I always had with me, with an MFT camera (Pen F), which I now always have with me.

 

BTW, the best lenses acording to reviews may not always be best for you, depending on shooting distances, what you generally shoot with it, the way it renders for you, whether you like it with your camera setup from an unrealized ergonomic reason, etc. For me an example is the 50L - reviews generally are not too great about it. However, I had mine properly calibrated, no focus shift issues, and I just love the rendering. In addition, despite the large aperture, it is great at macro as well, something you wouldn't expect. I tend to get close in general, so all in all for me it is an enabling lens. And that is true for all Canon glass I currently own - I just love shooting with it. Similarly, it is clear that there is some MFT glass I really just love (and some I do not like at all, but I got rid of that already ).

 

Kind regards, Wim