If you’re shopping for a new lens of some sort, you’ve come to just the right place. As per the results of my recent reader polls, here is a list of the best lenses you can get your hands on without breaking the bank too much.

Canon

Canon 50mm F1.8/F1.4- When I first moved to Canon, I started out with the 50mm F1.8. Though it has some slight quirks to it (autofocus is a bit hard to do at time and can be slow) it is still a wonderful general purpose lens and an excellent lens for when videos need to be shot at something like a concert. Stopped down to F4, it is wonderfully sharp.

If you can afford it, the F1.4 is much better and is one of Canon’s best buys.

Canon 100mm Macro 2.8- Known as one of Canon’s sharpest lenses, users will appreciate the versatility available with using a lens like this. One can go from shooting portraits, to macro products, to the fine details at a wedding, and to even sports shooting when put in a cropped sensor body like a 7D or a 50D (available at a rebate at the time of writing this article.) One really can’t go wrong with a lens like this.

Canon 85mm F1.8- This is my second favorite lens in my camera bag. The 85mm F1.8 allows for super sharp portraits, headshots, and even candid moments when shooting events or a wedding. What’s great is that you have a telephoto reach without having a really large lens that tends to attract attention: therefore making the photographer more discrete and also allowing them not to disturb their subjects.

Canon 35mm F2.0- The 35mm F2.0 is a great lens for events or photojournalism type shooting. This lens is great for capturing environmental portraits, and also for giving a real feel for what the vibe is like at an event. Combined with a flash, it can be great on the dance floor of a party and delivers sharp results with wonderful color.

Nikon

Nikon 50mm F1.8/F1.4- Nikon’s 50mm F1.8 is sharper than Canon’s. In fact, it’s quite a bit sharper and comes with a slightly higher price as well. Nikon’s F1.4 is used widely at concerts and weddings in addition to photographers who capture portraits with cameras like a D300s. Many wedding photographers actually do this and deliver some fantastic and lovely results. I’ve seen some prints from photographers in Brooklyn shooting by the Brooklyn Bridge, and combined with their SB-900 flashes, it does some great work on quite the budget.

Nikon AF-S 35mm F1.8- I’ve tried this lens on the Nikon D3x before. For the price, Nikon photographers get a lens that will stick with them in their bags forever. A lens like this is sharp, focuses surprisingly fast, and can be used for photo shoots, shooting couples, portraits, weddings, etc.

Nikkor 28mm F2.8D- Nikon’s wide angle primes are becoming legendary, and the 28mm F2.8 is quite worth its weight in dollars. A lens like this is great for getting up close and personal with your subjects, like children, dogs, etc. Otherwise, it is great for shooting landscapes and some street photography.

Nikkor 85mm F1.8D- Although it’s not the absolutely gorgeous F1.4, the 85mm F1.8 is a lens that is seen on many Nikon photographers’ cameras. This lens is the essential lens for portrait photographers and those looking to do in studio work. Stopped down to around F2.8 it becomes super sharp. The feel and construction of this lens will also not disappoint.

Panasonic and Olympus Four Thirds/Micro Four Thirds

Panasonic 20mm F1.7- As perhaps the most favorite lens amongst Micro Four Thirds photographers, this lens delivers wonderful results in all types of lighting and also does this in a small pancake type body. Zach Honig over at Tech, Travel Tuna and PCMagazine uses this on his GF-1, which he really loves. Some of the results I’ve seen deliver things I never thought possible on Micro Four Thirds.

Olympus M. Zukio 17mm F2.8- An alternative to the 20mm for those that want a wider field of view, the 17mm is still a great lens for the Micro Four Thirds system due to sharp image quality and wide aperture.

Olympus 25mm F2.8-The Olympus pancake lens for Four Thirds is one of the most beloved lenses in the system. Vincent Pastore uses one (he wrote for this blog previously.) Additionally, most Olympus photographers carry it around when shooting for fun.

Sigma 24mm F1.8- This is a lens that anyone seriously committed to the Four Thirds standard needs to get if they are also on a budget. Though it isn’t the Panasonic 25mm F1.4 that one would sell their soul for, the Sigma will still deliver very pleasing results to users.

Olympus 50mm F2 Macro- A 100mm on Four Thirds, this lens is great for events, macro work, products and portraits. The sharpness offered by this lens is really something to consider when you need a compact telephoto.

What other lenses do you recommend?

Chris Gampat is a regular columnist on Blind Photographers. He’s been a photojournalist, events photographers, paparazzi,etc You can find out more about Chris on blog or by following him on twitter.

Share on Facebook

As a Blind Photographer, I’ve found that shooting with a Leica M9 rangefinder allows me to shoot without my glasses. Why is this amazing? Because I’m almost legally blind. The only other cameras that can really allow for these abilities are the Micro Four Thirds cameras, but because of this it is essential that readers understand how a rangefinder focuses and works.

Here’s the jist of it: many of the readers of this blog shoot DSLRs. Think about the center focusing dot in your viewfinder being replaced with a rectangle. Now imagine pointing the lens at someone’s face so that the rectangle is over their nose. What you will immediately see is that the subject’s nose may not be seen through the viewfinder.

This is where focusing comes in. In order to focus the camera on their nose, one must focus the lens. When focusing, you’ll see different parts of reality move in and out of the rectangle. Line the nose up with what you’ll see in reality and you’ve got a perfectly focused lens.

Does this sound confusing? It is in a way, but that’s what actually is so great about it. Of any camera I’ve used or reviewed, the Leica M9 is the one that has the best manual focusing—hands down.

Perhaps this is why Leica toutes “precision” amongst their marketing. For a visually impaired photographer to be able to shoot without glasses on and focus correctly, accurately, and precisely is a big feet that a company should be proud of.

So does this mean it’s the perfect camera? Well, no. Long telephoto lenses don’t usually work well on rangefinders so sports and wildlife shooting can be very tough to do. Add onto this the fact that they can be very costly too. Further, there is no weather sealing for when one wants to go shooting in the rain (a favorite hobby of mine) and high ISO abilities aren’t at the levels of Canon or Nikon’s high end DSLR cameras.

To be fair though, the sheer simplicity of a rangefinder like this can be very appealing to many users. Additionally, they are built like tanks and are used in war zones and by many Magnum photographers.

If you’re going to make an investment into a rangefinder, decide carefully. It is a different type of camera meant for a different type and style of shooting.

The field review is almost finished! Stay tuned!

Author’s note: This is from my blog, ThePhoblographer.com. Go check it out and support the blog please by clicking the links and purchasing the items.

Chris Gampat is a regular columnist on Blind Photographers. He’s been a photojournalist, events photographers, paparazzi,etc You can find out more about Chris on blog or by following him on twitter.

Share on Facebook

Note: This article is for photographers that have difficulty with achieving perfect focus while looking through a viewfinder and that adjusting the diopter doesn’t necessarily work. These camera, when focusing, zoom into your subject so that you achieve perfect and sharp focusing.

For more tip and camera gear news, you can check out ThePhoblographer.com, where I blog on a normal basis.

Olympus EP-2

If many of you have the EP-1, there is most likely a chance that you’ve already fallen in love with the camera. The reason why this one is being recommended is that it comes with an optional electronic viewfinder that allows you to focus better and shoot the way you would with a DSLR. For those of you that also love to take videos, you’ll be very confident in the fact that the audio delivered by this camera is some of the best in the industry. Additionally, the image quality is less noisy than that of it’s brother/competitor in the Micro Four Thirds category, the GF-1. If you prefer on-board image stabilization, you may prefer this model over the Panasonic.

Panasonic GF-1

Similar to the Olympus EP-2, this camera also has an optional electronic viewfinder. This and the EP-2 are very similar. The Panasonic takes better video and the electronic viewfinder for this isn’t as high resolution as the Olympus’s. Further, if you’ve already got a stock of Olympus lenses they won’t be able to auto-focus with the adapter on this camera.

Panasonic GH1

I still consider this camera to be the flagship of the Micro Four Thirds format. The reason why is because it takes stellar images and the video quality is phenomenal. Further, you can attach an external microphone to it and it has multiple video frame rates. To be fair though, the EP-2 also allows for an external microphone to be attached. If you want that DSLR feel, go for this.

Leica M9/X1

I tried both the M9 and the X1 at Photo Plus, and loved them both despite the high cost. The reason why these are here are because of the way that a rangefinder focuses. It’s much different than a DSLR and in some ways it’s actually easier. I can shoot with one without using my glasses. If you’re a film users, try to get your hands on an old Leica CL or a Canonet of some sort. You won’t want to put them down and in truth, I’d buy one if I could use it profitably as a photographer. However, film and the cost of a Leica don’t exactly allow me to do this. Nonetheless, shooting with a rangefinder is something that should be experienced by all photographers.

Canon S90

If you want something really compact and that still delivers nice photos, go for the Canon S90. While it’s not the highly-raved about Canon G11, it has the same sized sensor in a more compact form. The wheel dial around the lens will provide a wonderful feel as your hands begin to explore this camera.

What do you use?

Chris Gampat is a regular columnist on Blind Photographers. He’s been a photojournalist, events photographers, paparazzi,etc You can find out more about Chris on blog or by following him on twitter.

Share on Facebook

The review of the Leica M9 and 35mm F2.5 Summarit are now complete. Overall, this camera is recommended and is really quite good. Leica’s years of working with the M series have really boiled down to what is essentially a near-perfect rangefinder. More after the jump.

Complete Testing Index

At the NYC Photo Festival Press Preview- The Leica M9 did very well here. Most of the lighting was ideal but some of it was a nightmare. Additionally, it was around my neck while traveling from building to building on a hazy evening. It withstood the haze very well on top of focused like a pro.

Day 1- This day was spent mostly trying to get a feel for the camera vs the DSLRs and higher end point-and-shoots that I tend to review.

Day 2- Did some shooting around the house. The colors in good lighting were noted to be wonderful with good versatility for editing.

Day 3- Shot around my neighborhood and at one of my assistant’s apartment’s.

Day 4- Mother’s Day. Wasn’t able to keep up with focusing on her opening her gift followed by achieving my intended composition.

Day 5- Shot random stuff around New York City. Colors were once again stellar and the level of detail obtained from the lens was wonderful.

Day 6- Talks about how focusing a rangefinder works well for a visually impaired photographer like myself.

Day 7- Shot a birthday party/event alongside the Canon 5D Mk II. Overall, I believe the latter delivered better results.

Focusing

Focusing a rangefinder like the Leica M9 must be accomplished manually. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because of the fact that focusing the rangefinder allows the user to get exactly what they want in focus and the user won’t have to rely on the camera’s autofocusing to do so. As is the case of some cameras, autofocusing can be a nightmare and many photographers would just become too frustrated with it. In the end, they’d end up focusing manually anyway.

This is great for portrait takers as well as street photographers. Another great thing is the fact that it forces the user to focus and then compose their image carefully so as not to take a boring photo.

However, this can also be a curse. The problem is that in low-light, it becomes harder to focus due to the lack of sufficient light entering the finder. In a case like this, it would be best to look at your lens and shoot using the hyperfocal length style.

If your focus ever becomes misaligned, Leica will recalibrate it for you if you’d like.

Image Quality

As is expected from Leica cameras and lenses, the image quality in most scenarios is wonderful and very usable for professional purposes. The good thing is that the camera is essentially, “futureproof” because it shoots in DNG (Adobe’s own RAW format.) Though the RAW files are not as versatile as those from Canon or Nikon, I’ve found them to be on par with those from Panasonic and Olympus. However, the way that the Leica renders image noise is more organic looking and so they can be made into much better looking black and white photos without the need for adding more image noise in Photoshop.

Metering

Here’s where my main problem lied with the camera. The metering of this camera is a bit weird. Images that one expect to not be very dark will appear darker than usual. For example, I’m used to shooting with my Canon 5D Mk II along the streets of Manhattan with no trouble at all in terms of metering. That is: every shot I take I know will come out exactly the way I wanted it to. Not so with the Leica. The metering seems a bit off. Part of this problem though can be attributed to the LCD screen as it doesn’t deliver results that are true to what one sees when the photos are exported onto the computer for post-processing.

To counter this problem, one needs to spends lots of time shooting with it to learn to predict what it will do. Also, learn to read what the meter will tell you, but ignore it as well. Trusting your gut and years of photography experience will be much better.

This leads me to another big problem: One of the major flaws is that the meter doesn’t show users what shutter-speed and aperture they are currently at either. This can throw off photographers greatly as they may expect to be shooting at 1/15th of a second but instead may be shooting at 2 seconds.

High ISO

The Leica M9 goes up to ISO 2500. It doesn’t really need to go any higher as all Leica lenses are very fast and are very sharp when shot wide open. The results from high ISO images, as stated above, are best converted to black and white unless you have some serious editing skills.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the Leica M9 are wonderful and it is perhaps the best camera I’ve ever held. At no time, was it uncomfortable, too heavy, or was I not able to manipulate a setting quickly. And that’s the great thing: Leica puts so much emphasis on just accessing the essential settings to taking a great picture. Many photographers will appreciate that.

In contrast, I wish that the textured feeling of the camera allowed for better gripping an that the finder that allows light to enter into the camera for metering/focusing wouldn’t be where it is currently positioned—right in front of the shutter-speed dial.

Build Quality

If the camera annoyed me and I threw it down the stairs in frustration, I’m positive that it would still survive. Ditto for the lens. Leica cameras are hand-made and designed to withstand the test of time. Their major flaw though is a lack of weather-sealing.

As a constructive criticism, Leica’s next rangefinder should include weather sealing for when a photographer needs to go shooting in rain.

Conclusions

Overall, the Leica M9 is an excellent camera and the 35mm F2.5 Summarit is beautiful. Would I buy them though? No. They’re simply too expensive for me. If I had a collection of Leica lenses and perhaps still had the Leica CL I was trained on, then perhaps I would be thinking about it more considerably. The Leica M9 can do a large variety of work though.

Sports Photographers- Don’t get it. Not worth it at all.

Portrait Photographers- Your money is best spent elsewhere, but this can take some damn good portraits. You’re better off going for an 85mm lens though.

Wedding Photographers- Your brides will love the photos you take with this combo.

Concert Photographers- Many concerts were shot with Leica M bodies for years. Go for it if you can afford it.

Photojournalists- It can’t keep up with the majority of what we are told to cover each day. That and the battery life really cannot keep up with your pace of work.

Event Photographers- Get a flash with it and go for the faster lenses.

Street Photographers- This is for you.

Artists- Sure, why not?

This all said, I still stick to my previous statement. You can take my 5D Mk II from me when you can pry it from my cold dead hands.

Chris Gampat is a regular columnist on Blind Photographers. He’s been a photojournalist, events photographers, paparazzi,etc You can find out more about Chris on blog or by following him on twitter.

Share on Facebook