Your Realistic 3-5 Lens Collection

Since I'll probably be sticking with a crop sensor, I am leaning towards the following :

EF-S 10-22
EF 24-105L or EF-S 15-85
EF 70-200L f4

50mm 1.8 (or maybe something wider)
85mm 1.8

If I had to start again or if I could only carry 3 lenses to a job..

50L
135L
24-70 II

If I stuck with primes on crop:

28 f/1.8
60 macro
135L

Two of which I don't have yet...

if i had enough money to buy any 5 lenses:
14 Fisheye
17-40 f/4
24-105 f/4 IS
70-200 f/2.8 IS II
400 f/2.8 IS II

5 essential budget lenses.

Tamron 17-50 2.8 (380$)
Rokinon 35 1.4 (400$)
Canon 85 1.8 (380$)
Tokina 11-16 2.8 (600$)
Canon 70-200L F4 (600$) or Canon 70-200L IS F4 (1000$)

3 lens choice:
17-40
50L
70-200 f4 IS

5 lens choice, the above, plus:
24-70 Mk II
100L macro

3 lenses:

35L, 85L, 70-200 2.8L IS II

5 lenses:

35L, 50L, 85L, 70-200 2.8L IS II, 300 2.8L IS

For a total of three, I'd swap my zeiss for a 50L and pick up a 16-35 and be set with those and my 70-200. Actually what I'm planning on doing down the line. =p

If I could do five, I'd also wait for the 14-24 (instead of 16-35), grab a CZ 35 f/2,0. and lastly a 180L Macro since I've been jonsing for it, even though it's low on my priority list.

Crop:

10-22
24-105
70-200
35L
85L

FF:
16-35
24-70
70-200
50L
135L

Canon 8-15mm f/4L
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
Canon 35mm f/1.4L
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

Then I'd be pining for the 85L II, 135L, 300 f/4L IS, 1.4x & 2x TC MkIII's

vaflower wrote in post #14972764
5 essential budget lenses.

Tamron 17-50 2.8 (380$)
Rokinon 35 1.4 (400$)
Canon 85 1.8 (380$)
Tokina 11-16 2.8 (600$)
Canon 70-200L F4 (600$) or Canon 70-200L IS F4 (1000$)

Great budget list, but for a budget list, I'd replace the 70-200 with a Tamron 70-300. Even though it's a completely different lens, the price difference would be enough.
I'm also not quite certain about the 35 1.4 on a crop body. Does it do well with a split prism screen, or do you live view focus it?

I tried the wide manual lenses but couldn't get over stop down metering and the fact that they don't have 1/3rd aperture stops.

Depends on how you define realistic, but buying used, you can do this for $12k:

Canon 24mm f/1.4
Sigma 85mm f/1.4
Canon 200mm f/2
Canon 400mm f/2.8

Solid all-around performers, overall providing all the IQ benefits of primes and good low light capability across a broad range and spread of effective focal lengths if you shoot FF and crop:

24mm @ f1.4
38mm @ f1.4
85mm @ f1.4
136mm @ f1.4
200mm @ f2
320mm @ f2
400mm @ f2.8
640mm @ f2.8

Add a couple TCs and it only gets better. 1792mm @ f8 anyone?

What I have now
24-70L II
70-200L f4

Planning on
100L IS Macro or 85L
35L
16-35L II

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
EF 800mm f/5.6L I
EF 8-15mm f/4L
EF x2 TC

I'll be damned.

My current setup on full frame- 24-70 II, 70-200 II, 85 L II, 100 L Macro. I keep the 24-105 for studio work and backup.