Your Realistic 3-5 Lens Collection

Well I keep a few lenses in my bag, not a TON of money, and they do an incredible job for me. I have not once needed anything else.

Canon 10-22 (should be an L!)
Tamron 28-75 2.8 (I stand by this decision... maybe I have a perfect example, but it's just a fantastic lens)
Canon 50mm 1.4
Canon 100-400L

4 lenses. $3100 or so and I'm done. The 85mm 1.8 doesn't do me any good when I have the 50mm, and is too long for a 1.6x crop for portraits. The 100-400 is tack sharp at f7.1+ I know my lenses sweet spots and they work perfectly for my motorsports photography AND weddings.

Adam

They have a discontinued 17-35 2.8

There's a 16-35 2.8, but the 17-14, is f/4.

I see quite a few people have a good walk around lense like the 24-70 or the 28-75 and also have the 50mm1.4
Why both?

ThanksEveryone for there comments.

Dan

Prime generally better optical quality than zoom for portraits. Also its a good length to have when in low light situations. And for me, for basketball, because that and the 85 are killer for baseline work. But yes, it is overlap to a certain degree, except if you want to shoot anything bigger than 2.8.

Low light shooting, primarily.

grego wrote:
They have a discontinued 17-35 2.8

There's a 16-35 2.8, but the 17-14, is f/4.

That 17-14 ought to fetch a pretty good price.

Well I guess I have to get another one! I have seen some excellent shots from the 50mm 1.4
Will have to wait till next year thow!
Dan

Tom W wrote:
That 17-14 ought to fetch a pretty good price.

Oh great, how embarassing. I guess no one can type it out right.

17-38,39,40(aha! got it).

Realistically speaking...

1. 16-35mm f2.8L
2. 24-70mm f2.8L
3. 70-200mm f2.8L IS
4. 50mm f1.4
5 85mm f1.8

...I should be able to afford them someday

Hmm...

35 1.4L
85 1.8
200 2.8L
600 f/4L IS (I shoot small birds more than anything lately)

I like fast primes.

I'm not the least bit unhappy with the current trio:
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

I would like to add the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM to the collection.

There is a slim possibility that I may want a fast short tele prime in the future, but that isn't on the wish list yet.

My 5 I'd have would have to be:

24-70L (god I love that thing!)
400 2.8L IS (with TC)
70-200 2.8L IS
14 2.8L
MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro photo

I would be absolutely set then. That'd be everything I'd need. However, I just MIGHT be torn between the 14 and the 16-35. Dunno.

Some of these I have, some I don't.

16-35L
24-70L
50 f/1.4
135L
1.4x TC

To make my collection:

Got: 70-200mm f/2.8
Need 85 1.2 or 1.8
Want:
17-40mm 2.8L
85mm 1.2L
135mm f/2L
200mm 1.8L
300mm 2.8L
___________

How many would rather have the 135L over the 70-200f/2.8
You can't have both.