Most Underrated Lens (crop or FF)

16-35 markII

On crop: 18-55 IS. Bad flare characteristics, but a sharp one to start with.

On FF: The 35/2 if I had to choose. But wow this poll needs better choices.

Too bad it won't let me edit it, I was trying to choose lenses compatible with both crop and FF. Is the 35mm f/2 really that great?

50mm f/1.4 with either flavor sensor...

Best photon/dollar ratio available IMO. Using one early and often makes photographers and not "pitcher takers."

How is the extremely popular and expensive ($1400) 16-35mm lens underrated???

Canon 100/2, never gets enough love. Compact Macro is phenomenal.

nyy wrote in post #11178459
How is the extremely popular and expensive ($1400) 16-35mm lens underrated???

Spoken like someone new to the forum .

100mm f/2 was left off the list (as mentioned by others).

Sigma 50mm 2.8 macro

luigis wrote in post #11177422
Crop:
Canon 18-55IS

Underrated? Everyone says how good that lens is and nearly everyone has one! It's a nice $100 lens, but it has mediocre everything. It's only claim to fame is that it is the first kit lens that was actually usable. But it is slow, weak colors, weak contrast, weak AF, weak build. Moderately sharp and capable of decent results with some processing, but really a boring lens.

I would say Sigma 70mm macro. Considering it is one of the sharpest lenses ever tested at SLRgear and photozone, and a nice focal length on both crop and FF, and yet nobody uses it.

tkbslc wrote in post #11178765
Underrated? Everyone says how good that lens is and nearly everyone has one! It's a nice $100 lens, but it has mediocre everything. It's only claim to fame is that it is the first kit lens that was actually usable. But it is slow, weak colors, weak contrast, weak AF, weak build. Moderately sharp and capable of decent results with some processing, but really a boring lens.

I would say Sigma 70mm macro. Considering it is one of the sharpest lenses ever tested at SLRgear and photozone, and a nice focal length on both crop and FF, and yet nobody uses it.

Could it be because many have the 85mm 1.8 ? And because they need more working distance for macro ?

tkbslc wrote in post #11178765
Underrated? Everyone says how good that lens is and nearly everyone has one!

Everyone has one, but almost everyone seems to be in a hurry to upgrade, blaming the picture quality on the lens and not themselves. It doesn't happen very often on these forums, but over here in Singapore it happened (and continues to happen) so often that a lot of us would stand up for that lens in a heartbeat.

One of the reasons I lurk/post on POTN more often is because you guys make much more sense than the forums back home. Sad really. But off-topic

CountryBoy wrote in post #11178820
Could it be because many have the 85mm 1.8 ? And because they need more working distance for macro ?

I'm sure there are reasons for every "underrated" lens being that way, but still, the 70mm macro is insanely good. With how many people have Canon 60s and Tamron 90s, you'd think the similarly priced 70 would be mentioned in the same breath, but it never is.

ctham wrote in post #11178906
Everyone has one, but almost everyone seems to be in a hurry to upgrade, blaming the picture quality on the lens and not themselves.

I don't think many complain about the picture quality, it is just like I said before - a boring lens. It has a short range and slow apertures. So really it doesn't unlock many of an SLRs advantages over a compact.

I'm putting my vote in for the 15mm Fisheye. Why? Because it's a fun lens, that's why! Sure it's situational, but what's photography without a few creative tools.