Building dimly light on a dark night.

My favourite lenses

Following up from my Ten years behind the lens post, I wanted to highlight some stand-outs — which aren’t necessarily reflected in the numbers. Lenses come and go (and some of these have gone), but I can still vividly recall so many memorable shots, and the lenses I used to capture them. Here are some favourites with sample photos:

Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm ƒ/1.4

A child wrapped in a grey towel shades their eyes at the water's edge, under a purple and pink dusk sky Two children sit together on a wooden porch step. The older child, in glasses, has an arm around the younger one An older man in a boxing glove punches a heavy bag in a gym, with framed photos on the wall behind him A young girl in pigtails and a paint-smeared apron holds out her hands, covered in purple paint
A woman and a smiling boy cuddle in bed. The boy gives a thumbs-up to the camera A young girl in a striped shirt rests her head on her arms on a table and looks at the camera A child in a knitted yellow animal hat and mirrored sunglasses that reflect a street

Maybe my favourite lens of all time? Definitely one of my most consistently used. So tiny! Not the most “perfect” but I just love how it renders. When filtered by more than 1,000 photos taken, this lens has my highest keeper rate at 37.6% (although 2017 data are skewing this). This is the m-mount multi-coated version. I will never, ever get rid of this lens.

7artisans 28mm ƒ/1.4 (FE plus version)

Black and white portrait of a girl with long hair resting her head on the back of a chair, in dappled light A child in a heart-print jacket looks through binoculars on a pebble beach while a younger child wades into the lake A smiling woman in a black tank top, with a green cape on her shoulders, sits at a kitchen table
A boy in glasses and a puffy green jacket stands in a dark doorway, his face lit by a strip of warm light A small dark dog sits in deep snow and looks out at a pink and purple sunset sky A boy climbs a pole beside a brick wall while a young girl sits on the curb and pulls on red knee socks Black and white photo of two boys fishing from the end of a wooden dock on a lake

I’m a sucker for a wide, fast lens. Which are usually expensive — but this 7artisans m-mount lens (optimized for the thicker sensor stack on Sony cameras) is reasonably-priced and well-reviewed. Some of my favourite shots of my kids were taken with this one. Still have it but it’s a bit big and heavy on my X-Pro 3 and the 40-ish mm equivalent on APS-C is not typically what I reach for these days.

Sony FE 55mm ƒ/1.8 ZA

A boy in red swim trunks leaps over a lake with a football in one hand and a surprised expression A face painter paints a rainbow butterfly on a boy's face. The boy wears a red basketball jersey
Black and white portrait of an older couple by a lake. The man wears glasses and a Halifax cap Black and white portrait of a smiling woman holding a young girl, their heads together Black and white portrait of a woman with wet hair, wrapped in a towel and smiling in a wooden chair

An oldie but a goodie. The Sonnar formula produces some absolute magic. Bitingly sharp with dreamy bokeh. A bit of chromatic aberration but this lens has captured some of my favourite moments. I sold this along with my Sony A7II a few years ago when I switched to Fujifilm.

Sigma 30mm ƒ/1.4 DC DN Contemporary

A red squirrel sits on a thin branch, framed by green leaves A smiling boy in blue glasses and a green shirt
A girl in a white toque and a snow-covered coat sticks out her tongue to catch falling snowflakes Two smiling boys with arms around each other. One wears a Spider-Man costume and mask A smiling teenage girl with freckles looks off to the side, leaning against a wooden chair

I owned this lens briefly early on for my Sony a6000. It produced some lovely, sharp and punchy images and it also introduced me to a slightly wider “normal” lens with its 45mm equivalent focal length.

Viltrox AF 23mm ƒ/1.4

Two black cats lie on a wooden floor in a patch of sunlight Black and white portrait of a girl in a wide-brimmed hat and a striped shirt, seated in a hallway
An older man and woman laugh together at a kitchen counter A snowy backyard with a wooden slide at sunset, with bare trees and houses behind A smiling child with a top knot and glasses, in a grey puffy jacket

I only had this lens for a short time too. I sold it when I considered ditching my X-Pro 3…but I kinda regret it. A great budget alternative to Fujifilm’s more expensive fast 23mm.

Fujifilm 23mm ƒ/2 on the X100T

A wooden dock leads into a calm lake under a pink sunset sky and a crescent moon An older man in a cap and patterned shirt sits outside, while a woman behind him makes a surprised face Looking up at a glass tower that reflects the CN Tower against a blue sky
An old brick school building on a quiet street at sunset, framed by trees A person walks across a flooded, icy park among bare trees under a dramatic sunset sky A crowd in silhouette faces a stage lit with bright blue lights at a concert A black cat sits in a patch of sunlight on a wooden kitchen floor, casting a long shadow
A brick laundromat wall with a red and yellow Self Service Laundromat sign, under a blue sky Two children stand in the surf on a red sand beach while a woman takes a photo, seen past weathered wooden posts Children in orange and pink jerseys chase a soccer ball toward a net on a grassy field

The X100T was my introduction to the Fujifilm system. And its 23mm ƒ/2 lens sort of broke my brain. At the time, compared to my full frame Sony, it was frequently blowing me away with its colours and rendering. In use regularly. I should add, the WCLX100 wide conversion lens (and the WCLX70 which also works just fine on the X100), are great lenses in their own right and make a fine addition to the kit.

Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 50mm ƒ/1.4

Black and white close-up of a child with a fringe, pouting at the camera Black and white portrait of a woman with sunglasses on her head, resting her chin on her hand Black and white close-up portrait of a young girl looking at the camera
An older man with a grey beard and glasses wrapped in a chunky knit blanket outside at dusk A glowing Coffee sign in a cafe window, blurred with warm golden reflections Musicians with a double bass and a sousaphone play in a cafe, silhouetted against bright windows A boy in glasses holds a fishing rod by a lake in evening light

Another magical lens for me. Compact but solid, it was used primarily on my Sony A7II and sporadically on my Pentax K1000 for film. I gifted this one to my nephew.

Konica Hexanon 40mm ƒ/1.8

A smiling older man with a white beard and a red cap holds a glass of white wine on a couch A smiling boy in glasses stands beside a brown alpaca that leans over a red gate
A woman hugs a smiling boy in glasses and a headband from behind Two children in sunglasses pose on a sidewalk, one with an arm around the other A child in a hat, yellow mirrored sunglasses, suit and tie, with a drawn-on moustache
Black and white photo of a young girl in a dress holding a lollipop, looking to the side Black and white portrait of a woman resting her cheek on her hand

Arguably the worst performing of my favourites (terrible chromatic aberration) but quite sharp and really lovely vintage rendering when processed in black and white. Bokeh recognizable by its namesake hexagonal shape. I still have it but don’t use it much these days.