[RioRico]

A lens is more like a pair of shoes isn't it?

Quibble, quibble.

I asked the question from an artistic point of view (like if you could only use one brush, which would you use?) and not a practical point of view.

I'll be a grumpy old writer and say that the question is mis-formed. Your INTENT was probably something like, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE LENS? That's a perfectly good question and would elicit the same answers. But as asked, the question is divorced from reality. There's a built-in assumption, that an SLR is fully functional and is worth using with just one lens. T'ain't so IMHO.

IF I COULD ONLY HAVE ONE LENS... I wouldn't get much photography done. I would sell my photo gear. I would take life-drawing classes. I would lie in bed and read comix. I would drop PentaxForums and fruitlessly argue politics on other forums. I would set out a UFO beacon so I could be abducted to a planet where more lenses are allowed. Something like that.

THREADJACK!!

Let's try this: IF YOU COULD ONLY HAVE ONE LENS... would you continue with photography?

[jac]

Yes. With my FA 77, 43 or 31. O.K. 43Ltd. it is. Close enough to years of Spotmatics with just 50mm 1.7. And I had fun with that combo.

[jimr-pdx]

Just one I have now? Argh.. no fair.. can I keep two?
Just one prime? Perhaps the 21Ltd, or the 35 macro.
Just one, period? An old Sigma 18-200 and a plastic wrap for it, until the 'high-magnification zoom' (WR please!) comes out. My 18-200 outgunned my DA18-135 for overall IQ, wish I could have kept it but the bills said sell..

[bossa]

Do zoom lenses qualify as ONE LENS? I think not as they're kind of a cheat in that they become many lenses depending on the view. Saying that my 50-135 is my fav' lens is meaningless really because I still might mainly use it at several focal lengths.

[abacus07]

If I could only have one lens then it would have to be a zoom since I need the focal length coverage. But I rarely ever use zooms so I won't include them in this.

I've also been doing the single challenge and it's fun because it requires you do consider different compositions with a focal length that you wouldn't have considered. Even considering that I almost never leave the house with just one lens.

For me the ideal lens would be the FA43 that I plan on getting sometime. I really like my DA40 for hiking but there are some things that I need my A50f1.7 for. The FA43 seems to be the perfect combination of the two. I would at a minimum still need to carry my DA15 (my single in February lens) though.

[amorificus]

Wow some people take things way too seriously lol. Sorry I didn't mention it in the OP, but this is a hypothetical question. So it has nothing to do with the real world.

Btw you can only have ONE lens at a time on your dslr. Also, there are thousands of point and shoots that all have only one lens and people still take pictures with them all the time. I

myself started with just one lens and a canon dlsr and it was all worth it to me... I didn't give up taking pictures just cause I had one cheap kit lens

[PPPPPP42]

I think if you still wanted all the focal lengths, some of the variable aperture super wide zoom range stuff tamron puts out (18-200 i think or 250 if you have a nikon) though to get that wide a range to work without making the lens freaking monster huge they had to go with the variable aperture which goes from not terrible fast, to painfully slow on the zoom end.

But as was stated we ran around with 50mm's for years without issue, we just though differently about composition. That and had the benefit of a freaking FULL 35MM FRAME SIZE (anyone at Pentax listening?) the 50mm is WAY to narrow to be the only lens on a dslr but it would be just fine for a one lens full frame.

I think we need to be specific about whether or not this one lens is going on a 35mm film (or full frame dslr) or an apsc size, that makes big difference in what you can get away with.

Thats what changed my mind in my first post, for 35mm film my 35-105 F3.5 is perfect for everything, but on a DSLR I find I very often need wider so my opinion switched to the 24-50 F4 it wasn't just a whats my favorite, but rather what can I make work to get most of the shots I like to take. I obviously won't be doing any real good nature shots but its great for landscapes and people and whatever. Tad slow in this day and age with the F4 though, I'd probably get something similar but faster if I REALLY had to only use one lens.

[Col]

Well it would have to be for what I enjoy most, insect & plant macro. So it's the A*200mm f4 Macro. It is successful shots with this on the K-5 which gives me the warmest feeling.

I suppose I could go for the FA*600mm f4... which I could then sell and buy all the rest. Or is that a cheat?

[GibbyTheMole]

If it's any one lens in existence: Pentax 18-250. Good compromise between quality & range.
If it's one of the lenses I currently own: Tamron 28-300. Certainly not the sharpest lens I own, (though it's surprisingly decent) but tons of range.

[Kennod]

Obviously there is no single lens that suits all circumstances. So I am incapable of choosing a single lens for photographic purposes. What I can tell you is that I will never ever part with my FA 85/1.4 ... even if I no longer had a camera to attach it to!

[crewl1]

If zoom is an option it would be my Tamron 28-75 2.8.

If prime only then I would choose my FA35 F2.

[Col]

Obviously there is no single lens that suits all circumstances. So I am incapable of choosing a single lens for photographic purposes. What I can tell you is that I will never ever part with my FA 85/1.4 ... even if I no longer had a camera to attach it to!

Please let me know where you intend to be interred.

[drei3]

DA 40 Limited, haven't tried the FA 31 though.

[abacus07]

Wow some people take things way too seriously lol. Sorry I didn't mention it in the OP, but this is a hypothetical question. So it has nothing to do with the real world.

Btw you can only have ONE lens at a time on your dslr. Also, there are thousands of point and shoots that all have only one lens and people still take pictures with them all the time. I

myself started with just one lens and a canon dlsr and it was all worth it to me... I didn't give up taking pictures just cause I had one cheap kit lens

You asked this question on a high level enthusiast forum. What did you expect?

[eddie1960]

for convenience sake i would pick my 24-70 2.8 sigma. covers the bases nicely though not wide enough sometimes.
for a month i can pick a single prime quite easily and have done it in the past on the challenges,

If i had to pick a single prime from my gear it would be the M 28 3.5