[Egg Salad]

Also have 2 sets of lenses.
A prime set of 3 lenses and
modern zoom set consisting of 2 lenses.

My initial plan was to go with manual primes and state of the art zoom.

The concept failed when I got the F 1.7/50. Now I also have the Sigma 1.8/28.
Only manual lenses remaining are SMC 1.4/50 and SMC 2.5/135.

So now I have 6 lenses in total (M 3.5/28 is as good as sold) with 2 of them being "vintage".

I like old lenses but soon there will only be the 2.5/135 left because I'll try to replace both F 1.7/50 and SMC 1.4/50 with Sigma's 1.4/50 HSM.

Modern lens set are Pentax 16-50 and Sigma 70-200.

[RioRico]

I also have several kits. My Ameribag contains: DA10-17, DA18-250, FA50 (new); M28/2.8 (to be replaced with a Viv 24/2 when repaired), Isco 35/2.8, PK'd Nikkor 85/2 (old); and a digital and a 135 P&S. And sometimes an Ikonta 6x6. Of those lenses, one will be on the K20D.

My behind-the-drivers-seat bag contains: FA100-300 (new); and old stuff including ZX-M (likely wearing Super-Lentar 21/3.8 or Tak-A 28-80); Zenitar 16/2.8, Super-Tak 35/3.5, Helios-44 58/2, Viv 90/2.8 macro, Tak 135/2.5, Tele-Tak 200/5.6, Sakar 500/8 mirror; an Industar-50/3.5 and Haminex 135/3.5 with extension tubes; flashes, filters, film. And a Brownie loaded with 135 for sprocket-hole panos.

My take-it-to-the-limit bag contains more Golden Oldies: Chinon-Argus CR-3E likely wearing the Viv Series 1 Version 1 70-210; Sigma-Z 24/2.8; Meyer Oreston 50/1.8; Super-Tak 55/1.8; Super-Tak 200/4; various Ennas, Meyers, Jupiters in the 85-240 range; more film etc. And a 6x9 from 1930. And a Minolta P&S modded for IR.

Misc clutter (besides tripods) may include the Lil'Bigma 175-500 (new) and the Rubinar 1000/10 mirror (old).

Overall, old overwhems new, numerically. Whew. Those are just the working lenses. I try to rotate them all into use. Current totals, not counting those I want to Sell Down The River, and specialty glass (suitable for bellows only), and TCs and add-ons, are: 60 old, 5 new.

[jct us101]

I'm not really a fan of the older lenses, I never was. I at one point had a Sigma DL 40-80mm manual focus lens and a Pentax A 50mm f/2, but I never really used them. I'm just a sucker for AF so having to constantly use MF just never worked for me. It's a shame too, because if I could get into the habit of doing that I might actually improve my photography at least a little bit.

[yeatzee]

75-100% for me

[RioRico]

I'm not really a fan of the older lenses, I never was. I at one point had a Sigma DL 40-80mm manual focus lens and a Pentax A 50mm f/2, but I never really used them. I'm just a sucker for AF so having to constantly use MF just never worked for me. It's a shame too, because if I could get into the habit of doing that I might actually improve my photography at least a little bit.

Why, when I was a kid, we focused with our FEET! And we LIKED it!

That should actually be, We ZOOMED with our feet. Primes make you do that.

As I've mentioned before, I really learned photography with an ancient folder, a German 1934 Kodak Retina I, the first 135 camera. Manual everything: estimate distance by pacing it off; use a lightmeter or the Sunny-16 rule or just learn to judge light; set shutter, aperture, focus; learn to judge angles, DOF, composition, or pay for a lot of wasted film. Good thing the camera was free; I didn't have money for a Spotty or other classic student camera. The simplest adjustable cams teach the most, but demand concentration and work. Bother...

"Bother", said Pooh, as Cthulhu rose from the depths.

[Blue]

The 'new' glass I use is Da 21mm ltd, DA 35mm ltd, FA 50mm f1.4, FA 77mm ltd, Sigma 105mm macro, DA* 300mm f4.

Old glass consists of the Tamron 180mm f2.5, A 400mm f5.6, A 50mm f1.2, Tamron 90mm f2.5 52BB, 500m f.5 Tak, 55mm Auto-Tak "zebra", 50mm Macro-Tak, 105mm Auto-Tak.

This doesn't take into account my "working camera collection" lenses.

[johnmflores]

I've got 3 classic Ms - 28/3.5, 50/1.7, and 150/3.5. The only one that ever gets any use these days is the fast 50.

I splurged last year on new glass when i came over from Nikon. The DA limiteds for play and 2 DA* zooms for work...

[Marc Sabatella]

Unless I have a specific reason to pack differently, my bag normally contains DA15, M28/2.8, DA40, DA70, and M135/3.5 So that's 40% old glass. These two probably combine for about 40% of my shots, too.

The lenses I'm most likely to use instead would be M100/2.8 or DA50-200, so if I widen the net a little more to include the lenses most likely to get added, that number continues to hold.

[Recercare]

I remember having 6 autofocus lenses when buying my first manual focus lens. Today I have 5 manual lenses and 2 autofocus lenses

My standard kit is K 28mm F3.5, K 35mm F3.5, M 85mm F2 and K 135mm F2.5.
I use these lenses 95% of the time.

I also have the DA 40 and 70 but they're getting little use and will most likely end up on Ebay to fund a M 28mm F2 or K 35mm F2.

Kind regards
.lars

[hangu]

The only auto focus lens I own is the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my camera and it's been gathering dust since day 1.

My first lens was an auto focus kit lens on my Canon XSI. Looking through my best photos, I've noticed that my best photos were all shot with my Canon 18-55mm kit lens, even though I was a complete beginner back then and my current MF lenses are vastly superior in quality.

I think MF lenses have slowed me down enough that I've missed a lot of shots that could have been captured had I had the focusing speed of an AF lens. Is it worth it? I guess. It's more important that I become a better photographer than to have a bigger collection of great photos.

There are people out there who can manual focus faster and more precisely than most auto focus lenses. I think that's what photography is about, not just point and shoot.

[Ira]

The case is just so much more stylish

Looks Russian made, and doubles as a parakeet coffin!

COOOOLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

[Ira]

Why, when I was a kid, we focused with our FEET! And we LIKED it!

Just like we all loved B&W television too, huh? When we were the only family on the block without color? And Wonderful World of Disney (later called Wonderful World of Color) was coming on at 7:30 on Sunday night, right after the original U.S. TV Lassie came on with Jon Provost and June Lockhart?

Man, it really sucks being 53.

[Mike Cash]

Takumars were good enough for Jesus and they're good enough for me.

Praise the Lord

[rhodopsin]

Active lenses are all MF at least 30-40 years old; seldom use modern AF lens.

[Andi Lo]

M40/2.8 gets the most action; it stays on the ME super 80% of the time, the other 20% is shared by all the M42s. Followed by 50m tak on the K10d because it's just a godly combination