This week’s challenge: If you could only have lens, which one would you choose? Share a photo taken with your choice of lens, and then tell us why it is The One Lens for you!

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Here's this week's challenge: Show us an image or three from your favorite lens, and tell us why it's your chosen one. This challenge runs through November 21st.

Have fun, and take more photos!

[Matthew]

So my lens choice for this challenge is an entirely practical one. I'm taking the DA*300. You can use it to spot rescue ships coming near the desert island, it is heavy and solid for cracking coconuts and clam shells (a real labour saving device) and it even takes a nice photo or two, allowing a nice working distance for those tricky customers!


Eastern Brown Snake, on Flickr

[Hattifnatt]

I would probably take the DFA* 50mm because I think it's the most versatile focal length, lens is great and also weather resistant.







... but I will try to cheat and sneak my DA 15mm Limited in my pocket, it's so small that nobody will notice.

[cooks333]

With my K1-II it's got to be my D-FA* 50mm like @Hattifnatt and for a lot of the same reasons. The versatility is fantastic, the bokeh is awesome and when you nail focus the reward is a level of sharpness better than any other lens I've had. I've used it for landscapes, quasi-macro, night shots, city shots and even an occasional people picture (very rare for me, but a top use case for others I understand). Best of all, I feel like I'm still tapping into it's potential, which will be nice when I have lots of extra time to practice on the deserted island.

Sonoran Desert


Redwood Forest Floor


My niece as a baby


Honorable mention to the DA* 70mm Limited, which I sold when I switched from K3 to K1 years ago but still have daydreams about when I'm out shooting (swoon!).

[NatureHike]

For me, it would be a toss-up between the DA*300 and the 100mm WR Macro. Since someone already picked the 300, I'll go with the WR macro. I really can't say enough good things about this lens. It is so consistently great for taking photos of bugs and flowers, and really whatever else. I have even done some impromptu birding with it.

One from today, on the K-1ii


And probably my favorite photo from this year


And a few backyard birds. This might actually be two photos of the same bird, I'm not sure - we had a lot of them late this summer.

[Yaki]

My favorite lens is HD FA 77ltd.
It has unique color rendering and blurring out of focus and the right angle for portrait. The pictures taken with it look different from everything else in a way I cant explain. I love it.
here are some examples:
in the club

the godmother:

And one of the best pictures I ever made (probably some of you have already seen it)
Friendship:

[Rondec]

I suppose it depends on which camera I have with me. If I have my K-3 III I'll choose the DA *16-50mm PLM. If the K-1 II, I'll choose the DFA 24-70mm. The reason has to do with practicality. Simply put, both of these lenses cover a wide range of standard focal lengths and therefore will be useable for a variety of scenarios.

The DFA 24-70mm isn't the sharpest lens out there, but it is my most used lens simply because of the focal lengths it covers.





(By the way, if I can mention that I would rather be stranded on a dessert island than a desert island. Just the addition of a single 's' seems to make the idea significantly more palatable.)

[cooks333]

(By the way, if I can mention that I would rather be stranded on a dessert island than a desert island. Just the addition of a single 's' seems to make the idea significantly more palatable.)

Seconded! I think my phone's autocorrect agrees as well.

[MossyRocks]

No people and likely a very dark sky, then this is an easy choice. My A* 400/2.8 EF [IF]:

[cjfeola]

... but I will try to cheat and sneak my DA 15mm Limited in my pocket, it's so small that nobody will notice.

Well, my DA 15mm Limited is rarely in my pocket...because it's usually on my K3III Monochrome! 77mm Limited is usually in my pocket...
Cjf

[UncleVanya]

DA 35/2.8 Ltd on crop…

I spent years working with only a 50mm f2 on film.

[Kerrowdown]

Me and my Special Lady” (SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.2)… would get the extended Island vacation for sure.

[ramseybuckeye]

Since I do occasionally get out to an uninhabited island, I have actually done this exercise. I have used the DA*300 and the DA55-300PLM lens both, but for this exercise I’ll choose the PLM for zoom versatility. Along the sea you get extra reflection from water and sand, so light is not an issue, which could slow the PLM down in a jungle.