I find when I'm actually taking my DSLR out an about, I usually am bringing a bag to store the DSLR in when I'm not using it. I don't head out the door with my DSLR around my neck and one lens on the camera. It's far more convenient to bring a backpack or a sling pack, which means I almost always bring 2 lenses with me even if I'm packing light. If I am going out and can't pack two lenses, there's no way I'm able to bring my DSLR in the first place.

So, I'm looking at the purpose of my 16-85mm VR. I like the idea behind it: about a 24mm to 127.5mm perspective if my camera were full-frame. The VR is excellent. I can't live without a 16mm (24mm full frame) perspective. Yet, practically all of my keeper shots are with my 35mm 1.8G prime, 85mm 1.8G prime, or 70-300 VR; those three lenses are far more decisive in their purpose.

What I'm wondering is this: I usually carry 2-3 lenses with me. If I got rid of the 16-85mm VR, the ideal lens would be a 17-50mm f2.8, but I don't want a DX lens. I'm really curious what constitutes your favorite walk-around lens choices?

My top two are:

50mm and 24mm but ill go iPhone 5 all the way down when it comes to fast snapshot

I've been wanting to purchase the canon 24-70mm for this exact purpose. It's expensive though. I'd say that's a pretty good all-round lens!

This post was edited by Chantal7 on Dec 3 2013 05:23pm

I carry a 35mm or 50mm and always my 90mm, always take my billingham, always carry nd, polariser and nd grad filters, and if carry a point and shoot as a backup camera

bump

I somehow manage to cram my 35mm, 18-55, and 55-300mm all into one rather small camera bag.
If I had my choice Id carry the 35m, 55-300 and a wide angle lens. I just dont have the wide angle option yet....

I usually have my AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR mounted most of the time on my D600. In the bag I normally carry 2 or 3 of my other lenses depending on what I am doing: AF-S NIKKOR50mm f/1.4G, AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
Back up body, D7000.

What do you think of the 50mm 1.4 over the 50 1.8? And how do you like the 70-300 VR on full-frame (I have it on crop and love it but wonder how it would be on an FF given the poor 300mm-end performance).

I am thinking ideally I want to make the shift to full-frame and use a 24-70mm f2.8 lens with vibration control (so until a better 24-70 comes out from Nikon, Tamron, or Sigma, I'll hold out). I don't like the 17-55 since the bokeh is distinctly worse. Eventually I want my walk-around to be a 24-70 that is between the size of the Nikon 24-70 f2.8 and the Tamron 24-70 f2.8, and then I'd also carry a fast 50mm on full-frame.



Seems pretty good to me



Full frame?



Seems practical

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Dec 7 2013 07:52pm

So tempted to just dump my D5200 and 16-85mm VR and get a D610 and just use my 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm primes alongside my 70-300. When I originally researched cameras, everyone said a walk-around zoom was needed... quickly learned fast lenses are way nicer & zooms can suck my nuts if they aren't fast. I like my 16-85, and if I could somehow fuse my 35mm 1.8G just to get that 35mm f1.8 in, it would truly be a walk-around lens.

I'm holding out for a sale on the D610, or a possible answer to Sony's mirrorless FF release @ $2k price point for next year. Not that I can particularly afford a $2000 camera though (and resale on a 16-85 sucks, same with a D5200 since they refreshed so damn fast)... I'm also holding out for a 24-70 f2.8 refresh, which could also be a while (but I somehow suspect that area of the market is stale & with more affordable FF's coming out, 24-70's are in the works). The Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC is nearly perfect, if it weren't for the onion bokeh and a couple other issues.

Time to work extra? Oh yeah... during the summer for sure. :-/

That all said, I'm pretty happy about what I've got Going to pick up a 50mm 1.8G come Christmas, an SB700 flash, and I'll have fun with D5200 + 35mm + 50mm + 85mm + 70-300mm... even the 16-85mm will be nice (especially for some of the landscape work I want to do when it starts snowing around the beach).

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Dec 8 2013 07:46am

Yea I shot FF.

Sonys new Ff mirror less is great but so far rubbish lenses!

Just take out a loan like me and buy a leica !!