Over the years I have used many cameras and lenses. Somewhere along the line I thought it’d be fun to go through each one and pick a favorite photo taken with it. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite!
Kodak EasyShare C330 Zoom
The Kodak EasyShare was my first digital camera. It cost about $100 and it had very little in the way of manual controls. The lens was not terribly versatile, but I guess that’s what you’d expect. I’ve always loved this photo that I took of the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, VA.
Canon PowerShot a590is
The a590is was a minor upgrade from the Kodak EasyShare. The lens wasn’t much more versatile, but the camera at least had some manual controls. I took this photo of the statue of SUNY Oswego founder Edward Austin Sheldon in front of his namesake Sheldon Hall.
Canon PowerShot SX10IS
The lens on the SX10IS had a 20x zoom, which I thought at the time made it pretty versatile. As it turns out, good image quality is worth more than an impressive zoom, and I soon traded it in for a DSLR. When I took this photo of the Arc de Triomphe, all I had for a tripod was a flimsy GorillaPod, so I couldn’t even get the camera to stay straight, but the tilt ended up working out.
Minolta Rokkor MD 50mm f/1.4
This was one of the lenses I used on my film SLR. It came with it when I bought it on eBay my senior year of high school. It was a great lens, but I’m not too good at manual focus and I had my heart set on digital, so eventually I sold it to help fund my DSLR purchase. I took this photo of Casey when he was a baby and converted it to monochrome and put a texture over it.
Sigma EX DG 30mm f/1.4 HSM
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 was the perfect portrait lens for my Canon crop sensor cameras. Eventually I had to sell it when I upgraded to full frame. I’ll never forget the day I found this cat wandering the cemetery next to the Old First Church in Bennington, VT. He got right on top of Robert Frost’s grave.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
The Canon 50mm f/1.4 is my favorite normal portrait lens. It does such a beautiful job of providing background separation on full frame cameras. I took this photo of the Main Street Philharmonic playing at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
This was a strange lens with its push-pull zoom. I rented it once for a trip to Yellowstone, but I subsequently opted for the longer Tamron 150-600mm. I fondly remember watching this grizzly bear cub frolic in the Yellowstone River. The 100-400 allowed me to keep a safe distance while I photographed it.
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
The Canon 17-40 was my beloved full frame landscape lens until I traded it in for the wider and faster 16-35 f/2.8, which I still use today. I took this photo from a tram on a moonlit tour of the Yosemite Valley floor. The tram stopped briefly, so I set up my tripod right on the tram, pointed my camera upward, and captured this shot. The red glow on the trees comes from the brake lights.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
The Canon 17-55 f/2.8 was a versatile lens for my Canon crop sensor cameras, but I had to sell it when I went to full frame. I took this photo in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris on a rainy evening waiting for a taxi. My favorite part of the photo is the man with the umbrella in the corner.
Zenitar MC 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye
The Zenitar fisheye is certainly not the most amazing fisheye lens, but it is very small and light and relatively inexpensive if you don’t mind manual aperture and manual focus. I was in the perfect spot to take this photo just before the plummet on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
My friend let me borrow her massive 300mm f/2.8 lens when we were at the Oklahoma Track in Saratoga capturing the horses and exercise riders at sunrise. This has always been a favorite shot from that morning.
Samsung NX 30mm f/2
This lens is a pancake lens for my Samsung mirrorless camera, so it’s always in my purse. I captured this photo one evening by the shore of Saratoga Lake.
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
The Canon 24-105 is a great all around lens. It works well in a variety of situations. This photo of a horse and exercise rider at the Oklahoma Training Track in Saratoga is one of my all time favorite photos. I just love the light and colors.
Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM
I used the Canon 100mm f/2 primarily (this photo being an exception) as a long portrait lens on my Canon crop sensor cameras. Once I went to full frame, though, the length didn’t suit me as much so I sold this. I took this photo of the Los Angeles skyline from Griffith Observatory.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
I’ve only used this lens a handful of times, but it never disappoints. I took this photo of Saratoga Race Course from the height of a helicopter.
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
This lens is my favorite portrait lens, but in this photo, I used it to capture the Santa Monica Pier at night.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
The 16-35 f/2.8 is my preferred lens whenever the scene calls for a wide angle or a sun star. I took this photo of Monument Valley at sunrise from the balcony of my room at the View.
Samsung NX 16mm f/2.4
This is another pancake lens that I always have in my purse, for moments like this, when a beautiful rainbow appeared over my school one morning.
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3 Di VC USD
The Tamron 150-600 is an incredibly versatile telephoto lens. You can’t get much closer to your subject and still be able to hand hold your lens than with this one. I captured this sleeping lion on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Sony DT 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6
This was my first decent telephoto lens, which I used with my first DSLR. I even brought it to a Billy Joel and Elton John concert and got some great shots there with it. I just love this photo, though, that I took ten years ago at a US citizenship ceremony held at Saratoga National Historical Park.
Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7
The Minolta 50mm f/1.7 was a nice portrait lens, but I found it too long for my crop sensor Sony camera. I’ve always loved this photo of my grandma and her sister that I took on their birthday ten years ago.
Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6
This kit lens was at least longer than your average 18-55mm. It wasn’t a superb lens, but I took a lot of memorable shots with it. This one I took at the New York State Fair ten years ago tops them all.
Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro
That’s a long name for a lens. This was a great all around lens for years, going from wide to telephoto. This photo of the Old Walloomsac Inn and Old First Church in Bennington, VT stands out.
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-5.6 USM
This lens was my go-to wide angle lens on my Canon crop sensor cameras, but I eventually had to sell it when I went to full frame. I took this photo at Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, France
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