What are the 2 lenses you would choose to use from now on?

[atpaula]

Just to hear everybody say what are their most used/important lenses.

[PedroS]

If I had to get rid of my collection and stay only with 2 lenses, they would be the 70-200mm f/4G and the 16-35mm f/4G.
I always take them on my trips.

I would be in a big trouble... just to explain because I have so many...

I'll have to live with the 24-70 f2.8G (have to quickly trade then to the VR one, eheh) and the 400mm f2.8 FL

[elsa hoffmann]

Two totally impractical ones - I know

85 f1.4
200-500 f5.6

And walk for the A team to zoom with my feet.

But in 6 months time = who knows

[Airy]

Quite a challenge. To think along the lines of the Nikon 1001 tales website, I am not, unfortunately a 35 and 85 guy, otherwise the obvious response would have been:
  Zeiss 35/2 and Nikkor 85/1.4 G

Reality is, I am a 50 and 105 guy. Therefore, not being able to select a WA in addition becomes difficult. Response could then be:
  Voigtländer 40/2 + close-up lens, and Nikkor 105/2.5 or, possibly, 180/2.8 AIS

This applies to my current and foreseeable subjects, that are mostly static.

If event shooting had a future in my case, I'd probably switch +/- to Erik's choice, i.e. 24-70/2.8 (my current, non-VR version) and 300/4 PF. But no small fast high IQ prime would be a big loss. In that case I'd smuggle the Summicron R 50/2 (Leitax mount) into my pocket, as the zoom would do the close-ups.

[Asle F]

I am glad I am not in the situation that I need to choose only 2 lenses, and I see no reason why I should do it. Back when I actually had only 2 lenses, it was 135mm/2.8 and 50mm/1.8. Today I am way too addicted to both shorter and longer than that, in addition to a 105mm lens, so with just 2 lenses, 70-200/2.8 has to be one of them, even if it is a lens I do not like very much and do not use much. I think AIS 28mm/2.8 has to be the other one, that is a lens I will never let go.

Just to hear everybody say what are their most used/important lenses.

Then the question was wrong, because you got me to choose a lens that is not one of my most used. Actually I use 70-200mm about 2-3 times a year. My two most used/important lenses are 55mm/2.8 and 105mm/2.8, both AIS micro-Nikkor.

[Akira]

Actually it was very difficult for me to choose as much as TWO lenses, as I normally only go with one. 

[Peter]

24mm f2.8 and 105mm f2.5.

I think the other two would be 35mm f2 and 200mm f4.

[Ron Scubadiver]

24-120 VR and a 50 f/1.4G.  I use these two the most now.

[MFloyd]

Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 & Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6.

[jhinkey]

Oh, that's tough. 

I'm actually paring down my Nikkor/non-Nikkor collection at the moment so the question is very relevant, though I won't be going down to 2 lenses.

I'd have to say my 16/3.5 AI since there is no other equivalent and my 85/4 ZM.

If just Nikkors I could keep, then 16/3.5 AI and 45/2.8 AI-P as that can do a lot for general usage.

[David H. Hartman]

Were I to join the NikonGear.net life of optical poverty I'd choose the AF-S 20/1.8G ED and AF-S 105/2.8G ED VR Micro.

Dave Hartman

I would cheat frequently and lie about it.

[chris dees]

I'm always afraid I have the wrong lens with, so I carry always a lot.
My preferred lens would be a 14-800/2.8VR weighing about a pound and less than €1K.

To cover as much as possible it would be the 24-120/4.0 and Sigma 150-600/5.0-6.3 Sports.

The 24/1.4G, 58G, 105E and 300PF are my favorites and that would be still two too much. Tough choice to leave two behind.

[Roland Vink]

My standard kit usually consists of three lenses, but which three changes from day to day, depending on what I'm doing, where I'm going and which lenses I feel like using. However the basic set up is: wide, standard, telephoto; one of which is a macro or capable of closeups. Therefore my kit is usually one of:
- Wide - AIS 16/2.8 fish, AI 20/3.5, K 24/2.8, AIS 28/2, AIS 28/2.8, AI 28/3.5, K 28/3.5, K 35/2.8, AI 35/2.8, AIS 35/1.4
- Standard - AI 50/1.8, AIS 50/1.8 (Japanese pancake), AIS 55/2.8 micro or AI 55/3.5 micro, AI 55/1.2, AIS 50/1.4
- Tele - AIS 85/2, K 85/1.8, AI 105/2.5, AI 135/3.5, AIS 135/2.8, E 75-150, AIS 105/4, AIS 105/2.8 micro, AIS 200/4
(the K lenses are AI'd)
Yeah, I have a lot to choose from ... if pressed, the ones I tend to use most often are the AI 50/1.8 and 75-150
If I'm only allowed two I might trade the 50/1.8 for one of the 35s to give a better spread of focal lengths. Not sure which 35, I don't tend to use 35 much since I usually have a 50 or 55 and skip 35 for 28 or wider.

[tommiejeep]

Impossible question to answer   
For Nikon bodies
Most important;
300 2.8vr
70-200 2.8G vr  II
Favourites ;
58 1.4G
DC105 f2D
Others for other systems
All depends on what I am shooting, how important getting an image is and am I shooting for fun , publication or for someone else

[David H. Hartman]

Imho, the restriction is too "loose". Why 2 and not 1?

Wait! Why one lens when one could use a glassless solution like a pin hole lens or at most a single element eyeglass lens with an f/128 black paper aperture?

Dave Hartman

I've forgotten the name but a respected photographer quiped that he was the only member of the east coast Group f/128. When he started he bought a camera but could not afford a lens hence the eye glass lens solution.