Started with 18-70mm
Added a sigma 70-300 and then a Sigma 10-20mm All bases covered and di everything I wanted Used all 3 lenses a lot.
Eventually added a 50mm f/1.8D, this was fun for a few months but was not touched since apart form at a wedding.
I then upgraded all the kit, 18-70mm was swapped for a 16-85mm. The wider angle made a huge difference, the lens was much sharpers, saturated and with more contrast. Likewise the Sigma 70-300mm was swapped for a Nikon 70-300mm VR with similar improvements.The 16mm end of the 16-85mm meant my sigma 10-20mm was rarely used except on special occasions. The 16-85mm and 70-200mm combo is my most favourite duo and my best lenses purchases considering quality, price, size, wight, and difference in upgrade.
I wanted a faster aperture telephoto so got a 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D lens second hand. This was fantastic for portraits. I loved it, this was probably the 4th best new lens, but it always felt too short for wildlife so after a time I stopped using it.
I added a 35mm f/1.8DX - also loved it for a few months but then barely touched it except at a wedding.
I got a good offer on a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR so 'upgraded' my 80-200mm to this model. Waste of time really because as fantastic as the 70-200mm is, 200mm is just too short for wildlife and there is basically no difference between the older 80-200 and the 70-200mm.
I then added a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 since there was a pricing error which the website honoured. I was intending to buy a FF D700 but decided against it due to low pixel density and waited for a D300 successor (which still hasn't appeared so I exentually got a D800. The 24-70mm had minimal uses - the 16-85mm was just a much nicer lens to use with the 16mm end.
Up until now I was using my Nikon 70-300mm VR over the Nikon 70-200mm f/.8 VR because I needed the 300mm reach, and over the 70-200mm focal range there is basically no image quality difference worth worrying about, especially if you can stop down a fraction. So I then purchased a 300mm f/4.0 second hand. This is my 3rd best ever purchased and over the last 3 years by far my most used lens, used almost exclusively with the 1.4xTC attached. I've mostly taken a break from landscape photography because it is just too damned hard and requires much more time commitments than I have available.
I added an 85mm f1.8 as it was on a good sale and I had a B&H voucher to use. I have barely used this lens.
Overall all the primes are rarely used except the 300mm. The 50mm hasn't been touched since 2009, in fact I think i lost it somewhere during the last house move. 35mm used to come out occasionally for some family portraits.
Secondly, the most expensive lenses have mostly been the least used.
i also rarely shoot wider than 16mm crop these days - I just don't get the opportunities to go wider. Ultra wide angles need some very specific circumstances to make them work, very hard lenses to use.
I now have a D800 and use a 24-70mm as the every day lens. I also started using the 70-200mm a little more.
I still have all my crop gear as I am still not convinced by FF. Pixel density is important to me and although the D800 is about right I could probably sell it, but a D7100 and with the extra money by a super tele.
Eitherway a new telephoto lens is my most likely upgrade. 500mm f/4.0 is the dream but I might end up with something like the new Sigma 150-600mm Sport
