Fast-aperture lenses are highly desirable, but do you actually need one or do you just WANT one? Find out here!
Lenses with super-fast apertures are becoming more and more commonplace, with new f/0.95 and f/1.0 glass available for every popular mount. These optics are incredibly desirable, but the question is: do you actually need a super-fast lens or do you just want one?
That's not even counting "slower" lenses like the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM and Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, and Olympus' series of super-fast 17mm, 25,, and 45mm f/1.2 Pro lenses. And more are coming all the time; 7Artisans has just announced a 35mm f/0.95 lens for Micro Four Thirds and Canon, Sony and Nikon APS-C cameras, while TTartisan has a new 50mm f/0.95 lens for the Leica M-mount.
All this fast glass is incredibly desirable – and the the best ones (usually made by Canon or Nikon) are also incredibly expensive. So before you whack out your credit card, you need to ask the question: does your photography actually require a super-fast lens, or do you just have GAS – gear acquisition syndrome?
The Phoblographer has created a flowchart to quickly check whether or not you need to raid the piggy bank (thanks to 43 Rumors for the heads up):
The chart is quite tongue-in-cheek, but it does ask some very salient questions. After all, GAS is something that all photographers are afflicted by sooner or later – and there are few things more alluring than an f/1.2 or faster aperture!
Of course, there are some areas of photography that genuinely require or benefit from having the fastest glass possible. Astrophotography is an obvious one, as the faster your lens the shorter your shutter speed and/or lower your ISO can be (for cleaner images and the reduction of unwanted star movement).
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Low light is the common theme, as photographers who cover concerts and live performances, as well as those who shoot weddings and events in venues with poor lighting conditions, see tangible benefits from faster glass. For the rest of us… well, we usually just want a slightly blurrier background or to be able to show off at the camera club.
So take the above test and see if you really need a super-fast lens, or whether you need a good tripod. And when you get your answer, you can merrily ignore it and buy that lens you've been lusting over anyway!
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
