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RobertLynn wrote:
I'm thinking it will help me with my technique also making me more critical in my work, for instance my 135 is seldom used because I just suck with it. The is of my 70-200 is a life saver.
...Perhaps I'm just looking for some lens porn and a push over the edge l.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I think your second-to-last observation ("... lens porn....") is probably right. Rather than push you over that edge, I'm going to discourage you from buying such a lens for the reasons you mention.
I own the lens. It is a fine lens for certain purposes, though I get far more use out of a couple of L zooms at the 24mm focal length for the work I do.
Unless I missed something in your post, the only reason you really mention for getting this lens is that you are "thinking it will help me with my technique," "making me more critical in my work." You also mention that you imagine that it will open us some vague and undefined "new possibilities" in your shooting. I think you are looking for an excuse to buy this really cool looking lens, but I'm also pretty certain that it will have almost no value in that context. You already have this focal length range covered with a fine lens, overall it seems that you (reasonably) prefer shooting zooms.
We've all occasionally developed a fixation on some piece of gear for reasons that are, frankly, hard to explain. I'm not immune, though I've managed to finally adopt some ways of dealing with this that at least make me a lot more resistant. Often when we get fixated on some piece of gear we come up with a lot of reasons to explain and justify what is really mostly a sort of emotional focus on the acquisition of the lens. Some signs that Gear Acquisition Syndrome may be in play include vague notions about how the lens will make you better, a history of buying similar fancy gear that eventually ended up being boring, a history of getting the thing that seemed like what you needed only to then start to desire another different thing in the same way, and the unfortunate tendency to think a lot more about equipment than about photographs, often putting off the thinking about photographs with the vague, almost unarticulated thought that once you solve the "lens problem" that the photographs will take care of themselves.
There are a few things that may help you resist:
- Focus on photographs rather than gear. Perhaps share a photograph per week or day online as a sort of assignment to yourself. You will occasionally be blocked or frustrated, but keep going - the practice eventually begins to develop your eye and shift your passion away from gear and toward photographs.
- Try shooting some lens you already have at 24mm and no other focal length for a few days and see how much you really need to have a prime at this FL.
- As hard as it is, instead of imagining how you might need something, look at your photography and ask yourself in cold, analytical terms how many shots you were unable to get (actually unable to get, not imagine that you might not be able to get) because you did not have a 24mm f/1.4 prime.
- When you make a decision that you "need" something like this lens, sit on the decision for a month or two months before making your purchase. If at any time during that waiting period you start to feel the uncontrollable urge to buy now or, on the other hand, you start to second guess your "decision," reset the clock for another month or two before you purchase. Time often has a way of reducing the Gear Lust passions.
Good luck with your decisions.
Dan
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So far, best post of the year in this gear forum...
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