johnahill wrote:
So......reading various announcements and wishlists for lens releases
Have we become obsessed by faster and faster lenses?
I mean they have a place, great for portraitures, maybe journalism, events and such.
I shoot mainly at f4 and below for landscape and cityscapes, would love to see offerings other than the race for the fastest aperture.
24-135 f4, 135 3.5, 400 5.6 and so on
Am I alone or is everyone in love with 50-150 f2 behemoths?
I think the manufacturers have perhaps become obsessed with ever more expensive lenses
More likely is that manufacturing technology has moved forward enough to make faster lenses much more feasible than they once were, and faster, more expensive lenses are probably more profitable. Plus, the demand must be there. I doubt companies make a lens just because they can. I bet photographers of 30+ years ago would have loved more f/1.2 options, but they just didn't exist.
And then there's the fact that you can make a fast lens slower, but you can't make a slow lens faster. Makes me wonder if manufacturers also follow that premise and opt to fill limited manufacturing capacity with the most versatile (and most profitable) products.
Ultimately I see lenses as a long-term purchase that'll last many bodies (upgrade-itis notwithstanding). and as consumers we really have so many systems and options to choose from that there will be a camera/lens for every eventuality. Just maybe not in your current system of choice.
Mar 02, 2026 at 03:54 PM
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