The other thing about fast lenses like an f/1.2 Noct or the 85 f/1.4 is that they're not just made for low light. VR helps with low light just as much. It's about overall lens quality, extreme fidelity across the image and at many different settings, and maybe also very nice bokeh. But you pay for it in extreme cost and usually also weight and size. No street photographer needs that! Ever!! And few people would notice the difference anyway unless you were shooting for a magazine or a gallery or something.
They still haven't perfected them . Hasselblad just recently has come closer . But it's not going to really be that great . I mean thousands upon thousands to get still not sharp across wide open is ridiculous. It's bragging rights of absolutely no use . Remember we are als talking not as in vintage lenses here . Where noct meant nocturnal . There are only certain times I shoot wide apertures . But wide open to me only happens on f4 lenses that are usually over 80mm.
Dave, I think that's excellent advice for both beginners and people on a budget. Play around with cheaper or used gear first to get a feeling for what you like to shoot. Spend more only if it makes your photography better! Street photography is the simplest and cheapest - and usually the most fun. I disagree with you about the fate of photography though. I think we'll have photography as long as we still have eyes! About the lens (and isn't it amazing that we could put this one on a fully modern D780 and it would work 100%? God bless Nikon!): I thought it was pretty sharp. Those texture-heavy photos that I like really showed up nicely. My favorites were the ones with the fire hydrant. I think though that you want to watch it at f/11 or above, as you have to worry about diffraction. I bet the lens felt good in the hand too, something else modern plastic lenses are lacking.
It was pretty good. I've had it since January. I like the characters of the old lenses . I have some f mount newer G lenses as well . But after the F mounts I'm pretty sure that's when things get boring . We need character in our photography. Not pin sharp tack sharp boring . Photography will be here a long long time . Those guys are just click baiting . I shoot cameras from the 1930s .
Thanks Dave. We will never hear a talking head say that a 50mm lens on an APSC camera is an ideal portrait lens. They want to get us to buy an expensive 85mm f1.8 instead. I, like you, never shoot wide open. I want the depth of field to work on my behalf to correct any minor focusing errors. If I want to have a subject in sharp focus and a blurry background I just put distance between the subject and the background. It's that simple. There are a lot of old time photo tricks that seem to be put under the rug because they save us money.
