what does a 'slower lens' actually mean?

[fmw]

OK, Helen, different designs will allow the passage of enough light to produce an fX exposure with different sized front elements. Anyone familiar with the Olympus lenses from the OM1 and OM2 days knows that the olympus designs were all smaller despite their ability to produce the same maximum aperture as other lenses. You showed a good example with the Nikkor and the Leica. But if you take two lenses of the same focal length made my Olympus with different maximum apertures, the faster lens will have a larger front element. Same with the Nikkors. Similar designs require more front element for a larger maximum aperture. I should have said faster lenses generally have larger fron elements and are therefore more expensive, larger and heavier. I agree I used the wrong term when using a mathematical term like ratio. I'm sorry I used the wrong terminology in making my perfectly valid point. Apparently, I'm not competent to provide advice to amateur photographers. I'll let you handle the questions from amateur photographers and I'll just go make some images. I'm competent at doing that, last time I checked. Take care, folks.

 

[Alex_B]

hmmm, and this was exactly what I tried to prevent here (but I am not good at it at the moment). guys, get your feet back to the ground please.

 

[pulser9]

so when im looking for a new lens i should be looking for the fastest lens i can aford?